Are you carb loading at night?

Have you heard about diets that enforce a carb curfew, so you can’t eat bread, rice, pasta or potatoes after 6pm? At first I was sceptical, as I was taught that it’s only your total kilojoule intake that matters and not when you eat. However, after seeing some positive results in my clients, I believe there may some distinct benefits if your goal is to lose body fat.

It’s important to recognise that your need for carbohydrates changes over the course of the day. That’s because of the changes in your metabolic rate, which builds up throughout the morning and then drops off in the afternoon. It then plummets during the evening before you fall asleep. Why then do we eat our biggest meal at night when we are least likely to burn if off? Even if the meal is healthy, people often load up on large portions of carbohydrates such as pasta, rice and bread. These aren’t the worst types of foods, but they are manufactured, processed foods that are dense in kilojoules. They can be up to ten times denser in kilojoules compared to an equivalent serving of water rich vegetables such as broccoli, capsicum or mushrooms.

By cutting back on starchy carbohydrates at night, you may find it easier to eat more vegetables, and reduce your evening meal portion size – two crucial strategies for weight control. Soups, salads and stir-fry are ideal meals, especially when combined with low fat protein food such as lean meat, seafood or nuts. If you struggle without some source of starchy carbohydrates, go for the less processed options (brown rice, wholemeal or high fibre pasta), and keep your portions very small (smaller than you would normally serve yourself).

Is dinner your biggest meal of the day? Do you think cutting back on carbs at night can accelerate weight loss? Have you ever tried a carb curfew?