Can You Eat Carbs After 7 PM?

If you do not know how to lose weight and have been looking for advice, you may have came across a theory that you cannot eat carbohydrates late at night. Today's post is going to look at this common myth and reveal why it is not strictly true.

Let's face it, there is an overwhelming amount of contradicting information in the fitness industry. Everywhere you turn there are people trying to out-yell each other with their latest tips. More often than not, this leads many regular people to be scared of trying to build a better body.

However, despite the big strides we have made in scientific research over the last two decades, the basic five principles of losing weight remain largely the same.

In a business with so many supplements and workout plans on the market, it is easy to see why people get lost so frequently. Everybody claims to have 'the big secret formula', of course.

Thanks to the rise of celebrity culture over the last ten years, there has been a rise in the belief that carbohydrates are your enemy if you are trying to lose body fat. This has led to many ill-fated carb cutting diets to hit the scene, creating countless yo-yo dieters in the process. This belief stems from that culture. Can your body tell when the time is when you eat a meal?

No, it can not. This belief is just a general term which has now lost it's meaning completely. It's a very loose stereotype and many people falsely believe it to be true.

Let's take a look at the actual research in this area.

In a series of tests, scientists allowed two separate groups of people to consume the same amount of carbohydrates throughout a 24 hour period. The only difference being, however, that the group of people who ate their carb intake around physical activity stored considerably less fat.

So why does this myth exist?

The 'no carbs after 7 pm' fascination was first created by gossip magazines directing readers to the latest quick fix method to lose fat. Their core audience, of course, are secretaries and office workers. The majority of that audience doesn't exercise regularly, hence looking for a quick fix solution to their fitness problems. They also tend to work 9-5 jobs.

This is how they were able to put an actual time on the moment you should stop eating carbohydrates. This stereotype of somebody working in an office all day, not exercising regularly and then being completely inactive after 7 o'clock each night simply doesn't fit everybody.

There is nothing wrong with eating carbs after a certain time of day. There is no scientific research to suggest or prove otherwise. It is up to the individual to determine when their biggest period of inactivity occurs during a day and then structure their carb intake around that accordingly.

So how do you use this to your advantage?

Figure out which point of the day tends to be your busiest period and make sure you fit your biggest intake of carbohydrates around this period. Your body will be able to use the fuel, rather than simply storing it as fat. This can also be applied to those gym members trying to figure out how to build muscle, as it is one of the main factors in muscular hypertrophy.

Ultimately, your muscles cannot see the clock and don't recognize the theme tune to your favorite soap opera. They cannot tell what time of day it is and they do not care. If you are trying to figure out how to lose weight and were feeling a little confused about this myth, you now know the scientific facts behind it and why it doesn't apply to everybody.