Thread: Bedtime Meal calories -- too many?

how much protein do u consume for your last meal? i thought the last meal b4 bed should be mostly protein and fat.

i never eat carbs before bed just protein like tuna as it didnt help my bf loss

As long as you're in a cal. defecit it doesn't really matter how much you have before bed. But keep it a prot. / fat meal w/ minimal carbs.

i agree with the above, you shouldn't have to cut down before bed, just keep carbs low, and keep the protein and fats high as previously mentioned

Originally Posted by KentDog

I'm back to cutting right now, but have kept the same bedtime meal as my bulk.. ~600 cal -- is this a bad idea even if the calorie intake balances everything I've had throughout the day? I don't know if bedtime meals were meant to be big. What would you guys say would be the max number of calories for a bedtime meal (consisting of fat/protein) for someone with LBM of ~160 lb. on a cut? How about on a bulk?

calorie intake over the day is what counts... So as long as you end up with an overall calorie deficiency - that is what matters. There is no 'maximal' pre-bed meal calorie requirement.

And, despite what people tell you about 'not eating before bed' - a good pre-bed meal when cutting is actually a good idea - it helps you retain lean mass.

Lastly - it does not matter if you have carbs before bed - so eat them if you want... Yes, it is good to get most of your carbs during the day when you are most active (for instant energy when you require it) - but carbs before bed will not 'make you fat' and will not make you lose weight slower than if you had them at other times of the day. And - just like having more calories before bed - carbs later in the evening can help prevent lean mass so they can actually beneficial when cutting.

thanks for the responses guys. I try to keep my bedtime meals to only protein and fats, but will sometimes add frozen strawberries or oats if I need to makeup in carbs. I just didn't know if it was a good idea to have more calories for a bedtime meal, than say for breakfast. Also, I usually make a shake consisting of cottage cheese for my bedtime meals, but cottage cheese (dairy in general) has got (what I consider, high) sugars and sodium. Is there a better alternative besides caseine protein and cottage cheese as a bedtime meal protein source?