How many carbs in that shake at 4:30? Curious.
As posted earlier, I do exactly the same thing. Eat around 4:30, workout and then eat way too late. There is about a 4-5 hours gap there.
I changed things around now. Use to eat around 4:30 and then immediately workout. Hitting the weights no later than 5:15. Try and be as efficient as humanly possible in a crowded gym. Finish, go home, and eat. Time between meals was around 3 hours. If I need extra motivation because I am tired from my work day, I keep a musclemag (or the like) in my car. Check out all the hotties before working out. Helps keep my mind on my goals. Hey, whatever works.
But there are days this schedule won't work. If I know I cannot get to the gym and get home without a 4.5 -5 hour gap in the eating schedule, I go home first. Relax, cook some food, eat and then go to the gym. There are fewer people in the gym at 7:00 - 8:00. And I have found that going home when my mind isn't in training mode is helpful. Besides, I always get to sleep around the same time no matter when I go to the gym.
Do you have someone serious to train with? How much sleep do you get per night on average?