As I sit here and type this, the time reads 11:06 PM. And you know what? I’m eating.
*Gasp*
What?? Eating after 7 PM?! Yes, I know, I’m breaking the rules.
But frankly, that’s what I do.
When rules don’t make sense to me, I simply choose not to follow them (unless, of course, those “rules” are “laws”…not really into the whole illegal activity thing).
But as far as the whole “no eating after 7” nonsense goes, I break that one just about every day.
And so should you.
Here’s why:
Well, first, let me just say that most general rules of thumb in the fitness world are oversimplifications, and the whole “Don’t eat after X o’clock” is no exception.
The recommendation is based on the idea that metabolism slows in the evening hours as you prepare for bed, and eating during this time should be avoided so as not to have those calories stored as fat.
A good premise, but again, oversimplified.
What we really want to avoid in the evening are foods that give rise to insulin, specifically carbohydrates, and for several reasons.
First, when blood insulin levels rise, fat burning takes a dive and a “storage” environment is created within the body. This is a good thing after exercise or after an overnight fast to allow the body to “refuel”, but not so good when metabolism is falling off in the evening hours.
Secondly, something called insulin sensitivity drops drastically in the evening, which simply means that your body is not as responsive to insulin at night as it is during the day. When insulin sensitivity is low, carbohydrates are easily stored as fat.
Needless to say, we can see why eating carbohydrates late at night isn’t a smart move, but that doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t eat anything.
So, what should you eat to curb late-night cravings and support muscle tissue maintenance as you sleep? Simple: a small meal consisting of mostly slow digesting protein and fibrous green veggies within a couple hours of bed works best.
Animal protein (chicken, fish, beef, etc) are great choices for a late night meal, as is something like cottage cheese. Both digest slowly over time, providing a mild, but steady influx of nutrients to muscle throughout the night, all while not interfering with your insulin levels.
Or maybe I’m just a rebel who doesn’t know what the heck he’s talking about? ;-)
Got a favorite late night meal or snack? Agree? Disagree?
Drop the comments below!
Joel
P.S. Want to up your nutrition IQ even more? Watch this video from my good friend Isabel where she reveals 4 other “healthly” foods that you should NEVER eat, along with her TOP 5 foods for a flat belly:
I usually eat cottage cheese, but sometimes I mix protein powder with sugar free cool whip, it tastes like dessert!
I enjoy a Protein Shake made with water. maybe a handful of almonds too.
I have a full smoothie of blueberries or strawberries, plus a banana, rice protein(not whey), rice bran, mineral clay, and seaweed and algae greens with stevia for sweetener each night. I sleep soundly and sore muscles are usually repaired by the morning. I’m 72 years of age and have gained 16 lbs of muscle in 6 months and stay in shape for snow skiing. I now weight 196 lbs.
Love the article and I LOVE my Gourmet Nutrition chocolate-peanut-butter-bar as my last meal-which is usually at 9:30-10pm! (I have tweaked the recipe from the book a bit- I add 3/4c. water, replaced the Splenda with Sweetleaf stevia (6-7 packets) and put it in 325 degree oven for about 6 minutes-it’s like a brownie!) I look forward to it all day and enjoy every bite! P.S. Just compared some side by side pics from July 08 and yesterday- wow! Thanks Joel! :)
I’m another one of those “can’t sleep on an empty tummy”s; I go with the protein shake.
I absolutely agree. I have tried to stop eating by 8pm and when I did I woke up in the middle of the night from hunger pains. It was totally uncomfortable.
Instead I usually have some turkey or chicken with hummus about an hour before bed. It makes me feel great and I am really hungry when I wake up, but I can make it through the night!
I totally agree, plus you don’t wake up feeling extremely hungry the next morning.
Hi Joel,
My favorite late night snack is a “meat roll-up”: lean lunch meat, rolled up around a smear of goat cheese, a slice of dill pickle or pepperoncini and a long slice of cucumber. Super yummy!
I agree with your logic; however, my naturopath instructed me not to eat after 7pm, not because of fat storage, but because digestion uses a lot of energy. If our bodies are using energy to digest, then they aren’t getting recuperative sleep. So, by stopping at 7pm, most of our night is spent on restful sleep. What do you think about this?
A dense carbohydrate such as celery with organic almond butter is a perfect late night snack. Actually any dense complex carb is good as it will not effect insulin release.
Actually, carbohydrates are not stored as fat except under extreme circumstances. The fact that the pathway does exist has apparently caused confusion among people who think this will be a problem for them. One of many many papers on this subject can be found at:
http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v53/n1s/abs/1600744a.html
Basically, you are right: you can eat at night if you aren’t putting yourself into positive caloric balance.
Thanks for the clarification on this issue.
I have never followed that rule.
I will eat many low carb items up till 2 hours before bedtime, fruits 1 hour before and Casine protein shake 1/2 hour before bedtime.
I like to drink a protein shake late at night. Whey or Casein. If I don’t have protein I’ll get half an apple and walnuts o peanut butter.
I stay up late always so eating late is a must for me to keep my body and mind alive. Sometimes I even get a short workout done at midnight.
Thanks For The Information.It’s Great To Know That We Can Still Eat After 7 P.M
Thanks For Sharing.Have A Great Day.
good to hear that,my fav is cottage cheese with some chilli flakes mixed in.
Why do I always crav carbs in the evenings, then? I KNOW I should eat protein!!!!
I agree with what you are saying! I like the idea of a snack in the evening – becasue there is a lot going on in our bodies while we sleep.
Thanks for all the great valueable tips, i have already been implementing some of these tips in my diet plan and it seems to be working….thanks again! some of my late night snacks are beef Jerky,popcorn,and cottage cheese.
Holly Rigsby recommends a protein snack before bed and also emphasises that it is a myth not to eat three hours before bed, spread by a famous talk show host who has trouble keeping the weight off. I have either learned something new or had re-confirmed good information ever since Holly introduced us to you! Thank you so much!!!
Fully agree. Your muscles grow and recover during the night and starving for 12 hours does not make sense. I like to have a glass of milk with protein powder, seems to work. Don’t wake up dehydrated either.
Hi Joel, what is your take on fruit, which generally has a high glycaemic index? Sometimes late at night I crave plums, don’t know what that’s about!!!
Hello mate, I really agree with u, it is ok to eat protein after 7 pm. I used to do that for a month and I gained some pure muscle.
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...read more