I often hear from people who have a lot of questions about Medifast logistics. A common concern is how to space out your meals so you can eat all six of them over the course of the day. (Yes, there are six, including their five pre-packaged meals and their “lean and green” meal that you make yourself.)

People often ask me if there are any restrictions on the timing of these meals. We all live busy lifestyles and some of us don’t even eat our dinner until late at night. A common question I get asked is “how late can you eat with Medifast?” I recently heard from a woman who usually ate dinner around 8:30 at night. As she planned how she suspected Medifast was going to work for her, she realized that she would probably need a late night snack, which would mean she could be eating until 9:30 or 10:00 at night. . She wondered if this was allowed or if it would be a good idea since most diets don’t want you to eat late at night. Many diets cut out all meals after 7:00 p.m.

I have never read or seen such time restrictions on Medifast. I know people who eat much later than 7:00 pm on this diet because they work nights or because their lifestyle prevents them from eating earlier. If you’re worried about eating late, you can always try to make sure you eat one of the smaller prepackaged meals as your last meal of the day instead of the larger lean, green meal. You can also have your lean, green breakfast or lunch to eat just a very small meal this late in the day. Keep in mind that pre-packaged meals are only 90-110 calories each. The lean and green has substantially more and is designed to be your largest meal of the day.

I realize that some people worry about eating late because they think that eating and then going to bed soon afterward means they don’t get a chance to burn off those calories or that their metabolism will slow down as a result. I’m not sure I really believe this theory as no one has ever reported poor results from a late meal with Medifast. But, if this is a concern, know that you can always stack most of your meals earlier in the day. There’s nothing that says you have to eat your meals in evenly spaced increments. In a perfect world, this could happen. But this is real life. Sometimes you just have to do your best and go with what your schedule and lifestyle allow.

And you should keep in mind that you’re likely to be eating considerably fewer calories and carbohydrates than you’re used to, no matter when this happens. The equation for calories in and energy out remains the same no matter what time you’re talking. So, to answer the question posed, as far as I know, you can eat as late as you need with Medifast, but if you’re concerned about this, you can always adjust your schedule as needed. There are no hard rules set in stone. Nobody will sneak up behind you and tell you that you are eating too late.