Saving all my carbohydrates for the end of the day?

anniebonnie

Hey everybody!:) So I've recently joined MFP and am still getting the hang of things here, please forgive me if this question's answer seems simple to any of you haha, because it sure isn't for me!

Right well a few days ago, I discovered that my diet is REALLY high in carbohydrates. In my calorie breakdown graph, 71% came from carbs, 9% from protein and 20% from fats...obviously I have been working on fixing this issue. But thus far the only way I find that actually works is to avoid bread and wheat as much as possible since my dinner's and afternoon snacks are normally pretty carby. Anyways, my question(s)-

1. Is it healthy to eat a lot of carbs all within a period of 3-4 hours?? And right before bed too. I try to avoid eating when possible after 7pm most days, but sometimes I have to change that to 8pm when I come home from volleyball practice which ends pretty late. I've heard that if you eat a lot of carbs your body converts the lot of them into fats:/

2. Also does anybody have any low-carb breakfast suggestions for me? These past few days it's been fruit with slices of lunch meat (banana, strawberries, and nectarines then usually 2-3 slices of chicken or ham and sometimes a tablespoon or two of organic whole yoghurt) which I find myself quickly growing tired of...

IveLanded

Ok, that doesn't make sense to me AT ALL. You want to eat all your "bad" foods RIGHT BEFORE BED? When your'e about to go lay down and drop your metabolism down!!!???

You'll get folks on here saying it doesn't matter. And sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it does.....there is no "one right way" for everyone.

I'm an average 30-something mom who got fat just living life, eating crappy, having kids, not really working out, and not paying attention to calories. What has worked for me is having a high protein, low carb diet. And I did what you are trying to do.....really got smart about my carb intake.

But I view it completely opposite. I eat my carbs early in the day. In fact, I try to eat my heaviest meals by lunch. But I have my carb heavy meals early......I have oatmeal or cereal sometimes for breakfast or morning snack. I have sandwiches for lunch. I try to keep my carbs early in the day because carbs stick on me. So I want to eat them early while I'm active and can burn them right back off.

I've found that focusing on this, I actually stay fuller earlier in the day, so by dinner time I'm not really hungry anyways.

So that said.....I would personally suggestion finding low carb dinner options and let yourself have your carbs in the am. (But, when I am trying for a high protein day...I have sausage and eggs for breakfast).

wolfchild59

It's actually better for your body to consume the bulk of your carbs earlier in the day. With breakfast being your most carb heavy meal, along with some protein. Then eat most of the rest of your daily carbs with or by your lunch, again, with protein. Then have your heavy protein, fats, and veggies later in the evening.

Your body processes carbs better earlier in the day than it does later. So I would recommend limiting the amount of carbs you eat at night unless you're doing heavy run training. And even then, I always found that I had more energy for my long runs if I just upped my carbs I ate all through the day the day before a long run, rather than trying to eat them all the night before.

TonyStark30

I do mornings, so if I fancy eating cake I'm having it for breakfast!

Tkichler

I have to agree with the early theory too.

As far as the breakfast question, I get the fully cooked sausage links, and Carbmaster yogurt from dillons/kroger, and 2 links and 1 yogurt is my breakfast most days. Fast and easy and keeps me satisfied till lunch usually.

Hendrix7

Ok, that doesn't make sense to me AT ALL. You want to eat all your "bad" foods RIGHT BEFORE BED? When your'e about to go lay down and drop your metabolism down!!!???

so carbs are bad foods. is that all carbs? if not how are good and bad carbs defined?

What if i work out late in the day right before bed can I still eat carbs then?

How much does my metabolism drop during an average 8 hour sleep and do you have any evidence?

Why would eating one type of food at one certain time be more important that the overall intake of that food and activity levels over the long term.

please respond.

wolfchild59

Carbs aren't bad at all. I love carbs and recently had to do a doctor enforced low carb diet for just two weeks and hated every last second. I celebrated this morning with a glorious bowl of pumpkin oatmeal along with my bacon and eggs.

But there have been studies about how the body processes carbs most effectively and the general results I've seen are that when you consume them in the morning, along with protein, the body is able to process them more effectively into energy for the body without any major insulin spikes.

But that eating large amount of non-veggie based carbs at night is more likely to cause insulin spikes, which will over time build up an insulin resistance. That can then cause the body's metabolism to slow down and/or hold onto fat easier than when the insulin resistance wasn't built up so much.

Is it the same for everyone? No. Will some people be able to eat carbs any time of the day and lose weight just fine and feel great? Yes, because every person is different. Can we know exactly how one body will react over another without medical testing? No. So the best that anyone here can do is offer advice based off of medical studies and/or personal experience.

I love carbs, I'd eat nothing but carbs if I could. But have I found that when I limit my non-veggie carb consumption to earlier in the day I see weight and inches drop? Yes. So I'll offer that up as advice to someone else looking for opinions because those medical studies I read did work for me, so it seems logical that it would be something I would recommend.

I also just only just stopped eating 60% carbs because I finally finished my distance running training. So I'd had to drop to 20% carbs for the medical reason and now I'm just starting to ramp back up to my more standard, non-running, 40% carb macro. So I may be a bit testy since I'm low on my happy food macro right now.

cindybowcut

Carbs are bad for you. But you should eat the bulk of them earlier in the day. I would try to do lower carb at night. Try adding some eggs to your breakfast. I do and egg, egg white, mushrooms cooked in a wheat tortilla with salsa. Pretty satisfying.

wolfchild59

Carbs are bad for you. But you should eat the bulk of them earlier in the day. I would try to do lower carb at night. Try adding some eggs to your breakfast. I do and egg, egg white, mushrooms cooked in a wheat tortilla with salsa. Pretty satisfying.

Based on what you said in the rest of your post I think you might have meant to say that they "aren't" bad for you. Otherwise, I'm confused by your post.

IveLanded

Ok, that doesn't make sense to me AT ALL. You want to eat all your "bad" foods RIGHT BEFORE BED? When your'e about to go lay down and drop your metabolism down!!!???

so carbs are bad foods. is that all carbs? if not how are good and bad carbs defined?

What if i work out late in the day right before bed can I still eat carbs then?

How much does my metabolism drop during an average 8 hour sleep and do you have any evidence?

Why would eating one type of food at one certain time be more important that the overall intake of that food and activity levels over the long term.

please respond.

because not every one is the same, dude. Seriously........why does every twenty something muscle head DUDE think they have all the answers, especially for women?

There is evidence to suggest that you do not burn your food as efficiently while sleeping as you do while being active.

There is evidence to suggest that eating too much of ANYTHING is probably bad. There is enough evidence to suggest that it is harder for some folks, especially women, to burn LOTS of carbs and sugars effectively, especially if they are already sedentary and overweight.

And I'm not saying carbs are bad. I'm saying that as suggested by the OP, carbs are HER "bad food". I have also noticed that when my diet is carb heavy, my weight loss slows or stalls. When it's protein heavy, my weight comes off much more easily. My weight comes off easier when I cut drinking and cut extra sugar, too. That's just me, but it's common for lots of women. Just because it wasn't true for you doesn't really make it a universal truth.

The op mentioned she has problems with carbs and wants to find a way to control them. I suggested a way that has worked for me, and others have mentioned it worked for them.

Sorry that bunks your whole "I know every damn thing about every damn thing" theory, kiddo.

stanvoodoo

You should avoid Simple Carbs in the evening as they are really just sugar and that is not good to try an sleep on.

Complex Carbs are different but again, you get better use out of them if you eat them earlier in the day.

Breakfast choices: Go Protien!!!!! Lean meats or whole grains with protein powder, greek yogurt are the better choices.

Protein helps to build lean muscle and gives you real energy!

Best of Luck!!!

devil_in_a_blue_dress

I don't like breakfast that much and just go with just coffee, but my favorite breakfast is scrambled eggs, spicy black beans with tomatoes and chilies, and sour cream. Sometimes with turkey bacon.

astrampe

Carbs are bad for you.

Only if you are eating too much of it of have some sort of illness that makes your body react badly....CARBS are so not evil.....or bad for you:sad: :huh:

Matt_Wild

You should avoid Simple Carbs in the evening as they are really just sugar and that is not good to try an sleep on.

All carbs are sugar. No carb is worse than others.

Hendrix7

because not every one is the same, dude. Seriously........why does every twenty something muscle head DUDE think they have all the answers, especially for women?

What are the metabolic differences between men and women?

Matt_Wild

because not every one is the same, dude. Seriously........why does every twenty something muscle head DUDE think they have all the answers, especially for women?

What are the metabolic differences between men and women?

20% less cals, maybe easier to lay down to fat due to estrogen but metabolically in terms of food eaten? None.

ribena1958

Carbs and protein are healthy and filling foods, so you need them for energy during the day. xx

Huffdogg

It doesn't matter when you eat them.

That having been said, if you are following MFP's guidelines for macronutrients, that's probably a mistake. I would highly recommend upping your protein substantially unless you have existing kidney issues. Protein is the most filling/satisfying and most versatile of the macronutrients, and the only really essential one for the most part.

DopeItUp

Just don't eat them after 8PM.

Just kidding, only misinformed people would suggest to avoid eating carbs at night. I generally eat the bulk of my carbs before bed and it doesn't change anything, I've tried switching it up believe me. Your body doesn't have any idea what time it is, eat whenever you want. All that matters is overall intake, not timing.

lovinlifelaura

You might want to check out Bob Harper's book titled "The Skinny Rules." His rules make a lot of sense and his diet is pretty simple to follow. His Rule #7: No carbs after lunch. I find this a little harsh myself, but it's not the first time that I have heard this. If you get hungry in the evening, try my new favorite nighttime snack: 1/2 cup cottage cheese (protein!) with 1/4 cup pineapple. Yummy!

For breakfast you should be fine having carbs, just make sure you balance it with protein and make sure they are complex carbs (whole grains, fruits, veggies) rather than simple carbs (refined grains and sugars).

Huffdogg

Your body doesn't have any idea what time it is, eat whenever you want. All that matters is overall intake, not timing.

This is about the most succinct way I can think of to put it. Unless you are IF'ing and trying to get the mini keto-cycle, meal timing is irrelevant.