Eating in the middle of the night

[AvidFisherman]

I am close to being spot on with my diet but I have had a problem for several years where I wake up in the middle of the night and eat high carb foods and then go back to sleep. Before I go to sleep I tell my self not to do this but I do it anyway. Does anyone else have a problem like this?

I think I found a temporary solution to this though. If I wake up at 11pm and eat, instead of putting it on myfitnespall as food for that day, I put in the food on the next day so I can adjust what I eat the next day to make up for what I ate at night and I can remain at a deficit for the week.

[rado]

I do the same, wake up being hungry. My solution is usually a banana or I'll eat peanut butter out of the jar, maybe with a slice of Ezekiel raisin bread....it's flourless bread and fucking delicious.

[Scrumhalf]

There is no problem with eating in the middle of the night if you feel the urge to do so. Just make sure you account for it in your daily calorie log.

The notion that eating in the middle of the night is somehow to going to deep-six your fat loss is bro science. This belief is because people who snack in the middle of the night generally forget to include those calories in their calculations and then wonder why they are not losing weight.

[rado]

There is no problem with eating in the middle of the night if you feel the urge to do so. Just make sure you account for it in your daily calorie log.

The notion that eating in the middle of the night is somehow to going to deep-six your fat loss is bro science. This belief is because people who snack in the middle of the night generally forget to include those calories in their calculations and then wonder why they are not losing weight.

Eating in the middle of the night isn't always the best either, that's just a fact. It does spike insulin levels up, it leaves unaccounted micros to turn into fat or worse, etc....

[Scrumhalf]

Eating in the middle of the night isn't always the best either, that's just a fact. It does spike insulin levels up, it leaves unaccounted micros to turn into fat or worse, etc....

It's no different from eating at any other time during the day. There is no bad ju ju happening after sundown.

As long as you account for the calories, you'll be fine. We are not talking about contest prep here, where you are trying to time your peak just right for a few hours. All this stuff averages out. Body metabolism works on a roughly 72 hour timeframe. Trying to micromanage your endocrine system to a significantly shorter timeframe than that is total bro science.

[AvidFisherman]

I just started logging the calories for the next day on myfitnesspal, I was doing it for the day that just transpired. So if I was going to try to stay at 2600 calories for the day and hit that mark at bedtime but then got up and ate 500 calories from peanut butter and honey, I was at 3100 calories for the day. I was saying to myself... drat I will have to do better tomorrow, and not remedying the problem of the surplus calories consumed at night.

Now I add those calories not on the day that already transpired but with the breakfast of the current day. So if I consumed 500 calories at 1:00am and had 3 eggs of 270 calories for breakfast at 6:30am, my breakfast log will show 770 calories and I can adjust the rest of my days food intake accordingly.

I will have to order some of that Ezekiel raisin bread and thanks for the feedback, I feel better about how I have started accounting for the calories and hopefully this will further enhance my fitness goals.

[Scrumhalf]

Bro, don't worry about today vs. tomorrow. See my previous post. Your metabolism has a roughly 72 hour time constant. It is like a big oil tanker. It doesn't turn on a dime. Just average things out over a 2-3 day period and you will be fine.

[Bouncer]

it leaves unaccounted micros to turn into fat or worse, etc....

not if you account for them. duh.

its all about calories. if you include those calories in your plan and your still burning more cals then your taking in you will continue to lean out. doesnt matter what time of day your eating.

[rado]

It's no different from eating at any other time during the day. There is no bad ju ju happening after sundown.

As long as you account for the calories, you'll be fine. We are not talking about contest prep here, where you are trying to time your peak just right for a few hours. All this stuff averages out. Body metabolism works on a roughly 72 hour timeframe. Trying to micromanage your endocrine system to a significantly shorter timeframe than that is total bro science.

Of course there is. During the day, our bodies are more active as opposed to when you're resting in bed. Not trying to compare diet competition either. Just stating that if you eat in the middle of the night, you perhaps should be a tad concerned, especially those wanting to drop fat.

[rado]

not if you account for them. duh.

its all about calories. if you include those calories in your plan and your still burning more cals then your taking in you will continue to lean out. doesnt matter what time of day your eating.

Well duh:wave:

Hate typing, easier for me to convey it verbally and understood better. To each their own...:thankyou:

[Bouncer]

Bro, don't worry about today vs. tomorrow. See my previous post. Your metabolism has a roughly 72 hour time constant. It is like a big oil tanker. It doesn't turn on a dime. Just average things out over a 2-3 day period and you will be fine.

agree with srum. doesnt matter what the hell day your in.

props to you though avid. its clear you put a lot of thought into all this and not afraid to ask questions.

[Scrumhalf]

Of course there is. During the day, our bodies are more active as opposed to when you're resting in bed. Not trying to compare diet competition either. Just stating that if you eat in the middle of the night, you perhaps should be a tad concerned, especially those wanting to drop fat.

Again, it does not matter. The body metabolism does not respond to short term intake like that for fat burning/storage purposes.

[AvidFisherman]

I guess I need to read up more on how my body metabolizes what I intake.

[Bouncer]

Well duh:wave:

Hate typing, easier for me to convey it verbally and understood better. To each their own...:thankyou:

talk to text. embrace tech old timer.

[rado]

And I never said nor did I dispute accounting the total cals for the day, obviously you'd want to account for that. But to eat in the middle of the night, then go to bed while food is sitting in belly just hanging out? Eh.