Is having a large meal before bed bad?

[Bamaispriceless]

Whatsup guys? What is the view on eating a large meal before bed, is it OK or will it cause me to gain fat? Some sources I have read say to eat light before bed, and guys like John Berardi say to eat every 2-3 hours regardless of it is before bed or not. I typically have a "Supershake" before bed, somewhere in the 700Kcal-800Kcal range, but other times I will have a full meal with lean protein, veggies, and a healthy fat. Just curious if this would cause me to gain excess fat or if it was OK to do.

Also, since I'm already here, what do you guys think about calorie restriction diets? I am trying to lose bodyfat right now, and am following the 7 habits 5 days a week trying to get around 2500Kcals and 1xbw in protein, and the other 2 days I do intermittent fasting (IF). I know some people though never count calories and just focus on eating clean and they lose fat, so I'm unsure of what to do about it.

 

[woogie12]

All I can say is it's been found that it's good to eat before bed because it keeps the metabolism going, but eat cleanly. I would think lighter would be better, but I'm not expert.

 

[XTrainer]

In answer to your first question, I have been obessive about my weight and body comp lately. That means weighing all the time. While eating a big meal before bed may mean waking up with a little extra weight from fluid retention/food volume in system, I'll be darned if my weight does not go straight back to normal by midday or so. And this is coming from an easygainer.

I know this goes against everything it says in the diet books and whatnot, but I don't believe eating near bedtime should be treated any diffferently than eating outside the peri-workout window.

As far as calorie restriction, just say no. A few years ago I was quite fat and out of shape (I know, hard to believe *Flexes gunz*). So, like most uneducated people, I cut calories drastically and ran a lot. Sure, I lost like 30lbs, but I wrecked my metabolism. Furthermore, I was weak. It took me about 3 years to go from a skinny (150-something), probably a million% bodyfat person to actually being in what I personally consider excellent shape now (I'm 170 and you can follow the link in my sig to see my lifts and such).

If I were to do it over again, I wish I would have known about G-Flux. I wish I would have known about complexes. I wish I would have know about loaded conditioning and GPP (sled drags, sledgehammer, etc.). Perhaps most importantly, I wish I would have known that a calorie IS NOT a calorie.

 

[ssckp86]

I was just thinking about asking this.
Some more input would be nice.
I usually eat like 6 times a day.
All the meals are small ones except my last.
My last is really big, like a rice a roni (without oils or fats added) with added pasta and like 2 servings of meat.....
eh......

 

[ThePitBull32]

I am just about finished with my month on the get shredded diet. It is a low calorie, with all carbs coming from vegetables. I will make a thread when I am finished, but to sum up my results so far: I have lst a significant % of body fat, I have incresed my endurance, and I have gotten stronger. I am very careful that I do get "enough" of what my body needs, even though I am restricted from what I can eat. End result s better body comp without sacrificing strength. Im sure I could have gained more strength by eating more, but I am happy with the results.

 

[Azmodan]

I don't think it makes any difference in general nutrition, depending on your goals.

I would not eat before bed if you have problems with persistent heartburn, as stomach acid kicking up while you're trying to sleep is a pain in the ass, but if you have had no prior problems with it, then I don't see the problem.

 

[XTrainer]

I am just about finished with my month on the get shredded diet. It is a low calorie, with all carbs coming from vegetables. I will make a thread when I am finished, but to sum up my results so far: I have lst a significant % of body fat, I have incresed my endurance, and I have gotten stronger. I am very careful that I do get "enough" of what my body needs, even though I am restricted from what I can eat. End result s better body comp without sacrificing strength. Im sure I could have gained more strength by eating more, but I am happy with the results.

I should note that I don't have a particular problem with short term, extremely well-planned and supplemented calorically restricted diets like the GSD. However, I must emphasize SHORT TERM, PLANNED, and SUPPLEMENTED.

 

[Bamaispriceless]

As far as calorie restriction, it's nothing extremely low for me. We are talking 2500-2800 calories per day, with the main goal to stay under 3,000. I maintain at about 3,000 a day with no problem, and am averaging around 2650 calories a day while trying to lose weight. I am eating very clean, drinking 1 gallon of water, and also have cheat or refeed days. It's nowhere near as low as the GSD (1900 cals for me), and I'm only planning on doing this diet for about 6-8 weeks.

 

[Rugger12]

i try to keep it small and lean before bed. nf cottage cheese, chicken breast, something with no fat or carbs and lots of protein. maybe thats just me though

 

[wannabjj]

Speaking of cheat days - I've seen on this board that once every couple weeks is the most you should do, but other places I've read once a week to make sure your metabolism doesn't go down too much. Also, does "cheat" mean "gorge yourself silly?" I gotta say, it pisses me off when I watch people around me eat the food I love while I sip on water. Thoughts?

Some context - my loud mouth and a lot of Johnny Walker made me bet that I can get down to <10% bodyfat by Oct 27th (~14-15% currently). I've split my meals up into 6 small ones per day (no idea how to count calories, which sucks). My first meal a day is the Muscle Milk oatmeal, then it's something like chicken breast and vegetables for the next 3, a PWO protein shake + banana, then my final meal is a micellar casein shake. My goal is to avoid muscle catabolism and strength loss as much as possible. Sorry to hijack the OP but any comments are MUCH appreciated. I'm trying to read as much as I can, but information seems to be scattered around or I'm not looking in the right places.

EDIT: By the way, I am plowing through the FAQ right now, so apologies in advance if I'm asking stuff that's in there. The theories presented are awesome, but my problem right now is figuring out how to apply them properly.

 

[Rugger12]

Speaking of cheat days - I've seen on this board that once every couple weeks is the most you should do, but other places I've read once a week to make sure your metabolism doesn't go down too much. Also, does "cheat" mean "gorge yourself silly?" I gotta say, it pisses me off when I watch people around me eat the food I love while I sip on water. Thoughts?

Some context - my loud mouth and a lot of Johnny Walker made me bet that I can get down to <10% bodyfat by Oct 27th (~14-15% currently). I've split my meals up into 6 small ones per day (no idea how to count calories, which sucks). My first meal a day is the Muscle Milk oatmeal, then it's something like chicken breast and vegetables for the next 3, a PWO protein shake + banana, then my final meal is a micellar casein shake. My goal is to avoid muscle catabolism and strength loss as much as possible. Sorry to hijack the OP but any comments are MUCH appreciated. I'm trying to read as much as I can, but information seems to be scattered around or I'm not looking in the right places.

EDIT: By the way, I am plowing through the FAQ right now, so apologies in advance if I'm asking stuff that's in there. The theories presented are awesome, but my problem right now is figuring out how to apply them properly.

when i did my best cut i had one cheat day a week, and i ate whatever i wanted all day. anything i craved during the week i'd consider, usually ended up eating three or four large meals. you really only need to make sure you take it about double what you're daily calorie intake has been on your cut. i started using dermatherm, topical cream, to help fat loss and add anti-catabolic effects. definitely helping me maintain muscle while i cut

 

[XTrainer]

Speaking of cheat days - I've seen on this board that once every couple weeks is the most you should do, but other places I've read once a week to make sure your metabolism doesn't go down too much. Also, does "cheat" mean "gorge yourself silly?" I gotta say, it pisses me off when I watch people around me eat the food I love while I sip on water. Thoughts?

It's a very subjective topic. What are your ultimate goals? What do you consider cheat foods? What is the degree of the cheat (are you eating an extra piece of fruit or a Twinkie)? There's no straight answer.

 

[Rugger12]

It's a very subjective topic. What are your ultimate goals? What do you consider cheat foods? What is the degree of the cheat (are you eating an extra piece of fruit or a Twinkie)? There's no straight answer.

ya, you can really do it clean, just extra calories. or do it like i did, and eat stuff that might put you in a diabetic coma or give you a heart attack. the later probably not the best option

 

[Igorot Warrior]

Well, my experience...it's usually not a good idea to eat a huge meal before going to bed. Especially one heavy in saturated fats. I think it helps to promote acid reflux...which is a bad thing (it put me in the hospital since the acids ate away at my esphogus and caused a hole...I lost about six pints of blood).

 

[EE6_TBOIO_MATb]

Bamais Priceless : I think ur 800 Kl shake before u go to bed is a huge mistake.
800 KL is way too much : it's about a third of ur daily intake, right before u become inactive for about 8 hrs ?

I'm no expert. I don't count calories. But I'm pretty good at eating diversified stuff and common sense. And by the way, I am like u : very slow metabolism : I gain weight easily.

 

[mattTHEMULEross]

yea. u should try to eat 5 or 6 small meals a day not 3 big ones cuz ur metabolism burns it faster and doesnt needa store extra. and dont eat before u go to bed u wont burn it ull store it all overnight.

 

[Eggs of Satan**]

i workout with weights at night, so i have a big meal 60-90 mintues before bed.

its usually chicken breast/steak/salmon, oats, with some potatoes and spinahc..

 

[Bamaispriceless]

Bamais Priceless : I think ur 800 Kl shake before u go to bed is a huge mistake.
800 KL is way too much : it's about a third of ur daily intake, right before u become inactive for about 8 hrs ?

I'm no expert. I don't count calories. But I'm pretty good at eating diversified stuff and common sense. And by the way, I am like u : very slow metabolism : I gain weight easily.

I eat according to the 7 habits, it was a "supershake" and also counted a PWO shake. It isn't a ritual, it was just I didn't have time to make a meal and it was feeding time so I made a shake. My caloric intake for the day was 2,675Kcals, and I ate 5 other meals that day...so I'm not only eating 3 meals a day (averaging 6).

 

[erco]

Why not some cottage cheese before bed with maybe some Greens+ thrown in?

 

[Flash-Gordon]

From what i hear. Eating a heavy meal before your you go to bed, leads to acid reflux problems and it also takes a longer time for your food to digest.