Doesn't Chillen practice this exact thing?
Yes, I "generally" get up during the night, and eat. The times, I do not are generally when I eat before bed. The contents of this small meal "depends largely" on the "general purpose of my diet", the diet cycle I just came-off-of, the position grams of my macro nutrients, calorie count, and consideration on whether I am training in the AM, working, etc.
"Dependent on the purpose of my diet" (which is important since my diet is cyclic driven), I would generally prefer a meal: With the focus on Protein (at night) on a cut/losing fat tissue, when fat tissue is low, and Carbohydrates are cycling low), A focus on Carbohydrates, less on Protein (which means Carbohydrates are higher than Protein in the meal, when trying to gain tissue). The protein item is generally not Whey Powder (it digests too fast, and at this time not applicable), and the carbohydrate item (if applicable), is one that takes longer to digest. And, the meal is followed by a few glass of water.
I am generally doing well, (again dependent on the cycle I came off of), if carbohydrates are about 220 grams, while in calorie surplus of about 300 to 400 calories, when the purpose is to maintain "NET ANABOLIC" and to put on weight. If I go beyond this point, I tend to add on too much weight. So over a period of time, I have learned to tweak the carbohydrate down to a certain level, and tweak calories up, and so on and so forth.
Generally speaking, I am more sensitive to "the level" of carbohydrates the lower my body fat is, and wanting to dip even lower. The higher it is, the more I can consume in Carbohydrates, without it effecting "rate of fat loss" (which is an important distinction--for me).
In a cut/losing fat tissue situation (when its low wanting to go lower in BF, such as single digits), carbohydrates are generally low for a period of 5 to 7 days, and I can bring Protein up above 1 gram per pound, but I limit fat intake to ONLY flax/fish oil, and other types of oil, and generally will not consume even NPB. In this situation, I would generally just consume a Protein item. It is generally not whey powder (because it digests too fast), and no carbohydrates at this time. After this period (with glucose depleting workouts), I would enter a carbohydrate up period, where then the meal combination would change quite extensively as well as amount of calories.
The real take home message (for me in losing stubborn BF), and how this may apply to eating before bed (or getting up at night) is that, from a fat mobilization standpoint, I want low insulin and high catecholamine levels.
"Both" can be readily accomplished by altering diet (lowering carbohydrates and calories) and exercise (which increases catecholamines)--this is rather brief over simplified, lol. Thus one of the reasons, I focus on Protein (when getting up at night, or eating before bed, not to leave out, I think Protein is severely under-appreciated in a cut, and is PARAMOUNT).
With that said, its a common myth (with some) that muscle is primarily protein--it ISNT.
Skeletal muscle is only about 25% protein, and about 70% water (approximately). Even the glycogen and the rest only makes up a small percentage of the total weight (which can encompass.....energy and/or support/rebuild...properties). In about 2 lbs of muscle, you have maybe 100 grams (about 0.05 lbs) of protein or so. I'm honestly surprised that no one has ever pushed water as an anabolic since, strictly speaking, it makes up far more of your muscle volume than protein does (example, reduce carbs, one can look flat not full. In crease carbs, one can look full, and even more cut, when done right). How do you suppose water/nutrients get there? (different subject).
Hmmm.......
The brief statement above, is one of the reasons I cycle my diet. How does this apply to losing fat and gaining muscle? In short, they have different (and, in some cases.......mutually exclusive) requirements. That is, gaining muscle and losing fat can require different scenarios in terms of nutrition, hormones, etc (with exceptions give to noobs, and lay-offs). In fact, the specific requirements for gaining muscle are also the reason that you tend to gain fat at the same time.
Brief synopsis
Best regards,
Chillen
