not eating after 8 WILL make a difference, especially if you eat crap or high carbs. You only need carbs for energy, and by 8, you will have all the energy stores you need, so the food has a higher tendency to be directly stored as fat. I don't know how big of a difference it will make, but it is a still a good practice.
No, we can not give a blanket party to the masses, boss man
While there may be some sensitive to carbohydrates (or be a diabetic), this eating carbohydrates after 8PM, is simply a myth. It is the circumference of calories in a 24 hour period that matters (and associated trend history). Additionally, most people have problems following the basic and RAW rules of the traditional calorie deficit, and have some have problems with hunger in the evening, and spacing out meals to allow an appropriate meal in the evening "can" assist in their personal sanity, and keep some within the basic and RAW rules.
I certainly could rock out fat loss eating a hardy 2 servings of oatmeal just a few minutes before bed (oh, this has about 54 grams of carbohydrates)---while traditionally in a calorie deficit, AND "especially" when/if my glucose stores were empty prior to this bowl of oatmeal.
Cannot pull energy from nothing, and if (keeping things equal) there is an "overall" deficit eating these carbohydrates before bed, it creates an environment for tissue loss--despite the carbohydrate calories. We also burn calories while sleeping, and the body is quite active repairing it self, etc, etc. We suddenly do not stop burning calories snoozing at night
Additionally, when glucose stores are depleted (for lack of argument) two shortages are thundering inside when a calorie shortage is present: A deficiency in the glucose stores, and one in the face of a calorie deficit. Therefore, when things get flipped (after a period of time in the former), and one provides a calorie surplus, and enough carbohydrates are ingested, most of the carbohydrates ingested will be used to refill the glucose stores, and one could even eat reasonably over the MT-Line, and theoretically not gain any fat (keeping things equal).
When ever I feel the need to eat more, I usually manipulate 2 things: Carbohydrates and exercise to set my self up to more readily absorb the excess calories, and one does this simply through manipulation of diet and exercise. My family can get quit amazed in the amount of food I can consume after a very low carb period. I am only 5' 7" (and going to be 48 this year), and my traditional non-manipulated MT-Line normally is around 2200 to 2600 calories (dependent). After a very low carbohydrate period, I can consume in excess of 4,000 calories, and even feel leaner, meaner, than the day before.
Thus displaying the power of the almighty and powerful diet.
Additionally, when a person starts a carbohydrate emphasis diet (like--hopefully a good "modified" version of Atkins), they experience a heavy loss of water at first, and some can tend to interpret this as tissue loss, when in fact it "may not" be all tissue loss, but simply water. Hence the word HYDRATE in the word Carbohydrate. Remove carbohydrates, remove water, and since muscle is primarily water, it can effect their appearance.
Additionally, when they become successful with this diet approach (and lose good tissue), they tend to get lost because they had no plan on what "to do" when they got off this rather abnormal diet, and approached their normal lifestyle. When a plan of attack, before, during, and after, would have solved many personal complications.
Having a party in the head, and learning to master your strengths and weakness, brings in the winning team of success.
Best wishes
Chillen
