Paranoid about weight gain from eating carbs at night

splucy

So on my weight loss journey, I was doing amazingly well with my low carb dinners. I would practically have no carbs after 4pm.

In this last month or two, I have been craving sugar at night time SO badly. I know there is stacks of carbs in chocolate, cake etc.

Today I have consumed 1905 calories. Dinner was healthy - chicken breast with a salad.

Then the cravings came (and it didn't help that my brothers gf gave me chocolate as a gift tonight) and I ate 65 grams which contained 39 grams of carbs.

My total carb intake for the day comes to 188 (With MFP's automatic goal of 310)

After my 841 calories burnt, I have a defecit of 586.

Am I being paranoid by thinking that this chocolate alone will make me gain weight as I sleep? I would like to know that I can treat myself every now and then if I can fit it in to my calorie goal... without stressing about the carbs. Ugh!

Newfiedan

It has been scientifically proven that eating your carbs at night is the best time to eat them, especially if its post weight workout. Do not worry about them making you fat, this is the point at which the body has the hardest time converting them into fat so enjoy. I have been doing that for a long time with no ill effects whatsoever. In fact there are many diets based on this very thing, the warrior diet, carb back loading (this one incorporates weight workouts though) and many others.

hubkal

you are being paranoid! if you dont go over, you dont go over. Stay within the parameters and you are ok. NOTE: MFP does NOT give you enough protein so go over that AND MFP does not break down the sugars so you can easily go over with healthy stuff, so I do not even look at that!

It is so hard not to concentrate on what we "think" is right and what really is right! I eat cheese filled bread sticks sometimes, I love them, I thought they were bad. BUT they fit in my goal and well, they have not made me gain!

Good work on the intake!

AlsDonkBoxSquat

So on my weight loss journey, I was doing amazingly well with my low carb dinners. I would practically have no carbs after 4pm.

In this last month or two, I have been craving sugar at night time SO badly. I know there is stacks of carbs in chocolate, cake etc.

Today I have consumed 1905 calories. Dinner was healthy - chicken breast with a salad.

Then the cravings came (and it didn't help that my brothers gf gave me chocolate as a gift tonight) and I ate 65 grams which contained 39 grams of carbs.

My total carb intake for the day comes to 188 (With MFP's automatic goal of 310)

After my 841 calories burnt, I have a defecit of 586.

Am I being paranoid by thinking that this chocolate alone will make me gain weight as I sleep? I would like to know that I can treat myself every now and then if I can fit it in to my calorie goal... without stressing about the carbs. Ugh!

Yes, you are being paranoid. Your body uses carbs the same way no matter when you eat them, pretty much. I eat nearly all my chocolate and carbs around 9PM and then immediately crawl into bed. You metabolism doesn't slow down at night, just your breathing and heart rate.

medennison123

In my opinion chocolate alone will not make you gain weight as you sleep as long as you do not go over your calories for the day. To your body a calorie is a calorie. If you eat at your goals on a deficit you will lose weight.

Low calorie diets have their research and studies and do contain some validity. But I like to hit my carb goals every day because carbs are your main source for energy. With out a good amount of carbs my workouts tend to suffer from lack of energy.

People gain weight from carbs but its not fat by any means. When you eat carbs your body stores the energy in glycogen stores in your muscles along with water. So this energy and water are stored for your body to use. I like to do refeed days every couple of weeks to replenish my glycogen stores. The day after I can easily gain 2 lbs. But my muscles are fuller and larger due to the glycogen not fat.

A little chocolate is very good for you as well. With the antioxidants and such. Plus it tastes so damn good.

medennison123

you are being paranoid! if you dont go over, you dont go over. Stay within the parameters and you are ok. NOTE: MFP does NOT give you enough protein so go over that AND MFP does not break down the sugars so you can easily go over with healthy stuff, so I do not even look at that!

You can change the ratios of carbs/proteins/fats to increase your protein. Im am on a 45/35/20 at the moment.

Just a heads up.

Sl1ghtly

As long as the energy consumed is less than the energy expended, you will lose weight. Timing doesn't really matter.

ninerbuff

It has been scientifically proven that eating your carbs at night is the best time to eat them, especially if its post weight workout. Do not worry about them making you fat, this is the point at which the body has the hardest time converting them into fat so enjoy. I have been doing that for a long time with no ill effects whatsoever. In fact there are many diets based on this very thing, the warrior diet, carb back loading (this one incorporates weight workouts though) and many others.

Could you post the abstract on the scientific study? I'd like to check it out. Thanks.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

Just a note to the OP that if you're using low carb to lose weight and the expectation is that you'll keep it off once you return to eating them, you'll be sorely disappointed. Results from many people who low carb then return to "regular" eating show that weight gain is practically inevitable.
IMO, it's better you learn how to eat carbs now in moderation now and just stay under your calorie limits.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

warmachinejt

Just a note to the OP that if you're using low carb to lose weight and the expectation is that you'll keep it off once you return to eating them, you'll be sorely disappointed. Results from many people who low carb then return to "regular" eating show that weight gain is practically inevitable.
IMO, it's better you learn how to eat carbs now in moderation now and just stay under your calorie limits.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Yea...I did carb cycling and it helped...while I did it. It doesn't work, you'll gain back what you lost so you will waste your time :indifferent:

Matt_Wild

Of course it works - returning back to your old habits then of course will return you to your old weight as you'll be consuming more calories. Not rocket science.

medennison123

It has been scientifically proven that eating your carbs at night is the best time to eat them, especially if its post weight workout. Do not worry about them making you fat, this is the point at which the body has the hardest time converting them into fat so enjoy. I have been doing that for a long time with no ill effects whatsoever. In fact there are many diets based on this very thing, the warrior diet, carb back loading (this one incorporates weight workouts though) and many others.

Could you post the abstract on the scientific study? I'd like to check it out. Thanks.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

http://www.simplyshredded.com/carbs-at-night-fat-loss-killer-or-imaginary-boogeyman.html

Matt_Wild

OP - I have 85g of oats before bed and 250g sweet potatos 2 hours before that. I lose 2lb a weight or so. Carbs do not stop weight loss when part of a calorie controlled diet plan.

splucy

Thanks for the info guys! I can sleep blissfully tonight knowing that the chocolate isn't going to go to my *kitten*! haha

xx

BuckeyeLife

I have dinner and a protein smoothie post workout 3-4 hours before bed. While it is currently not an ideal amount of carbs(my dinner currently is a frozen pizza, only 1 left thankfully) it is still quite a bit before bed. I am losing 2-4 lbs/wk on average right now(I have a ways to go to get close to goal weight.)

Newfiedan

Sofer S, et al. Greater weight loss and hormonal changes after 6 months diet with carbohydrates eaten mostly at dinner. Obesity, 2011 Apr 7. [Epub ahead of print].
Cannon G. Dieting. Makes you fat? British Journal of Nutrition, 2005; 93: 569–570.
Lowe MR, Timko CA. Dieting: really harmful, merely ineffective or actually helpful? British Journal of Nutrition, 2004; 92 (Suppl. 1): S19–S22.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/getting-ripped-without-cardio-eating-carbs-at-night.html
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=136628651&page=1

Also I would like to add to this list my own personal research/experience on the effects of eating carbs at night/post weight workout and Authors like John kiefer whose carb backloading program proved to me once and for all that eating carbs at night being bad for you as total bullcrap. I overate by about 600-1000 cals on training days( 5x/week) by carb backloading and I dropped 1% bodyfat, added about 4-6 lbs of lean bodymass and got much stronger over a 6 week period of carb backloading. I simply saved the carbs for post workout and loaded up on simple carbs post workout.
Method for bodyfat measurement (calipers done by myself and at the gym I attend)