If you're thinking about adopting some of their "healthy" habits, think again. Read on to separate fact from fiction.
Myth #1: Eating late at night will make you fat.
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Fact: Calories are calories, no matter what time they're eaten. There is no magic hour in which your body decides that incoming calories must be stored as fat.
If you routinely overindulge after dinner, it's the overindulging that's sabotaging your weight-control efforts, not the hour on the clock. For some people, the "no calories after 8 p.m." rule is an effective diet strategy because it means they take in fewer calories and less saturated fat over the course of a day.
But what if dinner is late or you're hungry before bed? By all means, eat. Feed and fuel your body. No harm is done if you're balancing your calories over the day and not scarfing down junk food.
Finally, if you train in the evening, eating at night is not optional: You must to replace the nutrients you've just lost. Depending on the activity, you'll need water, electrolytes, carbohydrates and protein.
Bottom Line: What you eat—and how much—is far more important than when you eat it. But do make a point to spread your food intake out over the day to sustain your energy.
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