Nighttime workouts

I eat if I'm hungry. Might show up on the scale in the morning, but it's just a fluctuation

The parameters if trying to lose weight are that you need to eat fewer calories than you burn, averaged over a reasonably short time period (day or few). That's it.

I often work out at night, sometimes very late, eat dinner after midnight, go to bed immediate after eating. Other times, I eat earlier, hours before bed. Either way, my weight does what I'd expect (based on loooong experience with calorie counting steadily, nearly 7 years). Timing is irrelevant, at equal calories.

Some people don't sleep well with an empty stomach, others don't sleep well with a full stomach. Poor sleep can lead to fatigue, fatigue can spike appetite, increased appetite can make a person eat over calorie goal. In that sense, eating timing might matter. In any other sense, the the difference from timing is trivial to none.

Don't make it any more complicated than it needs to be: Eat when it's convenient, and when it best helps you handle any individual, personal appetite issues. You'll do fine.

Sarahmcole92 wrote: »

If you workout at night then go to sleep shortly thereafter, do you eat afterwards? What are the parameters of you are trying to lose weight?

If you're trying to lose weight, the parameters are to consume fewer calories than you need to maintain the status quo. When you exercise or whether or not you eat after exercise or if you eat late or whatever is all pretty irrelevant.

While I VERY rarely train at night, I do need to eat something, even if it's just something small, when I get home from the gym. And I am one of those people who really do not sleep well (if at all) on an empty stomach. But, that's just me and if your goal is weight loss, when you eat your meals is largely (if not almost entirely) inconsequential.

yirara wrote: »

What the others said. Some people (including me) don't sleep well when exercising shortly before. In my case it's still freezing a bit after workout, and possibly loss of some electrolytes. I'm experimenting with eating a bit of salt at the moment as evenings are pretty much the only moments where I'm able to exercise, and it does seem to help. I also wrap myself up warm with a hoody up after the shower to prevent the after exercise freeze.

Well little lamb... to my ears... it sounds as you may be an exception that could possibly benefit by timing a few extra calories, if you can, either before or right after the exercise... probably after if that's when you're feeling the cold!

I used to workout late quite a lot - finishing at 10pm when the gym closed.
Typically I wouldn't eat anything afterwards but would depend on when I needed/wanted to go to bed.
But bear in mind I would have eaten some time before the workout and that nutrition is still being processed, there's nothing magical after eating afterwards and for your average gym user it's not something to worry about. Optimising the quality and consistency of your training brings far greater rewards.

For weight loss a negative calorie balance over an extended period of time works. A healthy overall diet in terms of both nutrition and size of your deficit matters but don't major in the minors.

yirara wrote: »

PAV8888 wrote: »

yirara wrote: »

What the others said. Some people (including me) don't sleep well when exercising shortly before. In my case it's still freezing a bit after workout, and possibly loss of some electrolytes. I'm experimenting with eating a bit of salt at the moment as evenings are pretty much the only moments where I'm able to exercise, and it does seem to help. I also wrap myself up warm with a hoody up after the shower to prevent the after exercise freeze.

Well little lamb... to my ears... it sounds as you may be an exception that could possibly benefit by timing a few extra calories, if you can, either before or right after the exercise... probably after if that's when you're feeling the cold!

Tried it. Doesn't work. If I don't wrap up after showering I'd freeze in my cozy warm bed later, regardless of what I eat between workout and sleeping. So I guess not everyone experiences that?

I agree that we're all pretty varied.

I have to admit, I read your first comment about being cold after workouts, and my quick thought was "WTH? Is that a thing?" because my experience is so different. (NB: I'm not doubting you.)

About the only way I'm going to feel cold quickly after a workout is if I go outside, under-dressed, into cold air and wind, while I'm still very wet with sweat. I sweat like it's the tropics during workouts, even in my mid 60s F (17-18C) house, stay warm for a long time after the workout. A cold shower would cool me, probably, but a normal warm-temp one doesn't.

yirara wrote: »

That's funny! yes, I even freeze after running and a hot shower even in summer. I'm one of those people that can lay under two heavy duvets and still not feel warm at times after a workout. Where are the menopause night-sweats I was promised? If not everyone experiences that then it might be some kind of mild dysautonomia problem. My bloodpressure tends to be low after a workout as well. And the surest way to meet my old friend Raynaud is to go on a hike in sun 7C temperatures and then sit down in a train or car afterwards.

You’re definitely not the only one. When I was doing gym workouts and working at the office, I’d have to spend the next couple of hours with a space heater aimed right at me while I practically mainlined coffee—even at the height of summer!