Weight loss and eating carbs at night?

I have been going to the gym 6 days a week.  I am an attorney so I work until about 5 and then go straight to the gym.  I started this about a month and a half ago.  When I started I had 25% body fat and weighed 130.  Now I am 131 and have 28% body fat!  I do 40 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weights when I go.  The trainer said that because I am not getting home until 7:30 that I am eating way too late and the carbs are not burning off and turning straight into fat.

Does this make sense?  I am 5'3 30 years old, and weigh 131.  I work out, like I said 6 days a week and do weights. Should I really only eat salads as my dinner meal at night?

Standontop... thank you.  I ONLY eat wild rice.  I really don't like white rice at all.  My boyfriend calls me a health nut.  I make all the healthy choices that I can.  For example today  I had

Breakfast (My nemisis) 1 Luna bar 180 cal

Lunch  Egg white omlette with spinich feta cheese, mushroom and tomato. 1 english muffin dry

Snack 1 luna bar

I found that I need a snack in the afternoon about an hour before the gym or I lose energy. 

For dinner I am planning a big salad, with cheese and vegies, chicken breast (5 oz) and a snack after that, but I don't know what yet, because my calories will only be at like 1100 and I need about 1400... Maybe some... nuts or something. 

I eat pretty well.  I always have.  In fact I have been eating healthy for so long, I prefer it to eating fast food.  Fast food typically makes me ill. 

Original Post by dove2424:

Thank you all.. This is the most response I have ever gotten from a question here, and I have been on calorie count for the last 6 years.  (wow.. I can't believe it has been that long, it sure was easier to lose weight when I was 24!)

I spoke to a nurse who also has a degree in nutrition.  She kinda said the oppisite of some of you, but I am gonna share anyway.  She said that as we get older, carbs at night are the enemy.  Complex carbs that is.  The reason is, Complex carbs turn to sugar to be burned off, but then you go to bed so instead of it all getting burned, a small amount gets burned, (you burn calories sleeping) and the rest goes from CC to sugar to fat.  That is why I have noticed an increase of fat around my midsection.

Her advice is NOT for me to cut out carbs, because I do work out so much I DO need them.  Her advice was to cut them down at night.  (good by fat free frozen yogurt.. I will miss you!)  She said that I need to eat the majority (2/3) of my carbs BEFORE I go to the gym.  She also said that people eat WAY more carbs than they think they do.  She says, at night I need to eat no more bread.  I need to stick with protein (for my muscles) and Simple carbs like veggies.  This way the small amount of carbs that I am eating (in the veggies) are being used (when I sleep) and there is not a bundle that is not being utilized. 

Most importantly, she said that EVERY BODY IS DIFFRENT.  Your body may utilize complex carbs diffrent than mine.  But lucky me, I log what I eat every day and she took a look at my account.  The only reason that she can see that I was gaining fat (as much as I work out) is the bread that I eat at night.  She told me to try this and check back in a month and a half.  She is confient that this is the ticket, but if I am still not losing weight, I may have to go see my doctor.  I have a deficit calorie wise, and if this isn't it, I may have a thyroid problem (I don't think that is likely since I get a blood test every year and that came back fine.) 

Thank you to everyone that posted.  I'll let you know if this works, eating most carbs during the day and fewer at night.  Be advised this is not a low carb diet.  This is me shuffling around my complex carbs to something that is better for my body. 

 I can't tell who's more confused, you, the trainer, or the nurse with the so-called "nutrition degree"...Not sure where to start with this one. I am a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with a masters degree in nutrition...so I will try to quickly clear some of this up.

First, the terms "simple carbs" and "complex carbs" are not used in the "real" nutrition world (ie: by Registered Licensed Dietitians) because they are terms that have been historically misused and are therefore confusing to the lay-person. The term "simple carbohydrate" by definition is a "Monosaccharide" a simple sugar; a carbohydrate that cannot be broken down to simpler substances by hydrolysis, e.g. glucose, fructose and galactose. A "Complex carbohydrate" is a "Polysaccharide" consisting of a chain of glucose molecules, ie: starch. Whether somthing is a simple or a complex carb says nothing of the actual health value of the carbohydrate, nor does it delegate how quickly it enters the blood stream (ie: glycemic index)...so, by definaition, white flour contains complex carbs just the same as a whole grain but they are obviously not nutritionally equal and an orange "contains" simple carbs just as coke/pepsi does, but they are in no way nutritionally equal. Vegetables would certainly NOT be considered "simple carbs" (as you said in your post above)...but they can contain some "single molecule" sugars (ie: simple carbs). Again, those two terms should (and have been) be thrown out of our nutrition vocabulary.

Consider replacing those terms with "whole, unprocessed carbs" and "processed, low fiber carbs".. and stick with mostly "whole, unprocessed".

Now, as far as the "carbs turning to fat" at night issue, well, using that logic, then ALL calories you consume at night would turn to fat, because you are not burning much energy at night. So why would the calories from fat or protein be utililized any differently than the calories from the carbs?

Bottom line...balance your calories out throughout the day. Get a good balance of calories from whole, minimally processed sources of fat, pro, and carbs. Choose high fiber carbs over low fiber carbs and if you haven't reached your calorie limit for the day by the time you get home from the gym at night, then EAT SOME HEALTHY FOOD. It does not significantly matter to your "belly fat" whether the calories at that specific time of the day are coming from pro, carbs, or fat.

I'm going to put my two cents in real quick:

I always tend to gain weight when I eat lots of carbs at night.  What I have started to do that seems to be really successful is eat my carbs for lunch and then have a nice salad with protein for dinner.  The carbs should get you through your evening workout and a nice big salad should satiate your hunger.  Good luck!

I always forget how many people are here that are just plain mean.  I aplogize for getting my terms all screwed up.  I am obviously NOT a nutritionist.  I was sharing the information that I got.  Why?  Because I thought it might be nice to get some information out there.  Why is nutrition so messed up.  I could find articles about the evils of carbs and find JUST as many that sing carbs praises.  Where do we get REAL education?  How do we REALLY know what to do?  I went to a friend, nurse and dietition.  This is an ON-LINE forum.  People LIE online.  I don't know what your qualifications are.  I only know what you tell me, but I can go into my friends office and SEE her degrees hanging on her wall.  I can talk to her, and rather than make me feel like a ****, she is patient, kind, and explains to me what I wanted to know. 

I am NOT going to be firing my trainer.  I DO know that what I have been doing is NOT working.  I DO know that my clothes are not fitting the way that they were.  I haven't gained a lot of weight.  (1 pound.)  I DO know that I can see (this could be in my head) mor fat on my body.  I DO know that I have been eating 1400 to 1500 calories on days that I work out (6 days a week.)  I DO know that I haven't lost an ounce of weight.  The only thing I DON'T know is why.  I am going to try what she says and eat the bulk of the carbs that I do eat in the day time, and minimize them at night.  I am NOT cutting them out.  I am 30 and I work out 6 days a week.  I know that I need carbs.  I just don't think that I need to eat bread at night.  I am going to give this a shot and see how it works.  If it does work, GREAT.  If not, I will try something else.  I am consuming the SAME amount of calories.  I am consuming the SAME amount of carbs, just changing the times that I DO consume them.  I REALLY don't see the harm in that. 

There are so many different opinions on this subject.   Dietitians and serial dieters believe one thing, fitness professionals and body builders tend to believe another.   When body builders are training for a competition, they tend to avoid carbs at night for cutting fat.   Here is the reason:

"Some people dont simply suggest eating fewer calories at night, they suggest you take your calorie cut specifically from CARBS rather than from all macronutrients evenly across the board. Is there anything to it?

Well, there’s more than one theory. The most commonly quoted theory has to do with insulin.

The late bodybuilding guru Dan Duchaine was once asked by a competitor,

“I want to get cut up for an upcoming contest. Should I eat at night? I heard I shouldn’t eat carbs after six pm.”

Duchaine answered:

“It’s true that insulin sensitivity is lowest at night. Let’s discuss what is happening in your body that makes it dislike carbs at night. Cortisol, a catabolic hormone, is highest at night. When cortisol is elevated, your muscle cell insulin sensitivity is lowered…”

More recently, David Barr wrote a tip on “lower carbs at night” for T-Nation. He said:

“Even when bulking, you don’t want to start scarfing down Pop Tarts before you go to bed. Our muscle insulin sensitivity decreases as the day wears on, meaning that we’re more likely to generate a large insulin response from ingesting carbs. Stated differently, we’re more predisposed to adding fat mass by eating carbs at night because our body doesn’t handle the hormone insulin as well as it does earlier in the day.”

Mind you, Barr is a not a “voodoo” guy; he is a respected scientist who also happens to be well known as a “dogma destroyer” and “myth buster”… and Duchaine, although he had a shady past and some run-ins with the law, was nevertheless highly respected by nearly all in the bodybuilding world for his ahead-of-his-time nutrition wisdom.

As a result of advice like this, word got out in the bodybuilding and fitness community that you should eat fewer carbs at night. Real world results and the “test of time” have suggested that this is an effective strategy. I also don’t know a single nutrition or training expert who doesn’t agree that insulin management and improvement of insulin sensitivity aren’t effective approaches in the management of body fat."

That is the reason your trainer is giving you the advice of cutting carbs at night.   Those people who are not body builders or fitness professionals probably have never heard or read about Insulin sensitivity decreasing at night and therefore are assuming that your trainer is giving you bogus advice.   Stick with what your trainer is telling you to do.

Thank you downdeep.  I appreciate the clarification.  Like I said, I am not cutting carbs, just eating the carbs during the day, and minimizing the ones that I eat at night.  I did this yesterday and it seemed to come out the same calorie wise.  I know the importance of eating right, eating well and eating enough.  I don't think that my trainer is stupid or any of the other names she was called here.  Like I said, there is no harm in trying this to see if it works.  I know what hasn't worked.  What I have been doing.  Even though there has been a deficit, I have gained body fat and while my weight has fluctuated, it has not gone down.  With a 500-600 calorie deficit each day, this bafles me.  I don't see the harm in shuffeling my carbs around.  Thank you.

dove, you asked if what your trainer said made sense. A bunch of people replied and said, in varying ways, no. I'm really sorry I was flip in my first post (and I already apologized for that), but I'm not sure it warrants getting this upset.

Gddrdld said that she didn't know if you were confused or if the nurse was, but wanted to straighten out some terms - she wasn't saying that you were wrong, or that your friend was wrong, just that there seemed to be some misunderstandings and misuse of words.

Look, maybe it'll turn out that if you stop having carbs at night, you'll lose a little weight. In my opinion, it won't be because "carbs at night are bad" but that, if anything, maybe they, I don't know, make you retain a little extra water, and you see that on the scale the next morning. But in terms of fat loss, I don't believe that when you eat them will have a significant effect.

Nobody's saying that you have to eat carbs at night - your first post seemed to be quite unhappy with the prospect of eating only salad for dinner. So at least for my part, I was trying to tell you that what the trainer had said didn't make sense (which was your original question), and that you didn't have to stick with salad at night if you didn't want to.

But heck, if you are happy to try it, you certainly don't need our permission. It's not unhealthy, or anything.

Original Post by dove2424:

I always forget how many people are here that are just plain mean.  I aplogize for getting my terms all screwed up.  I am obviously NOT a nutritionist.  I was sharing the information that I got.  Why?  Because I thought it might be nice to get some information out there.  Why is nutrition so messed up.  I could find articles about the evils of carbs and find JUST as many that sing carbs praises.  Where do we get REAL education?  How do we REALLY know what to do?  I went to a friend, nurse and dietition.  This is an ON-LINE forum.  People LIE online.  I don't know what your qualifications are.  I only know what you tell me, but I can go into my friends office and SEE her degrees hanging on her wall.  I can talk to her, and rather than make me feel like a ****, she is patient, kind, and explains to me what I wanted to know. 

I am NOT going to be firing my trainer.  I DO know that what I have been doing is NOT working.  I DO know that my clothes are not fitting the way that they were.  I haven't gained a lot of weight.  (1 pound.)  I DO know that I can see (this could be in my head) mor fat on my body.  I DO know that I have been eating 1400 to 1500 calories on days that I work out (6 days a week.)  I DO know that I haven't lost an ounce of weight.  The only thing I DON'T know is why.  I am going to try what she says and eat the bulk of the carbs that I do eat in the day time, and minimize them at night.  I am NOT cutting them out.  I am 30 and I work out 6 days a week.  I know that I need carbs.  I just don't think that I need to eat bread at night.  I am going to give this a shot and see how it works.  If it does work, GREAT.  If not, I will try something else.  I am consuming the SAME amount of calories.  I am consuming the SAME amount of carbs, just changing the times that I DO consume them.  I REALLY don't see the harm in that. 

 Wow. I continue to be amazed at how people come on here asking for advise and then when they actually get advise from a licensed professional, they are defensive and incredulous...Again, I ask myself, why do I waste my time? And, my dear, why, pray tell, would I want to lie about being a dietitian? Believe me, it's no fantasy job... In the age of google everybody's a quasi "expert". I also didn't tell you not to eat or to eat carbs at night. I was just trying to help you understand some terminology. I, myself, avoid alot of carbs at night. Not because they "turn to fat at night" any more than any other macronutrient, but because they stimulate my appetite and make it difficult for me to stay within my calorie goal overall.

BTW, thanks for gettin my back amethyst!

Original Post by gddrdld:

I, myself, avoid alot of carbs at night. Not because they "turn to fat at night" any more than any other macronutrient, but because they stimulate my appetite and make it difficult for me to stay within my calorie goal overall.

I think this is the key point.  I don't avoid carbs at night because I don't have this issue, and I lose weight/fat just fine (as long as a I get enough sleep; sleep deprivation kills any weight loss for me).  But I know that a lot of people tend to "munch" on carbs in the evening - and it's a lot easier to overeat carb-based foods than protein- or fat-based foods.

I still think the biggest thing to check is total caloric intake.  That's by far the most common cause when people who need to lose weight can't (as opposed to slim people trying to lose a vanity pound or two that would make them underweight; that's often physiological).  And it's very hard to judge unless you weigh portions scrupulously.  I suspect it's the real reason why many times you have people with the same stats who claim they maintain on very different amounts of food; in fact, they're maintaining on the same number of calories but counting them differently.

Ok firstly, I think people need to clarify the difference between subtypes of carbs. Carbs covers a HUGE variety of foods. Vegetables are carbs, you shoulöd always eat these.

The food doctro (Ian Marber) has a fantastic series of nutritional books helping people to change their eating habits for more healthy habits for life. He explains why we should not eat STARCHY CARBS in the evening (before 7pm) because we do not use as much energy while we sleep as we do while we are awake. Starch carbs are potatoes bread rice etc.

This is a researched finding, I recommend reading his books for more info. I have lost 44lbs of weight thanks to educating myself about nutrition and repeatedly see this no matter where I read.

This isnt a short term fix, you cant just cut starchy carbs out of your evenings for a week. It is a lifestyle change. Unfortunately doesn't fit in very well with the typical British evening meal, but I have adapted finding yummy replacements that fill the same roll. Replacing home made potato wedges with roast vegetables and mashed potato with pea mash or mashed squash.

Hi Dove,

I can totally relate to your situation and agree with you in regards to carb restriction after a certain hour.  My body has some processing issues with starchy carbs and the end result after eating them almost always causes in increase in lbs.  Therefore I watch everything pretty close and try to stick with the lower glycemic carbs.  I have to limit breads and pastas and when I do indulge they're generally whole grains. .. . . . and early in the day. 

I've consulted with others (Nutritionists-Docs-Dieticians-Trainers)and have gotten conflicting information.  Through trial and error I found what works for me.  And what works for one, doesn't always work for the other.  And yes, if there is a thyroid hormone imbalance it will definately affect your metabolism and the way your body processes carbs.  I had my thyroid ablated and totally depend on medications- if medications aren't optimized it puts a huge damper on weight loss. 

Good Luck!

I hope you're still reading replies and haven't totally been put off :)

After reading all of the responses I just wanted to comment that I am new to this but after reading the basic point of CC - maintain a deficit and you WILL lose weight - I saw the logic and have dumped over 20 pounds in 6 weeks without paying any attention to nutrition at all.  I have pasta at night.  I have potato chips.  I eat chocolate.  However, since my biggest concern was that big hard belly i was carrying around I was happy with being able to eat what I want as long as I'm staying below my burn level by 5 to 800 calories daily.  AND I've had some very fun weekends with 3000 calorie goofs.  I just do not see how you could gain weight depending on the time of day you consume calories - where do the calories you burn daily come from then?  It's not magic.  As long as you're not underestimating your calorie totals, the math will do its work.

My reaction to your story was to think you should maybe do what I'm doing - I'm waiting on the fitness/muscle gain more or less until I'm 100% happy with my body fat.  I do run once every 5 or 7 days but nothing like what you're doing, some ab stuff twice or three times a week at work, some pushups, but that's it.  As far as my own weight fluctuations go I tend to have the odd gain due to water (or a weekend) but the net trend is always down.

Hope I've made sense, and good luck.

I don't think this is a big deal.  I eat starchy carbs., bread, rice, pasta.. I love it all. I LOVE vegies, and eat them with every meal, I just won't be eating the starchy (or sugary) carbs at night.  By night I mean after 7.  I am maintaining my calorie amount at 1400, and my burn rate is still about 2100.  I don't know why I stopped losing weight and started gaining weight, but I did.  This is just something I am going to try so that I can see if it works. 

I was put off.  I didn't like being called "dear".  I had typed a whole response yesterday and then after submitting it, deleted the whole thing.  I was angry that I was being belittled, but I have to realize that everyone is going to have different opinions on this since the literature out there is very conflicting when it comes to diet and nutirition. 

Today's blog was relevant...

http://caloriecount.about.com/scale-wont-budg e-b343088

Just to add my 2 cents, as I went over this with my nutritionist today..

I have been stuck on a plateau for the past 2 months and today to my delight I seemed to have broken it! I decided to up my calories by about 200 (from 1,200-1300) and continue cardio exercising 4 days a week. 

I asked if the time of day, such as eating most or 2/3 of your daily calories at night, dinner and before bed would affect weightloss. She told me that it isn't necessarily the 'time' of day that you eat, but rather the 'amount' in one sitting. For example, she said that if you find that you consume on average 300 calories a meal (breakfast and lunch) and then find yourself consuming 600-700 calories (dinner), this may exceed your bodies 'digestive limit', signalling your body to store this sudden excess as it is unable to process it all at once..

That being said, I have always, always found myself eating about 2/3 of my days calories at night and before bed - and since I am losing weight, I guess 'medical facts' aren't always that useful. I think your best bet is to try switching up your meal plans and see what works best for you.

:)

Original Post by myoelastic:

The food doctro (Ian Marber) has a fantastic series of nutritional books helping people to change their eating habits for more healthy habits for life. He explains why we should not eat STARCHY CARBS in the evening (before 7pm) because we do not use as much energy while we sleep as we do while we are awake. Starch carbs are potatoes bread rice etc.

This is a researched finding, I recommend reading his books for more info. I have lost 44lbs of weight thanks to educating myself about nutrition and repeatedly see this no matter where I read.

I question the research findings of anyone who claims to be a doctor when they're actually not.  If you check his background, he has some unspecified training at an "Institute" (read: college not university, so he has a diploma not a degree - if he even has a diploma) and is currently a Masters student.  No MD.  No PhD.  He may well be a good writer, and it's possible he's doing a good job of reporting other people's work, but presenting himself as someone he's not raises many concerns for me.