Do you limit carbs at dinner?

I'm trying to limit my carbs at dinner, but its so hard!!

I just wondered if anyone else does this and if they think it makes a difference??  Also, what do you eat with your protein to mix it up??

CW 124.1

GW 112

It's a very difficult for me to limit starches, but I try my best. I've been told and read that the rule of thumb is to not consume any starch related carbohydrates ( potatoes, break, pasta, sugar) after 6 PM. Whenever possible, even before 6 PM, I try to substitute whole wheat carbohydrates.

Anyways, I am always working on improving my eating habits, but keep it up. It sounds like you're doing great.

I used to, although now I'm carb cycling so I only do on my medium carb days.. however, rather than just limiting at dinner, I try to get most of my carbs after noon or so from fibrous and not starchy sources, basically aiming for carbs in the morning, fat in the evening (for those doubtful, there are studies that show increased insulin and blood glucose reactions for eating carbs in the evening vs. the morning). On high carb days I don't have to worry about it, and on low carb days, the only significant carb I eat is a bowl of oatmeal in the morning.

But if you're just doing a non-changing weight loss diet, I would definitely recommend getting most of the carbs earlier, replacing them with good fats in the evening.

littleshellys thanks for the link. Not sure how I missed your post before. This was the first time I have seen someone actually give reasons for not eating 3 hours before going to sleep.

I found couple more good websites. First contains a post which links to bunch of studies about eating, and second talks about hGH.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/ id/755705.html

http://www.fitnessforoneandall.com/nutrition/ article/hormones/part_one.htm

UD

I went back to that link and read the article too. I am not sure how sound the science of it is, but I certainly have anecdotal support:

-I rarely get 8 hours of sleep on weekdays, but always do on the weekends, and I have found a mysterious phenomenon: I lose more weight on the weekends. I have attributed it to my bf's presence, since we only see eachother on weekends, but knew there had to be more to it ;)

-Sometimes I used fall asleep on the couch watching tv, and when I'd wake up, I'd have a MAD craving for something sweet or strachy (carbs!), it was almost like sleep-eating, felt very out of control. I try to not fall asleep on the couch anymore because of this. I also got rid of all the candy in my house, that helped!

I am going to try and make more of an effort to avoid the nighttime snack/dessert, it would seem this may be sabotaging my success when combined with the lack of 8 hours sleep. Good stuff to know anyway.

that mashed potatoes have zero nutritional value..zero fiber and calories (plus what are you putting on them?)  I can think of better things to eat to get the carbs and the fiber..fruit..dark green veggies etc.

As for carbs at dinner...weigh it out over the day...carbs help me sleep better.

I am not eating potatoes for fiber, there are plenty of other things that have fiber.   Potatoes have iron, calcium, plenty of vitamin c, etc. See a complete list: http://nutrition.about.com/od/fruitsandvegeta bles/p/potatoes.htm

Personally I eat small portions through out a day. So my mashed potato dinner is only about 300-400 calories, and is part of a balanced diet.

So I am not sure how you can say they have zero nutritional value. I eat mine with Fage Greek Yogurt and lean franks. Which add protein and fat to my evening meal. For flavoring I use Magi seasoning and salt.

I think it's a great idea to limit carbs at dinner time. I just have a zero carb protien shake for dinner now, but I eat six times a day. I'm totallly not starving. I throw that rule out in the weekends though. I just stick to it Monday thru Friday.

Nothing wrong with mashed potatoes. Potatoes get a bad wrap. If you are not loading them with butter and milk they are fine. Sweet potatoes are even better.

http://www.shapefit.com/eat-carbs-get-lean.ht ml

http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/03/03/want-to-lo se-weight-eat-carbs/

Original Post by umneydurak:

littleshellys thanks for the link. Not sure how I missed your post before. This was the first time I have seen someone actually give reasons for not eating 3 hours before going to sleep.

I found couple more good websites. First contains a post which links to bunch of studies about eating, and second talks about hGH.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/ id/755705.html

http://www.fitnessforoneandall.com/nutrition/ article/hormones/part_one.htm

UD

umneydurak, you're welcome. I am a believer in not eating too close to bedtime. I think you need time to burn some of it off before lying down. Works for me anyway.

I have lost about 40 lbs with Weight Watchers and Calorie Counting. I had done the low carb thing for a long time  in the past and it just did not work for me well. I was grumpy all the time and my thyroid medicine did not work right until I began to eat carbs again...and every time I "cheated" and ate carbs (and I always would cheat some how) I would have to start all over again to get back on the diet...

Now I eat carbs. With that being said there carbs and better carbs. I have some rules for eating carbs that help me:

1. Only eat carbs with protein and fiber. PERIOD. It is really hard to over eat healthy carbs with protein and fiber because you get full. Also it takes longer to digest them...which means you stay full longer.

2. I eat Complex and Simple carbs in a 90/10 ratio. 90 percent of my carbs in my diet are whole, complex, low GI carbs and 10 percent or less are simple or processed. This is really simple for me. I never eat more than two meals a week with simple carbs. The meals I usually chose are my Friday or Saturday night splurg meals, usually the rice with my sushi meal or the potato with my steak meal...

3. Less simple, processed carbs means less cravings. Less means less. Every time I put a potato chip in my mouth or other simple carb with bad fat I am probably going to crave more. When I refrain I just don't have the cravings...

4. Don't completely deny yourself...it will make you feel deprived and you will want to cheat later. Eat a small portion of what you want, then have some other things to eat that will fill you up and help you lose the craving for more.

5. Whole grains are amazing...eat them when ever you can. Add them to your diet a little at a time and you will lose your cravings for processed foods. I do not even like regular pasta now...I only eat whole grain types. I still like bread, but if I can find one that has more whole grains I am very happy.

6. I never have more than one highly processed or simple carb at a meal at a time. If I have potatoes, I don't have bread. If I have white rice, I don't have dessert. This has helped me lose 40 lbs in 6 months with very little effort other than walking and saying NO thanks to extras...it was pretty easy.

7. I love carbs at night...they help me sleep. I just follow the above rules and I still lose. Also my goal is to stay in a 500-800 calorie deficit for the day...if I am within that range I eat those carbs at night and enjoy every minute of it and wake up and I am JUST fine...eating at night is not bad as long as you haven't over eaten during the day...Your body does not add tons of fat at night or any other time...fat accumilates over time...not over night...you might be bloated a bit, but that is not fat and that does not stick around longer than a day. Eat at night when you can afford the calories...not otherwise.