question about eating at night.

[Pixietoes]

Hi ladies,

Up until now I have been training for my first competition. So my program was geared towards fat loss ( not very successful I might add). My workouts and cardio have been upped in intensity and I wanted to add an extra meal for recovery after my workout. My workouts are at night, after work and after my last meal. This would mean I would have the meal (drink) around 9-9:15, getting to bed around 10-10:30. Previous information from my former trainers wanted my last meal at 6:30 with nothing after my lifting session. I would like a general opinion on the subject. I know I need to add in calories to make strength gains and to help support my more intense program. I do feel I should have been working much harder in my previous training, but I guess we all live and learn. Thank you in advance.

[ClassickQC]

In the end, your body doesn't care at what time you eat, it cares about what you eat and how much of it (calories/macros)

Some eat right before bed, some wake up in the middle of the night to eat. It doesn't matter. Also, most PT have no background in nutrition so therefore shouldn't give any nutrition advice at all unless they have studied in that field as well (which is rather rare, IMO)

[JustaGirl78]

There's nothing wrong at all with eating at night. I practice intermittent fasting and my feeding window is from 3pm to 11pm and I have my largest meal before bed (normally around 1000 calories)

[JeniM]

My workouts are in the morning, but I still eat something before bed, I just make sure it fits into my calories for the day.
If I don't eat I wake up at 4 in the morning nauseous from being so hungry LOL.

[penny0527]

My workouts are in the morning, but I still eat something before bed, I just make sure it fits into my calories for the day.
If I don't eat I wake up at 4 in the morning nauseous from being so hungry LOL.

Wow! I thought it was only me! If I don't eat closer to bedtime I can't sleep through the night. I wake up and cannot go back to sleep until I eat. No way around it!

I'm not in competition but I eat late at night if I'm hungry AND I haven't hit my calorie goal. I've eaten a burger at 9:30pm because it was when I had time to eat. In no way shape or form did I blow up. Personally I think not eating after a certain hour is outdated thinking. Your body doesn't shut down when you sleep.

[Pixietoes]

Great ideas, I don't feel so bad about eating after my workout. Thank you!