No Carbs After Five

[RoadRaven]

I've done a quick search because I heard of this "diet" at the end of last year but I can't remember if it was here or somewhere/someone else...

So if this has been discussed here, please someone give me a link... otherwise can we chat about please if you have heard of it or have an opinion.

After my race on Sunday (where climbing was such a chore and my weight a big part of inhibiting my performance - discussed in the Race Results Forum) I have decided that as well as working specific aspects of my cycling, I really really need to drop weight, and drop it as quickly and safely as I possibly can.

This means providing enough fuel so my metabolism is interferred with minimally - I don't want to send it into famine-mode and regain any weight I lose.

I did discuss "no carbs after five" with a body-building colleague at work who has used it effectively before some of her competitions.

Essentially, you eat in your normal, healthy choices fashion, just after 5pm you eat no carbs. So I started this yesterday (sausages and a huge pile of sprouts, lettuce and cucumber) and tonight I feel so very hungry after a meal of three eggs, and cottage cheese and more sprouts. I'm about to open a tin of fruit.

V at work says very effective - a matter of a couple of weeks to notice significant change - though she never gave me numbers/kgs or grams lost.

What do you all think?

I'm 100kg even, and I managed to drop 10kg steadily last year but seem to have plateaued. I really want to be successful in racing and I know my biggest problem on hills is not my power output, which is good, its my power to weight ratio.

Your opinions/ideas/advice most welcome

[han-grrl]

The problem with eating in the evening is that most people make poorer choices at night, boredom or just being very very hungry will make you want something fast and yummy.

if you eat regularly during the day, which means eating every 4 hours, then you won't be startving by 5 PM.

my two cents

Han

[CycleChic06]

RR - I'm guessing a lot of it is mental, you know you aren't supposed to eat carbs, so that's what you crave and so you find yourself really hungry. I found that increasing your fiber intake throughout the day really reduces the hunger pains and makes me feel more full. I eat less, and I don't crave carbs. Also, protein protein protein! Make sure you get enough of it, I knew a body builder and to drop the weight before a competition would drink gallons of water and eat boiled chicken.

Good luck with the eating style change, let me know how it turns out.

Emily

[Veronica]

I'm one of those a calorie is a calorie people. Now if no carbs after 5 helps you eat fewer calories, that's good.

What worked for me was cutting my portions at night. I'd still feel hungry right after I consumed my food, but I'd wait twenty minutes before getting something else. Most of the time I didn't actually need more food.

V.

[koala]

Tread carefully on cutting carbs -- we need carbs in endurance activities. Body-building doesn't work the same way in terms of power demands. It is a pure power in bursts activity, versus long periods of sustained power. I might cut back on caloric intake overall, because I agree with V that a calorie taken in is a calorie taken in. But I don't like the low-carb or no-carb weight reduction plans. I prefer to just count calories very carefully for my basic sustenance level, plus replace all I burned that day. And if you count everything you eat, you might find some other little snackies during the day that you can cut out while allowing you to leave your normal dinner intact.

Three years ago my hubby cut carbs to lose weight at the same time he was boosting his cycling efforts. The result was a disastrous mid-ride bonk that led to a crash, followed by surgery, a long hospital stay & months of rehab afterwards. All because his body completely ran out of stores for him to draw on. He was cutting carbs out of his dinners because he figured that you burn the least calories at night when you are sleeping so you don't need them with dinner.

I have learned a lot about my own metabolism over the past few years of riding lots. I have found I am not terribly effective at processing foods, and don't have much to call on in terms of stores. I can't change that, but I know what it is & can work with it. I find I don't need to eat as much as I used to think I did, but I know better what to eat & when. It is a delicate balancing act.

I read your race results & was pretty impressed with your performance. Maybe your weight is right for you. Sounds like despite a lack of support from your team, you tried to ride hard. I would suggest there were some other issues that hampered you that day, both of which you identified, & both of which could have caused you serious time losses. I am a good climber myself, as I am small & thin, but climbing into a headwind is no easy task & my speed drops considerably then. And riding on the worst day of my period will give me a completely forgettable ride. I don't race, but I'm hard on myself in terms of my riding abilities & am very competitive, so I can understand wanting to do better. But sometimes we just have a bad day. Which is why we go out there again to ride another day!

[Offthegrid]

This seems a bit silly to me. What's the difference in having a carb at 4:30 p.m. versus 5:30 p.m.?

Besides, if you're like me, you do some workouts at night. I can't imagine denying myself carbs are a spinning class or jogging intervals.

I'm not a dietitian, so take this for what it's worth, but I think aiming for a healthy balance of carbs, protein and fat is a better choice. Some swear by 40-30-30. I personally shoot for 50-55 carbs-25 (fat)-20 protein.

Also if you want to lose weight, I'm a big believer in tracking calories. I keep track of every bite (and drink) that goes in my mouth.

Best of luck!

[equus123]

here's my knowledge on the situation...

reducing carbohydrate intake while being an indurance athlete is very risky. please be careful or you will harm your system more than anything else you're doing.

if you're trying to lose weight, changing your mentality, i think, is 50 % of the equation. this is what i do every time i look at a piece of food or drink:

- Food is fuel for the body. Pure and simple, that's it.
- Is this food something I deserve to eat? Have I worked out to afford these calories or the extra calories in candy/chips/snacks/etc?
- How many calories are in it? If my resting metabolism is 1350 calories a day + # burned training = Total # calories I should eat to maintain current body weight. If you're trying to lose weight, take the Total # and subtract 500 calories and that's the healthy way to lose weight.
- Food is fuel. It doesn't have to be indulgent, it doesn't have to taste good, it doesn't have to fill you up, it doesn't have to be pretty. I actually prefer food that doesn't taste delicious because it's way easier to back off when I start to get full and prevents me from craving more when I've eaten the proper serving size for me.

I guess I'm doing something right if I've been able to maintain the same body weight +/- 1 pound over the last year. It's all in your head. If you think you're hungry, you're going to make yourself hungry. If you think that you've had enough based on the numbers - then force yourself that you've had enough.

[RoadRaven]

Thanks so much for all the responses.
I really appreciate it.

han-grrl... yes, eating regularly and often is something I try to do. I think my metabolism is more efficient now that I am eating only when hungry which has effectively meant smaller but more frequent "meals".

CycleChic... oh absolutely, I'm sure alot of my hunger last night was mental. My son had cooked a big lot of delish pasta... *Raven drools* (I did have a bit this morning after I got back from my early ride.

Veronica... I have tried cutting portions at night, and not eating dessert except for very occasionally... but eating smaller evening portions seems to be keeping me at a steady weight but no longer helping me lose it.

koala... I appreciate your story. Its a very valid one and good reminder for anyone who is altering their food habits. I am aware that we do need them though. I am not increasing my training volume at the moment - just the type of training I will be doing. I have every intention of eating carbs the evening before a race... I figure I want every advantage and if "no carbs after five" works for me, then one evening before a high energy/power output race the next day should not interfere.
Thankyou also for your feedback on my racing. I have certainly improved alot - comparing this year's efforts to a year ago, I am so much faster and stronger. But at 5'10" and weighing in at 100kg, I still can afford to drop some weight.

Offthegrid... yup, my thoughts too when I first heard about this - why 5pm? why not 4? or 6:45? But I think the idea is that many people (and I fall into this group) do not exercise in the evening. I prefer morning rides, and if I have to start later, I like to be all done no later than about 4 in the afternoon.
So, what happens is people come home from work/whatever, have a big meal of potatoes or pasta and then watch telly and then go to bed. All those carbs are converted and stored as fat.

And equus... I absolutely agree... food is fuel. Although this is something I have always known, it took this forum to truly help me see that food was not my enemy - something to hide from or to crave or to be guilty about. It is fuel, and I need to feed/refuel efficiently and effectively and sensibly... This is such a good summary of this idea, thank you for posting it so well, equus.

[equus123]

you're welcome :D i'm glad i could help :)

[CycleChic06]

- Is this food something I deserve to eat? Have I worked out to afford these calories or the extra calories in candy/chips/snacks/etc?
.

This is an idea that caught my eye. Everyone looks at dieting or eating right their own way, but I think looking at food like you "deserve" to eat it because you worked out today is the wrong way of looking at it. There have been lots of articles recently showing that people who excersize more tend to take in more calories than those who just eat healthy. As in, I ran an extra 2 miles today, I'm allowed to eat that cookie. There have also been discussions here about how many cyclists (or bike riders...whatever) tend to overestimate the number of calories they burn during a ride.

We need to move away from thinking of food as something we deserve and, as many women do, as a way to comfort ourselves, and more in the direction of what we need to sustain a healthy living style. Does this make sense? I'm not sure I'm explaining myself well.

[equus123]

to clarify my point of view - my perspective comes from maintaining my current weight. i'm as low as i want to go and i just want to keep it. if i do have a hard or long ride one day i will tend to eat bigger meals that may have some yummier stuff (yummier usually means less healthy) instead of being as strict as i usually am because i now feel like i deserve to eat these kinds of food - i worked my *** off that day and i'm gonna eat what i want dammit. :p that's what i mean by "deserving".

[RoadRaven]

CycleChic and equus... I see both your perspectives... and here's my "take" on it.

If you are limiting your food intake in order to lose weight, then it is inevitable that some of the things you want you will not be able to have.

However, in order to stick to a tough regimen, I think it is also important to give yourself permission to have a "treat" every now and again - whether its a pizza or its double choc-chip extra creamy icecream. If you never allow it, you will crave that thing.

So I think its just word-smithing... yes, limiting our food intake is part of what needs to happen if we are to change shape or lose weight... but eliminating fave foods forever is not achievable.

I have a moro bar waiting in the fridge for me... I got it in my "pack" at the Sunday race. At the moment I don't feel like it, and part of me doesn't want to eat it regardless. It is there for when I want to eat it. A couple of years ago I would have eaten it within the hour of receiving it, and then felt guilty about it for days (possibly weeks). Now I know I will savour and enjoy it when I do eat it, and know also that I "deserve" it because not only have I listened to my body, I have done loads of cycling and been eating sensibly as well.

[equus123]

yes :)

[CycleChic06]

to clarify my point of view - my perspective comes from maintaining my current weight. i'm as low as i want to go and i just want to keep it. if i do have a hard or long ride one day i will tend to eat bigger meals that may have some yummier stuff (yummier usually means less healthy) instead of being as strict as i usually am because i now feel like i deserve to eat these kinds of food - i worked my *** off that day and i'm gonna eat what i want dammit. :p that's what i mean by "deserving".

I was just trying to open up what I find an interesting area of debate related to road raven's question.

[equus123]

gotchya...

[GLC1968]

This is an idea that caught my eye. Everyone looks at dieting or eating right their own way, but I think looking at food like you "deserve" to eat it because you worked out today is the wrong way of looking at it. There have been lots of articles recently showing that people who excersize more tend to take in more calories than those who just eat healthy. As in, I ran an extra 2 miles today, I'm allowed to eat that cookie. There have also been discussions here about how many cyclists (or bike riders...whatever) tend to overestimate the number of calories they burn during a ride.

We need to move away from thinking of food as something we deserve and, as many women do, as a way to comfort ourselves, and more in the direction of what we need to sustain a healthy living style. Does this make sense? I'm not sure I'm explaining myself well.


I agree 100%. 'Deserve' is a word I am trying to eliminate from my nutritional vocabularly! As an example... When I started riding, I was already in very good shape. I wanted to lose about 8-10 lbs to get lean (down to 17% BF), but I was still quite fit. I have been riding for 2 years now and instead of losing weight, I've gained it. I'm now 15 lbs over where I started and 99% of it is because of this mental game I started playing with myself. "I just burned 2000 calories today...I deserve to eat what I want". Wrong. Whether or not my calorie burn is accurate is irrelevant when I am eating 3 times what I am burning because I've told myself I deserve it. It's a vicious cycle that I need to break.

Anyway, just my 0.02.

I do whole heartedly agree that you should tailor your intake to your activity levels. On days you burn more, eat more. On days you rest, eat less. By being smart about where in your training that you consume your calories, you can avoid severe hunger pains, killer cravings and most importantly, bonking. (Now I just need to take my own advice!;) )

[lph]

you can avoid severe hunger pains, killer cravings and most importantly, bonking.

Hee-hee... ok, I have a dirty mind...

Did you know that "bonking" in England is slang for, well, what I thought offthegrid was talking about when she said "some of us do workouts at night". ;)

To get back on topic - I'm a huge fan of the idea that food is fuel. Tank up often, with small amounts of quality fuel, and your body will be happy :)

[equus123]

I have been riding for 2 years now and instead of losing weight, I've gained it. I'm now 15 lbs over where I started and 99% of it is because of this mental game I started playing with myself.

did you wear a HR monitor or something to measure calories burned so you could get a better gage??

[caligurl]

I'm one of those a calorie is a calorie people.


me, too..... i divide my calories out so i CAN eat a snack around 7:30 or 8:00 p.m.... it's all about calories in/calories burned....

[RoadRaven]

Hee-hee... ok, I have a dirty mind...

Did you know that "bonking" in England is slang for, well, what I thought offthegrid was talking about when she said "some of us do workouts at night". ;)

LOL, lph.
That was the funniest thing when we came ( ;) can I say that???) to cycling to!
Everybody was obsessed with talking about boking and how to avoid it.

In NZ, lots of people say "hit the wall", but I am hearing bonking more and more from many!!

[GLC1968]

did you wear a HR monitor or something to measure calories burned so you could get a better gage??

Yep, always. It's a mental thing for me. I know what I burn (within reason), and I know when I'm overeating and yet I do it anyway. DH thinks it's the 'fat girl' in me that I have not yet quite beaten into submission with broccoli and frozen chicken breasts! ;)

[equus123]

hahaha nice :p

[HappyAnika]

I agree 100%. 'Deserve' is a word I am trying to eliminate from my nutritional vocabularly! As an example... When I started riding, I was already in very good shape. I wanted to lose about 8-10 lbs to get lean (down to 17% BF), but I was still quite fit. I have been riding for 2 years now and instead of losing weight, I've gained it. I'm now 15 lbs over where I started and 99% of it is because of this mental game I started playing with myself. "I just burned 2000 calories today...I deserve to eat what I want". Wrong. Whether or not my calorie burn is accurate is irrelevant when I am eating 3 times what I am burning because I've told myself I deserve it. It's a vicious cycle that I need to break.


I can relate to this. Last year was my first year cycling and I was hoping it would help me drop some weight, even though I was already in pretty good shape. I gained 7 pounds. After a 4 hour ride I felt I could justify eating a huge plate of greasy mexican food. I remember the day I first rode 50 miles and "rewarded" myself with a plate of fettuccine alfredo, one of my most favorite things to eat, which I hadn't had in years because of the guilt factor. I was eating way too much to compensate for what I was burning.

On the other hand I agree with RR that if you say "I will never eat x", then you crave and obsess about it. At least I do. (Mmmm, cake). So I managed to avoid the fettuccine alfredo for about 6 years, which is surprising. It just would have been a good thing if I didn't eat the entire plate when I let myself have it.

I'll be purchasing a heart rate monitor within the next couple of months to get a better idea of how many calories I'm actually burning. Calorie/food tracking helped me get a handle on how many calories I'm consuming. And at 1500 - 1700 calories a day with all the excerise I get, I must have the world's lowest base metabolic rate. I like to say I defy the laws of thermodynamics. :rolleyes:

[GLC1968]

And at 1500 - 1700 calories a day with all the excerise I get, I must have the world's lowest base metabolic rate. I like to say I defy the laws of thermodynamics. :rolleyes:

You and me both! While I know that I've been eating too much since I picked up biking...that wasn't always the case.

Before I started riding, I was working out an average of 500 vigorous minutes a week (70% of max HR, not including warm-ups and cool-downs), eating about 1400 - 1600 calories a day of GOOD quality real food, and not losing weight. That would be a little easier to understand if I were VERY close to goal (or already very lean) but I still had plenty of fat to lose. I was even careful to do plenty of heavy weight lifting (30% strength, 70% cardio) and even after 8 weeks or so...nothing. It sucked! :mad:

I think that's why I can't 'buckle down' now. I'm afraid of seeing that again. :( I think now, my twisted brain is figuring that if I don't try...I can't fail.

[caligurl]

OK... i'm happy now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i thought i was the only one that GAINED weight after taking up cycling!

phew... it's NOT just me!

*doing the happy dance*

uh..... no offense ladies... but misery loves company!!!!! http://www.smileycons.com/img/emotions/149.gif

[HappyAnika]

GLC, I'm glad I'm not the only one who eats well, exercises, but still can't drop weight. Sometimes it certainly feels like I'm the only one. DH can add just a tiny bit to his workout routine and drop pounds instantly. I guess I have genetics to blame. But its frustrating that I have to put so much effort in just to maintain and it seems impossible to lose. Although I did manage to lose 6 of those 7 pounds when we went into the off season. So right now I'm not riding, nor am I overeating to "compensate" for the extra exercise. I'm back to my aerobics/jogging/stair climbing/weight lifting routine. So I plan to have the HR monitor before March or April when I hit the roads again.

(Did I mention our trainer is in our unheated, detached garage? I refuse to go ride the trainer when its 9 degrees outside like its been lately. :( Will this snow ever melt? :rolleyes: ).

[MomOnBike]

I'm another one who rides long slow distances (the fat-burning rides, I'm told), thinks she is controlling what she is putting in her mouth, and still can't drop an ounce.

"Oh, but it's muscle weight!" I hear. Humph! Muscle, fat or bags of gold are still weight that slows me down on hills. Gravity doesn't care. Though, come to think of it, that bag of gold could prove useful...:)

Yes, I'm frustrated.

My thought on no carbs after 5:00, or whatever, is that you are just eating less, which would make the difference.

Having watched my mother on all her fad diets over the years, I have a very skeptical view of diet plans. So far as I can tell, they just don't work - at least none of them did for her for any significant amount of time - and following them can do some strange things to your shopping. (Remembering the lamb-chop incident...:rolleyes: )

[RoadRaven]

So far as I can tell, they just don't work - at least none of them did for her for any significant amount of time - and following them can do some strange things to your shopping. (Remembering the lamb-chop incident...:rolleyes: )

:confused:
The lambchop incident???
:confused:

[Tuckervill]

- Food is fuel. It doesn't have to be indulgent, it doesn't have to taste good, it doesn't have to fill you up, it doesn't have to be pretty.

I just have to say that life would not be worth living if I looked at food this way.

Oh yes, sometimes food has to be just what's available and makes sense, but it should always taste good. If it doesn't taste good, why eat it? :)

As far as the topic, I've heard Bob Greene say to stop eating 2-3 hours before bedtime, which has to do with not needing the instant energy you get from a meal during sleep (your body just sends it to fat for later, instead). If you go to bed at 7:30, then the 5:00 thing might make sense. But if you go to bed at 10:00, eat by 6:30 or so and you should be fine--according to Bob Greene (and other places I've read that, too).

It sounds like the "no carbs after 5" idea is resting on the same principle, that the quick energy that carbs provide are not needed when you are resting or sedentary, so don't consume them. Five o'clock seems rather arbitrary, though.

Karen

[CycleChic06]

I just have to say that life would not be worth living if I looked at food this way.

Oh yes, sometimes food has to be just what's available and makes sense, but it should always taste good. If it doesn't taste good, why eat it? :)

I think it's all perspective. Sure, I don't want to eat gruel for the rest of my life even if it would mean I would lose 20lbs. But if I think of food as purely fuel I need to survive, I will eat only what I need, or at least less. It's a mindset.

[Trek420]

- Food is fuel. It doesn't have to be indulgent, it doesn't have to taste good, it doesn't have to fill you up, it doesn't have to be pretty. I actually prefer food that doesn't taste delicious because it's way easier to back off when I start to get full and prevents me from craving more when I've eaten the proper serving size for me.

disclosure, I don't race, I'm waaaaay above my goal weight, I'm a slow but steady 50 year old.

But I'm an ex-souse-chef with an arts background. ;)

We "eat with our eyes" first, and other senses too, sometimes more than the 5. It's fuel for the soul as well as the body.

Healthy meals and snacks that look good make it easier to meet a goal. Cutting soda from your diet? The slice of lemon and mint leaf in water or ice tea ... healthy meal in a crock pot so you open the door when you get home and *poof* whole house smells like good food ... using a favorite plate or bowl ... appearence means a lot and it does not take much to do that.

So what do you do to make eating "right" fun?

[equus123]

I think it's all perspective. Sure, I don't want to eat gruel for the rest of my life even if it would mean I would lose 20lbs. But if I think of food as purely fuel I need to survive, I will eat only what I need, or at least less. It's a mindset.

that's one of the perspectives I have on food - yes :) it makes it easier for me when I look at food in that light.

[equus123]

So what do you do to make eating "right" fun?

I guess for me its the comfort or satisfaction in *knowing* that I'm doing the right thing in order to reach my goals in this sport as well as for me, athletically.

I grew up in a huge italian family where we all lived 20 minutes from one another. small family dinners were 12 people. My mother is an INSANE cook, my grandmother is an even more insanely good cook. Needless to say, I grew up around a ton of delicious food. At the time my parents moved out of state, I was totally ready to stop eating so much good food. I swear...the way my mom cooks....she makes her food addictive. We had the fridge in the kitchen, a fridge/freezer in the basement, and a full freezer in the garage - ALL stocked with food, prepared food, leftovers, you name it.

My past (which you all don't/didn't know about) explains my current eating habits and views on food. I've experienced good food, I've had plenty of it, I know what everything tastes like. Now - I don't care if its good or not ( you know what I mean), I don't care if its not pretty, I don't care if its plain tasting.

None of that matters to me because it is what it is. Chicken is still chicken, pasta is still pasta, salad is still salad. My life doesn't revolve around food and that's not a bad thing.

[emily_in_nc]

None of that matters to me because it is what it is. Chicken is still chicken, pasta is still pasta, salad is still salad. My life doesn't revolve around food and that's not a bad thing.

I kinda get what you're saying. Yes, I love "good" food; nothing like dinner at a really fine restaurant to excite my senses (and cause me to eat way too much!) OTOH, for weight loss or maintenance, I think "plain food" is very helpful. My DH is retired and does most of the cooking now. He makes a lot of soups and other simple dishes that are tasty, but not fancy, not covered with delicious high-fat, creamy, winey, buttery sauces that might cause me to pack on the pounds. Eating simply has definitely helped me maintain my weight because it removes the urge to overeat whatever it is because it is *so amazing*. I eat a serving and I'm done. Earlier in our marriage, when I was doing more of the cooking, I tended to make dishes that were more my special favorites, and as a result, I had a much harder time pushing the plate away.

My mother has struggled with her weight for years and tried all kinds of diets. Her weight has gradually crept up-up-up. She also watches The Food Channel (Network?) a lot. I kinda in jest (but only partly!) suggested that she might want to change back over to HGTV or something, just to avoid such an emphasis on food in her life. She talks about shows she watches on that network all the time, different food prep methods, new recipes, etc. I think if she would focus her energy on something other than food, she might have an easier time losing weight. It works for me -- I'm much more likely to be thinking about, reading about, or watching TV about other areas of interest entirely, and I don't have a weight problem now. I used to be much more interested in cooking and food in general, and that's when I was overweight and had to "diet". Now that I've lost the weight I needed to (six years ago), I focus on fitness and fun in lieu of food, and it seems to be working....

Emily

[equus123]

Good deal Emily :)

[RoadRaven]

I think if she would focus her energy on something other than food, she might have an easier time losing weight.
>>>>It works for me --
>>>>Now that I've lost the weight I needed to (six years ago), I focus on fitness and fun in lieu of food, and it seems to be working....

Emily

I think you have hit the nail on the head, Emily... if you think about something all the time, you "do" it all the time...

Just look at us and our purty bikes!

[RoadRaven]

In a local magazine: New Zealand healthy food guide – August 2006… pages 78-79

Excerpts…

“It’s a common piece of advice for those trying to lose weight: ‘Don’t eat after 5!’ But will we explode if we do?
“Some popular diet books advise cutting out eating carbohydrates, or anything at all after 5 or 6pm. The diets often reduce the total carbohydrate intake by cutting out carbohydrates such as pasta, breads, rice, potato, biscuits, cakes and soft drinks. Vegetables, dairy products and fruit are the type of carbohydrate allowed.
“But a search by Sanitarium of more than 4800 scietific journals in the National Library of Medicine medline database failed to find a single study that supported the theory that carbohydrates need to be cut out after 5pm in order to lose weight.
“In theory, cutting out some of the carbohydrates after 5pm or not eating after 8pm could reduce the total energy intake for the day. This would ultimately lead to a reduction in weight.”


The article also makes a good distinction in the jargon which I have never understood before… what is the difference between serving size and portions???
“Serving size is the average serving size of the product. However, this may not be the same as the serving you actually have. In fact your serve size may be a larger portion. A portion is how much you actually eat. “


And of course, the article ends sensibly…
“So, no carbs after 5pm? It is not the time of day that foods are eaten, but it is the combinationof the totla ammount of foods, what the food is made up of, the ammount of activity taken over a day and general health which causes weight gain. If there is a balance of food and activity over a day, body weight remains stable.”

Well - Ive been doing this around a fortnight (no carbs after 5) and no significant weight loss. I'll stick at it for another two weeks and report back...

[RoadRaven]

Well, its more than two weeks... I found it really hard to do, and no significant weight change... I think part of the problem was that I would get home and be tired and hungry and the kids/partner would have dinner organised and it would inevitably involve carbs, and if I was too tired to be bothered I would eat a few carbs.

So this turned out to be a "fewer carbs after 5" diet... and it made no discernable difference.

Maybe I'll try again when I can have more control in the food prep area.