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Midnight snacks

Akoto

Akoto

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
3,208
Location
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
My dietitian said it was a bad idea, but didn't say why. I wake up at 1:00 AM like clockwork every night. Is it a good idea to have a protein bar at that time in the interests of developing muscles while you sleep?
 
Meal timing isn't as important as people think it is. As long as you're getting a good amount of protein per day, you needn't worry about timing.
 
If you've been getting enough calories throughout the day, then waking up hungry in the middle of the night could be a sign of insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic sign. Only way to know for sure is to do a fasting glucose blood test.
 
^ I just got the results today for the fasting glucose blood test and I'm within normal ranges. I've been waking up at 1 for food for many years. If anything it's some kind of hypoglycemia
 
I'd be inclined to think that there's a deficit of some kind then, like protein, which balances hypoglycemia. Could also be that your liver is sluggish and not releasing glycogen stores as adequately. You can fix that by taking bitters before every meal, or apple cider vinegar.
 
To develop muscles? I always heard you gotta load up on food for that, and it's what I used to do for gains. You dietician said otherwise though, so maybe they had a good reason for it. But man... if you wanna develop muscle you gotta hit the gym hard then hit the fridge hard.

For midnight snacks and whatever: I usually have some trader joes crackers and raw tofurkey. That's how I get down *shrugs*
 
^ I'm on a medication that makes me gain weight (about 70lbs in less than 3 years), so I don't think I need to hit the fridge too hard. Basically hoping to carve muscles out of my fat like I see others have done online.
 
could be that the lack of [complete] proteins at breakfast is why you crave it at night. breakfast would be a better time to load up on protein (link) than in the middle of the night when you want to get back to sleep, carbs have a positive effect on sleep quality (link) while protein a negative (aside from possibly also having a hard time lying down with your stomach full of acid). whey protein is a good complete protein to have between meals since it's easier to digest than meats
 
^ OK. That sounds like really good advice. I'll try taking my whey in the morning.

Is two scoops of whey all day too much? I like having it after a workout, too.
 
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I would say it depends on what you eat at meals and how your digestive health is. Assuming a scoop of protein powder is 20-30g that would make two scoops add up to nearly a day's entire protein requirements for someone of an average weight (140-180lbs). Consuming more protein than the body can use has its own problems (taxing on the kidney) and the common "1g protein per lb of weight" rule is generally considered outdated in favour of 1g/lb of lean body mass rule, so if you were going by the former your target intake could be overkill.

Personally I find whey powder best as a backup option, but if there is time for real food then you could get a more balanced fix from Greek yogurt and it's the cheaper option versus high-quality whey. The better powders have ~90% grams protein per grams total, so it should be easy to figure out quality just by reading the label. Aside from Greek yogurt, most dairy and goat milk products are good complete protein sources so they go well with a more carb-biased dinner meal (which, aside from aiding in sleep quality is generally considered good for post-workout recovery)
 
Well I had some powder with oatmeal this morning. Feeling pretty good. I guess I should 1/2 it tomorrow morning and take the other 1/2 after my workout.
 
Alrighty....
so I don't think I need to hit the fridge too hard. Basically hoping to carve muscles out of my fat like I see others have done online.
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Fat has absolutely nothing to do with muscle growth in reference to, "turning fat into muscle." Fat is a lipid and the most energy dense macronutrient. Fat is only converted into an energy source for cellular function when specific variables are introduced. (eg. hypocaloric state, endurance exercise) Adequate protein intake in conjunction with proper rest and a rigorous exercise plan that stimulates growth is the only way you can acquire muscular development.. in a nutshell.

I wake up at 1:00 AM like clockwork every night. Is it a good idea to have a protein bar at that time in the interests of developing muscles while you sleep?
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I used to wake up around 2:00 a.m everyday when I was younger to chug back a weight gainer shake I made every night before going to bed. To create growth in the body sometimes you have to adopt bizarre tactics like force feeding to slowly acclimate your body to a hypercaloric state. I have never frowned on the midnight snack as long as this aforementioned "snack" is conscientiously picked out with fitness goals in mind! A bunch of cookies or ice cream is definitely not the ideal choice.

I'm on a medication that makes me gain weight
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What medication if I may ask? Also why was it originally prescribed?



Not to be condescending or portray biggotry, but I've had so many confrontations with registered nutritionist/dietitians on the simple premise that they would tell me that I'm incorrect about blah blah in regards to my nutrition. However every single one of them couldn't find the appropriate source to validate their claim. Obviously that is a stereotypical view and they aren't all the same, but some food for thought the next time you speak to him/her. When they make a factual statement you should challenge their position or try to have them confirm the validity in their claim.
 
Akoto said:
^ I'm on a medication that makes me gain weight (about 70lbs in less than 3 years), so I don't think I need to hit the fridge too hard. Basically hoping to carve muscles out of my fat like I see others have done online.
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You can't make muscle out of fat, but you will recomposition if you start lifting weights.
 
GrymReefer said:
I used to wake up around 2:00 a.m everyday when I was younger to chug back a weight gainer shake I made every night before going to bed. To create growth in the body sometimes you have to adopt bizarre tactics like force feeding to slowly acclimate your body to a hypercaloric state. I have never frowned on the midnight snack as long as this aforementioned "snack" is conscientiously picked out with fitness goals in mind! A bunch of cookies or ice cream is definitely not the ideal choice.
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Spoken like a bodybuilder, something which Akoto has not expressed a desire to be. I'll agree that sometimes you need to zag when the body is used to zigging, but force-feeding is probably overkill for someone who isn't close to hitting plateaus yet
 
Akoto said:
^ I'm on a medication that makes me gain weight (about 70lbs in less than 3 years), so I don't think I need to hit the fridge too hard. Basically hoping to carve muscles out of my fat like I see others have done online.
Click to expand...

Are you exercising..? I think it'll take more than just eating a protein bar in the middle of the night to gain some muscles.
I was thinking it say be healthier to eat some yogurt, drink some miso (or healthy soup), or some (chamomile) tea.
 
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