Any thoughts/comments would be greatly appreciated. When you are cutting up, do you still eat a meal before bedtime?
I would say yeah. Not eating is catabolic. I would have an easily digestable protein source that contains casein. So 6oz. cottage cheese or a whey/casein protein powder about an hour before bed. I wouldn’t take in any carbs though, because they ma inhibit growth hormone release.
I do. I think you need something before bed to keep away any nighttime catabolism. I prefer a small shake made with Advanced Protein and added fat, usually flax oil or some natural peanut butter. Sometimes I’ll add some cottage cheese. Carbs are always kept low. I drink this about 30 to 45 minutes before I go to bed.
peanut butter and a scoop of whey in skim milk, kinda like a reeses cup before going to bed. remember you are fasting all night so the fat is a good thing,it will keep your body using food for fuel, rather than muscle
When I’m trying to cut up, I eat the prescribed meal every three hours. If, for example, my final meal happens to occur shortly (like, less than 1 hr) before my bedtime, then I still eat it. However, one thing I make sure to do is to remove any starchy carbs from my last 2 meals (out of six); this way I never feel full when going to sleep, and I still feel that light, streamlined feeling of waking up with a totally empty stomach while on a diet. I don’t think it’s a problem at all if the composition of the meal is right on (i.e., just protein and maybe a piece of fruit, along with some water).
Several months ago I took the advice of a report written by Paul Chek in which he suggests not eating before bedtime. I haven’t seen any catabolism, but apparently I’m a rarety in just one more way than I knew of. As I mentioned in a previous post, I also fall asleep easier when not eating at night. Chris, if I were to experience catabolistic retribution, how long until it would occur? I’ve been following this routine for about three months now. Lata.
“MB Eric: All the rage when he’s outta his cage since year 5.”
-Eric
MB Eric: Well, most of us probably get a little too worked up about “nighttime catabolism”, but I do think getting some extra protein before bed is a good idea, preferably from mostly casein. I haven’t read what Paul Chek has to say about this so I can’t comment on that. Of course, Paul will be the first to tell you that he isn’t a bodybuilder (although he’s in damn good shape, he could care less about being massive.) Anyway, you might not see any difference, but then again, you might. Try it both ways and judge the best you can. This is trickier than it sounds though. It’s like the soy protein debate. When someone tells me, “Yeah, but I’ve been eating soy by the bucket for three years and I’ve been making good progress,” my response is usually, “True, but how much BETTER could your progress have been if you had been using a casein/whey blend?” Same goes with workout styles, excessive drinking, lifestyle, sleep etc. There are a lot of factors that play in.
I just know that for me, it works. And that’s what it comes down to for everyone.