number of meals question

[HowBadDoYouWantIt]

hi
first i would like to say that i *strive* to attain 6 meals per day, every 2.5-3 hours.
I am finding this very difficult on lifting days especially...i am topping out at 5 before i have to pass out from the days events. Currently I workout at night.
How detrimental is this really? The only option i see at this point is to set an alarm and wake up in the middle of the night and feed.
I'll do it if that is what it takes. I am torn between needing the uninterrupted sleep for reparation and needing the building blocks for reparation. I am eating prior to bed...just not getting in 6 meals.
I am 5'2", approx 125, 20ish% bf (if you rely on inaccurate tests that is ), and build muscle fairly easily. Mostly i am trying to lean up.
I finally realized after a couple of attempts at metamorphasis that i was NOT eating enough and i dont' want to blow it now over a few hundred calories in the middle of the night.

thanks

 

[Mr.X]

if you are trying to lean out bro, I would reccomend you stay w/ that one single meal before bed and not wake up to eat at night. I've noticed that if I eat at night it slows down my weight loss, now for bulking up this is certaintly a false presumpsion because when I bulk I need the calories at night to be in positive nitrogen balance. Now, since you are trying to lean up..here's the trick I have for you...>
Before bed, mix up a big protein shake...lean protein only... have some whey, casein, egg (egg-whites, or egg protein powder) and soy protein... a good amount is feasible... now what happens here is all these protein are released at different times and should last you through at least 1/2 the night, which is about 4-5 hours...from then on there's very little time left until your morning meal...now one more thing you want to add is BCAA (amino's) + 5 grams of glutamine to your shake before bed.
My 2cents
Mr.X

 

[HowBadDoYouWantIt]

maybe i should have....

mentioned that i was a bra (girl) not a bro
would the advice be different?

thanks

 

[Digital Ronin]

It shouldn't change anything...how many calories are you taking in daily anyhow?

 

[HowBadDoYouWantIt]

I shoot for 1700-1900 at this point.

 

[Digital Ronin]

Depending on your metabolism, you should be between 1250 - 1625 Kcal/day, if you want to just lose body fat. If you're looking at building lean muscle mass and reducing body fat that range changes to 1625 - 1875. Hope that helps...

Btw, if you're having problems getting in 6 meals, go to eating every 2 - 2.5 hours. You'll manage to get them all in.

 

[HowBadDoYouWantIt]

How would going the 1250-1625 calorie route affect muscle retention....meaning if i continued to train and just reduced caloric intake would i lose my existing muscle or just fat?
Also, i have always heard that anything under 1400c/day was counterproductive....
definitely a lot of different "beliefs" out there....confusing at times.

thanks

 

[Dr. E]

In order to retain all lean muscle, a fairly significant part of your caloric intake should be protein (~ 1 gram/lb). If you adhere to that then you shouldn't lose very much.

 

[HowBadDoYouWantIt]

1g/overall pound or 1g/lean mass ?

thanks

 

[Dr. E]

1 g/lb of total body mass