How Important is Carb Timing for Fat Loss?
Some years ago, I read about a relatively new concept (to me at the time, at least) for more successful fat loss, and that concept was the concept of carbohydrate timing. The premise on carb timing is that we need more energy when we wake up in the morning, and less when we go to bed; therefore we should consume carbohydrate-heavy foods closer to morning-time, and by the evening we shouldn’t be eating anymore carbs.
That makes sense, right? I thought that it did. It made sense to me to eat more “energy” foods during the daytime, and to be off of them by nighttime to reduce the likelihood of them turning into fat overnight.
And while I still feel this makes sense, these days I don’t think much about carb timing. Why? Because of my personal experience.
My Experience with Reversed Carb Timing
When I participated in the 2015 Bodybuilding.com transformation challenge this year, I successfully got fat off of my abs and was leaner in my than I had ever been, and guess what? Not only did I not adhere to the “carbs before afternoon only” rule; I actually did the total opposite.
For breakfast, lunch, and the snacks eaten around that time, I focused on eating vegetables (“watery” vegetables) and protein, and for dinner I allowed myself to eat carb-dense foods, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and brown rice. My body fat level was 6-7%, the lowest it’s ever been.
Am I saying that the carb timing concept is a joke, and that you’re wasting your time if you practice it. No, not at all! I know that many have practiced carb timing and achieved success, and I’m sure there’s science on it as well. I only intend to suggest that carb timing, while likely beneficial if practiced, will not make or break your fat loss.
Another Approach to Carb Consumption
Instead of focusing on when you consume more carb-heavy foods, focusing on how many carb-heavy foods you consume may produce more results. The bottom line is, if you’re carrying too much fat, you have less need for foods with a lot of carbs since you already have extra energy that you need to burn off. If you eat too many carbs, you not only prevent your body from going to its own energy stores, but you also continue to add to those stores.
I believe that one of the reasons that carb timing tends to work is because it makes people reduce the amount of carbs that they normally eat.
Note: I do not suggest that anyone eliminate all carbs from their diets. Higher carbohydrate foods like potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, corn and grains have good health benefits, so they should still be a part of your diet. You just have to be smarter about how you eat them.
I’ll close by also saying that counting carbs (or calories) can definitely help you on your fat loss journey, but if you’re like me, you’d rather not have to count stuff every day. I’ve found that a better alternative to counting carbs and calories is to simply focus on eating lots and lots of vegetables and fruits. It will definitely help you purge extra weight without ever having to count anything, and it’s great for your overall health since you’ll be ingesting plenty of nutrients.
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