Bedtime Meal calories -- too many?

[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?

 

[Marky]

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

 

[buildingup]

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

 

[ReelBigFish]

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.

 

[Tha Don]

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

 

[Emma-Leigh]

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.

 

[KentDog]

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?

 

[KentDog]

I'm mostly concerned about the final weeks of my cut, when I plan to keep sugars to an absolute minimum. Are natural sugars from fruits to be cut at this time too?