So you have heard time and time again – don’t eat after 7pm, or eating late at night will make you gain weight. Is this really true? Let’s briefly break it down.
Weight gain and weight loss is based on a simple equation of calories in and calories out. Plain and simple.
- Calories in < Calories out = weight loss (500 calories less per day x 7 days = 1 lb loss per week)
- Calories in > Calories out = weight gain (500 more calories per day x 7 days = 1 lb gain per week)
- Calories in = Calories out = weight maintenance
So based on the facts above, it doesn’t matter what TIME of day you eat, the TOTAL amount of calories consumed in a 24 hour period is what matters. Therefore, if you’ve had a crazy day and come up 400 calories short by the end of the night and decide to eat a 400 calorie bowl of ice cream (~1 cup full fat ice cream) you will NOT gain weight. Now, I’m not saying this is a great daily plan, particularly if you are on “economy” calories/macros, meaning you are leaning out and have a smaller daily calorie and macro intake to work with. You will end up very hangry by mid-afternoon and may say or do some things that make you look a little nuts. However, it is ALWAYS a good idea to save approximately 100-200 calories (depending on your calorie needs) each evening for a bedtime snack. And when I say “bedtime snack”, I mean for this snack to be consumed 45 min.- 2 hours before you go to bed. Any closer to bedtime and you might experience a little acid reflux (AKA: heartburn). So, if a 400 calorie bowl of ice cream isn’t the best bedtime snack, then what is? Here are 3 things to look for in a bedtime snack.
- It is a dairy food. This is the most important thing to look for in a bedtime snack because dairy foods contain this magical long-lasting protein called casein. This protein is digested more slowly and releases into the blood stream more slowly which may be better for protein synthesis or building muscle. Therefore, a snack with casein protein may help maintain that muscle you bust your buns for during the long period of fasting that happens between your last meal/snack of the day and breakfast. Casein is also magical because it digests more slowly than whey protein causing you to feel full for a longer period of time. This “full” feeling may help decrease cravings to binge eat late at night, also.
- It contains 15-30g protein. Ideally you want 30g of protein to stimulate protein synthesis (building muscle). If you have a hard and ambitious physique or performance goal, then this is the amount of protein you should try to consume before bed. However, if your goals are more flexible, or you just need a snack to sustain blood sugars throughout the night, then 15g or more of protein will work. This should satiate and stabilize your body enough until morning.
- It should be lower in fat. Fat takes a long time to digest. Therefore, combining a slower digesting protein and a very slow digesting macronutritient, you may give yourself an upset stomach and a restless night’s sleep. That’s a lot of stuff sitting in your gut for a long period of time..blah! Even though some people do just fine with higher-fat bedtime snacks, I would try to keep the snack under 10g of fat, especially just starting out.
Now that we have all the facts. What are some practical and yummy bedtime snacks? Well, here is a list of some of my favorites:
- 8 oz. Fairlife Reduced-fat chocolate milk + 2 Tbs. PB Fit (powdered peanut butter) mixed in
- 190 calories, 17g carbs, 6g fat, 19g protein
- 5 oz cup low-fat flavored Greek yogurt (I like Dannon Light and Fit or Chobani less sugar Greek yogurt)
- 80-120 calories, 9-12g carbs, 0-2g fat, 12-15g protein
- 5 oz cup low-fat flavored greek yogurt + 2 Tbs PB Fit mixed in
- 130-170 calories, 14-17g carbs, 1-3g fat, 18g protein
- 5 oz cup Light flavored Greek yogurt + 1/2 serving protein powder mixed in
- 150-190 calories, 11-15g carbs, 2-5g fat, 22-27g protein
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese + 1/3 cup berries mixed in
- 150 calories, 10g carbs, 5g fat, 14g protein
- 8 oz. Fairlife (reduced fat or fat-free) plain or chocolate milk
- 80-140 calories, 6-12g carbs, 0-5g fat, 13g protein
So there you have it, eating before bed isn’t so bad after all, in fact, it can be one of the best things you can do for your body! I know from personal experience, when I am consistent with having a bedtime snack, I sleep better and my workouts feel so much better the next day! Until next time, sweet dreams XOXO