In the the “Carbs and Fat Loss – Timing Matters” episode of the Primal Potential podcast we are busting a major weight loss myth – the myth that you should eat carbs in the morning so you have all day to “burn them off”. I hate to break it to the folks perpetuating that myth, but that’s just not how the body works. The human body is not accounting software working on a first in, first out burn model.
This isn’t a long episode but it’s one you absolutely need to take time to hear!
If you aren’t sure what time is the right time for carbs when your goal is fat loss, please take a listen!
Other episodes you’ll need to hear along with this one are:
Carb Tolerance – understand why some people tolerate carbs better than others.
Carb Spillover – what happens when you consume too many carbs for your body.
Q&A 6 – How To Make Breakfast A Fat Burning Meal
The Myth: For optimal fat loss results, eat carbohydrates in the morning so you have the rest of the day to burn them off. Avoid eating carbs at night because you won’t burn them while you sleep. THESE ARE FAT LOSS MYTHS!
The Facts: Carbs in the morning might be a perfectly fine strategy for endurance, muscle gain or weight maintenance but it is the WRONG strategy for fat loss.
Why? There are certain unique hormonal conditions in the morning that make adding carbs a bad idea when fat loss is your goal.
For the science behind carb strategies for fat loss, make sure to listen to the full episode!
Practical Implementation:
- Avoid carbohydrates in the morning. That’s right – for optimal fat loss – no carbs for the first part of the day. This means saying no to oats, wheat, grains, processed foods, most dairy and even fruit. At least in the morning!
- Emphasize fat and protein in the morning. Great breakfast options include bulletproof coffee, eggs, bacon, fritattas, meat muffins, chia seed puddings, or if you’re in a time crunch, a low-carb protein shake
- Limit your carbohydrates to your dinner time meal or post workout.
- Watch your carb portion sizes. We always want to manage our insulin response, no matter the time of day. Try not to exceed 1/2 cup carbohydrates at any point. Some people will get best results with 1/4 cup.
- Always consume your carbohydrates with either fat or protein, never consume them on their own. This might look like adding butter to your sweet potato and always having a piece of chicken or fish with your rice.
Resources:
The Truth About Carbs & Fat Loss
Bulletproof coffee
Chia Seed Pudding (omit the fruit in the AM)
Reduce hunger and carb cravings
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Don’t we want to be insulin sensitive in the morning that way we can tolerate eating healthy carbs? I recall insulin sensitivity being a good thing in another one of your posts. This way insulin works more efficiently.
I eat grains in the morning. It may be oats, cereal or wheat bread with at least 2 grams of fiber (processed, i know : /) and I don’t feel hungry until lunch time which is 4-5 hours later.
I also limit healthy carbs (with fiber) at around 40-50 grams per meal for the most part. I feel fine and eat every 4+ hours.
The USDA recommends a minimum intake of 130 grams of carbohydrates a day for men and women otherwise your body enters ketosis. This can lead to ketoacidosis where the levels of ketones rise abnormally high level which poisons the body. It’s a dangerous and serious condition that can develop very rapidly.
In my opinion and experience, your body will burn fat naturally by following a healthy and balanced diet (carbs, protein and fat) and exercise regularly.
Insulin sensitivity is absolutely a wonderful thing – not a bad thing. We aren’t avoiding carbs in the morning because insulin sensitivty is bad, but rather to take advantage of it. I talk a lot about this in Q&A 2 – I also go into exactly why many people can eat carbs in the AM and burn fat – it is all about their higher degree of insulin sensitivity. Thanks so much for weighing in with your opinion & experience. Knowing what works for you is powerful and I’m glad you’ve found it for you!
I also don’t advocate a low carb or no carb diet, I do advocate a whole foods + smart carb approach. Quality, quantity and timing are important and as I talk about in Q&A 2, finding the approach that works best for you is a powerful, wonderful thing. Much love!
Wondering if I wanted to have for example 100 calories worth of sprouted bread or oat bran in the morning if I can still stay in fat burning mode by walking for let’s say half an hour or more after breakfast?
It’s not a binary thing – we can always go into and out of “fat burning mode”. Any time you eat, however, no matter what it is, you go into anabolic mode. You are not burning fat, you are processing what you just ate. As for if sprouted bread works for you and your fat loss goals, it really depends on if it is an improvement for you. It’s not about walking before or after.
“Watch your carb portion sizes. We always want to manage our insulin response, no matter the time of day. Try not to exceed 1/2 cup carbohydrates at any point. Some people will get best results with 1/4 cup.”
Do you mean cooked or raw carbs? And are these portions for the whole day or for the post workout and dinner meals?
Hi Nasos, Thanks for your question! It’s a great one. The carb timing refers to all carbs EXCEPT non-starchy vegetables. Non starchy veggies can and should be enjoyed liberally at any time of day as they have a negligible impact on blood sugar & therefore insulin. When FAT LOSS is the goal, I find that most people experience best results when they limit carbs (except non starchy veggies) to dinner time or post workout. That is grains, oats, wheat, fruit, starchy veggies, processed foods, etc. I recommend what I coined as the Golden Rules of carbs & fat loss which I’ve written in detail about at the link below. I do specify, however, that everyone has a diff carb tolerance and YOUR body has all the answers for you. In Q&A 2 of the podcast I talk about carb tolerance, how to assess yours and how to improve it. http://primalpotential.com/rules-carbs-and-fat-loss/
Hey,
I’m really intrigued by your methods, research and ideas here – I think it might be just what I need to get over my plateau (already lost 35lbs and have been hovering at the same weight for a few months).
However, I am concerned how only one or two 1/2c servings of starchy carbs a day adds up to the minimum requirement for the body to function properly (currently no less than 130g of carb per day without compromising the brain’s supply of glucose). You say you do not advocate a low carb diet but 1/2 cup of oats or rice, or 1 banana, is only about 30grams of carbs.. Let me know how you get enough carbs to prevent ketosis, and also how the macronutrients are distributed in relation to fat and protein. Do you consume a larger percent of calories from fat and protein to make up for the smaller amount from carbs? The AMDR states 45-65% of calories from carbohydrate is sufficient. Too much protein can cause strain on the kidneys.
Let me know your feelings on this, I’m willing to give carb timing a try so long as it still aligns with the USDA recommendations! In other words, I think holding off on carbs in the morning makes a lot of sense, but I just want to make sure everyone is meeting the minimum requirement for the rest of the day and not forced into ketosis.
– Jordan (graduate level nutrition student and future RD!)
Hi Jordan – realize that vegetables are carbohydrates, first and foremost. Processed grains, beats, wheat, etc were not introduced into the food supply until pretty recently and that introduction correlates to the increase in obesity. People thrived long before that introduction 🙂 And, more than anything, what I advocate is what works best for YOU. Also, we’re talking about the pursuit of fat loss 🙂 Personally, I EASILY consume close 100g of carbs/day in vegetables. Re: too much protein- I’ve written and podcasted at length about not consuming an excess of any single macro, including protein. If you want to align yourself with USDA, go ahead, that’s absolutely 100% your preogative!
Wondering if I wanted to have for example 100 calories worth of sprouted bread or oat bran in the morning if I can still stay in fat burning mode by walking for let’s say half an hour or more after breakfast?
Thank you Elisabeth for that revelation ! It is awesome, changed everything for me 🙂
Yay! So glad to hear it!
I loved this episode! One of your comments was that you have easily 100g of carbs from veggies a day – does that include your starchy carbs, or is your starchy carbs on top of that?
Also, I was wondering, are you typically in ketosis?
I rarely eat starchy carbs. They don’t make me feel good at at all. But I eat a high volume of non starchy veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc. No, I’m not usually in ketosis due primarily to the amount of veggies I feel best eating.
I am unable to eat eggs (I used to be able to, but unfortunately now it causes stomach distress), so what do you recommend for fat-burning mode breakfasts? My morning routine does not leave a lot of time to eat at the house and I typically will eat something once I get to work (about a 45min commute). I would love to hear your feedback when you have the time. Happy Holidays and a new year!
So many options without eggs! Definitely listen to my breakfast episodes. My cabbage salad bowl (on the blog) sans eggs. Smoked salmon. Leftovers from dinner. Bulletproof coffee. Unsweetened greek yogurt. Avocado with almond butter. The options are endless! 🙂