DrHoon.Net - General Medical, Surgery, and Cardiovascular Information Online!
 

Google
 

 

Why You Must Eat Before Going to Bed?


You have probably heard the old myth, that you should not eat before bed, because all the food you eat will be stored as fat. That is simply not true. People burn quite a number of calories while sleeping or resting in bed. If you know how many calories you are going to burn while sleeping, you can eat the same number of calories without getting fatter.

For bodybuilders and athletes, it is important to eat before bed. Doing so will bathe the muscles with complete amino acids for the whole night. I am going to develop a mathematical formula, so that you will know how many calories you can eat before bed, without getting fatter.

First, we need to calculate your Resting Metabolic Rate(RMR). There are many formulas, and for the sake of simplicity, let's use Owen's equation.

Owen's equation(kilograms):

RMR (male) = 879 + (10.2 * (body weight in kilograms))

RMR (female) = 795 + (7.18 * (body weight in kilograms))


Owen's equation(pounds):

RMR (male) = 879 + (4.64 * (body weight in pounds))

RMR (female) = 795 + (3.26 * (body weight in pounds))

One day has 1440 minutes. If we divide RMR by 1440, we will calculate how many calories per minute does a person burn at rest. Now, that we know this number, it is time to calculate how many calories a person will burn while sleeping. Sleeping has a MET value of 0.9, which means a calorie burn rate of 0.9 * (RMR/1440) calories per minute.

Finally we have to multiply the calorie burn rate per minute by the number of minutes that a person sleeps. We arrive at the formula: 0.9 * (RMR/1440) * number of minutes sleeping

We can further refine this formula because we haven't taken into consideration the Thermic Effect of Food. For most mixed meals, the body burns around 10% of the eaten calories to digest the food. To calculate the precise number of calories we need to eat to maintain zero calorie balance while sleeping, we will solve this equation:

Calories Eaten(CE) - TEF = 0.9 * (RMR/1440) * number of minutes sleeping (noms)

TEF = Calories Eaten/10


CE - CE/10 = 0.9 * (RMR/1440) * noms

9*CE/10 = 0.9 * (RMR/1440) * noms

0.9 * CE = 0.9 * (RMR/1440) * noms

CE = (RMR/1440) * noms

The formula turned out to be simpler than we expected. Another simplification is to base the formula on hours, not minutes. In this case:

Calories Eaten Before Bed = (RMR/24) * Hours Slept

It is time for a real world example. Consider a 200 pound male bodybuilder, that sleeps 7 hours a night.

Resting Metabolic Rate = 879 + (4.64 * 200) = 1807

Calories Eaten Before Bed = (RMR/24) * 7 = 527 calories

In this specific case, our case study bodybuilder can safely eat 527 calories before going to bed, and we are sure that he will maintain zero calorie balance.

What type of meal is best to eat before bed?

I suggest a protein and fat meal, providing complete slowly digested proteins. The best foods before bed are: all meats, eggs and low-carb cheeses.

Hristo Hristov owns X3MSoftware, a company specializing in developing diet and fitness tracking software. Hristo has a degree in Computer Science and passion for strength training. Hristo has designed and written Fitness Assistant, X3MSoftware's leading software product. Download your demo at Download Diet Software and Fitness Software by X3MSoftware

Yoga Videos

   


MORE RESOURCES:

Straits Times

Malaysia abuzz with debate about the practice of yoga
Channel News Asia, Singapore - 2 hours ago
By Channel NewsAsia's Melissa Goh | Posted: 02 December 2008 0029 hrs KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has been all abuzz with debate about the practice of yoga in ...
Should a Pious Muslim Practice Yoga? TIME
Malaysia bans yoga for Muslims United Press International, Asia
Yoga practised here is secular, say instructors Straits Times
ABC News - Sin Chew Jit Poh
all 224 news articles


BBC News

A HinJew Target in Mumbai
Washington Post, United States - 3 hours ago
Hindu-derived Siddha Yoga was my path. I came by it in 1980 as a journalist sent by a Los Angeles newspaper to cover California's latest guru sensation, ...
Video: NY Rabbi, Wife Among Dead in Mumbai Raid AssociatedPress
US Jewish, meditation groups' members die in India The Associated Press
all 1,986 news articles


Defining yoga, one style at a time
Common Ground, CA - 3 hours ago
That’s the philosophy that inspired Jivamukti Yoga founders Sharon Gannon and David Life, who developed the style in their Manhattan studio in 1984. ...


Library offers beginner's yoga class
Log Cabin Democrat, AR - 4 hours ago
A beginner's yoga class is being held weekly at the Faulkner County Library. The class is on-going, meeting from 7 to 8 pm on Tuesdays. ...


Look for more about Laughter Yoga Dec. 5 on Channel 11
Dallas Morning News, TX - 3 hours ago
One of those classes was Laughter Yoga. Well, what do you know? That very topic is part of a Channel 11 show on stress -- in this case, relieving it. ...


Beating stress with yoga in HC
Times of India, India - 5 minutes ago
NEW DELHI: Lawyers found a novel way to beat stress on Monday which saw Delhi High Court premises play host to a Yoga camp. Organized by the Delhi High ...


‘Resisting urge to retaliate’ Dec. 7 at Tree Frog Yoga
Temple Terrace University Beacon, FL - 4 minutes ago
LUTZ — There will be a Buddhist meditation evening at Tree Frog Yoga, 1920 Oak Grove Boulevard, Lutz, Dec. 7 from 6 to 7:30 pm, with American Buddhist monk ...


vision magazine

Surfing and Yoga: Two Communities Become One
vision magazine, CA - 18 hours ago
So where does yoga fit in with Fulcrum Surf Studio? While I was in Costa Rica and Mori was in San Diego, we both had a simultaneous idea to bring yoga and ...


Yoga for mums
The Times, South Africa - 10 hours ago
I used to harbour images of myself, after many years of uninterrupted yoga practice, as an 80-year-old doing the Shirshasana — sleek, youthful, and eternal. ...


YOGA FOR YOU Utthita Parsvakonasana
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, HI - Nov 30, 2008
Ray Madigan and Shelley Choy are certified Iyengar yoga teachers and co-direct the Manoa Yoga Center. Address questions to them at Manoa Marketplace, ...

Yoga - Google News

home | site map
© 2006