What are the best carbs to eat for fat loss after 40?

First, keep the carbs. Nikkiey explains that when you cut them too low, you don't burn more fat, you just burn out: your energy drops, your recovery tanks and your workouts suffer. Slashing carbs might move the scale for a while, she says, but it isn't sustainable and it leaves you irritable. Your body needs carbs to build and repair muscle. What changes after 40, according to Nikkiey, is that your body doesn't process sugar and carbs the way it used to, so the quality of the carbs matters more than it did in your 20s.

There is one nuance worth knowing. In her lean muscle grocery list, Nikkiey points out that whole grains can feel heavy and cause bloating for a lot of women over 40. If that's you, white rice or cream of rice are gentle, easy to digest and fast fuel, especially around your workouts paired with egg whites or another protein. Jasmine rice, sushi rice and rice cakes work the same way. Outside that workout window, she leans on slower options like sweet potatoes, oats or cream of wheat.

And no, a cookie won't wreck you. Nikkiey is clear there's no such thing as a bad carb. Have the piece of chocolate; just don't build most of your day around it, because it won't give you the nutrition complex carbs do. If carbs have felt like the enemy, it was the plan that failed you, not your body.