How late is too late to eat at night???

Actually, you are probably preventing the breakdown of muscle by eating right before bed. The brain can only function on glucose and when we go though times where we aren't eating, that glucose has to come from stored liver glycogen and blood sugar. When the glycogen gets low, the body produces cortisol which then tells the body to break down protein (IE: muscle) to convert it to glucose for the brain to use. By eating right before bed, or even getting up in the middle of the night as some professional athletes have to do in order to maintain their muscle mass, you provide additional sugar in the blood and liver to be converted to glucose for the brain. This prevents some of the cortisol production and muscle breakdown. From a physiological standpoint, it is actually a good thing to ensure that your weight loss is from body fat and not muscle.

I once heard that there should be no late night eating, especially after 9pm. For anything after 9pm the body will store it as fat. There is an old saying, " It’s not just how much you eat, but when you eat it, that influences weight gain." I have recently cut out the late night snacks. I now just drink plenty of water, and go to bed early, to refrain from the midnight eating temptations.

Actually, you are probably preventing the breakdown of muscle by eating right before bed. The brain can only function on glucose and when we go though times where we aren't eating, that glucose has to come from stored liver glycogen and blood sugar. When the glycogen gets low, the body produces cortisol which then tells the body to break down protein (IE: muscle) to convert it to glucose for the brain to use. By eating right before bed, or even getting up in the middle of the night as some professional athletes have to do in order to maintain their muscle mass, you provide additional sugar in the blood and liver to be converted to glucose for the brain. This prevents some of the cortisol production and muscle breakdown. From a physiological standpoint, it is actually a good thing to ensure that your weight loss is from body fat and not muscle.

I should start saving your posts Tonya, so good!

I normally eat my prunes right before bed. I haven't had any problems with my weight loss because of it.

I seriously don't see a problem with eating before bed. I believe its what you eat before bed that needs to be addressed.

Its not a good idea to eat fruit that late at night at all - Fructose (the sugar found in fruit) can only be used by the Liver - once the Liver is full (which it usually is) the remainder is turned in to body fat. If you're eating it at that time of night there is no way that you will be burning off the sugar in your blood.

A better idea is something high in casein protein (low fat cottage cheese) as the slow burning protein will stave off catabolism through the night and is far, far less likely to convert to fat!

This is good to know.

I don't think there is any magic hour when your body slows down. I think it depends on when you go to bed & what you eat that late.If you don't go to bed till 11pm, then 9pm is fine for a light snack. The light snack should be protien tho, cuz unburned sugar turns to fat to be stored for later. I sometimes have some vanilla yogurt around 8. I go to bed between 10 & 11, so it should be digested by then. In my nutrition class in college, they said the body slows down when we sleep and the body functioning systems shift from active to internal maitenance. Your body slows your digestion & active brain functions to repair & heal. So if you are truly hungry (and not just bored) reach for protien a couple hours before bedtime, regardless of the actual time on the clock. You could also try protien water!!

Actually, you are probably preventing the breakdown of muscle by eating right before bed. The brain can only function on glucose and when we go though times where we aren't eating, that glucose has to come from stored liver glycogen and blood sugar. When the glycogen gets low, the body produces cortisol which then tells the body to break down protein (IE: muscle) to convert it to glucose for the brain to use. By eating right before bed, or even getting up in the middle of the night as some professional athletes have to do in order to maintain their muscle mass, you provide additional sugar in the blood and liver to be converted to glucose for the brain. This prevents some of the cortisol production and muscle breakdown. From a physiological standpoint, it is actually a good thing to ensure that your weight loss is from body fat and not muscle.

OK, then two great posts here. Different trainer, different answer. Well not completely different but different opinions on fruit at night. but I have made my choice on who to go with.

its fine as long as its nothing like cereal, bread, potatos - complex carbs used for energy arnt good late night. might want to ditch the pb tho