its 2am and you go digging for a quick meal ...

[rsarno]

i know, nobody does that ... but can we just assume you do it?

Now you have the following 4 choices;

A) 4 slices of whole wheat bread, toasted with spray margerine

B) Bowl of "oats and more" cereal, 1/2 cup skim milk

C) 3 packets of instant oatmeal, flavored (with hot water)

D) Other (explain below)


Please give me details as to why you made your choice, i would like to understand and learn. I just went down to the fridge and had these 3 options and went with the toast.

Thanks,

[ChocoChick]

Of your first three choices, I would opt for the "oats and more" based on my assumption that it is the least processed/lowest gi of the bunch, plus you get a bit of protein from the milk. But I am not familiar with this cereal, so my assumption could be wrong

In my house, I would go with "other" which usually works out to be something like (depending on how awake I am):

- Cheese
- Apple and peanut butter
- Nuts

[Fuelish]

If I had to choose from A through C, I'd have gone for the whole wheat toast (not all 4 slices and with no margarine).... I'm a fool for bread BUT, since you factored in D ("Other), that'd be my choice - something other. I'd probably reach for the cottage cheese and spice it up with whatever sounded good at the moment (black pepper and tomatos, ..... salsa, ..... mango hot sauce,....or just shovel it straight outta the tub plain.) MMMmmmmm

[yeah buddy]

good ol peanut butter

[rsarno]

good ol peanut butter

plain?? not pb&j sandwhich?

[DMBsAmricanBaby]

plain?? not pb&j sandwhich?

plain would be better for you

[pkking]

i do this very often and i usually go for a couple of toasted peanutbutter sammiches and a glass of milk tasty!

[Madevilz]

Make sure your peanut butter doesnt have added sugar or salt.

[pkking]

i make my own peanut butter

[r-asp]

Protein shake, all the way

If you cant take a shake, then 3 packets of oats sounds good. This is ideal if your metabolism is fast. And if your bulking.

[J Wes]

My choice would have to be other. Unless you are bulking, you don't need to eat carbs at night, especially in the middle of the night. Now, my method of thinking here is to limit fat as much as possible, so eating carbs in the middle of the night, when you metabolism is at it slowest, is a recipe for instant fat.

i would eat a protein and a fat- Such as Cottage cheese and PB or a low carb protein shake.

[rsarno]

Protein shake, all the way

If you cant take a shake, then 3 packets of oats sounds good. This is ideal if your metabolism is fast. And if your bulking.

when you say oats, is that the same thing as instant oatmeal packets?

[ChocoChick]

when you say oats, is that the same thing as instant oatmeal packets?

In order of lowest to highest GI (also least to most processed):

steel cut oats
old fashioned oats
quick oats
instant oats

Instant oats are NOT ok at any time if they are flavored (read: loaded with sugar).

That said, I don't think oats are a good 2am snack unless you are courting higher bodyfat. In general, I wouldn't recommend oats at any time unless they were accompanied by a protein source.

[ol_ matey]

Don't know why this hasn't been pointed out yet, but you're better off getting a good continuous sleep then waking up at 2am to make an eighth or ninth meal for the day.

[rsarno]

Instant oats are NOT ok at any time if they are flavored (read: loaded with sugar).

again, are "Oats" the same as oatmeal?? Might be a stupid question, but i honestly am retarded about this stuff ...

Also i eat the flavored ones on and off, i do notice they have sugar but they arent "loaded" by any means. i havent looked in a while, but it might be 3g per packet? not sure though ...

[Haywood Jablome]

OTHER - glass of milk or a few spoonfulls of cottage cheese.

Also i eat the flavored ones on and off, i do notice they have sugar but they arent "loaded" by any means. i havent looked in a while, but it might be 3g per packet? not sure though ...

The Quaker ones I have seen have about 13 grams of sugar.

[spearfisher]

if i dont feed the beast before bed time i WILL wake up at 2 am to raid the fridge. no doubt about it. before bed i usually have an apple and cottage cheese (skim). peanut butter and skim milk isnt bad either assuming i havent porked my fat intake for the day I used to do shakes but i was always waking up hungry..........around 2am?!

[ChocoChick]

again, are "Oats" the same as oatmeal?? Might be a stupid question, but i honestly am retarded about this stuff ...

Yes, oats are oatmeal (or porridge).

Also i eat the flavored ones on and off, i do notice they have sugar but they arent "loaded" by any means. i havent looked in a while, but it might be 3g per packet? not sure though ...

I don't know what brand you are eating, but Quaker's instant oatmeal has 13g sugar per packet. http://www.quakeroatmeal.com/Product...BrownSugar.cfm

This is the last thing to eat at 2am, imo.

[rsarno]

awww ****, i idnt realize it was that much!!! I have been eating 3 packets for breakfast everyday LOL!!!!

guess its time to switch to unflavored with a couple splenda packets.

DAMNIT!

[9099]

Instead of splenda, and try adding honey to your oats. I'd grab a loaf of bread, wholewheat and a jar of natty peanut butter.

[trem0lo]

Whenever this happens to me I make a protein shake. Water + whey. Not very satisfying, but it really fills you up and takes the cravings away.

[r-asp]

Just keep things simple and basic, you dont really need to get technical with GI terms etc. If your bulking then thats your goal. To bulk. Then its ok to eat oatmeal 2am in the morning. You need to continously feed the body. But honestly its so much easier to down a protein shake 2am in the morning. Takes 5mins. Your body is more likely to be starved of protein not carbs. Anyways who wants to be chewing on dry oats 2am in the morning... eh

[-Nostalgia-]

I would grab some cottage cheese, and little natural pb maybe.

[Jules Verne]

Yogurt, Sugar Free Jell-o pudding (probably butterscotch) and maybe a few grapes.

Reason: Easy to make, low calorie (if cutting - I eat about 1/2 cup), reasonably filling and easy on my stomach - I have no problem getting back to sleep. I'd never have a shake of just whey+water - can't think of any time that would be good. At least add milk.

The only reason I don't choose choose cottage cheese is that I would have had some before bed and the way I like to eat it involves too much preperation for 2 am.

For bulking I have the same, maybe with some whole grain cereal instead of the grapes.

Usually I eat enough just before bed that I'm not hungry when I wake up to pee, but if I'm hungry, I have to eat something or I will never get back to sleep.

[jaymdubbs]

i try not to have heavy carbs past 12am, but no ones perfect.

[BDMF]

D) Whey shake with natural PB.

[xxx_vic]

GREAT POST!!! I sleep for 8 - 10 hours and feel severly "vacuumed out " when i wake up since at night i usually take multiple pisses and sometimes dumps

SOOOO I created a night time meal, when my alarm clkck blaares at 5AM I have a shake consisting of

150G cottage cheese
1 scoop ON whey
2 tsp UDOS oil blen (EFAs)
1.5 cups milk

great casein and fast acting proteins together

[TDavis_NC]

Iusually grab a couple celery sticks and dip them in some natural peanut butter. Yummy stuff.

[Titan1969]

I never eat carbs that late at night...just packs on fat. In fact any calories you eat and then go to bed on will likely turn to fat. You burn the highest % of bodyfat when your sleeping...even a higher % than cardio.

[smurfsky101]

i always wake up to take a piss, and i'm starving (usually between 1 and 2 am)

so i have

2 slices of double fiber bread (total of 10 grams carbs, deducting fiber) w/ 8 grams protein
1 Tablespoon of peanut butter, maybe some SF jelly
and 1/2 a cup of yogurt with some SF jello pudding