View Full Version : Late Night No No?
Hollywood
01-17-07, 11:11 pm
Lately I've been boiling up eggs and waking up 2 hours earlier than I usually do and downing a bunch for extra protein then headin back to sleep. Any of you guys wake up during the night for an extra meal or shake?
Nah, I dont tend to wake up in the middle of the night and eat to much considering your metabolism is rather slow at the particular time so the amount of food you normally could digest doesnt get broken down all the way... I usually keep a spoon and a thing of peanut butter on the night stand so if I wake up and I am hungry, eat a few spoon fulls of that to hold me over til I am actually up for the day.. I guess it doesnt hurt though.. I just wouldnt recommend eating TOOO much...
IronLeague
01-18-07, 12:16 am
Shit, I usually get up at least twice to piss before I wake up for good... I usually bang down a shaker cup of Cyto Gainer w/ whole milk.. The way I look at it is....... If I don't get an extra meal in when I can, the dude standing next to me on stage might have gotten that meal that I missed...
Arbalest
01-18-07, 12:20 am
If i'm bulking, then yes i do. I wake up many times during the night, so I just walk upstairs and grab some protein (something i've already prepared) and down it, then head back to sleep for however long my body will slumber.
Bombboy
01-18-07, 12:23 am
Naw bro, i usually just down a double helping of casien protein right before bed, and a whey just after I get up.
BB
hell ya pb and jelly with banana and some protein with milk for good measure whenever i have to wake up for a piss break is when normally this meal goes down the hatch
ironmudd
01-18-07, 5:55 pm
I used to keep a protein shake next to my bed to eat when I woke up to piss, but after I got married my wife thought that was strange for some reason and it would wake her up when I was shaking the shit out of the thing, so I stopped doing it. Only exception is during carb load for a show, I tend to lose my fullness overnight, especially after I drop water, so the night before a show I'll be up every couple hours eating.
NumeroUno
04-08-07, 1:16 am
I am exercising at night (getting done at 9-10) I eat dinner an hour or so before I go, and hit cardio for 45 at the end of each workout (high intensity). I'm trying to cut. When I come home and am starving from running, should I stay hungry and go to bed? Or should I eat a little or medium sized portion of food? I came to the thought that If I don't eat then my body is still digging in my fat for energy since I didn't put more calories into my body. What do you all think? Thx Brothers
-Daniel
Nightshift
04-08-07, 1:40 am
If your going to go to bed shortly after training you should have a protein meal/shake with both whey and casein. The casein being the type of protein that digests ata slower rate. As far as carbs go, I'm not sure. Hopefully someone will be able to answer that.
If your going to go to bed shortly after training you should have a protein meal/shake with both whey and casein. The casein being the type of protein that digests ata slower rate. As far as carbs go, I'm not sure. Hopefully someone will be able to answer that.
I'm with Nightshift.. I'm no expert and am still trying to figure out the whole nutritional aspect but from what I've read I think that you should have a shake before going to bed to give your body something to work with overnight. I'm thinking maybe like a shake and some fruit? Not sure though. Wait and see what some of the other more experienced brothers here say.
I agree, you need SOMETHING before you get to sleep. Especially after you workout you need to get something down, shake being the most convenient and most essential. When you get to sleep, it won't only tap into your fat stores, but also your muscle stores. Once your fat stores are depleted, it's coming after your hard earned muscle - Catabolism, where your body actually eats away the muscle you've gained, and you don't want to lose all your work you just put in at the gym!
My suggestion, make a protein shake and maybe grab some flax seed oil or some fish oil and take that also. This way you've got a healthy ratio of protein, carbs and healthy fat. You're body is always burning calories, even while sleeping so you want to make sure you've got fuel to burn. This will help battle catabolism while you're fasting overnight. Hope that helps brother.
doomsdaylover
04-08-07, 2:16 am
Eat when you are hungry, but avoid a huge amount of carbs before bed. A Casein shake will give your body fuel to burn while fasting instead of muscles. Several articles exist concerning that fact. Training at night is always a tricky thing. Is there no way you can train early morning?
NumeroUno
04-08-07, 2:17 am
I can train in the morning... which is better for fat burning?
I'd eat carbs after working out late at night. You need to restore muscle glycogen stores after a workout. Have a protein shake and maybe 1/2 a bottle of gatorade immediately after working out. Your last meal before bed could consist of 1 cup cottage cheese and some form of complex carbs such as oatmeal, sprouted grain toast with sugar free jam, or brown rice. Just limit these carbs. I'd aim for about 35g of complex carbs at my last meal. Again, the reason I say this is because your glycogen stores will be depleted after a workout and you run the risk of burning muscle protein for fuel. You'll have to account for this carb intake in your daily allowance, which means some of your current carb meals during the day will have less carbs in them as a result. In your case, I'd atleast be eating carbs at breakfast, preworkout and postworkout. Thats my opinion.
I can train in the morning... which is better for fat burning?
Disregard my last post if you're working out in the morning. I'd say the morning is better for fat burning because you'll ramp up your metabolism throughout the day, making it easier to eat your required meals. Not only that, I find it easier to keep track of my carbs if I'm eating them earlier in the day. That way I can eat low carb before bedtime.
doomsdaylover
04-08-07, 3:00 am
The morning is the best for the following reasons: you get your metabolism going early and after you eat, set your eating habits for the whole day. In the morning, you have the most energy and are ready to hit the weights with the force of God.
I should find some articles to back this up. I know that reading in the morning makes the most sea sense.
stumblin54
04-08-07, 3:29 am
Actually the afternoon is the prime time of the day to train, but getting it done period is all that really matters. As for the question about not eating after training before bed, that's ridiculous. You have to have PWO carbs no matter what time of the day you train, because you can't just leave your muscles without anything to refuel them. You may get cut with that method, but you will be left with no muscle. Train, eat carbs, then go to bed. You don't have to eat less carbs because it's right before bed either; they are handled the same way by your body whether you eat them at 12am or 12pm. Peace.
Stumblin
Actually the afternoon is the prime time of the day to train, but getting it done period is all that really matters. As for the question about not eating after training before bed, that's ridiculous. You have to have PWO carbs no matter what time of the day you train, because you can't just leave your muscles without anything to refuel them. You may get cut with that method, but you will be left with no muscle. Train, eat carbs, then go to bed. You don't have to eat less carbs because it's right before bed either; they are handled the same way by your body whether you eat them at 12am or 12pm. Peace.
Stumblin
Yes!
Ricky P
04-08-07, 12:23 pm
I can train in the morning... which is better for fat burning?
This is from an article I read in Muscle and Fitness in the April '07 issue:
The best two times of the day to do cardio is in the morning, and after you lift. In the morning, your body is already in fat-burning mode from your overnight fast. Cardio on an empty stomach also helps regulate your internal clock, which in turn helps you sleep better and recover better.
Cardio after weights can actually spot-reduce fat. When you lift weights you free up fat from the areas you are using during that session, and when you do cardio directly after, those freed up fat cells are used for fuel and burnt instead of being redistributed back onto your body.
Also, not to completely disagree with stumblin, but it really is never a good idea to eat any kinds of carbs before bed. At night, your body has to release more insulin to help put to use any of the carbs you consumed before bed. Insulin, however, decreases the body's ability to burn fat and it also enhances fat storage.
Best thing to do is for your last two or three meals, eat only meals that are high in protein. For instance, a casein shake immediately before bed, or you can grab some chicken breast or some low fat cottage cheese. Those would be some good things to eat before bed that shouldn't hamper your fat-burning goals.
This is from an article I read in Muscle and Fitness in the April '07 issue:
The best two times of the day to do cardio is in the morning, and after you lift. In the morning, your body is already in fat-burning mode from your overnight fast. Cardio on an empty stomach also helps regulate your internal clock, which in turn helps you sleep better and recover better.
Cardio after weights can actually spot-reduce fat. When you lift weights you free up fat from the areas you are using during that session, and when you do cardio directly after, those freed up fat cells are used for fuel and burnt instead of being redistributed back onto your body.
Also, not to completely disagree with stumblin, but it really is never a good idea to eat any kinds of carbs before bed. At night, your body has to release more insulin to help put to use any of the carbs you consumed before bed. Insulin, however, decreases the body's ability to burn fat and it also enhances fat storage.
Best thing to do is for your last two or three meals, eat only meals that are high in protein. For instance, a casein shake immediately before bed, or you can grab some chicken breast or some low fat cottage cheese. Those would be some good things to eat before bed that shouldn't hamper your fat-burning goals.
While we're on the topic of Muscle and Fitness... I can't remember which issue it was, but it said to eat carbs after your workout even if it was late, simply to restore glycogen levels in your muscles. Obvioulsy the goal here is fat loss, but that doesn't mean you should have to lose muscle in the process. Unless you really don't care, which is a different story. I really doubt that eating some form of complex carbs before bed will raise your insulin levels significantly enough to cause fat storage, especially after a workout.
Cutting doesn't mean eating less, it means eating cleaner. Eating after you work out is a must, or you're gonna start burning muscle too. I don't care about eating carbs before bed, as long as they aren't in too much abundance. Fruit, oatmeal, whatever, it doesn't matter to me. But yeah, you want to keep your body functioning on an optimal level? You want to retain all that hard work you've been putting in? EAT.
gsb239 don't get me wrong. I completely agree with you. I know that I definitely like to eat before bed. I don't have a problem with it whatsoever, but again that's just what the article had said. I do however think it matters what you choose to eat before bed. I definitely don't agree going to sleep on an empty stomach is something anyone should do, like I said in my first post up top, I think you need something in you before you go to bed. I like to down a shake, maybe a PBandJ on some wheat (I'm bulking so I'm more apt to eat anything in sight) but while I'm cutting, I'll eat much cleaner before I sleep. And again, anything in moderation is good, if you are going to get some carbs in, which I don't think is a bad thing, as long as you can control it. So all in all, I definitely agree gsb239, you gotta eat before bed and ESPECIALLY after workouts. But the solution I have to come up with NumeroUno, is if you can workout in the morning, it can only benefit you. Working out at night is a lot more tricky.
Like everyone else said grab a shake before bed. that is my nightly ritual, i have two scoops of protein each night before bed. lets my body eat off that and my fat while a sleep. i like to work out in the morning also because i feel that i can hit my muscles harder and not feel as drained during my workout. but that is just me and that is what seems to work well for me. try different things until you find what works the best for your. either way just hit that shit hard and grow
I put a shake on the head of the toilet so when I wake to piss 3-4 times during the day (I work nights) I slam some of it.
My exwife thought i was out of my mind. so glad i got rid of her.
I was going to let you all sort this out but I have to make a few comments here. When you sleep, your body is getting a long workout in right? Heart pumping, organs functioning, great..body is working even while you sleep.
The meal you eat before bed is just as important as any of the other meals you consume. Opinions will always vary from eating anywhere from two hours to fifteen minutes before you go to bed..personal preference really, in my opinion.
You want to consume slow digesting foods such as fibrous carbs, casein protein, or even healthy fats. Cottage Cheese, natural peanut butter, and any type of vegetable is also perfect at this time. You can even consume complex carbs, just in moderation. I would not stuff a piece of cake in my mouth before bed..I would stay away from simple sugars right before bedtime. A bowl of whole grain oats is fine and mix some natural PB into it, or even your protein powder! It has been done before.
What I find people having a hard time with is keeping food intake low at night. It gets boring late at night when your home and sometimes you feel that eating is the only thing to do. Throw some ZMA in the mix to help you sleep if you think eating before bed may keep you awake at night.
Using myself as a prime example. I am dieting for a show..a bit over 7wks out now..my last meal is usually 9-930pm. Now, carbs for me is a different issue because I am training for a show and I am allowed a certain amount throughout my day. I try to time my carbs perfectly pre and post workout to make better use of them; consuming carbs when my body needs them the most. However, I will eat a few before bed as long as they are slow digesting.
spartan300
04-10-07, 7:47 am
Lately I've been boiling up eggs and waking up 2 hours earlier than I usually do and downing a bunch for extra protein then headin back to sleep. Any of you guys wake up during the night for an extra meal or shake?
Did it for many years with great results. I made up a pitcher of my protein concoction prior to bedtime and set my alarm clock to have a couple of drinks throughout the wee hours.
Brute Strength
04-10-07, 11:31 am
when cutting bad because you use sleeping to burn calories also, and bulking yea sure, get more calories in for the day.
spartan300
04-10-07, 7:28 pm
when cutting bad because you use sleeping to burn calories also, and bulking yea sure, get more calories in for the day.
just keeps you in a PNB.
flatrock
04-14-07, 6:18 pm
Usually I'll just put some aminos next to my water jug on the night stand... If I wake in the night and am conscious enough to take a drink of water I'll down the aminos right then and there... and fall back to sleep 'fore my head hits the pillow
ct italian 1
04-16-07, 1:53 pm
I know I'm gonna get flammed for this one, but I don't eat a thing after dinner (meal #5). Ever since I stopped eating before bed, I've gotten way harder & leaner. All it was really doing for me was adding fat but I guess everyone is different. Not eating after dinner is just what works best for me.
I know I'm gonna get flammed for this one, but I don't eat a thing after dinner (meal #5). Ever since I stopped eating before bed, I've gotten way harder & leaner. All it was really doing for me was adding fat but I guess everyone is different. Not eating after dinner is just what works best for me.
If what you're doing works for you, who cares what people say. If you're happy with the results of whatever you're doing, isn't that the point?
ct italian 1
04-16-07, 3:33 pm
very true, dropped 20lbs in 2months with no carb cycling, water manipulation etc. & all of my measurements either increased or stayed the same besides my waist which fell almost 3 full inches.
spartan300
04-16-07, 7:25 pm
Should have had a body comp. test to see how this affected you. Would have been interesting to see how much lean mass you lost within that amount.
well, im european, and as some of you may know, big european families eat. and eat some more. Now this is good if im bulking, i take advantage of it. But when im cutting, i have urges to eat with them, and get pressured by family to eat (the worst is when we have guests over) What are some things i can do to keep on the path of a right diet and refuse certain food from family. its tough, what do you guys say about it....
thanks
I'm working out alot of times at the same time you are. When I get home I usually eat tuna or chicken salad like tuna very little mayo if any at all, little pickle relish, whole wheat bread if any bread. I have always been told if your craving something its better to eat it then than wait due to the fact to over endulging. I'm a diabetic so I have to be extra careful with what and when I eat. Hope this helps.
albertaboy
04-18-07, 2:30 pm
I also work out at night I have too that is the only time I can get to the gym (I watch my daughter during the day and the wife gets home we eat play with the kid she goes to bed and I hit the weights). I had the same question so thanks for asking it. I usually have gatorade then protein shake some nitro then off to bed about an hour later. Not sure if I should throw in something else or not? If I am really hungary I will eat some fruit or make a sandwich