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Why Eating Carbs at Night Can Actually Help You Lose Belly Fat
The surprising connection between evening carbs, lower stress hormones, and easier fat loss.
For years, we’ve been told to avoid carbs at night if we want to lose weight. The logic seemed simple — eat carbs too late, and your body will just store them as fat.
But newer research, combined with a better understanding of how stress hormones work, paints a very different picture — especially for people over 40 who are juggling work, family, and health all at once.
If you’ve been avoiding carbs at dinner, thinking it’s the right move for fat loss, here’s why that strategy might be backfiring — and how a smarter approach can help you burn more fat, sleep better, and feel more energized.
The Cortisol Problem That’s Keeping You Stuck
Cortisol is your body’s primary stress hormone. It follows a natural rhythm — rising in the morning to help you wake up, then gradually tapering off throughout the day so you can relax, unwind, and sleep at night.
But if you’re constantly under stress — from work, workouts, late-night screens, or skipped meals — cortisol can stay elevated into the evening.
