[shalyn]

I always assumed it was best to eat high carb foods in the morning, that way your body has time to work them off a little. Now, I'm reading that you shouldn't eat them in the morning because your body will crave them more thru the day. can anyone steer me in the right direction?

[intellectlove]

I typically eat protein and fat in the morning, and save my carbs for mid day. This kind of works with my work out routine which I don't do until the evening. I'm not sure about why you wouldn't be able to eat carbs in the morning!

[kaplods]

I've been experimenting, and haven't really found an answer yet.

I used to save carby foods until right before bed so that I would fall asleep before the carb-induced cravings would hit.

That worked great, for a while, but then I started overindulging in late snacks (and I'd wake up ravenous).

I can't do a high-carb breakfast, or I'm hungry and carb-craving all day - with the exception of oatmeal. I don't know what it is about oatmeal, but even instant oatmeal (assuming it's not really high in sugar, so there's only a few varieties that qualify) keeps me full and satisfied almost as long as a low-carb breakfast.

Incorporating the carbs into higher protein meals, seems to help (making sure the grams of protein in the meal are higher than the grams of carbohydrates).

I also really need to avoid the high carb foods that are high glycemic. To be honest, it's my biggest obstacle. If I don't carefully balance my meals, I get so hungry that it's way too easy to overeat, and even end up on a binge.

Even though I physically feel ill on high-carb eating, if I eat something like candy or chips, I'll just have terrible urges to eat more and more. I've learned that there is no appropriate amount or time for either. I still do indulge once in a while, but I usually regret it, especially since I usually do so during PMS/TOM when I have the least control.

For me, carbs have to come with a TON of fiber and need to be eaten with protein or they tend to trigger cravings and hunger. Even fruit on an empty stomach can trigger intense hunger and cravings.

I always feel like I'm walking a tightrope where carbs are concerned. I don't believe in extremely low-carb diets, but I'm so freaking hungry on even moderate carb diets. I'm really considering going "lower" than I've ever considered healthy, perhaps eliminating the two carb/bread/starch exchanges of my lower carb exchange plan (I don't want to cut back on fruit or non-starchy vegetables).

[Puncezilla]

Originally Posted by shalyn

I always assumed it was best to eat high carb foods in the morning, that way your body has time to work them off a little. Now, I'm reading that you shouldn't eat them in the morning because your body will crave them more thru the day. can anyone steer me in the right direction?

I don't really think there is a right answer to this. I know if I eat them in the morning I crave them all day, and I think if I eat them in the evening I wont burn them off. So I think it depends on your reaction to them personally. I do think its best to eat them in small amounts in combination with proteins and fat to keep craving to a minimum no matter what time of day you eat them.

[fitmom]

I don't eat carbs after lunch. Dinner carbs would go right to my belly, lol. I figure that earlier in the day is when I do the most moving around and exercising. The last thing I want to do is eat a heavily-laden carb meal and go to bed a few hours later. That's what I do. But everyone's different.

[Arkansas Kel]

I had success in the past eating carbs only before exercise and only on exercise days. So if I was going to go walking at 6PM I'd have some carbs at 5P with supper. It helped my hypo response to exercise. I don't have hypoglycemic episodes on low carb until I start to exercise.

Right now I'm not exercising, but when I start I'll up my carbs a little and eat them around an hour before exercise.

[shalyn]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

[2sw33t]

One reason to eat your carbs later in the day is that your insulin response tends to be better later in the day - i.e. if you have any insulin resistance, eating carbs in the morning is likely to raise your blood glucose level higher than the same meal would later on.