Cutting Carbs for Weight Loss: How Strategic Carb Timing Helped Me Break Through Plateaus

Cutting your carbs for weight loss doesn’t have to be as hard as it sounds. I’m not saying it’s easy, I’m just saying it doesn’t have to be that hard.

When I’ve tried to restart my weight loss efforts over the years, I tried doing the same things I used to do in my twenties, cutting carbs for weight loss. Considering the terrible migraine headaches, vomiting, and frequent colds I’d catch, clearly this approach wasn’t working for me anymore. What I knew and did back then was no longer effective.

Because of this, I became discouraged and soon fell back into bad habits. Most of the time I ended up worse off than when I started, reaching about 270 pounds at my worst. Clearly, cutting carbs wasn’t a good starting point for me.

So about a year and a half ago, I started training again, but this time I committed to accepting that it would take time. When I set my goals and looked at the timelines, I felt frustrated and angry. I thought, “I have to wait another year before I can get down to 200 pounds?”

From the start, that does sound like a long time, and it can feel out of reach. Psychologically, that’s discouraging. But here’s the thing: that year will pass anyway. The question is, what will you be doing during that time?

I chose to get to work. As time passed and I stuck to my plan, I hit my target. I went from 275 to just over 200 pounds. How I did this is a whole process on its own, which I’ve covered over the year and a half I’ve been back in action.

Now, after several other challenges, I’ve hit my toughest plateau yet. Hours of daily training, restricted calories, clean eating, and very few cheat meals — none of it is working anymore. I’m close to having a visible six-pack and I’ve hit a wall that I can’t seem to overcome. Or can I?

That’s when cutting carbs comes into play. The key with carb cutting is not to cut too much or for too long. Doing that can lead to carb sensitivity — even the smell of carbs can make you feel bloated.

I don’t eliminate carbs; I eat them throughout the day, just less than before and at specific times. This morning, for example, I had a 6-inch Subway veggie patty. I’m feeling pretty wiped after a three-class marathon yesterday, one of which I taught myself. So yes, I’ve said bread is off my diet, but I like to keep my body guessing and have it occasionally. Today seemed like a good day.

Generally, throughout the day, I eat mostly protein. Depending on how I feel in the morning, I might have some carbs with breakfast, but if I feel okay, I’ll wait until after training. There’s science that suggests if you do that, you’ll replenish what you used but are less likely to store it as fat. It really comes down to trial and error, and everyone is different.

Since I work out in the evenings, I usually have carbs in a shake right after my session. Later in the evening, depending on how I feel, I might have some more with my protein meal. Lately, the shake has been enough to carry me over until the next day. Though, I have gotten up a few nights at 3 a.m. to eat a protein bar.

My weight started going up even though I was doing hours of cardio. I realized I had to adjust something. So far, this carb cutting seems to be working. My weight loss has resumed, and I am leaning out more.

By the way, I know I’m focusing on weight, but I don’t get on the scale often. When I say weight loss, I’m really talking about losing body fat. The reason my weight went up without me noticing is I try to stay off the scale. That thing can mess with your head. I prefer the mirror and how my clothes fit. But on occasion, I do check the scale.

I know I’ll have to make another adjustment to keep progressing. Getting to the next level requires constant training. It’s tricky and not easy to drop those last 15 to 20 pounds. But like I said at the beginning, time will pass whether or not you’re working, so best get to work!

My regular meal samples:
8:30 a.m.: Eggs or protein bar or protein shake or occasionally a 6-inch veggie patty
12 noon: Fish or chicken with cauliflower, broccoli, and green beans
3:30 p.m.: Protein bar or protein shake
Training
Around 8 p.m.: Protein shake
Around 10 p.m.: Eggs, chicken, fish, or other protein. Sometimes carbs depending on how I feel
3 a.m. (occasionally): Protein bar