The Great Carbs Debate

Goonygugu
Goonygugu Posts: 114
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there

Please can someone enlighten me?? There is a school of thought that one should not eat carbs after 14h00 in the day - why not?

And then are some people who say we should not eat carbs at all.

I'm confused... I'm not a big bread eater anyway... is the occasional pasta ok?

Replies

  • sugarbone
    sugarbone Posts: 454 Member
    When you eat your food doesn't really matter, it's the amount you eat. In fast, intermittent fasting puts its focus on eating 75% of your carbs before you sleep (and all your other food too, it's not for everyone though). Your body is not dead at night, it's asleep! It still carries out a HUGE array of functions including repairing and rebuilding your body.

    However, it's usually preferred to have your carbs earlier in the day because then it can be expended as energy, its most useful purpose.

    Edit: And carbs are NOT evil. While too many carbs can mess with your leptin/blood sugar levels, and lead to cravings and hunger when you're not really hungry, a moderate amount will give you energy and make a meal tastier. Fiber is also a carb and is useful in feeling full and pooping healthily.

    Some people do eat very low carb diets but they are definitely not necessary for losing weight. I love myself some wholegrain chicken pasta! Just keep track of what you eat, and dominate your diet with protein.
  • Kym1610
    Kym1610 Posts: 328 Member
    It depends on if you are following a strict diet or not. I would suggest go with what works for you
  • Gemnildy
    Gemnildy Posts: 124 Member
    WOW - I think I would go nuts without my carbs! LOL I NEED my carbs and of course, these could very well be my biggest downfall (well, sugar could be worse) but I am learning that there are good carbs that you can make work for you as well. The earlier in the day you eat the bulk of your carbs means that your body has a better chance of utilizing even the bad carbs throughout the day. I think that is the point most are trying to make.
  • nsimportant
    nsimportant Posts: 170 Member
    Well if You eat carbs your body will use that for its energy over fat at least it is definitely like that for me.
    When i was eating low carbs my pounds where going down like crazy (no i was not into keto because i ate over 50g carbs and under 100ish and tested myself with the keto sticks).
    Now when I am maintaining my weight i don't really mind the carbs they do make me vary on scale in the day sometimes up to 1kg.
    I think that people say don't eat carbs after some hour is because they think You will not burn them in the rest of the day.
    And I think it also depends on Your insulin sensitivity and how active or how lean You are.
    The best way with carbs is measure yourself and see how it works because carbs and scales dont go well together (based on my experiment) apparently carbs retain a lot of water.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    1. There's no right or wrong way. But many people find weight loss easier if they cut back "a bit" on carbs. The size of "a bit" varies from individual to individual.

    2. Cutting out carbs completely is nigh on impossible. They are in fruit and veg, for starters, which are good things to eat.

    3. Cutting out simple/ processed carbs is, however, fairly easy. That's your white bread, white pasta etc.

    4. Personally, I aim for 100-150g a day which is pretty easy to achieve.

    5. Eating or not eating after a certain time of day I don't buy. But it works for some.
  • ROBP5
    ROBP5 Posts: 16 Member
    I eat Paleo, therefore no carbs feel great for doing it
  • Cdcaldwe
    Cdcaldwe Posts: 189 Member
    I eat a heavy caloric intake of carbs at least every third day. Last night I had DreamFields pasta with homemade spaghettis sauce. I ended up having three servings of it which is full of calories, but i had already planned my day accordingly. I have tried atkins and ended up after a couple weeks gorging on carbs. I have been tracking my calories and not worrying about much of anything else. I am aiming for balance in my life when i get to the weight i want to sustain. I need carbs. BTW Dreamfields pasta is supposed to be designed to where you only net 5g of carbs per serving because of the way the food has been developed. It was actually developed for diabetics from what i understand. It is a little pricey but I think worth it. Not sure where you live but the Kroger's in my area carries it.
  • cownancy
    cownancy Posts: 291
    My doctor and nutritionists have explained it to me time after time and I can't give you the scientific reasoning because I keep forgetting. BUT, many people who are doing athletics and body building eat high carb diets for energy. People who are trying to lost weight are better off eating low carb diets. I am supposed to try to keep my carb servings under 23 grams and at the beginning, was only permitted 100 grams per day, but now, I am adjusted to about 130 grams per day. For the purposes of weight loss, complex vs. simple is not differentiated because I am supposed to avoid most white flour items, starches, etc. as much as possible.

    You have to keep some carbs in your diet, and the entire insulin/fat burning etc. thing is hard for me to understand, let alone explain. LOL.

    The eating after a certain time at night thing is misworded. After 1am or so, your body begins to release certain hormones that cause you to be more hungry than during the day. Because of these hormones it is more difficult to resist your food cravings, so people are more prone, during the overnight, to eat junk food and gain weight. That's simplifying it, but the basic idea.

    Good luck!
  • bluebird321
    bluebird321 Posts: 733 Member
    I'm on a Paleo type of diet and the carbs are low -- that works for me. When I was younger, my metabolism did a much better job with the carbs and sugar, but that isn't the case anymore. There some generalities that apply to everyone when it comes to diet, but everyone's body is also unique and responds to macro-nutrient ratios differently.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    If you decide to go no carb, it is a decision you need to make forever. Everytime I tried, as soon as I start eating them again, I gain all the weight back. I have learned to eat better. I eat whole grain rice, low carb breads and pasta, but lay off the chips, pretzels, crackers, candy, cookies, cakes and other junk foods. This is just me and I do it this way because I know I can do this forever.
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