What to eat when I'm forced to have a late dinner??

Eat a normal healthy dinner, if you work late, then you have a different schedule than most and just eat to accommodate it.

Have less carbs and more protein mixed with salads or other light things in the evenings. Too many carbs late on will go straight into fat as you sleep plus the protein boost your muscle repair. Protein will also fill you up.

The carb thing is a myth. Eat whatever you feel like eating, as long as it fits into your calorie allowance/macros.

Too many carbs late on will go straight into fat as you sleep ...

no, they won't.

just eat for dinner what you want to eat for dinner. calories can't tell time.

When I eat late, I usually have a simple salad (greens, tomato, carrots, and a little avocado) with maybe a hard-boiled egg sliced on top . Go easy on the dressing to avoid too much sodium and fat intake. I usually squeeze a couple of wedges of lemon juice on mine.

Since you are coming from the gym, the hard boiled egg (protein) will help with muscle repair.

Look at your diary and see what you need to complete it. Low on protein, then eat protein. Low on carbs, then eat carbs. Low on everything, have a feast and sleep well.

This.

Eat what you'd eat if you ate earlier. It doesn't matter what time, unless you're someone who gets indigestion or can't sleep well on a full stomach.

Or have some turkey and go into a Thanksgiving Day type food coma.

salad

Since after work I go straight to the gym, by the time I get back home It's around 9pm at night and I haven't eaten dinner yet! Usually I just eat yogurt and call it a night but my stomach usually hurts while I fall asleep because of this. Any suggestions on what I should eat??

Some of these answers are silly-The Carb thing is not a myth and it does matter what you eat, here's why

Serotonin and GABA are two of your primary neuroreceptors in your brain that affect mood, sleepiness, awake-ness, etc. Serotonin can be elevated by eating carbohydrate (i.e. late at night). When you eat the carb, insulin pops out of your pancreas and cleans your blood of a bunch of amino acids except for the TURKEY amino! (j/k, I mean tryptophan). Tryptophan hits the brain, turns in to serotonin and you get calm, satisfied, etc. it's part of the reason some people drink milk pre-bed (tryptophan).

NOW. between 11 pm and 1 am, your body clicks in to (CAUTION, CLICHE TERM AHEAD!!) "detoxify" your body. Your parasympathetic nervous system (the one that controls your organs, heart, digestion, etc) kicks in to high gear and nutrients start moving where they should.

If you go home and eat cake, you will gain fat...the carb thing is not a myth

some protein and carb will refuel you and put you to sleep.


WHAT SHOULD YOU EAT

Eat some protein for aminos for your muscles and some carb within 1/2 hourish of being done with your workout. make your meal relatively small and have COMPLEX CARBS like long-grain brown rice or some veggies. Sip down some lemon or lime juice in water to slow the glycemic index and you'll be all set and even add a little growth-hormone boost

check this out if you need more!

wellfitlife.me

If you go home and eat cake, you will gain fat...the carb thing is not a myth

You will gain fat eating cake at night, even at a calorie deficit? :noway:

You should totally make your own frozen dinners to pop in the microwave and gobble up. Oooh, you could even do them by macro needs... like, carby frozen meals, balanced frozen meals, proteiny frozen meals..

Also, you could drink it. Nothing like a late night smoothie!

If you go home and eat cake, you will gain fat...the carb thing is not a myth

You will gain fat eating cake at night, even at a calorie deficit? :noway:

It depends on the person and how often. Most people in their 20-something's and early 30s will not. However, many people in their mid-30s and beyond begin having issues with their glut4 receptors, insulin transports and production, protein issues, lipase issues.

My statement may have been aunnecessary blanket (sorry) :-) but my point is, calories in vs. calories out tends to work for people whose metabolisms (thousands of molecular reactions), even though it may not be the exact solution.

However, if you understand the physiology, there's a LOT that can go wrong.

I know this idea is abstract if calories in vs. out worked for you but think about anyone you know who is diabetic, has gone through menopause or is on steroids or anti-depressants. Most of these people gain weight without either changing the type and timing of their food or taking another drug to counteract. That's the whole idea behind whey protein supplement, 7-keto, multivitamins, etc.


Thanks for the thoughts :-) I LOVE this stuff"

Wellfitlife.me

The Primary Laws of Nutrient Timing
The First Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
The Second Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.

Heard of carb backloading or the biorhythm diet?

To answer, the question. Eat whetever you want that fits you're macro targets.

Far more important than timing but timing is still important :-)

Your advice may work great for A 29 year old guy, But it won't work across the board. Why not start more specific, see some results and work backward from there?

Thanks to those who supported my lower carbs in the evening statement. Your body does know what time it is WHEN IT IS ASLEEP.

What I am saying is that the calories that are made up by carbs should be made up by proteins instead. I'm not suggesting carbs are bad, on the contrary but tapering carbs from morning to evening is proven to aid and maintain weight loss as the carbs have a chance to be burnt off throughout the day - ie when you're asleep you're not burning many calories ergo it gets stored as fat.

If you go home and eat cake, you will gain fat...the carb thing is not a myth

You will gain fat eating cake at night, even at a calorie deficit? :noway:

It depends on the person and how often. Most people in their 20-something's and early 30s will not. However, many people in their mid-30s and beyond begin having issues with their glut4 receptors, insulin transports and production, protein issues, lipase issues.

My statement may have been aunnecessary blanket (sorry) :-) but my point is, calories in vs. calories out tends to work for people whose metabolisms (thousands of molecular reactions), even though it may not be the exact solution.

However, if you understand the physiology, there's a LOT that can go wrong.

I know this idea is abstract if calories in vs. out worked for you but think about anyone you know who is diabetic, has gone through menopause or is on steroids or anti-depressants. Most of these people gain weight without either changing the type and timing of their food or taking another drug to counteract. That's the whole idea behind whey protein supplement, 7-keto, multivitamins, etc.


Thanks for the thoughts :-) I LOVE this stuff"

Wellfitlife.me

Aw, *kitten*. I'm gonna be 36. Does that mean I can't eat my ice cream in bed before I fall asleep?? Damn, I'm on the downward slide. I eat half of my daily calories after 7pm and I have lost 10 pounds in 7 weeks. I better figure something out before August!

I feel it doesn't matter when you eat carbs as long as you are filling macronutrient needs for the day. For those advocating that you shouldn't, answer this. Would you say it was ok to fill carb needs at a 4:00 PM dinner, assuming you already had your workout for the day, then relax and watch TV for the rest of the evening until you go to bed around 11:00?

If you go home and eat cake, you will gain fat...the carb thing is not a myth

You will gain fat eating cake at night, even at a calorie deficit? :noway:

It depends on the person and how often. Most people in their 20-something's and early 30s will not. However, many people in their mid-30s and beyond begin having issues with their glut4 receptors, insulin transports and production, protein issues, lipase issues.

My statement may have been aunnecessary blanket (sorry) :-) but my point is, calories in vs. calories out tends to work for people whose metabolisms (thousands of molecular reactions), even though it may not be the exact solution.

However, if you understand the physiology, there's a LOT that can go wrong.

I know this idea is abstract if calories in vs. out worked for you but think about anyone you know who is diabetic, has gone through menopause or is on steroids or anti-depressants. Most of these people gain weight without either changing the type and timing of their food or taking another drug to counteract. That's the whole idea behind whey protein supplement, 7-keto, multivitamins, etc.


Thanks for the thoughts :-) I LOVE this stuff"

Wellfitlife.me

So for the average person who is not diabetic, has gone through menopause or is on steroids or anti-depressants.... eating cake at night, at a calorie deficit will not cause weight gain.

Forget about that. LOL@people still believing the carbs at night myth. What are you learning from Dr. Oz? Come on people don't start believing idiotic principles. My biggest meals are at night and I make my absolute biggest my dessert meal. And in combination with intermittent fasting, pretty much my day's worth of food is eaten within 2-3 hrs at night time not too far away from bedtime.
I eat 592g carbs at on my training days, and yes, I only eat them at night, most of the carbs being in my dessert meal.