Many myths have been formulated around weight loss. One of them is about eating carbs after 6pm. Some folks try to explain that it is not right for anyone looking to stay healthy and fit to eat carbs in the evening. This implies that once it is 6 pm, you have to avoid carbohydrate-rich foods. In this article, we try to find out whether these claims hold any truth to help you make the most informed decision.
According to some weight loss and health experts, there is no right time to eat and avoid carbohydrates. However, there are excellent ways in which individuals can consume carbs and still achieve their weight-loss goals in the most effective way.
Read on to discover some of these things…
Carbs Might Have a Lot of Meanings
It is important to know that pasta and bread are not the only foods that contain lots of carbs. Carbohydrates are available in almost all foods that you eat, from vegetables, fruits, beans, to whole grains, and seeds. I believe you have started to realize that stopping to eat carbs at night is almost impossible.
If you didn’t know, there are good carbs and bad carbs. For instance, the bad ones are those that are made through refining. They are mostly referred to as refined carbohydrates. These are usually found in pasta and bread. They are digested so fast, which means that within no time, their sugar content will be in your bloodstream. These are the types of carbohydrates you should be trying to avoid by all means.
Complex carbohydrates
We also have what is best referred to as complex carbohydrates. These are mainly found in whole-grain bread, whole-grain pasta, and some vegetables and fruits. They come packed with lots of fibre. Fibre is known as a component that bulks up the food you eat, leading to a slow digestion process. Therefore, if you eat the complex carbs, you feel full for longer durations compared to when you ingest simple carbs.
If you are planning to start consuming less food, you should consider eating more complex carbohydrates. The fact that they make you feel full for long means that you will eat less; hence making you shed some weight.
About Eating Carbs at Night
The problem is that most people do not understand how carbs work, or rather the different types of carbs. Therefore, they believe the false notion that it might be wrong to eat carbs after 8pm. But let us explain to you why there might be nothing wrong about eating carbs in the evening.
Individuals have always been made to believe that when they eat carbohydrates when it is almost bedtime, they will not have enough time to burn them off. Therefore, they think that while you sleep, the carbs will be converted into fat. However, according to health experts and professional weight-loss experts, this is a myth.
It is worth knowing that carbs are converted into glucose so that your body will use it for energy. Some will be stored in your muscles and liver in the form of glycogen. However, the excess sugar that your body does not need, or might not be able to convert into glycogen is normally converted into fat. Note that the keyword is, in case. You have excess fat only when you take in more than your body needs.
Up to this stage, you are supposed to have realised that this problem is related to the mistakes you, as an individual, make while ingesting carbohydrates. If you take in too much food, that contains carbs or calories, know that you will have lots of fat in your body. It does not have anything to do with the time you eat.
You Might Need Some Carbs in the Evening
If you are the type that loves to exercise after work, you must supply your body with the right amounts of energy. Just like gas is fuel for a car, carbohydrates are a great source of energy for your body. That said, for healthy living, it is okay to have a well-balanced snack in the afternoon that is mixed with complex carbohydrates, fat, and some proteins. This will ensure that you have enough levels of energy in your body before and after the workout.
It Boils Down To What You Eat And Not When You Eat
Here is the deal, you should give up refined carbohydrates, and consume the complex carbohydrates. They will keep you fuller for longer and you will surely lose some unwanted weight. You should avoid those high-calorie low-nutrient carbs during the day, but it is better if you just giving them up for good. By cutting the simple carbs, you will have the ability to go for the foods that contain actual nutrients and fibre to keep you full for the better part of the day. If you do this and make it a routine, you will not struggle losing weight. All this will help you achieve what is known as a calorie deficit, which is very important if your goal is to lose weight. Try to find foods that are whole and do not contain refined carbs that will release sugar into your bloodstream.
The Final Thought
You might not achieve your goal if you are avoiding carbs after 6pm, but not checking your proportions and you are still consuming more than what you need. If you do not take satisfying lunches and breakfasts, you will be tempted to consume large amounts of food during dinner, but that is not good for you. By doing this, you will not even be able to lose weight by giving up refined carbs. Even as you go to sleep, you need some carbs at night, but make sure that you take the right amounts of complex carbs. You should take care of your body to avoid weight-related diseases.
