I am sure with most weight loss programs you hear not to eat within 3 hours of going to bed because your body stores all of that food as extra fat right? Wrong. I was told this too before I became a fitness expert and discovered the #1 thing to eat before bed.
Honestly I hated the no food after dinner approach because I usually eat dinner around 5 and if I wait before bed (9:30ish) I am starving then can’t sleep because I am so hungry, but at the same time I want to hit my fitness goals so I used to just tolerate it. Has this ever happened to you?
Seriously, sometimes you wake up so hungry that you end up being nauseous because it feels like your stomach is practically eating itself, BUT you are determined to lose weight and lower your body fat so you just deal with it! That crap doesn’t work for me. I would rather be satisfied and energetic then exhausted and starving.
The good news is there actually is the #1 food you should eat right before bed to help you maintain lean muscle and keep your metabolism working while you sleep.
Ready for that #1 food……drum roll please……
Casein is a slow absorbing protein that your body uses to fuel your muscles and is a compound of all of the essential amino acids (protein) to help you burn fat instead of burning muscle. Some caseins can take up to 8 hours for your body to digest and metabolize which is why it is so great to eat right before bed so that your body uses the Casein to provide your muscles and organs with nutrients while you sleep instead of eating away at your muscle.
Any time that your body does not have enough food and nutrients in your system that it needs it goes into something called a Catabolic state where your body literally eats away at your muscle starving for energy.
Most people think, “Oh I’ll just skip this meal and cut my calories even lower so I can lose weight and my body will eat away at the fat!”You actually will just force your body to eat the nutrients in the muscle you do have instead. Which we definitely don’t want that to happen!
There are several different types of protein with the main ones (which I am sure you have heard of) are Whey Isolate, Micellar Casein and Milk Protein. How do you know what to take and when? Here is a simple way…
Your best route is to consume a blend of all 3 of these proteins right before bed so not only do you have a protein hitting your muscles immediately, but you also have protein that will keep your body satisfied and fueled for a long period of time.
Remember hearing about “oh drink a glass of milk before bed to help you sleep”? It is actually true….the nutrients chemical makeup of the milk-based proteins will actually help you sleep better!
There you have it…your pre-bedtime meal needs to consist of a blend of the purest and all-natural forms of these 3 proteins to help you keep lean muscle and burn fat while you sleep! I eat these literally every night in phase 3 or 4 right before bed because of the blend! 🙂
If you are looking for a comprehensive list of low-calorie foods to mix up your daily menu, take a look this article from FitnessVolt.com of 35 Low-Calorie Nutritious Foods You Should Be Eating. This is a great list of many HCG-friendly foods to consider eating during Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Advanced HCG Protocol.
