protein at bedtime for fat loss???

[Barb569]

Hi there. I was wondering if a protein shake before bed helps with fat loss or if best to not eat 3 hours before bed. Here is my info: 144 lbs, 5'6. I eat "clean" and healthy 80-90 % of the time, lift heavy, legs 3 x week, upper 3x week, yoga 1 week, abs daily (to help w herniated disc) so cannot use weight or do forward flexion with abs ,fasted cardio 30 min 5x week as a general example of my workouts. I never intend on competing, just want to look and feel good. Would love to look more defined esp abs and legs but with me I am best to ignore the scale, my clothes can completely change without dropping weight. Anyhow, would love your thoughts...... Thanks

[thump]

Hi Barb,
From what I have learned ( in school for exercise science and sports nutrition) and understand it would be best to stop carbs 3 Hours before you go to bed. Personally , I just stop carbs at 7pm. The answer to your question would be yes! You should consume either like a 4 hard boiled eggs minus the yolk or a protein shake but you will want to use a Casein protein over a whey because casein is a slower digested protein. The reason for this is if you have nothing in your system your body will go catabolic or starvation mode and will eat up all that wonderful muscle you have been workin so hard to achieve and with losing that muscle u lose a big part to fat loss. Lean muscle burns fat just as good if not better than cardio by itself. Hope this helps

[azguy]

There's a lot of debate about Casein, I use whey before bed with a half cup of oatmeal in a blender.

[Tina7578]

Can't say I'd suggest going no carb before bed ... I have a shake, like AZguy, with oats, skim milk, regular whey (I hate casein), and some PB. Keep your macros and calories for the day in check and you shouldn't have to cut anything out at night. Sometimes I opt for a PB&J sandwich on wheat before bed, sometimes it's a serving of protein pudding, sometimes it's yogurt.

I never cut out carbs, just keep them complex for the most part and keep them lower throughout the day. I'd also never go without eating before bed.

[nakedbabytoes]

Your body has no idea what time it is, nor does your digestive tract. At some magical time 3 hours before bed, your body doesn't suddenly decide that everything it eats after that is stored as fat or what have you. Hungry? Eat. Fiberous carbs & proteins take longer to digest, so for overnight satiability, those would be good choices since sleep is such a long stretch of the 24 hour day without food. But as far as fat loss effect goes, it's all the cals over the 24hours vs expenditure that matter. Not what you eat before bed.

[brandibopeep]

Your body has no idea what time it is, nor does your digestive tract. At some magical time 3 hours before bed, your body doesn't suddenly decide that everything it eats after that is stored as fat or what have you. Hungry? Eat. Fiberous carbs & proteins take longer to digest, so for overnight satiability, those would be good choices since sleep is such a long stretch of the 24 hour day without food. But as far as fat loss effect goes, it's all the cals over the 24hours vs expenditure that matter. Not what you eat before bed.

^^^^^^^^^^this!

[imperfectly_lou]

Your body has no idea what time it is, nor does your digestive tract. At some magical time 3 hours before bed, your body doesn't suddenly decide that everything it eats after that is stored as fat or what have you. Hungry? Eat. Fiberous carbs & proteins take longer to digest, so for overnight satiability, those would be good choices since sleep is such a long stretch of the 24 hour day without food. But as far as fat loss effect goes, it's all the cals over the 24hours vs expenditure that matter. Not what you eat before bed.

agreed

[stephanielynn76]

Your body has no idea what time it is, nor does your digestive tract. At some magical time 3 hours before bed, your body doesn't suddenly decide that everything it eats after that is stored as fat or what have you. Hungry? Eat. Fiberous carbs & proteins take longer to digest, so for overnight satiability, those would be good choices since sleep is such a long stretch of the 24 hour day without food. But as far as fat loss effect goes, it's all the cals over the 24hours vs expenditure that matter. Not what you eat before bed.

She's right. I ALWAYS eat before bed... usually at about 9pm before going to bed at 10pm. When I was cutting I got down to 12% body fat and was eating wheat toast with peanut butter and bananas every night...

[Hamzzza]

Your body has no idea what time it is, nor does your digestive tract. At some magical time 3 hours before bed, your body doesn't suddenly decide that everything it eats after that is stored as fat or what have you. Hungry? Eat. Fiberous carbs & proteins take longer to digest, so for overnight satiability, those would be good choices since sleep is such a long stretch of the 24 hour day without food. But as far as fat loss effect goes, it's all the cals over the 24hours vs expenditure that matter. Not what you eat before bed.

pretty much this

as for weight gain/loss it is all about calories in vs. calories out

now having a protein shake(especially a slow digesting one like casein) will help you in not going catabolic and thus losing muscle.... if you can fit it under your calories restrictions then you should have a protein shake before bed IMO

[ahez1991]

Your body has no idea what time it is, nor does your digestive tract. At some magical time 3 hours before bed, your body doesn't suddenly decide that everything it eats after that is stored as fat or what have you. Hungry? Eat. Fiberous carbs & proteins take longer to digest, so for overnight satiability, those would be good choices since sleep is such a long stretch of the 24 hour day without food. But as far as fat loss effect goes, it's all the cals over the 24hours vs expenditure that matter. Not what you eat before bed.

^^^this last night i went to a party with a bunch of friends from my gym...at 2 in the morning i hadnt met my macros for the day still...and had my guy friend cook me up a chicken breast and some stir fry veggies and a turkey sammich...still woke up this morning having even lost a bit of weight because i was at a fairly big deficit yesterday...calories in vs calories out..if it works into your macros and cals for the day, (being your trying to maintain build or cut) then thats all that matters, though it is highly advisable you go for lean proteins and fiberous carbs later...you dont really need the energy before bed

[Barb569]

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for your feedback. Didn't realize I had so many responses. I greatly appreciate the info
Happy New Year