Do evening carbs make you fat? 7 nutritional myths are ruining your figure.

Do evening carbs make you fat? If you want to lose weight, better no carbohydrates in the evening – right?

Quiz question.

Which of the following statements are correct?

1. ” Carbohydrates in the evening make you fat.”
2. “When it comes to losing weight, WHEN you eat is more important than WHAT you eat.”
3. “Your body can absorb a maximum of 30 grams of protein per meal.”
4. “Calories don’t matter: as long as you eat clean, you lose weight.”
5. “The scales lie, so throw it away.”
6. “Only when your body weight goes down do you lose fat.”
7. “Six packs are made in the kitchen.”

Answer: none of them.

Yep, they’re all nutritional myths. If you raise an eyebrow, you are not alone.

No carbs in the evening? Seven sneaky nutritional myths that are ruining your figure

It’s like this: Many of us have a bad conscience when eating carbohydrates in the evening.

What if there was no reason at all?

Then this fallacy robs us of precious energy. Some people then lose focus and give up in frustration.

Unnecessary.

Nutritional myths are mainly based on invisible scripts ingrained in our subconscious that we rarely question.

Time to change that.

Myth #1 – “Evening carbs make you fat.”

Detlev Pape’s “Slim in Sleep” is one of the bestselling diet books. His trick: No carbohydrates in the evening – and the fat deposits melt while you sleep.

I like the thought, but the fact that the concept works is not because there is a magical mechanism in your body. A kind of mysterious program that preferentially lets carbohydrates migrate into your fat depots when the clock hand has passed the 6 p.m. mark.

Pape’s nutritional model works for two reasons:

• When you maintain an energy deficit by using more energy than you take in, you’re burning fat. Ideally, you should take this approach.
• If you keep your insulin levels low for longer, you will have an easier time shedding fat. No carbohydrates in the evening (and logically also at night) is one possible way of many. You could just as well eat low carb in the morning. The time makes difference, not the point in time!

Unfortunately, there are still people who believe this myth!

With all love for a healthy and balanced life that is worth living for – please share this and let the world out there know:

You can eat carbohydrates in the evening.

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I repeat:

Eating at night doesn’t make you fat.

Numerous studies prove this.

What makes you fat is the “too much” – no matter what – but not the time.

These kinds of nutritional dogmas are far from helpful. You are counterproductive. They take away your space. So let’s not make life more complicated than it already is.

Please understand me correctly: I have nothing against Dr. Pape’s nutritional model. It works for many people. If you feel good with “Slim in your sleep,” – go for it!

I’m talking about the invisible script. Carbs make you fat by XYZ clock, which makes many people feel guilty.

Goal: If you want to lose weight, you should not waste your energy on what time you can eat carbohydrates. It’s a good idea to focus on the amount and quality of carbohydrates you eat throughout the day.

Myth #2 – “When you lose weight, WHEN you eat is more important than WHAT you eat.”

Meal timing is ONE of many tools in your nutrition toolbox. It’s true that “when” can help you lose fat:

•       First, it’s generally good if you have a plan.
•       Second, ensuring you get enough protein with every meal will help you.
•      And thirdly, the idea is good if carbohydrates and protein are on your menu, especially after training.

So far, so good.

But how important is meal timing, really?

We’d already settled the question of how many meals a day will maximize fat loss: it doesn’t matter.

Meal timing is just one piece of the big picture.

It’s often overrated. Then some people get the wrong focus and become so focused on WHEN they eat that they overlook the crucial things:

• Are you eating enough calories a day? That means not too much and not too little.
• Are you getting enough protein, the right amount of carbohydrates, and healthy fats?
• Do you get enough micronutrients even in a calorie deficit?

Alan Aragon gives a good overview of why quantity matters far more than timing.

It would be best if you only thought about the “when” when the “what” and the “how much” are correct.

Lose 6 Months of Flab in Only 14 Days… 

“Photoshoot Preparation Diet Plan”

Forces Your Body to Burn Body Fat as Quickly as Physically Possible

Evening Carbs Myth #3 – “Your body can only absorb 30 grams of protein per meal.”

Do you know the term “Broscience”?

Here are two attempts at the definition:

1. “Broscience is the dominant line of reasoning in strength sports, where the anecdotal accounts of musclemen are given more credence than scientific evidence.” (Urban Dictionary)
2. “Broscience is a term used by the scientific and pseudo-scientific community to discredit people who, while often more experienced and achieve better results, are not as eloquently palavering trivial things online.” (Internet find, unfortunately, I can’t find the source anymore)

The 30-gram intake limit for protein would be an excellent example for Broscience.

The myth says that if you eat more than 30 grams of protein at once, your body naturally excretes any extra protein.

That’s not true, or it’s only partially true.

You have so-called amino acid transporters responsible for absorbing protein building blocks from your digestive system and bringing them to their destination.

These amino acid transporters have a limited capacity and can only transport a certain amount – about 10 grams of protein per hour.

However, your body handles valuable proteins with care: protein absorption slows down if you eat more protein with a meal. As a result, you excrete fewer unused amino acids, even if you eat larger amounts at once.

So how much protein can you use at once?

There is no general answer to this. It depends on how well your digestive system works – and you would have to have that checked in a laboratory.

So there is no clear answer to the question of the optimal amount of protein per meal.

We can confidently say that protein foods and a protein-rich diet will not harm muscle growth or your health. 

If you’re looking to lose fat, 2.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day is a good idea.

Evening Carbs Myth #4 – “Calories don’t matter: as long as you eat clean, you’ll lose weight.”

Some nutritional programs and diets work well for most people, although they openly advertise, “You can eat as much as you want as long as you stick to these guidelines.”

Here are some examples:

• Slow-carb diet
• Atkins diet
• Paleo diet

Here’s the trick: These diets are essentially based on natural foods that are as unprocessed as possible. Sugar and highly processed foods are either absent entirely or account for only a tiny proportion.

Such programs work because they get most people to eat fewer calories (without explicitly specifying a calorie count).

So many people think calories are irrelevant.

This is a fallacy. Calories matter.

Of course, a balanced diet means more than just calories.

The QUALITY of your food is essential. When you get all the nutrients your body needs from a healthy diet, you will AUTOMATICALLY limit your calorie balance.

If you want to change your physique – e.g., less fat, more muscles – the “macronutrients” also play a role, i.e., carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

Nutrients are indeed processed differently in the body, and as such, calories are not created equal.

I like the 90/10 approach, which deliberately leaves room in your nutritional model for the things you love to eat, even if they’re not clean.

That doesn’t change the fact that you can create a calorie deficit if you want to lose fat.

Ignoring the calorie count is at your own risk.

Evening Carbs Myth #5 – “The scales lie, so ditch it.”

Underlying this food myth is a premise that’s great for driving you insane:

Anyone who equates body weight and body fat when losing weight is well advised to book a place in a mental institution.

Unfortunately, many crash diets and “detox cures” are based on this misconception and suggest kilos of “fat loss” in a few weeks. Many people initially give in to the illusion gratefully – only to become victims of the yo-yo effect a little later.

Because the number on the scale measures a lot: not only body fat but also muscles, bones, organs, blood, water, stomach contents, intestinal contents, and muscle glycogen.

Many of these values ​​can fluctuate significantly from one day to the next without you gaining or losing a gram of fat. Water balance, stomach, and intestinal contents alone can make up whole kilos.

Is that why the scales lie?

If you give it the wrong meaning, keeping track of your weight makes it easier for you to stay on track – as long as it’s not the only metric you’re tracking!

It’s a good idea to shift the focus from body weight to your physique.

I define physique as the ratio of fat to muscle mass.

To determine it, you need two values: your body weight and your body fat percentage. The best way to measure body fat is with calipers.

Here, you can find out how to do this in less than 2 minutes here.

Evening Carbs Myth #6 – “Only when your body weight goes down will you lose fat.”

In principle, the same invisible script is used here as in #5. But in my experience, this myth is so ingrained in the subconscious of many people that they cling to it against their better judgment.

So that you avoid this pitfall in the future, I will take up the point again from a different perspective.

body weight ≠ body fat

If your body weight remains constant, but you get stronger during training and build muscle, your body fat percentage is falling.

This process is called body recomposition.

There is no distinct “bulk” phase nor a challenging “def” phase. Your weight stays constant or even increases a bit (see photo) while you slowly build muscle.

Reading tip: It is interesting how nutritional mistakes arise. More on that in this article.

Body recomposition can be INCREDIBLY motivating.

To successfully reshape your body this way, you should also achieve a calorie plus from time to time.

One possibility is that on training days (especially post-workout), you’re calorie-plus and consuming more carbs; on non-training days, you’re going into deficit and eating low carbs. The Metabolic Diet follows this approach.

Another option is the so-called carb back loading, where each day begins with a fasting phase (= catabolic phase, fat loss), and you consume most of your calories and carbohydrates in the evening (= anabolic phase, muscle building).

Because body recomposition requires more planning and effort than a pure fat loss (or muscle gain) program, it may not be right for everyone. But even if you go this route, you can decide what is more important to you: muscle building or fat loss.

What you want to understand is this:

Whether man or woman, muscle building is THE key to a lean and defined body.

Muscle literally burns fat while you sleep.

So the idea is good that you aim for a strong and lean physique and avoid dramatic weight fluctuations over a year.

Evening Carbs Myth #7 – “Six-pack abs are made in the kitchen.”

This invisible script was created to emphasize two things:

1. A washboard is primarily the result of low body fat percentage.
2. Anyone who thinks that thousands of sit-ups are the price of a six-pack is on the wrong track.

Both correct.

But the script “Six- packs are made in the kitchen” overshoots the mark because it omits several critical elements:

• In most cases, looking good naked is more than just having a six-pack.
• The idea is that your entire body is toned and well developed – not just the abs.
• You will not be able to achieve this goal without muscle training. No matter how low your body fat percentage is.
• If you ONLY rely on nutrition to lose weight, you will lose not only fat but also muscle. It would be best if you let your body understand that under no circumstances can it do without its muscles.

So the correct invisible script is:

Six-packs are created in the kitchen AND the gym.

That doesn’t mean you have to lift and squat 450 pounds. But without intense strength training, you’re risking a physique aptly called “skinny-fat” — not to mention the insidious yo-yo effect.

Getting six-pack abs is through a balanced diet AND the proper strength training.

Do evening carbs make you fat? Conclusion

Some nutrition myths just don’t die. One of my coaching clients lost 5% body fat. In his photos, you can see how strong he has become, and you can see his abs.

The point is this: Nothing has changed on the scales in the past few weeks. His body weight remained constant.

Many people would have expressed frustration in his situation and maybe even thrown in the towel – because they give the scales a meaning they don’t have.

I experience again and again how deeply anchored some of these invisible scripts are. The number on the scale is one of the most prominent (and, at the same time, most insidious) examples.

It’s good to question your scripts and update them where they make sense. I hope I have succeeded in these seven nutrition myths.

Reading tip: It is interesting how nutritional mistakes arise. More on that in this article.

Detailed Carbohydrates Article Series:

Part one: “Do evening carbs make you fat?  (this article)

Part two:  The truth about carbohydrates 

Part three: Carbohydrate table: Which foods help you lose weight?

Part four: No carb instead of low carb?

Lose 6 Months of Flab in Only 14 Days… 

“Photoshoot Preparation Diet Plan”

Forces Your Body to Burn Body Fat as Quickly as Physically Possible

BEFORE YOU GO...

No carb instead of low carb Carbohydrate Table Extended Edition Lose Weight The Right Way: 7 Things your scale will never tell you! The Truth About Carbohydrates