Best time to burn off a big meal?

StephanieTempinson

I've been doing very good on my diet plan, which is only eating complex carbs during the day, no carbs after 2:00, and getting out to exercise each day (walking or rollerblading depending on energy level).

I don't have any trouble with this for the most part. I eat a small high protien dinner, a more complex carb rich breakfast and lunch, and for the most part I don't get cravings, except for every two weeks or so it seems to catch up with me and I have to eat a really big, carb rich meal.

Today I treated myself to a medium plate of basil fried rice, which is the simple carbs since it is white rice. I don't feel too bad about it because it is not something I do often, but I do want to do some extra exercise today or tomorrow to make sure it doesn't stick with me if you know what I mean!

My question is, if I ate that meal at 12:00 today, when is the best time to burn off those carbs while they are still available as energy, and before they get stored as fat? I know everyone's body is different, but I'm looking for a more "in-general" answer.

nomeejerome

I've been doing very good on my diet plan, which is only eating complex carbs during the day, no carbs after 2:00, and getting out to exercise each day (walking or rollerblading depending on energy level).

I don't have any trouble with this for the most part. I eat a small high protien dinner, a more complex carb rich breakfast and lunch, and for the most part I don't get cravings, except for every two weeks or so it seems to catch up with me and I have to eat a really big, carb rich meal.

Today I treated myself to a medium plate of basil fried rice, which is the simple carbs since it is white rice. I don't feel too bad about it because it is not something I do often, but I do want to do some extra exercise today or tomorrow to make sure it doesn't stick with me if you know what I mean!

My question is, if I ate that meal at 12:00 today, when is the best time to burn off those carbs while they are still available as energy, and before they get stored as fat? I know everyone's body is different, but I'm looking for a more "in-general" answer.

Is there a reason why you do not eat carbs after 2p?

StephanieTempinson

Is there a reason why you do not eat carbs after 2p?

With the theory that it's better to eat more calories during the day than late at night. Also because it's way easier for me to skimp on dinner than it is to on lunch and breakfast to keep my calories under the right level

Achrya

I've been doing very good on my diet plan, which is only eating complex carbs during the day, no carbs after 2:00, and getting out to exercise each day (walking or rollerblading depending on energy level).

I don't have any trouble with this for the most part. I eat a small high protien dinner, a more complex carb rich breakfast and lunch, and for the most part I don't get cravings, except for every two weeks or so it seems to catch up with me and I have to eat a really big, carb rich meal.

Today I treated myself to a medium plate of basil fried rice, which is the simple carbs since it is white rice. I don't feel too bad about it because it is not something I do often, but I do want to do some extra exercise today or tomorrow to make sure it doesn't stick with me if you know what I mean!

My question is, if I ate that meal at 12:00 today, when is the best time to burn off those carbs while they are still available as energy, and before they get stored as fat? I know everyone's body is different, but I'm looking for a more "in-general" answer.

If you're eating at a deficit I don't think you have to worry about carbs being stored as fat.

StephanieTempinson

If you're eating at a deficit I don't think you have to worry about carbs being stored as fat.

Well today I'm definitely not at a deficit lol. Hence the wanting to burn off the excess. I also had some fresh spring rolls.

AJ_G

Is there a reason why you do not eat carbs after 2p?

With the theory that it's better to eat more calories during the day than late at night. Also because it's way easier for me to skimp on dinner than it is to on lunch and breakfast to keep my calories under the right level

If you're eating at a deficit, nothing will get stored as fat. That's why you don't have to worry about simple vs complex carbs. If anything does get stored as fat due to an insulin spike from carbs, that stored fat will be broken down later in the day because you're eating at a deficit which leaves you with a net loss of fat for the day.

cwolfman13

If you're at a calorie deficit overall, nothing can be stored as fat...it is scientifically impossible.

nomeejerome

Well, one meal is not going to be stored as fat, nor will it undo previous work. Also, meal timing has nothing to do with weight loss, but if that is helping you stick to your calorie goal, cool. I say just drink some extra water and go about your day.

AJ_G

If you're eating at a deficit I don't think you have to worry about carbs being stored as fat.

Well today I'm definitely not at a deficit lol. Hence the wanting to burn off the excess. I also had some fresh spring rolls.

Meal timing and exercise timing are irrelevant to body composition. In other words, it doesn't matter when you eat, it doesn't matter when you work out, it doesn't matter if you have 2 meals a day or 6 (calories and macros being equal). None of these differences will affect your body composition.

HeidiCooksSupper

There is no scientific evidence that time of day makes any difference for what you eat and weight control. There is also no evidence that number of meals per day or distribution of calories among those meals makes any difference either.

On the other hand, what you eat when affects your own ability to control your eating and how it does that is unique to each individual. If, for example, I have a breakfast laced with carbs, I am hungry for the rest of the day despite any protein included in the breakfast. But that's me. You have to experiment to see what works best for you.

cwolfman13

If you're eating at a deficit I don't think you have to worry about carbs being stored as fat.

Well today I'm definitely not at a deficit lol. Hence the wanting to burn off the excess. I also had some fresh spring rolls.

Meal timing and exercise timing are irrelevant to body composition. In other words, it doesn't matter when you eat, it doesn't matter when you work out, it doesn't matter if you have 2 meals a day or 6 (calories and macros being equal). None of these differences will affect your body composition.

Also recognize that MFP's calorie goal is a deficit...so even if you go over, you're most likely still at a deficit fro maintenance...just a smaller one. If you're at a 2 Lb per week goal, you have a deficit of roughly 1000 calories deficit from maintenance built in...1 Lb per week is a 500 calorie deficit built in. Most likely you're still at a deficit...

StephanieTempinson

I've eaten about 400 calories above my maintenance calories today, not my deficit calories set by MFP, and my body is notoriously stubborn about turning carbs into fat right away and never ever letting go. Hence why I wanted to know the best time to access the energy created by the carbs. I know there's a window before it becomes fat and is harder to burn off, I just don't know when that is.

You guys are acting like I'm stupid . All I know is that what I'm doing is working as I've lost nearly ten pounds since cutting the carbs out of my dinners. I want to be able to have a high calorie day once in a while but with my metabolism I can't afford to do that unless I exercise. I just want to know the best time to do that.

PhattiPhat

I've eaten about 400 calories above my maintenance calories today, not my deficit calories set by MFP, and my body is notoriously stubborn about turning carbs into fat right away and never ever letting go. Hence why I wanted to know the best time to access the energy created by the carbs. I know there's a window before it becomes fat and is harder to burn off, I just don't know when that is.

This is so confusing. It's a wonder you're so stressed.

ltowns11

I've eaten about 400 calories above my maintenance calories today, not my deficit calories set by MFP, and my body is notoriously stubborn about turning carbs into fat right away and never ever letting go. Hence why I wanted to know the best time to access the energy created by the carbs. I know there's a window before it becomes fat and is harder to burn off, I just don't know when that is.

You guys are acting like I'm stupid . All I know is that what I'm doing is working as I've lost nearly ten pounds since cutting the carbs out of my dinners. I want to be able to have a high calorie day once in a while but with my metabolism I can't afford to do that unless I exercise. I just want to know the best time to do that.

My routine is fairly similar to yours. Low carb dinners makes your body burn the carbs consumed earlier in the day. I believe it works too!! I like to exercise at night as well and when I stick to this I get a much better weight loss. So I would say continue what works for YOU!!! EveryBody is different. Exercise when you can, but for me night time helps the best. But something is better than nothing no matter what the time of day.
Best Wishes!!! :-))))))))))!!!!!

TheFitnessTutor

It makes absolutely ZERO difference what time you eat, and for the most part it doesn't matter whether you eat high or low "gi" carbs barring disease or malfunction especially when consumed with protein and or fat, though simple sugars are usually more devoid of nutrition which will catch up to you. What matters is how consistent you are with your overall intake and macro profile over the course of days, not hours. So feel free to release yourself from this bondage whenever it suits you.

However if you feel great and empowered by not eating this or that macro-nutrient after a certain position of lights or hands on a clock then do whatever you like.

How do you know your body stores carbs as fat easily? do you have a malfunction or disease in that regard? Or....

is the fact that carbs when digested and stored require about 4 times their weight in water? So you'll gain water weight. Otherwise you're tracking your fat percentage using calipers or a better method?

The reason why you're losing weight is because you stopped eating as much. Trust us.
Also there is no special time to workout. And you can't and don't really want to try to "burn off" a bad meal anyways. Just reduce your intake the next day. This is way easier on your body and metabolism and what your body prefers.

If you're getting bi monthly urges it could be hormone related, or it could be the fact that your body may be signaling you for a refeed. (Which would be damn nice as must of us don't get a signal on cue) This is when you eat twice or more in carbs. This helps reset important metabolic hormones like leptin especially, and actually helps your metabolism be more likely to keep you burning fat at a decent rate. Carbs are not your enemy. The industry has just demonized them because they're always trying to sell you on something else that's great for weight loss. You only have three sources of energy. (barring alcohol) Watch how in any given post or thread someone is demonizing one of them. and under eating one or more due to this, and thus having trouble getting intake requirements.

Plus we don't know what your life and workout is like. You may need more carbs, more protein, or more fat. or more overall calories. MFP is a tracking tool with a built in calculator. From what I've been seeing, especially over the last 24 hours is that the suggestions by the app may...uh...need tweeking...to put it mildly.

LolBroScience

I've eaten about 400 calories above my maintenance calories today, not my deficit calories set by MFP, and my body is notoriously stubborn about turning carbs into fat right away and never ever letting go. Hence why I wanted to know the best time to access the energy created by the carbs. I know there's a window before it becomes fat and is harder to burn off, I just don't know when that is.

You guys are acting like I'm stupid . All I know is that what I'm doing is working as I've lost nearly ten pounds since cutting the carbs out of my dinners. I want to be able to have a high calorie day once in a while but with my metabolism I can't afford to do that unless I exercise. I just want to know the best time to do that.

There isn't a best time. You're searching for an answer that doesnt exist. The best time is the whenever you feel best and most motivated, as you'll more than likely peform better.

As far as your battle with carbs and cutting it out after 2PM resulting in 10 lbs loss is concerned... Since cutting out those carbs post 2PM have you allocated the calories elsewhere? If not, then the reason you're losing is because you cut total calories, not because of reducing carbs.

jamielynas

while eating it, I like to slam down pop tarts on the rowing machine

bagge72

I've eaten about 400 calories above my maintenance calories today, not my deficit calories set by MFP, and my body is notoriously stubborn about turning carbs into fat right away and never ever letting go. Hence why I wanted to know the best time to access the energy created by the carbs. I know there's a window before it becomes fat and is harder to burn off, I just don't know when that is.

You guys are acting like I'm stupid . All I know is that what I'm doing is working as I've lost nearly ten pounds since cutting the carbs out of my dinners. I want to be able to have a high calorie day once in a while but with my metabolism I can't afford to do that unless I exercise. I just want to know the best time to do that.

Your body isn't turning carbs into fat right away, that just doesn't happen. What is happening is that you are depriving yourself of carbs so your glycogen stores are low, and when you start eating carbs again, those stores fill up. It's almost like water weight except doesn't go away as fast. You also have to realize that if you do want to have a high calorie day you aren't going to stay the same weight, you are putting more food into your body so you are going to weigh more until you poop it out! You are way overthinking this, and it is messing with your head too much.

ItsCasey

I've eaten about 400 calories above my maintenance calories today, not my deficit calories set by MFP, and my body is notoriously stubborn about turning carbs into fat right away and never ever letting go. Hence why I wanted to know the best time to access the energy created by the carbs. I know there's a window before it becomes fat and is harder to burn off, I just don't know when that is.

You guys are acting like I'm stupid . All I know is that what I'm doing is working as I've lost nearly ten pounds since cutting the carbs out of my dinners. I want to be able to have a high calorie day once in a while but with my metabolism I can't afford to do that unless I exercise. I just want to know the best time to do that.

You are attributing your weight loss to the fact that you cut out carbs after 2 PM, but correlation does not equal causation. I started losing weight when I began eating 500 calories of dessert every night, but I'm not going to go and tell everyone that eating 500 calories of dessert is what caused my weight loss. You lost weight because you were consuming fewer calories. Your body does not defy the laws of thermodynamics.

The best time to exercise is whatever time you will stick to for the long-term. If you know you won't get up early in the morning to work out, then don't schedule your workouts for early in the morning. If you know you'll be too tired at the end of a long day, then don't schedule them at night. Pick something that is as convenient and sustainable as possible.

LoraF83

OP - you're holding on to an outdated idea that carbs = body fat. Numerous people here have told you that it doesn't matter when you eat or what you eat.....it's all about eating less calories than your body needs. You should listen to them.

You've lost 10lb by creating a calorie deficit. You did that through cutting carbs, sure, but it was still about eating less calories.

No one is treating you like you're stupid. I'm sorry you're frustrated and upset that your dieting ideology has been called in to question, but don't think that anyone is attacking you, because they aren't. They're correcting misinformation.

As far as the calories from the rice and such.......400 calories is about 1/8th of a pound. I would just chalk it up to a mistake and go on with life. We all have days when we overeat. You'll be fine.

Hendrix7

There isn't a best time. You're searching for an answer that doesnt exist. The best time is the whenever you feel best and most motivated, as you'll more than likely peform better.

this.

end of thread.

laddyboy

You just missed that window. Dang it. Just kidding.

Since this is a life style change 1 meal is not going change everything. Now we could get into a whole lot of carb timing, dry carbs vs. wet carbs and carbs after a certain time. Everybody is different and you have to find what works for you. Carbs do turn to sugar in your body and unburned sugar get stored as fat but since you are just starting out I would suggest this. Burn more calories then you are eating. Keep doing that and educate yourself on good clean nutrition and when you get down to the last 5-10 lbs you can start dialing it in.

Lift weighs and Lift heavy.

Hope this helps

CrankMeUp

There isn't a best time. You're searching for an answer that doesnt exist. The best time is the whenever you feel best and most motivated, as you'll more than likely peform better.

this.

end of thread.

yep.

BeachIron

There isn't a best time. You're searching for an answer that doesnt exist. The best time is the whenever you feel best and most motivated, as you'll more than likely peform better.

this.

end of thread.

yep.

^ Please listen to this and the other posters telling you the same thing. The only thing that matters is the calorie deficit. It sounds like you're driving yourself up a wall worrying about things that DO NOT MATTER.

IronPlayground

I've eaten about 400 calories above my maintenance calories today, not my deficit calories set by MFP, and my body is notoriously stubborn about turning carbs into fat right away and never ever letting go. Hence why I wanted to know the best time to access the energy created by the carbs. I know there's a window before it becomes fat and is harder to burn off, I just don't know when that is.

You guys are acting like I'm stupid . All I know is that what I'm doing is working as I've lost nearly ten pounds since cutting the carbs out of my dinners. I want to be able to have a high calorie day once in a while but with my metabolism I can't afford to do that unless I exercise. I just want to know the best time to do that.

There isn't a single response that was trying to make you feel stupid. As someone already mentioned, you are looking for an answer and don't like the ones you've been given.

The best time to exercise is whenever you want. There is no magic window. One bad day isn't going to cancel out all the success you've already experienced. It takes an excess of 3500 calories for 1 lb of fat. Don't stress so much and just go exercise.

Regarding your carbs, if that is how you enjoy eating and it makes you feel better, then go for it. I will be honest and tell you that it's not necessary to eat that way, but if no carbs after 2 PM helps you stay on track, have at it. Just make sure you are eating enough to fuel your body and giving it the necessary macro/micro nutrients.

da_bears10089

It makes absolutely ZERO difference what time you eat, and for the most part it doesn't matter whether you eat high or low "gi" carbs barring disease or malfunction especially when consumed with protein and or fat, though simple sugars are usually more devoid of nutrition which will catch up to you. What matters is how consistent you are with your overall intake and macro profile over the course of days, not hours. So feel free to release yourself from this bondage whenever it suits you.

However if you feel great and empowered by not eating this or that macro-nutrient after a certain position of lights or hands on a clock then do whatever you like.

How do you know your body stores carbs as fat easily? do you have a malfunction or disease in that regard? Or....

is the fact that carbs when digested and stored require about 4 times their weight in water? So you'll gain water weight. Otherwise you're tracking your fat percentage using calipers or a better method?

The reason why you're losing weight is because you stopped eating as much. Trust us.
Also there is no special time to workout. And you can't and don't really want to try to "burn off" a bad meal anyways. Just reduce your intake the next day. This is way easier on your body and metabolism and what your body prefers.

If you're getting bi monthly urges it could be hormone related, or it could be the fact that your body may be signaling you for a refeed. (Which would be damn nice as must of us don't get a signal on cue) This is when you eat twice or more in carbs. This helps reset important metabolic hormones like leptin especially, and actually helps your metabolism be more likely to keep you burning fat at a decent rate. Carbs are not your enemy. The industry has just demonized them because they're always trying to sell you on something else that's great for weight loss. You only have three sources of energy. (barring alcohol) Watch how in any given post or thread someone is demonizing one of them. and under eating one or more due to this, and thus having trouble getting intake requirements.

Plus we don't know what your life and workout is like. You may need more carbs, more protein, or more fat. or more overall calories. MFP is a tracking tool with a built in calculator. From what I've been seeing, especially over the last 24 hours is that the suggestions by the app may...uh...need tweeking...to put it mildly.

SGSmallman

I've eaten about 400 calories above my maintenance calories today, not my deficit calories set by MFP, and my body is notoriously stubborn about turning carbs into fat right away and never ever letting go. Hence why I wanted to know the best time to access the energy created by the carbs. I know there's a window before it becomes fat and is harder to burn off, I just don't know when that is.

You guys are acting like I'm stupid . All I know is that what I'm doing is working as I've lost nearly ten pounds since cutting the carbs out of my dinners. I want to be able to have a high calorie day once in a while but with my metabolism I can't afford to do that unless I exercise. I just want to know the best time to do that.

You are attributing your weight loss to the fact that you cut out carbs after 2 PM, but correlation does not equal causation. I started losing weight when I began eating 500 calories of dessert every night, but I'm not going to go and tell everyone that eating 500 calories of dessert is what caused my weight loss. You lost weight because you were consuming fewer calories. Your body does not defy the laws of thermodynamics.

The best time to exercise is whatever time you will stick to for the long-term. If you know you won't get up early in the morning to work out, then don't schedule your workouts for early in the morning. If you know you'll be too tired at the end of a long day, then don't schedule them at night. Pick something that is as convenient and sustainable as possible.

TheRightWeigh

It makes absolutely ZERO difference what time you eat, and for the most part it doesn't matter whether you eat high or low "gi" carbs barring disease or malfunction especially when consumed with protein and or fat, though simple sugars are usually more devoid of nutrition which will catch up to you. What matters is how consistent you are with your overall intake and macro profile over the course of days, not hours. So feel free to release yourself from this bondage whenever it suits you.

However if you feel great and empowered by not eating this or that macro-nutrient after a certain position of lights or hands on a clock then do whatever you like.

How do you know your body stores carbs as fat easily? do you have a malfunction or disease in that regard? Or....

is the fact that carbs when digested and stored require about 4 times their weight in water? So you'll gain water weight. Otherwise you're tracking your fat percentage using calipers or a better method?

The reason why you're losing weight is because you stopped eating as much. Trust us.
Also there is no special time to workout. And you can't and don't really want to try to "burn off" a bad meal anyways. Just reduce your intake the next day. This is way easier on your body and metabolism and what your body prefers.

If you're getting bi monthly urges it could be hormone related, or it could be the fact that your body may be signaling you for a refeed. (Which would be damn nice as must of us don't get a signal on cue) This is when you eat twice or more in carbs. This helps reset important metabolic hormones like leptin especially, and actually helps your metabolism be more likely to keep you burning fat at a decent rate. Carbs are not your enemy. The industry has just demonized them because they're always trying to sell you on something else that's great for weight loss. You only have three sources of energy. (barring alcohol) Watch how in any given post or thread someone is demonizing one of them. and under eating one or more due to this, and thus having trouble getting intake requirements.

Plus we don't know what your life and workout is like. You may need more carbs, more protein, or more fat. or more overall calories. MFP is a tracking tool with a built in calculator. From what I've been seeing, especially over the last 24 hours is that the suggestions by the app may...uh...need tweeking...to put it mildly.

This....is just great. I'm quoting to refer to later...

StephanieTempinson

Whatever the answer to the carb debate is carbs are bad for me because they are a high calorie addiction. If I allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted all my meals would all be carb based with little to no protein and vegetables. For a large part of my life I did eat that way, and eating like that usually translated to a hefty 2,500 to 3,000 calories every day (2,000 is what my body actually needs daily). I kept gaining weight and felt like ****. It is an addiction for me, thus why I need to have a system. It is easiest for me to cut carbs out for dinner, and concentrate protein and vegetable intake in one meal, so that's what I do. I'm now feeling better than I ever have and I'm losing weight so obviously cutting the calories by cutting the carbs is working for me.

Many of you seemed to think I was stressed out about this, but honestly all of you seemed way more stressed out than I was supposed to be. I'm actually quite happy and healthy, I just want to stay on track, and the way I do that is to try to keep to a system. Having a best time to exercise after a "cheat" meal would have been a part of that system, which is why I asked. If there really isn't an answer to that, then that's fine but some of you were unnecessarily rude about it.

Thank you to those who answered politely. I don't know if I will be back because reading through this thread just ruined my day by reminded me that I am unable to successfully interact with people.

neandermagnon

I've eaten about 400 calories above my maintenance calories today, not my deficit calories set by MFP, and my body is notoriously stubborn about turning carbs into fat right away and never ever letting go. Hence why I wanted to know the best time to access the energy created by the carbs. I know there's a window before it becomes fat and is harder to burn off, I just don't know when that is.

You guys are acting like I'm stupid . All I know is that what I'm doing is working as I've lost nearly ten pounds since cutting the carbs out of my dinners. I want to be able to have a high calorie day once in a while but with my metabolism I can't afford to do that unless I exercise. I just want to know the best time to do that.

No-one thinks you're stupid. We genuinely think that you're not going to store any significant amount of fat from this meal. If you see a weight gain on the scale, it'll be glycogen and water. If you eat low carb, your glycogen stores get depleted, which results in a water weight loss. and your occasional cravings for high carb meals is your body's way to refill your glycogen stores. when your glycogen stores refill themselves, you see a water weight gain, but that's all it is: water and glycogen. And even if you did store a little tiny bit of fat from it (which I doubt) then you'll burn it off again the next day when you eat at a deficit again.

You're supposed to have glycogen in your system. My advice would be to ignore the scale, and focus on the tape measure and how your clothes fit. having more glycogen in your system is good for your energy levels, and you don't need to work out to burn out your glycogen stores again, just to see a particular number on the scale. there's nothing wrong with your metabolism, the gain you see after a high carb meal is not fat. You'll need to overeat by a lot more than that to gain any significant amount of fat. you need to eat 3500 calories over and above your maintenance (TDEE) calories to gain just one pound of fat. If you eat a high carb meal then see a sudden weight increase on the scale.... it's water and glycogen.

I'd recommend not even exercising off this weight gain, but instead to realise that it's good for you to have more glycogen in your system, and to focus on the tape measure and how your clothes fit, rather than the scale.

Also, if you don't want to keep craving high carb meals every now and then, eat more carbs on a day to day basis, so your glycogen stores don't get so depleted in the first place. Yes you see more loss on the scale from low carb, but most of that is water and glycogen. Fat loss and fat gain happens slowly, and results in loss or gain of inches (exactly where on your body this happens depends on your body type and how lean you already are), and fat loss happens when you eat at a deficit. exercise and adequate protein ensures that what you lose is just fat, not muscle and bone density. water weight losses and gains happen to everyone all the time and should be ignored. So what I'm saying is if you increase the carbs you eat on a daily basis, you may not see so much *scale weight* loss, but if you're eating the same calories as you were when you did low carb, you'll still see the same amount of actual fat loss.