Can I Eat Before Bed While on a High Protein Diet?

Protein diets rose to popularity in the 1990s with the advent of the Atkins and South Beach diets. They emphasize the intake of protein and certain fats while limiting consumption of carbohydrates. Most such diets have no firm guidelines as to whether you can eat before bed---but as a general rule, you should eat your final meal no more than two hours prior to sleeping.

Protein Diets

The late Dr. Robert Atkins, a cardiologist, is widely regarded as the inventor of the high-protein, low-carb diet. He created the plan in the early 1970s in an effort to lose weight himself. Atkins claimed that a menu consisting mostly of protein-enriched foods such as beef and eggs---and the restriction on carbs such as fruits and bread---helped not only with weight loss, but could stave off illness and improve mood. That's because limiting carbs causes the body to burn stored fat for energy, as opposed to using glucose.

Benefits

Protein plans, such as the Atkins diet, have become popular because they assist with weight loss. Also, while sensible portions are encouraged, low-carb plans typically do not have any type of restriction on the amount of calories you can eat. With that in mind, people on protein diets rarely need to go to bed feeling hungry. At the same time, a report from msnbc.com suggested that eating too large of a meal before hitting the sack can keep you awake.

Negatives

Because of the restriction on carbs (and therefore, fiber), people on protein diets can experience symptoms ranging from headache to constipation to acne. They may also experience a lack of energy during the diet's early stages, as the body adapts to the restriction of carbs. High-fat diets can also cause diseases related to the kidney, liver and heart.

Eating Before Bed

Eating immediately before bed can have a negative impact on weight loss for the sole reason that the body simply does not burn as many calories during sleep as it does during activity. While you shouldn't starve yourself, you should go to bed feeling slightly hungry and allow your body to "eat away" at stored fat as you sleep. However, protein plans promoters, such as Dr. Atkins, insist that a lack of carbs, not a lack of calories, is what burns fat.

Conclusion

If you follow a protein plan, again, no evidence suggests you shouldn't eat within the final hours before bed. At least, it likely won't cause you to gain weight. On the other hand, it could create other minor side effects, such as an upset stomach or trouble sleeping. So if you're feeling hungry on a protein diet before you hit the sack, the wise choice would be to have a snack but hold off on a large meal until the following day.