Hello everyone, I have had a issue eating my 6th meal of the day. Some days I just get behind on my meal times and by the end of the day it is bedtime about the time I should eat. What is the advantage for eating the 6th meal before bed? Will it help me have more energy or burn more fat. Also if you do eat right before bed is it mostly protein?

I have had issues this week with being low on energy but I thought it was caused by my not sleeping much saturday night and only getting around 7 hours of sleep the next few nights. No I am thinking it could be shorting myself that 6th meal.

Let me know what you think. Thanks for the help.

I have had the same problem . . . I usually only fit 5 meals in.

Hi guys (er, Gals too)

When I first did BLF many years ago this very same problem happened to me. Inevitably I would get to the end of the day just before bedtime and realize I had consumed only 5 meals. Part of the problem was that I had ingrained into myself the idea that eating after a certain time was a terrible thing, and the other was being overly busy during the day and having time go by in a flash before I realized I had missed a window.

This time has been easier, I work from home and have the ability to adjust my schedule accordingly. But two thoughts occur to me.

Yes...having 6 appropriately portioned and balanced meals is really the optimal way to keep your metabolism kicking right along. On the other hand, (especially if you read Bills post about perfection vs. progress) I feel that if I'm eating right for at least 5 of those meals I'm definately making PROGRESS and I don't beat myself up about it nearly as much. It's better than eating crap or not at all.

The other thing I really recommend is making sure to write down your meals. I'm NOT a good journal-er (that's no word) but I find it much more effective if I write things down.

Oh, and speaking of it also helps the process a TON if you not only write down your times....but pre-plan the meals themselves and take the guess-work out of the *what* as well. Do I miss that last meal on occasion. Yep. I sure do. But I lay my head on the pillow with the knowledge that I did the best that I could and tomorrow is another say to strive for improvement. I hope this helps!

Timmy

Howdy, NewTexan! It's good to see you on the posts outside of our group! Something that's been effective for me is just to have a glass of protein (1 scoop, 23g-ish) right before I go to sleep. That's what I consider my 6th meal.

It is very good at protecting the muscle you have worked hard to create--because at night your muscle breaks down if it doesn't have the nourishment it needs during those 7-8 hours. Night-time (and RIGHT after workouts) is when your body needs protein the most. It will synthesize more muscle while you're dreaming. You can try it this way and see if you notice a difference. As far as the fat-burning and calories go, if you're on plan regardless--then these calories will be good for you and they won't be stored as fat. I've just noticed my metabolism is off the charts and I think fueling my body this way has helped immensely.

Alright, I'm off my soap box! I hope this helps!

Chip

On it Tex! +Protein for you before bed!

I saw (and am now just trying it out on my own bod) that an oatmeal w/protein dose in it is a great "nighty-nighter." If I understood correctly the oatmeal takes along time to digest and therefore keeps the bod "burning" throughout the night. The protein of course is for muscle recovery. For fun I'd do a search on the site for "Oatmeal" and see what "PoPs up." Please know I'm experimenting on myself here and not suggesting anyone try this without doing their own homework. ---Mike

I found that if I do not eat my 6th meal (mainly cottage cheese or an egg), then I wake up too hungry for my empty-stomach workout. I am training for fat loss and muscle gain, so for the past 6 weeks this has felt right on target.

Thanks everyone, I'm going to start getting that last meal in. Even if I have to eat right before bed time.

Hello all.....check out Bill's assignment 3! He explains why we should eat 6x a day as well as putting it all together. Check it out.. =)
http://www.transformation.com/billsb...ignment-3/1500
God bless

Jerome

Jerome, do you remember where the "Oatmeal" blog was that showed why its a good last meal due to digestion etc? Also HAVE A GREAT 4TH EVERYONE!!!---Mike

Thanks for the info. I think, my problem, is that I am eating too late in the AM. I workout, and shower, but then the kiddos wake up and I need to feed them and, by the time I am done, I am about an hour or more off my planned schedule. When that happens, I only get 5 meals in a day. I do wake up very hungry!

Katie, my mentor told me to see if you can eat right after your workout...then you are feeding your muscles the glycogen they lost and your meal will work better for you.

If I miss my last meal I don't do well with my workouts the next day. I have even gotten dizzy and sick because my blood sugar got soooo low.

How I "fixed" the problem is I eat the same sixth meal every-single day. It takes the guess work out of what that meal will be. Don't worry about it "turning to fat". A calorie is a calorie regardless of when you eat it. But you NEED that protein overnight to help those muscles grow!!!

I eat .5 cup non-fat cottage cheese mixed with .5 plain yogurt and fresh blue berries. Cottage cheese is a nice, slow digesting casein protein. I have plenty of energy for my workouts even when I don't get the optimum amount of sleep.

I have yet to get more than five meals in. I simply don't get hungry six times throughout the day. However, since taking up training with the challenge I have noticed that I am getting hungry more often. Before I started, I usually only ate 3 times a day max, and now I am up to 5 times a day, so I feel good about that. I always have that final meal right before bed. I'm usually a little hungry right about then. This is when I often choose to make one of the nutrition shakes from, "Eating for Life". It's perfect for me. It gets those nutrients into my body without keeping me up all night while my meal is digesting.

There is definitely benefit from getting in a snack before bed like this. It helps prevent overnight catabolism of muscle tissue. You may want to experiment with having a nutrition shake before bed. You might find that a good fit.

-Shannon

I eat cottage cheese for my last meal or protein with very low carb count,

danny

My new favorite last meal of the day is 1 scoop chocolate protein powder mixed with about 3-4 oz of canned 100% pure pumpkin and 1 oz natural peanut butter. It is DELISH!

Bill teaches that six meals a day is optimal. But, he also teaches that, for you, it might be five or six. That is what we call a "Tweak." A tweak is an adjustment you make to the program to personalize it to you. Now, only eating three or four meals a day is a "change!" And that means you are no longer doing Bill's program. And probably won't get Bill type results. (of course, a few people may have physical or medical reasons that require major adaptations, but, the majority of us just need to tweak, if anything.) A big problem I see is that many people might drink three Rightlight shakes a day, or maybe something like a piece of fruit, or protein bar and call those meals. Infact, those are snacks! Now, a Right shake is a "Meal Replacement" shake because it has more calories, and the Proteins and Carbs are more balanced and they have some fat. So, what really matters, like Jerome said, is that you follow the 4 "Rights" as laid out in Assignment T-3. If you can get in all the nutrition you need and are eating enough to maintain your health and lose fat, gain muscle, ect., and you don't space your meals out too far apart, then you are okay. And you can do that by eating a combination of bigger meals (Palm and Fist type) and smaller snacks (like a Rightlight shake.) Uncle Dave

NewTexan,
You need to eat the 6th meal-I am so tired by the time I get to mine-many times I'll grab a "no-sugar added" vanilla yogurt and add protein powder and flax seed. (sometimes I put in a few blueberries) It's quick, easy and really does help.
-Terri

Quote:

Originally Posted by rnehila My new favorite last meal of the day is 1 scoop chocolate protein powder mixed with about 3-4 oz of canned 100% pure pumpkin and 1 oz natural peanut butter. It is DELISH!

This sounds really good! I'm definitely going to try this out. I've been sticking to one of the mid-meal shakes for my last meal as outlined in EFL. This sounds like a nice way to switch things up a bit and I bet it is super tasty! Thanks for sharing.

-Shannon