So I have read that we should not eat 2-3 hours before sleeping. If I workout in the evening, does that apply to me too?
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Where have you read that?– erictrigoCommented Dec 1, 2015 at 14:04
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I usually eat a snack around 6ish(protein bar, cottage cheese, greek yogurt) go workout (7pm) drink my protein as soon as I get home, shower, then have another snack pre bedtime(around 1 hour or so) and then head to bed. So far I haven't felt any negative signs from this routine.– Just Do ItCommented Dec 1, 2015 at 15:39
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@Antrim I think it is one of the "urban legends" type of thing. I personally know people who would refuse eating after 6PM because they are "controlling their weight" and "don't want to gain fat". Maybe there is some sense in watching your carbs when you eat late (but it is just as useful to watch your carbs intake at any time of the day) but proteins and fibers are just OK.– ruslanivCommented Jan 24, 2016 at 11:31
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What type of workout? What is your goal? Want to primarily loose body fat, gain muscle mass, increase strength, improve endurance, etc? If, how much and what you should eat post-workout depends on these factors.– PibaraCommented Jan 26, 2016 at 8:34
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3 Answers
Eating late suppers are discouraged for sleep disturbances and also for weigh gain. Digestion take about 4 hours for the food to leave the stomach. There sleeping 3-4 hours after supper enable the stomach to rest and thus ensure your good quality sleep. It has been noted that people who do not sleep well tend to gain weight (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23319909). Therefore sleeping well is pivotal for even ensuring we lose weight. Since people tend to sleep only after exercise therefore the calories consumed might lead to weight gain. In you case since your exercise late you might use up some of the calories , however depending on what you have eaten you might still not get good quality sleep due to a busy stomach. Therefore keep exercising and just sleep 3-4 hour after supper to maximise on maintaining a healthy weight.
If you can sleep easily while still digesting a meal, go for it.
There's no harm, other than the potential loss of sleep. Try it out, and see how your body deals with it. If you still wake up well rested, it's fine.
It's common to wake up and have to use the bathroom if you ate a meal just before bed. It's also pretty common to experience nightmares because your body isn't completely at rest.
But bottom line is; try it, and see for yourself.
When you eat the right amounts of the right foods, your blood sugars stabilize and your fat burning hormone glucagon can do its job (i.e. burning fat!!). When you skip the bedtime snack, your blood sugar crashes shortly after you fall asleep, and you don’t sleep well and pack on the pounds. So yes, skipping your bedtime snack can actually cause weight gain. And consuming a nicely balanced bedtime snack can promote weight loss.
