Spreading carbs throughout the day?

[quotidianlight]

I eat very late dinners and have to go to bed right after because of my crazy work schedule. Should I still spread my carbs throughout my meals even if I have to sleep on some carbs? Is there any benefit to concentrating my carbs in the early part of the evening and have a super low or no carb dinner? For perspective, I won't get to eat dinner until after 9 and go to bed right after.

[timetoride5150]

Re: Spreading carbs throughout the day?

Thats actually what I do.
My family is time retarded and were late at everything and anything. So we tend to have dinner around 9 every night. So what I do is have all my carbs during the day except about 5. Then I eat about 5 carbs worth of veggies and then have chicken or steak with it. That way I don't go to bed on a carb filled belly. At all my other meals (I have a total of four meals a day) I have roughly 20 carbs. I don't even know if having my lowest carb meal at dinner does anything but I sure feel a lot better. I'll wake up still bloated if i sleep on a full stomach.
Just my opinion.

[quotidianlight]

Re: Spreading carbs throughout the day?

I wonder if it helps at all. I hate to wake up feeling bloated. BTW: great skinny jeans

[sallyseachange]

Re: Spreading carbs throughout the day?

When you eat your meals won't affect your weight loss as long as you stick to the "eat something every six hours" rule (except during sleep of course). I always eat after 8.30... sometimes I've even had dinner at 11 pm! It's fine.
It is always best to spread your carbs throughout the day though, in order to avoid blood sugar spikes and cravings.

[Chicklady]

Re: Spreading carbs throughout the day?

I was reading somewhere (sorry, didn't bookmark it) that if you eat before bed, it's easier for your digestion of you sleep on your stomach. Beats me, but give it a shot

[sadie147]

Re: Spreading carbs throughout the day?

I'm like Sally, I eat at all times if i'm hungry. I've never really bought the whole 'don't eat after 7' rule either..how does my body know it's after 7? it doesn't...I think your body still digests at all hours sleeping or not..so not really sure it would make a difference as long as your spreading the carbs throughout the day. Though i wouldn't eat most of my days carbs at nigh..i'd still eat some if i had to

I have nothing scientific to back that up..just my personal thought on it.

[quotidianlight]

Re: Spreading carbs throughout the day?

Thanks sally and chick. So you don't think there is anything to this, "don't eat after 7pm" nonsense? I know if I don't sleep long enough I will retain weight. I'm not sure if it's because food is left undigested or what but even going back to bed a couple hours will reduce my weight. But if I stay up the added weight will last DAYS. I wonder if it's somehow related. I'll have to test it out and see how it feels.

BTW: I like the new avatar Chicklady. It's nice to out a face to the name.

[quotidianlight]

Re: Spreading carbs throughout the day?

I'm like Sally, I eat at all times if i'm hungry. I've never really bought the whole 'don't eat after 7' rule either..how does my body know it's after 7? it doesn't...I think your body still digests at all hours sleeping or not..so not really sure it would make a difference as long as your spreading the carbs throughout the day. Though i wouldn't eat most of my days carbs at nigh..i'd still eat some if i had to

I have nothing scientific to back that up..just my personal thought on it.

Yeah, I know digestion slows at night but it doesn't stop. Natural hygiene says we repair at night so eat most food around lunchtime so your body can spend it's energy building instead of digestion. I also know a lot of other traditions have similar rules (Buddhist monks etc). I do feel better if I can wake up empty but I'm not sure if that is just food or the carbs that make me feel heavy.

[Sherri]

Re: Spreading carbs throughout the day?

www.yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/am-eating-dinner-too-late.html

Hello Quo,
I thought you would be interested in this site I found. The reason I don't eat after dinner, which I eat at 5 p.m., is because I couldn't control my snacking at night. That's why I don't eat after 5 p.m. I don't believe it has any negative effect on our weightloss if we eat dinner late. It's what you eat and how often in between meals or snacks that makes a difference.
Sherri

[brandywine1241]

Re: Spreading carbs throughout the day?

I agree with Sherri. I think the "don't eat after 7PM" rule is designed to curb uncontrolled snacking - especially on a low fat diet - and has nothing to do with biology.

[sallyseachange]

Re: Spreading carbs throughout the day?

Weight loss should be unaffected, but your quality of sleep might be affected by near to bedtime eating... which I suppose could affect losses marginally if it's true, as many say, that lack of sleep slows losses.
Just thinking aloud here... I imagine it would be a pretty marginal difference.