cereal before bed time...

[boricuarage]

is it ok to eat cerea(fiber one)l before bed time or does it make me catabolic. for example. I'm trying to get in all my calories as possible.

 

[wedlund6]

i would go with casien or yogurt or cottage cheese even low fat ice cream i try to stay away from hi carbs before bed

 

[boricuarage]

i go to the gym as soon as i get up, would high carbs be ok the night before?

 

[AnthonyIOSOS]

This is not recommended for everyone, but why not experiment. I know plenty of people that consume oats before bed and have awesome physiques. I don't know much about fiber 1, but make sure sugar content is low.

 

[wedlund6]

:trout:

i would go with casien or yogurt or cottage cheese even low fat ice cream i try to stay away from hi carbs before bed

 

[boricuarage]

yeh i couldnt resist ate a bowl.. on dbol anywaysv;-)

 

[AnthonyIOSOS]

yeh i couldnt resist ate a bowl.. on dbol anywaysv;-)

lmao

:bigok:

 

[moxsum]

IMO. its not good to eat anything right before going to sleep. You need to leave a couple hours to let your body digest your food..

If you eat and then go straight to bed, your body wont digest the food properly and it will putrefy in your intestines.. In addition, your full stomach could send acid refluxing into your eso****us.

Good luck

 

[Resolve]

IMO. its not good to eat anything right before going to sleep. You need to leave a couple hours to let your body digest your food..

If you eat and then go straight to bed, your body wont digest the food properly and it will putrefy in your intestines.. In addition, your full stomach could send acid refluxing into your eso****us.

Good luck

Right, cuz we all sh1t putrefied food on a regular basis and the intestines just turn off when you go to sleep.

OP, food of any kind will keep you from going catabolic - by definition catabolism only happens in a hypocaloric state. Ingesting any fuel source will prevent this. And Dbol would mean you have to worry about catabolism even less than normal.

 

[Nitrox]

IMO. its not good to eat anything right before going to sleep. You need to leave a couple hours to let your body digest your food..

If you eat and then go straight to bed, your body wont digest the food properly and it will putrefy in your intestines.. In addition, your full stomach could send acid refluxing into your eso****us.

Good luck

WTF are you talking about?

 

[smoothballer]

Yeah you need a slower digesting protein. Like others have said cottahe cheese and casein are great!

 

[Harry Manback]

Perhaps consider a cereal like grape nuts or non frosted shredded wheat to reduce the blood sugar spike right before bed, but hey if your looking to bulk a bit as you suggested with the dbol, do it up with the fiber one...that cereal is pretty damn good tasting

 

[moxsum]

"Do not eat or drink right before going to bed. Eating a late dinner or snacking before going to bed can activate the digestive system and keep you up. If you suffer from gastroeso****eal reflux (GERD) or heartburn, it is even more important to avoid eating and drinking right before bed since this can make your symptoms worse. In addition, excessive drinking prior to bed can overwhelm the bladder, requiring frequent visits to the bathroom."

From WebMD.com (webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleeping-pills-6/insomnia-tips)

Sleep is when your body regenerates/repairs itself. You want it to have plenty of energy to do that. If your body has to spend most of its energy digesting your food, it cant use that energy to work on other areas of your body. Also, if your stomach is full of food/liquid, then when your eso****eal sphincter relaxes, as it does when you lay down to sleep, its much easier for food to reflux then if your stomach was not full.

I guess it depends what your goals are. Health? or Lookin like a big monkey man? LOL ( i know thatll get you all riled up )

ofcourse, eating before bed, might help you to pack on some pounds, but overall its NOT HEALTHY to eat right before going to sleep.. You need to leave a few hours beforehand to let your body get some digestion out of the way, so that you can have a full restful sleep.

Good sleep is critical to gaining muscle and repairing the body, I wouldnt do anything to hamper it.. but you can do whatever you want

 

[SouthernCharm]

I can say if I notice one thing about eating carbs before bed its that my body temperature seems higher and its harder to fall asleep...

I drink some casein, or have some cheese n eggs... Perfect slow digesting protein

 

[Resolve]

"Do not eat or drink right before going to bed. Eating a late dinner or snacking before going to bed can activate the digestive system and keep you up. If you suffer from gastroeso****eal reflux (GERD) or heartburn, it is even more important to avoid eating and drinking right before bed since this can make your symptoms worse. In addition, excessive drinking prior to bed can overwhelm the bladder, requiring frequent visits to the bathroom."

From WebMD.com (webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleeping-pills-6/insomnia-tips)

Sleep is when your body regenerates/repairs itself. You want it to have plenty of energy to do that. If your body has to spend most of its energy digesting your food, it cant use that energy to work on other areas of your body. Also, if your stomach is full of food/liquid, then when your eso****eal sphincter relaxes, as it does when you lay down to sleep, its much easier for food to reflux then if your stomach was not full.

I guess it depends what your goals are. Health? or Lookin like a big monkey man? LOL ( i know thatll get you all riled up )

ofcourse, eating before bed, might help you to pack on some pounds, but overall its NOT HEALTHY to eat right before going to sleep.. You need to leave a few hours beforehand to let your body get some digestion out of the way, so that you can have a full restful sleep.

Good sleep is critical to gaining muscle and repairing the body, I wouldnt do anything to hamper it.. but you can do whatever you want

Dude, nobody cares. WebMD as a source? Really now, c'mon. :bigok:

 

[Nitrox]

Sleep is when your body regenerates/repairs itself. You want it to have plenty of energy to do that. If your body has to spend most of its energy digesting your food, it cant use that energy to work on other areas of your body.

I like this part... What do you think the purpose of digesting food is? To obtain energy!

 

[moxsum]

I like this part... What do you think the purpose of digesting food is? To obtain energy!

Thanks. I know food gives you energy. But it also takes ALOT of energy to digest food. Look into it. If your energy is always tied up digesting massive amounts of food all and all night, when does your body have time to dedicate lots of energy to other functions like repairing/detoxing the body.

Im just being argumentative. I agree you gotta eat a lot to gain.. im just saying theres more to consider, everything has an effect.

 

[Resolve]

If your energy is always tied up digesting massive amounts of food all and all night, when does your body have time to dedicate lots of energy to other functions like repairing/detoxing the body.

All the time. None of those actions are mutually exclusive to the others - detoxification within the liver is an ongoing process, as is glucose regulation, cellular repair, protein turnover, and hormone production.

If your body was incapable of multitasking, you'd be dead.

 

[TimberLakers]

All the time. None of those actions are mutually exclusive to the others - detoxification within the liver is an ongoing process, as is glucose regulation, cellular repair, protein turnover, and hormone production.

If your body was incapable of multitasking, you'd be dead.

I have to stop chewing gum when I type.

 

[SouthernCharm]

I have to stop chewing gum when I type.

:rofl:

 

[Resolve]

I have to stop chewing gum when I type.

Sounds like a personal problem to me.

 

[R1balla]

hahaha this thread has made me laugh. dude, yeah you can eat anything before you sleep, especially while you are bulking. if you are cutting, it gets tricky here. anyways, i would rather my digestive system be digesting on casein protein at night than nothing. you GROW WHILE YOU SLEEP. so why not have protein in your system so it can feed your muscles while they grow. IMO, and this is for me personally, its stupid not to eat before you sleep. ive been doing it ever since i have been educated on bodybuilding

 

[R1balla]

Thanks. I know food gives you energy. But it also takes ALOT of energy to digest food. Look into it. If your energy is always tied up digesting massive amounts of food all and all night, when does your body have time to dedicate lots of energy to other functions like repairing/detoxing the body.

Im just being argumentative. I agree you gotta eat a lot to gain.. im just saying theres more to consider, everything has an effect.

dude, hes talking about a freakin bowl of cereal, not 100 g of protein and 2k cals

 

[timmmah]

Yeah you need a slower digesting protein. Like others have said cottage cheese and casein are great!

x3,

Fats and slow digesting proteins before bed to keep the body anabolic, no carbs after 5 (post workout only, ideally).

Insulin levels are highest in the P.M. so much of glycogen added during that time is converted to fat.

 

[Kronic]

zomg, if you eat anything before bed, your body will digest it and youll poop the bed

 

[R1balla]

zomg, if you eat anything before bed, your body will digest it and youll poop the bed

hahahaha awesome!!

 

[Dizmal]

Get your calories in before bed time, fools. Having a nice GH release is more important than 200 high GI calories right before bed.

Really, it's not going to make or break you either way. But I get much better results letting my body get a nice GH spike during my sleep(recovery is increased, body comp is much better, etc). More so than I ever have making sure I gave my body enough calories to make it through the night. Especially when it's already gotten enough cals throughout the day...

IMO GH spike > whatever small help a bowl of ****ty ****ing cereal gives you

 

[SRS2000]

Has anyone honesty seen any difference in anything by manipulating feeding times, but keep your calories and macronutrients the same? I've been at this for years and I can't find any truly convincing scientific evidence or other evidence that all this manipulation of feeding times makes much difference at all (again assuming constant macronutrients and calories). I've recently decided to quit being so psychotic about this food stuff and simply eat breakfast when I wake up, then lunch, then something after I train, then dinner. I haven't changed my calorie or protein intake, I just quit worrying about all this eat every 2-3 hours stuff. I honesty can't say it has made one bit of difference in the way I look, feel, or perform in training.
My advice to the OP is to have cereal before bed if he wants it. If it causes you trouble to eat before sleeping, then don't. Get your calorie and protein targets in on a consistent basis and you'll be fine no matter how you split it up.
By the way, that nonense about digestion taking up so much energy it impairs growth is truly just nonsense. We are digesting and absorbing our food most of the time and people still manage to get big and strong. It takes much longer than an hour or two to fully digest and absorb most meals, so we are in a "fed" state most of the time (again regardless of how we split up our meals).

 

[Nitrox]

Has anyone honesty seen any difference in anything by manipulating feeding times, but keep your calories and macronutrients the same? I've been at this for years and I can't find any truly convincing scientific evidence or other evidence that all this manipulation of feeding times makes much difference at all (again assuming constant macronutrients and calories). I've recently decided to quit being so psychotic about this food stuff and simply eat breakfast when I wake up, then lunch, then something after I train, then dinner. I haven't changed my calorie or protein intake, I just quit worrying about all this eat every 2-3 hours stuff. I honesty can't say it has made one bit of difference in the way I look, feel, or perform in training.

I think what you are seeing is evidence of diminishing returns in real world practice.

Many (if not most) of BB concepts are theoretical discussions that, for simplicity's sake, cannot take into account all the real world variables.

Fewer meals at the same overall food intake means larger individual meals, which take longer to digest. Consequently nutrient flow is not going to be directly proportional to the number of meals. For example, if you get 12 hours of nutrient flow with 8 meals, you are not going to get 6 hours with 4. Probably more like 10...

What usually happens is that in lack of hard scientific evidence, we tend to err on the side of caution. Hence recommendations for 6-8 meals per day, 2g of protein per lb of body weight etc.

 

[SRS2000]

I think what you are seeing is evidence of diminishing returns in real world practice.

Many (if not most) of BB concepts are theoretical discussions that, for simplicity's sake, cannot take into account all the real world variables.

Fewer meals at the same overall food intake means larger individual meals, which take longer to digest. Consequently nutrient flow is not going to be directly proportional to the number of meals. For example, if you get 12 hours of nutrient flow with 8 meals, you are not going to get 6 hours with 4. Probably more like 10...

What usually happens is that in lack of hard scientific evidence, we tend to err on the side of caution. Hence recommendations for 6-8 meals per day, 2g of protein per lb of body weight etc.

I get what you are saying, but for me all the extra effort it takes to eat that often just isn't worth it when no one is even sure it will actually help and I can't see or feel any difference myself. For those dieting down for a bodybuilding competition or something similar I understand trying to optimize even the most minute variables, but for those just trying to get big and strong or stay in shape the effort vs reward just doesn't seem to make sense. Based on the lack of actual evidence for this stuff I think it is vastly overrated for the typical trainee who isn't in competition prep.

 

[timmmah]

I get what you are saying, but for me all the extra effort it takes to eat that often just isn't worth it when no one is even sure it will actually help and I can't see or feel any difference myself. For those dieting down for a bodybuilding competition or something similar I understand trying to optimize even the most minute variables, but for those just trying to get big and strong or stay in shape the effort vs reward just doesn't seem to make sense. Based on the lack of actual evidence for this stuff I think it is vastly overrated for the typical trainee who isn't in competition prep.

For one; if we make every attempt possible to match diet and training with that of the "pro's", wouldn't it be beneficial for us amateurs?

And B; not gorging yourself three times a day but rather eating six smaller meals will keep the digestive system revved up and metabolism will therefore be at a higher rate. If the body is fed one large meal a day, it will slow down the processes of turning glycogen into energy and begin to store it as fat. The body doesn't know when it will be nourished again so it plans as so. If we eat smaller meals more regularly though, the body is more than willing to produce more energy because it expects it will be receiving nourishment again soon.

If we go one step further and eat at the exact same time each day, the body will anticipate the nourishment even more and burn off glycogen stores to a more minute rate right up to the point of the next feeding.

 

[SRS2000]

For one; if we make every attempt possible to match diet and training with that of the "pro's", wouldn't it be beneficial for us amateurs?

And B; not gorging yourself three times a day but rather eating six smaller meals will keep the digestive system revved up and metabolism will therefore be at a higher rate. If the body is fed one large meal a day, it will slow down the processes of turning glycogen into energy and begin to store it as fat. The body doesn't know when it will be nourished again so it plans as so. If we eat smaller meals more regularly though, the body is more than willing to produce more energy because it expects it will be receiving nourishment again soon.

If we go one step further and eat at the exact same time each day, the body will anticipate the nourishment even more and burn off glycogen stores to a more minute rate right up to the point of the next feeding.

If you have some evidence that this is what is actually going on then point me in that direction. It sounds like a reasonable theory, but I've never seen any actual evidence to prove this point. Almost every piece of research I've seen shows that meal frequency doesn't have any independent effect on body composition and some even suggests (although not absolutely conclusively) that lean body mass and fat mass are favorably affected by eating fewer meals per day. All the research shows that the thermic effect of food (i.e. revving up the metabolism from eating) is based on the caloric content and macronutrient breakdown of the feeding thus the total amount of TEF per day is dictated by calorie macronutrient intake and not feeding frequency. There doesn't seem to be any difference in total TEF from eating 3000 calories in 3 meals or 6 meals assuming the same macronutrient content.
If you are more comfortable with smaller, more frequent feedings because you don't like the full feeling with the larger feeds that's fine. I just don't know that there is any significant physiological advantage to this schedule.

 

[RAHHH]

is it ok to eat cerea(fiber one)l before bed time or does it make me catabolic. for example. I'm trying to get in all my calories as possible.

why would food (any food for that matter) make you catabolic?
anyway no prob with it. I woudl rec some casien protein before bed in its place thow.
or even just a small protein drink along with the cereal.

I usually have a protein drink and will have one pother protein drink already made in fridge . so if/when i get up to pee i take a few chugs of it.

 

[timmmah]

If you have some evidence that this is what is actually going on then point me in that direction. It sounds like a reasonable theory, but I've never seen any actual evidence to prove this point. Almost every piece of research I've seen shows that meal frequency doesn't have any independent effect on body composition and some even suggests (although not absolutely conclusively) that lean body mass and fat mass are favorably affected by eating fewer meals per day. All the research shows that the thermic effect of food (i.e. revving up the metabolism from eating) is based on the caloric content and macronutrient breakdown of the feeding thus the total amount of TEF per day is dictated by calorie macronutrient intake and not feeding frequency. There doesn't seem to be any difference in total TEF from eating 3000 calories in 3 meals or 6 meals assuming the same macronutrient content.
If you are more comfortable with smaller, more frequent feedings because you don't like the full feeling with the larger feeds that's fine. I just don't know that there is any significant physiological advantage to this schedule.

http://www.gain-weight-muscle-fast.com/six-meals-a-day.html
http://www.builtfit.com/nutrition/eat-six-meals-a-day-for-muscle-gain.htm
http://www.naturalmusclebuilding.com/articles/gain_lean_muscle2.htm
http://doubleyourgains.com/the-6-meals-a-day-myth

These are just from a quick search on google, they all have basically the same idea.
I like the last link, it's heading is the 6 meals a day myth. When the article is reviewed however, it has a section for when you should eat 6 meals and it states when you want to "gain weight and put on muscle" and when "your an athlete that uses a ton of energy" smaller meals is the way to go dude.

 

[SRS2000]

http://www.gain-weight-muscle-fast.com/six-meals-a-day.html
http://www.builtfit.com/nutrition/eat-six-meals-a-day-for-muscle-gain.htm
http://www.naturalmusclebuilding.com/articles/gain_lean_muscle2.htm
http://doubleyourgains.com/the-6-meals-a-day-myth

These are just from a quick search on google, they all have basically the same idea.
I like the last link, it's heading is the 6 meals a day myth. When the article is reviewed however, it has a section for when you should eat 6 meals and it states when you want to "gain weight and put on muscle" and when "your an athlete that uses a ton of energy" smaller meals is the way to go dude.

Those are all interesting, but don't really cite much evidence other than the authors' opinions. There may be some beneficial effects to eating more than 1-2 times per day, but the evidence regarding 3-4 feedings vs. 6-8 feedings is much less clear. Here's what I've been able to find:
1) Frequent meals may have a beneficial effect on lipids. The difficulty is what is actually defined as "frequent".
2) The thermic effect of food may be influenced by regularity of meal pattern (i.e. a similar meal pattern each day), but does not appear to be affected by number of meals.
3) Smaller more frequent meals may help control appetite more than less frequent feedings for those trying to lose weight.
4) If calories and macronutrients are the same, weight loss is the same with 3 meals vs. 6 meals per day. When calories and macronutrients are standardized it is exceedingly difficult to find any evidence that any changes in lean body mass or fat mass are different with frequent vs. less frequent feedings.
5) The hormone response to a standardized meal is the same regardless of prior meal pattern (3 meals vs. 6 meals per day in the weeks leading up to the test).
6) More frequent feedings may facilitate a greater calorie intake in those who struggle to gain weight.

Main points (as I see it): More frequent feedings may help with appetite control for weight loss. More frequent feedings may be helpful for those who struggle to gain weight by giving them more opportunities to eat. There is not much, if any, objective evidence to support the notion that 6 meals/day offers any physiological advantage in terms of weight loss or weight gain vs. 3-4 meals per day. If you want to eat 6+ times per day, go ahead, but it won't derail your progress if you can only eat 3-4 times per day. It's probably a good idea to follow a regular meal pattern, no matter what frequency you choose.
If you disagree, go look at the evidence yourself and make your own determination. Just be skeptical and look for actual evidence whenever possible (and not just opinion pieces).

 

[rankbull]

If my body can't handle a bowl of cereal before bed, I'm already dead.

Goodbye AM! Goodbye cruel world! Goodbye All!

 

[timmmah]

Those are all interesting, but don't really cite much evidence other than the authors' opinions. There may be some beneficial effects to eating more than 1-2 times per day, but the evidence regarding 3-4 feedings vs. 6-8 feedings is much less clear. Here's what I've been able to find:
1) Frequent meals may have a beneficial effect on lipids. The difficulty is what is actually defined as "frequent".
2) The thermic effect of food may be influenced by regularity of meal pattern (i.e. a similar meal pattern each day), but does not appear to be affected by number of meals.
3) Smaller more frequent meals may help control appetite more than less frequent feedings for those trying to lose weight.
4) If calories and macronutrients are the same, weight loss is the same with 3 meals vs. 6 meals per day. When calories and macronutrients are standardized it is exceedingly difficult to find any evidence that any changes in lean body mass or fat mass are different with frequent vs. less frequent feedings.
5) The hormone response to a standardized meal is the same regardless of prior meal pattern (3 meals vs. 6 meals per day in the weeks leading up to the test).
6) More frequent feedings may facilitate a greater calorie intake in those who struggle to gain weight.

Main points (as I see it): More frequent feedings may help with appetite control for weight loss. More frequent feedings may be helpful for those who struggle to gain weight by giving them more opportunities to eat. There is not much, if any, objective evidence to support the notion that 6 meals/day offers any physiological advantage in terms of weight loss or weight gain vs. 3-4 meals per day. If you want to eat 6+ times per day, go ahead, but it won't derail your progress if you can only eat 3-4 times per day. It's probably a good idea to follow a regular meal pattern, no matter what frequency you choose.
If you disagree, go look at the evidence yourself and make your own determination. Just be skeptical and look for actual evidence whenever possible (and not just opinion pieces).

As I currently am and already have reaped the benefits of the diet in question, I am not going to question if it works or not and am as such, not a skeptic. If you're unsure, look through a peer-reviewed scholarly database of articles such as the one available from Stanford university. I'm not going to do the searching for you dude, it's boring. Good luck with your goals.

 

[SRS2000]

If your diet was worked for you, then I don't see any reason to change things.
I'm more concerned with the approach that some take by telling young trainees that they absolutely have to eat 6 times a day or they won't make any progress and it will cause all sorts of horrible problems (I have no idea if you take this approach or not so I'm not trying to pick on anyone). I just see alot of people freaking out if their schedule only allows them to eat 3 or 4 times per day and in my opinion it's not worth getting that riled up about.
Obviously we will agree to disagree on this one. On a side note it was refreshing to have a reasonable, civil disagreement and not have it degenerate into something else. Good luck with your training.

 

[Dizmal]

The only good thing I can think of about eating smaller meals and closer together is keeping insuline levels stable. Which is a good goal if trying to lose wait/cut. The whole it keeps your metabolism fast thing is mumbo jumbo imo.

Otherwise I'm of the firm belief that as long as you get your daily calorie intake and it's good foods within your macros. it will not matter when or how often your meals are placed. Your body will grow and you can go to bed on an empty stomach and not lose muscle mass. I also believe the GH release you will get by doing this will outweigh any benefit to gowing to bed with cereal in your stomach.