Q. I have a question about eating at night. I work out late and then go home, should I not eat? Isn't a caloric deficit necessary to lose fat? Why does timing matter? Don't bodybuilders eat in the middle of the night?

That's a very good question and I'm glad you brought it up as I actually have a great deal of personal experience with that sort of thing.

For most people, eating at night is counterproductive to fat loss because their activity level decreases as the evening comes on. If they put in calories at that time their body won't have time to burn those calories and when that happens, the calories will be stored as fat.

Your metabolism slows down over the course of the day. It is highest in the morning and lowest in the evening.

You work out late at night, therefore your activity level is MUCH higher at that time then the average person. I used to workout regularly any time between 9 and 11 p.m. and even when I was training for fat loss I would make sure to eat something afterwards. It is crucial for optimal recovery from training sessions.

It's all about activity level. By training late at night, you are using those calories that you take in. They aren't just sitting there.

You are right about some bodybuilders eating in the middle of the night. They may take a protein shake if they wake up during the night (some even set alarm clocks). It is more a strategy for muscle gain than fat loss though.