Why Eating After 7pm WILL NOT Make You Fat!

                                     

 

After my night time ice cream post, I got a few questions like... "Do you really eat that much at night time?" YES, I do! In fact, the majority of my calorie and macro intake is AFTER 3pm... Here's the thing, it's not about the time on the clock when you eat, it's about your total macronutrient and calorie intake for the day. So, if you count the nighttime meals and snacks into your macros for the day, then you're good to go. In fact, I always recommend eating something before bed to keep your metabolism going and so you don't wake up ravishing. It also helps you sleep better. There is no law about closing the kitchen after 7pm, although that idea has been popularized as a main way to lose weight. Eating at night is even more important if you workout in the morning. It's the food you put in your system at night that replenishes your glycogen stores for the AM workout and fuels your system. So you NEED to have healthy food in your body or your tank will be empty come time for that early HIIT session.

The best things to eat before bed are some type of casein protein and healthy fats. This is why I use casein powder and almonds. These types of foods will help feed your muscles over night and keep you satiated so your blood sugar doesn't drop. Some other great options are eggs, cottage cheese, plain greek yogurt and my favorite MHP Power Pak Pudding. Healthy fats include any type of nuts, seeds, peanut butter, nut butters and coconut oil.

Another question I get is "Should I eat carbs at night?" This is a little trickier and really depends on your goals, and time of day you workout. If you are trying to build muscle and not worried about losing fat, then definitely have some carbs. I usually have a sweet potato and a huge plate of veggies with my last meal which equals a hearty serving of carbs. A bit of carbs helps you sleep too. If you workout really early in the morning or late at night, then you will also need to carbs to replenish your glycogen in the muscles. Think of the carbs as little brooms that help sweep the amino acids from the protein into your muscles. However if your main goal is to lean out a bit, then cut those carbs near bedtime and time the carbs to around your workout time and when you are most active.

So go ahead and eat in bed:) I give you permission!

For questions email Juliane at Julbrown22@Hotmail.com or visit our website for a personalized plan at http://twinspirationfitness.webs.com/

Active Rest

If you wake up extremely sore from a hard workout, then congrats you worked your butt off! Remember that soreness is a sign that you need to rest that particular muscle. Your muscles grow and recover when you are out of the gym. You need to get quality protein and sleep in order for your muscles to repair and grow properly. Rest is very important, but I (Juliane) don't mean sit around and watch a Kardashian Marathon on E! I prefer active rest. Great ideas for active rest include bicycle riding, swimming some easy laps, walking, or even playing a round of catch with your kids. The idea is to get your heart rate up, but not to the point that your breathing heavy. Just think of it as a leisure activity. The blood flow to the muscles helps ease the soreness. This is also a great time to STRETCH or even hit the sauna!! I try to include an active rest day at least once a week, but beginners should have at least two days a week. You can plan out your active rest days or just take one when your body tells you its time.

Here's a picture of my active rest day. My husband and I went for an easy bicycle ride during our last day at the beach. Some how we managed to pick a week that was rainy and gloomy everyday but one, but we made the most of it!