How does protein turn to fat without starvation?

There is not a single process name as you have already named two of the mechanisms involved. You can also look into the Krebs cycle and the Acetyl-CoA molecule and it's interactions. As far as how this can occur even when you are not in a "starvation" state, consider the following items:

1. Proteins are not converted to carbs thru gluconeogenesis. They are first broken down to amino acids and then the excess amino acids are available for convertion to glucose to replenish your glycogen stores.

2. Glucose is converted to glycogen in the liver and muscles - in these two places you can store, in general, from 300-500g of glycogen depending on your fitness level and the amount of actual muscle mass that you have.

3. If you have an excess above and beyond what your body can store, then that will be converted to fat by the liver.

Your state of "starvation" is completely relative as your body is only going to realize two modes - feast or famine. If you only eat three meals per day - an average breakfast at 6:30am, a light lunch at noon, and a big dinner at 7sugarsu are constantly swinging your body between feast and famine modes.

Breakfast and Lunch: 5.5 hours

Lunch and Dinner: 6.5 hours

Dinner and Breakfast: 11.5 hrs

Proteins and fats are the slowest digesting items that you will eat, some will take upwards of 7 hours. Your carb intake in the fastest from minutes (simple surgars) to less than 1 hour (complex carbs). In order to keep your body from seeing the famine mode, you will need to feed it nutrients every 3-4 hours. So although the calorie count may be in order, the timing, portion size, and nutrient ratio of the meals can be. Depending on what you eat, your body can go into "starvation state" within 1 hour after you eat.

In the event of exercising, playing sports, etc, your body will begin to get about 15% of it's glucose replacement from amino acids. This can be in the form of injestion or the savanging of muscle mass. This will typically only happen during moderate HR events and below unless it is a marathon or ultra-marathon event.

EDIT:

(Note - all of the below is a close to ideal situation)

Even if you eat every two hours, you will have glucagon release as your carbs, even complex, will be digested within this time frame and you body will strive to keep an equalibrium state with your blood glucose level. This may or may not cause gluconeogenesis to occur if you are eating every two hours. This is solely dependent on the types of carbohydrates that you are focusing on - an all complex carbohydrate can extend your digestion time to over one hour, but you will not come close to the two hour mark.

In regards to the proteins digesting after you fall asleep, again you have to consider what type of protein you are consuming. Whey protein will digest very rapidly while casein protein will last for upto ~7 hours. This, or a complex protein powder (fast, moderate and slow burning proteins), are good drinks just before bed as they will allow the protein synthesis to continue to occur throughout the night. Since your metabolism slows down at night, your glycogen stores will deplete at a slower rate than during the day. Once they are empty and you bodies glucose levels drop below what is required, gluconeogenesis will begin to occur to slowly bring your glucose levels back to a minimum.

Your body will decide what has priority on the amino acids - whether it be building proteins or gluconeogenesis.

Good luck!!