Road Cycling - Should I eat before bedtime?

Quick question, I get up at 5.30am, eat breakfast and have some coffee then, at 7am I ride between 30-35 miles. I then eat my recovery food and ride to work (20 mins) and work 11 hrs (1 hr lunch) ON MY FEET all day. Then, I get off at 11pm, ride home and go to bed to start it all over again. My question is, I'm 190lbs and trying to lose weight for my MS150 ride Sept 18th but recently when I get home at night I'm hungry. Could I eat a small snack before bed or should I go to bed hungry. I do want to loose weight really bad so if I eat will that effect me loosing weight somehow :o
Thanks

You should eat when you're hungry. I mean "hungry", not having cravings for certain food. In your case, I think it's genuine hunger. That being said, you should limit yourself to only proteins if you're gonna eat before bed. You're not gonna be exercising at night, so you don't need any carbs. You body actually still burning fat while you sleep. Sounds like you do a lot during the day, so you need to feed your body accordingly. Feeling hungry at night is just you body's way so telling you that it needs to feed your muscles. Make sure you get plenty of complex carbs in the morning to fuel your body for the rest of the day.

Based on your daily schedule, you should focus on getting more rest. Assuming you're getting to bed and sleeping by 12am, you're only getting 5 1/2 hours of sleep a night. That's not enough for your muscles to develop/grow. If I were you, I'd cut back on my morning rides to 3 days/week and sleep in. A lot of people underestimate (or just don't know) the importance of rest/sleep in muscle development. Your muscles need fuel and rest to develop. Why is muscle development important? Well, lean muscles mass will boost you metabolism, therefore will increase your fat burning engine. Sometime too much exercise will work against you if you don't get enough nourishments and rest.

i've only heard eating before bed is a bad idea, and i understand why, but i'd also say, if you're hungry, eat something small.

Can you get a snack in before you leave work?

I remember one year in college when I had a job and got home ~10:30 pm had a snack it didn't seem to hurt but it's better to eat earlier

JOe

eating before bed is an EXCELLENT idea. i am a bodybuilder as well as a cyclist so food is my game.
eat some protein with some fat. no carbs. eat something like a can a tuna or some chicken breast with some olive oil. the portein will help stop any catabolism (muscle breakdown) which is bad for everyone. the fat will help slow down the absorbtion of the protein so you will have a continuous supply of it throughout the night.

two meals to choose from:
1can of tuna in water with 1 tablespoon of olive oil (healthiest oil)

1 6oz skinless bonelss chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

actually eating before bed is not a good idea....it will have a negative effect on your sleep cycle

a better idea is too keep adequately fed during the day to avoid cravings at night...especially if your goal is weight loss

actually eating before bed is not a good idea....it will have a negative effect on your sleep cycle

This is not true. I used to bodybuild and ate protein (tuna fish, cottage cheese, etc.) before I went to bed without any problems with sleeping, degestive system, etc. You need you feed you body based on how you use it. There's nothing wrong with eating before you go to bed. However, what you will determines how your body process it.


i am a bodybuilder as well as a cyclist so food is my game.

LOL, I didn't want to go too deep into this, as it may bore people. :)

LOL, I didn't want to go too deep into this, as it may bore people. :)
it's true. i'm not trying to be a 150lb cyclist. try a 210lb cyclist. 30 miles of cardio in the morning wont make me small. actually it helps my calves.

Quick question, I get up at 5.30am, eat breakfast and have some coffee then, at 7am I ride between 30-35 miles. I then eat my recovery food and ride to work (20 mins) and work 11 hrs (1 hr lunch) ON MY FEET all day. Then, I get off at 11pm, ride home and go to bed to start it all over again

My goodness, you have an extremely demanding schedule. I'd be a walking zombie with a schedule like that. I'd strongly agree with the other poster that recommended more sleep. Cut back to two or at most three rides during the week and get as much sleep as you can. You'll get a lot more out of your workouts if you are well rested.

I've read and followed this book's (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0316051675/qid=1090961146/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-5854818-1336843?v=glance&s=books) suggestion to eat a small amount of carbs before bed. The idea being that carbs (the right ones like oats) have small amounts of tryptophan which helps to induce sleep. The same book noted that proteins have something in them that produces a more alert, albeit calm alert, feeling in us.

I typically have a small bowl of cereal (1/2 cup of cereal + 1/2 cup of milk) and I do well by it. I'm no bodybuilder, so the small amount of milk is all the protein I want.

Just my experience and what I've read.

You don't want to eat anything before going to bed, period. Unless you want to get fat.

My two cents: yes, eat a small meal or snack before bed. In fact, eat small meals all day long if your job allows it.

if your body burns 2800 calories a day it can be done with 4 meals of 280 calories OR eat a 2800 calorie meal at midnight. it's still 2800 calories regardless of when you eat it.

if your body burns 2800 calories a day it can be done with 4 meals of 280 calories OR eat a 2800 calorie meal at midnight. it's still 2800 calories regardless of when you eat it.

exactly, even though your math is a bit off, if you're sticking to a certain calorie amount a day it does not matter when you eat it. getting fat because you eat right before bed is an old wives tale.

I always eat cottage cheese and peanut butter or almonds before bed. Cottage cheese (caesin) is a very slow digesting protein, the fat in the almonds or peanut butter slows it down even more so you are getting protein while your body is going through it's protein synthesis at night. Milk works well to, as you get a bit of an immidiate whey spike.

Eat a bowl of Cheerios before you go to bed. Best thing to snack before sleeping. BTW- Where in G'boro do you live. I grew up just about 20 mins. down the road from the city.

The latest findings by the medical community agrees that the formula is calories in minus calories burned. It makes no difference when you eat. Now that being said, it is not a good idea to eat all of your calories at one time, and just before bed because digestion is aided by body movements like walking, bending, running, etc. It is perfectly OK to eat some protein before bed but just dont start packing in a lot of carbs. It also helps to count your daily calories to get some idea of your intake verses what you burn.

Steve

I'm in the cereal camp.

I usually like to eat a bowl of cereal and a couple of oranges or a banana or two before bed because I always seem to be hungry then.

In season, it is not a problem, but this time of the year I'm not riding as much....just a little trainer stuff so I think it goes to my mid-section quicker.

Eating tuna at 10:00 at night just sounds too strange to me.

In my efforts to get down to a reasonable climbing/racing weight by April, I have instructed my wife to shoot me if she sees me eating solid food between now and April 1. Lance weighs what he eats, but he does have the distinct advantage of being able to consume calories and still lose weight : ).

I'll notify this board when I resume caloric intake. Maybe I'll have a hot dog on Memorial Day Weekend.

Is this an eating disorder? Or a thyroid issue? Or middle age? Or all of the above?

Technically, if you eat at all during the day you'd be eating before bedtime. ;)

Another 2 cents, better to spread your eating out over the day, and if your genuinely hungry before bed eat something light with a good mix of protein, carbs, and fiber.
Worked for me when I was training for a triathlon and trying to lose weight, lost 35 lbs.

In my efforts to get down to a reasonable climbing/racing weight by April, I have instructed my wife to shoot me if she sees me eating solid food between now and April 1. Lance weighs what he eats, but he does have the distinct advantage of being able to consume calories and still lose weight : ).

I'll notify this board when I resume caloric intake. Maybe I'll have a hot dog on Memorial Day Weekend.

Is this an eating disorder? Or a thyroid issue? Or middle age? Or all of the above?

It's impatience. How long were you not riding and getting fat? How long have you been riding and losing weight? You didn't put the weight on in a year, so it's not going to come off in a year either.

I agree with needing to give yourself more rest and also you should eat if you are hungry. Going at things too hard coupled with a caloric deficit is going to wear you out. If you eat healthily and when you are hungry and maintain a decent training volume you will be fine. I think that there is a balance, and trying to get stronger, faster and lose weight at the same time is difficult to do, especially given your schedule. Focus on eating to fuel yourself and stay energized. DO NOT restrict yourself from eating enough to keep from being hungry. Your body WILL start to break down.If you keep a healthy balance of things your body will find a happy medium and a healthy weight where you still feel strong. Listen to your body! Don't argue with it. It is usually right.

if your body burns 2800 calories a day it can be done with 4 meals of 280 calories OR eat a 2800 calorie meal at midnight. it's still 2800 calories regardless of when you eat it.

Probably mean 4 meals of 700 calories. 2800 at once wouldn't work for me as I wouldn't get too much out of it after I threw up!

Probably mean 4 meals of 700 calories. 2800 at once wouldn't work for me as I wouldn't get too much out of it after I threw up!

That's just 2 Thickburgers. That, or 80 7-inch carrots.

In my efforts to get down to a reasonable climbing/racing weight by April, I have instructed my wife to shoot me if she sees me eating solid food between now and April 1. Lance weighs what he eats, but he does have the distinct advantage of being able to consume calories and still lose weight : ).

I'll notify this board when I resume caloric intake. Maybe I'll have a hot dog on Memorial Day Weekend.

Is this an eating disorder? Or a thyroid issue? Or middle age? Or all of the above?

i know you're joking, but i'm just "getting over" a calorie deficit type diet. i say "getting over" like it was a cold, because i felt kind of sick and tired all the time. now i'm eating about 1000 more calories per day, losing fat, and gaining muscle. it's a good feeling. so yeah. watch the food, but don't cut it too much.