Carbs at night?

I couldn't imagine not having my wheat thins and Greek cream cheese at night.

Although I've heard eating protein based snacks before bed is better, I don't think one necessarily has to avoid carbs. I think you just might want avoid high glycemic foods. Complex carbs, i.e. whole grains, are absorbed more slowly and will satiate you until you are tired enough to sleep. That way you won't be tempted to snack again. But by all means, if it's definitely the last thing you eat and it isn't over your calorie goal, I don't see why you CAN'T eat something sugary. I personally avoid high carb foods in general because I prefer to fuel my body mostly through fat/protein.

Hornsby wrote: »

If you are eating at a calorie deficit, there isn't any reason to worry about eating carbs at night. Nutrient timing plays a very insignificant role.

This.

raysputin wrote: »

Research currently being undertaken suggests that we do not need carbs at all. It's early days yet but we may all be singing a different carb tune in a couple of years.

You heard it here first folks.

There are two small kernels of truth to the "less" carbs at night but neither of them have to do with some mystical voodoo about it being bad to digest or something.

1) As a general attempt at keeping calories down, it can help keep you in a calorie deficit if you aren't already counting. This kinda assume you might have eaten more than you should have during the day, so not having a 300+ calorie blob of potatoes or rice or something can assist in your deficit. It's entirely bunk, however, if you eat properly throughout the day and need those calories with your dinner to make your numbers, but for those that might not eat well during the day it can help.

2) Carbs also cause you to retain water. IF you are the kind of person that likes to weigh themselves every day when you wake up, having less carbs before you go to bed might help make the number on the scale look more palatable. IE - if you ate all your carbs for the day early, you will have processed them and gotten rid of the extra water earlier, so you aren't weighing that water in the morning.

In both cases, it comes down to this: if you aren't diligent about what you are eating, or tracing calories, not eating carbs later in the evening can give you a false sense that it has some effect. For those doing it "right" - it makes no difference at all.

they've proven the idea that ANYTHING you eat after 9pm (for example) is a myth. as long as you stay in your defeict for the day, you won't gain weight nor will the bowl of cereal you eat at midnight magically turn into fat

derekj222 wrote: »

they've proven the idea that ANYTHING you eat after 9pm (for example) is a myth. as long as you stay in your defeict for the day, you won't gain weight nor will the bowl of cereal you eat at midnight magically turn into fat

Oh sweet! So I don't have to go back and log that apple I ate at 9:15 PM last night that I forgot to put in! That apple was a myth!