Saving all my carbohydrates for the end of the day?

One thing to consider is the possible effect that carb consumption at night could have on the body's human growth hormone production. HGH production mostly takes place at night as you sleep. Since carb consumption at night causes elevated levels of insulin and since elevated insulin levels can result in lower HGH production, many people believe that carb consumption at night can lower the body's HGH production. Lowered HGH decreases the body's ability to build muscle and burn fat.

somewhat true...if you're a female you usually burn fat in the deeper sleep cycles.....in natural sleep. Cortisol might, if it's too high, prevent that.

Just my two cents...

^ For the record Ed, your two cents are correct.

This website has no shortage of pocket change. Next time I am the OP, if I need change I'll ask for it.

For an HSP who demands respect from others, you are really rude to people.

I give respect first and if they don't return it, I don't have to be respectful again. Be nice to people who are nice to you, but you don't have to be nice to people who aren't nice in return. Eye for an eye. You get what you give. Look, I've been bullied 25 out of the 30 years I've been alive, I know how to detect people who are only here to be direct/bold/rude and not tender/empathetic/conpassionate. I am sorry if you two didn't like my snap, I'm still bitter about my thread.

I'd rather rise above. Civilized people don't operate on an "eye for an eye" mentality. Treat others as you expect to be treated.

I'd rather rise above. Civilized people don't operate on an "eye for an eye" mentality. Treat others as you expect to be treated.

Rising above doesn't solve problems. It's a Win/Lose and nothing really gets resolved. If people aren't held accountable for their actions (like everyone does to me based on the belief men shouldn't be emotional) then how are they going to correct their behavior? Respect should always be mutual. And respect starts with remembering that the person you are talking to or debating with has feelings, and treating them like they do.

Just my two cents...

^ For the record Ed, your two cents are correct.

This website has no shortage of pocket change. Next time I am the OP, if I need change I'll ask for it.

For an HSP who demands respect from others, you are really rude to people.

I give respect first and if they don't return it, I don't have to be respectful again. Be nice to people who are nice to you, but you don't have to be nice to people who aren't nice in return. Eye for an eye. You get what you give. Look, I've been bullied 25 out of the 30 years I've been alive, I know how to detect people who are only here to be direct/bold/rude and not tender/empathetic/conpassionate. I am sorry if you two didn't like my snap, I'm still bitter about my thread.

I'd rather rise above. Civilized people don't operate on an "eye for an eye" mentality. Treat others as you expect to be treated.

Ooo. Nicely put.

If I eat heavy carbs, anytime of day, I get really hungry about 90 minutes later regardless of how much I've eaten. If I spread them out over my daily meal plan, I never get hungry. Something to think about. It's the same as eating sugar; when it starts to wear off, it triggers the hungries.

I don't know. I do it, and I don't get in nearly as many petty arguments as you seem to. Seems to work for me.

Well because you're winning the argument by ignoring it. Look, I respect everyone who has a conflict with me. I don't "take the higher road" and ignore it because a conflict is the result of miscommunication or a disagreement. When you walk from an argument, you are disrespecting the other person. What about their feelings? Are you going to leave them to curdle in their aggression? I am sorry but I walk on the same road as everyone else and I want everyone to feel like they are being treated fairly and their feelings matter. Is it too much to ask that you guys do the same for me when you see me tread the forums?

I don't know. I do it, and I don't get in nearly as many petty arguments as you seem to. Seems to work for me.

Well because you're winning the argument by ignoring it. Look, I respect everyone who has a conflict with me. I don't "take the higher road" and ignore it because a conflict is the result of miscommunication or a disagreement. When you walk from an argument, you are disrespecting the other person. What about their feelings? Are you going to leave them to curdle in their aggression? I am sorry but I walk on the same road as everyone else and I want everyone to feel like they are being treated fairly and their feelings matter. Is it too much to ask that you guys do the same for me when you see me tread the forums?

I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. What did I walk away from? But to answer your question, other people's emotions are not my responsibility. I can easily walk away while someone is stewing. When I was a little kid, and someone would upset me, I would scream and cry and say to my mom "You're making me very mad!!!" and my mom taught me a very important lesson. She would say to me "Maureen, nobody can 'make you' anything. Your emotions are your own. Own them." So now I operate on the basis that my reactions are within my control, and other people's are their own.

I am only repeating what I read so if this is wrong then I think it's important that you tell the OP how it really works and not correct me, but: If you are concerned about nutrition at all, some of the micronutrients in carbs actually work better with fats (fat soluble) so it's actually best to have them proportionately in each meal (hence the term "balanced meals"). As far as MACROS are concerned, eat whatever whenever as long as you hit your grams needed. But as far as getting the best nutrition possible, some micros are needed to be eaten in the same meal for best absorption. I think Calcium needs Vitamin D (sun or D3), Magnesium, and Phosphorus. The fats from your meat, nuts, or oils will help your body absorb the vitamins from your fruits, veggies, and even your multi-vitamin if you take one. I hope this helps you make your decision on your diet. Good Luck :flowerforyou:

When you walk from an argument, you are disrespecting the other person. What about their feelings? Are you going to leave them to curdle in their aggression? I am sorry but I walk on the same road as everyone else and I want everyone to feel like they are being treated fairly and their feelings matter. Is it too much to ask that you guys do the same for me when you see me tread the forums?

If I remember correctly, earlier today you "walked from an argument" when you spouted your last 2 cents worth and had the mods lock down your "Approaching My Fitness Range" thread, correct? I mean, it could be taken as such...

And ironically, for someone who told everyone to stop fretting over the details and pay attention to the bigger picture... well, you seemed to have gotten lost in defending your sensitivities rather than organizing the great advice given you... now, when pressed you were able to list them.

But ultimately, it seemed your were more concerned with people hurting your feelings than your original quest for information.

You seem to be a master at (1) getting attention, and (2) being quite a hypocrite.

*end of rant*

Yeah!

@EccentricDad: Communication is a two way street. Be open to feedback. A hard lesson to learn in life is that there's a little kernel of truth even in some of the most abrasive criticism directed your way.

/end of my hijacking this thread

Wow.... hot topic. Here's my humble opinion as far as the research I've done over the past year or two on this whole carb issue. Take it or leave it, but seems to work for me

1. I try to follow a moderate content of carbs in my diet... kind of paleo style, which recommends about 40% cals from protein, 30-40% cals from fat and about 20-30% from carbs. Limiting your carbs helps with fat burn particularly. If you do not burn the carbs you take in, it is processed through the blood stream, the liver and converted into fatty acids to be stored in adipocytes (fat cells) for energy down the road. If you use them, there is no chance for that storage process, and any energy you use above and beyond your daily intake will be tapping into your energy stores (fat).

2. Carbs are NOT all the same. Simple carbs (ie, orange juice, a candy bar, or anything basically without fiber in it that has high carb count) are digested quickly and cause high spikes in blood sugar rapidly, and rapid descent in blood sugar afterwards (hence, a sugar rush, then crash). Complex carbs (found in fruits, veggies, and high fiber foods) are more difficult for the body to digest, so the sugar gets released more slowly and the blood sugar levels stay more even allowing your body to use them rather than having a sudden excess that ends up getting stored as fat. PLUS they keep you feeling fuller longer.

3. When you eat carbs does matter... sort of. Basically you want to burn the carbs you eat within 2 hrs of eating them. Once that 2 hour period is gone by, either you have used them up, or your body has stored whatever you haven't used. If you eat all your carbs at night, you better hop on the treadmill before you go to bed, because chances are, you are not burning off that amount of carbs while you snooze and the excess is getting stored as fat. The best thing to do is give your body an even amount of complex carbs throughout the day mixed in with lean protein and healthy fats (think monounsaturateds, olive oil, avocados, etc). That way you are digesting the carbs slowly, using them as you work throughout the day, and then at night arent binging on carbs that arent getting used up.

Carbs aren't all that bad. You need enough to keep your brain functioning; it runs best off carbs and if you dont get enough, you start trying to run it off ketones, which will make you tired, and some people even experience confusion, poor memory, etc.

Thats all. comments welcome and appreciated

I didn't read your post. I'm only posting because your avatar is MOUTH WATERING

When I was a little kid, and someone would upset me, I would scream and cry and say to my mom "You're making me very mad!!!" and my mom taught me a very important lesson. She would say to me "Maureen, nobody can 'make you' anything. Your emotions are your own. Own them." So now I operate on the basis that my reactions are within my control, and other people's are their own.

I say pretty much say the same thing to my son. No one 'makes' you feel things. Sure, someone can hurt you and be mean to you, but you have a lot more control than you think. Not that it's wrong to feel sad or angry, but taking ownership of your reactions enables you to deal much better with the ins and outs of life. Smart mom.

I agree to both of you whole-heartedly. The issue is when someone is intentionally pushing your buttons and testing the limits of your control. While it would be me who explodes in a fit of rage on them, they would be "INSTIGATING" the rage and then likely playing victim that I exploded on them. If people didn't instigate a fight and if we were treated with respect in the first place, then no one's patience or anger management skills would have to be trialed in the first place. So my point is, while I am being held accountable for the reaction of my feelings, the other person also needs to be held accountable for their actions of instigation any negative reactions as well. As a person who lives very much peacefully on the whole, when I get angry, I am not getting angry because I have no control over my emotions; I am getting angry because I have been pushed BEYOND my control of emotions and that person who pushed me to that point needs to be dealt with because clearly they have a conflict with me that they are not strong enough to tell me face to face.

But I agree with everyone else, we shouldn't threadjack any more. If anyone wants to talk philosophy, parenting, or theories on life, let's start a chit chat thread and do it there okay? :flowerforyou:

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.

45 year old woman, so is my opinion more valid? There is no metabolic difference between men and women in this context.

Meal timing is irrelevant, intra day macro timing is irrelevant. there is no metabolic difference between eating your calories/carbs throughout the day compared to just before you go to sleep.

If you have evidence that suggests otherwise, please provide it.

As you mention anecdotal evidence re sample n=1, I will provide my own. I eat ice-cream just about every single day just before I go to sleep, in fact I eat most of my calories within 2 hours of going to sleep. I have lost weight at a totally predictable rate based on my calorific deficit and TDEE.

Edited to fix typo

Thank you! Some people don't seem to realize that nutrition is a SCIENCE. It can be quantitatively studied, including the metabolic processing of nutrients.

You have to figure out what works for you. That may require some trial and error. As far as I can tell from my own experiences and from reading what others say here, the people who seem to end up having the most trouble -- eating disorders or difficulty maintaining -- are those who try extreme things. You body doesn't care much if it's 7 a.m. or 7 p.m. when you eat. As far as weight loss, it doesn't care whether it's 100 calories of fat, protein or carbohydrates. But in terms of health, you need some of all the macronutrients, and you need the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that your body needs to function properly. But whether you eat them in 1 meal just before you sleep or 15 meals spread out through the day is a matter of choice. For some people it's easier one way, and for some it works better a different way.
For me, it varies some based on my activity level too. In my case, eating more protein, usually eggs, in the morning helps me not want too much during the day. I like having a bit of chocolate near the end of my day - usually one dark chocolate square or truffle. That or some other treat helps keep me from feeling deprived. I've also found that sometimes the desire to eat after I've had enough indicates that I should drink more or have some more protein -- maybe a cup of milk with the chocolate or a slice of cheese. During the day, I love to have fruit smoothies as an afternoon treat -- filling and yummy/sweet carbs. But that's what I like and what makes me feel satisfied.
Read through the ideas and suggestions on these boards, but keep in mind that what works for someone else may not work for you as a long-term, satisfying and healthy way to eat for life. There are multiple ways to do this that will work.
Good luck!