If you’re trying to control your weight, you probably think a lot about what you eat. You’re choosing more fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats over packaged foods and foods with empty calories. But have you ever thought about the impact WHEN you eat has on your waistline? You might think if you take in the same number of total calories each day when you choose to eat them isn’t an issue. Not necessarily so.
Some people are calorie back loaders – they try to limit the number of calories they take in early in the day so they can eat more later. Some even make the cardinal mistake of skipping breakfast, tackling the day with low energy stores, forcing their body to break down the hard-earned muscle they built through strength training. Now a new study shows the importance of paying more attention to when you eat – not just what you put on our plate.
When You Eat Counts Too When It Comes to Losing Weight
Recently, researchers at the Brigham University Women’s Hospital and Tuft’s University discovered a link between meal timing and weight loss. They reviewed data from a 20-week study carried out in Spain involving 420 overweight people. The people participating in this research, half of whom were women and half men with an average age of 42, ate lunch, their main meal of the day, at different times. Half ate lunch before 3:00 P.M. while the other half dined after 3:00 P.M. Both groups ate an equivalent number of calories, were equally active and slept a similar number of hours each night. These are all factors that can influence weight loss.
The results? If possible, eat your lunch early. In this study, men and women who enjoyed an early lunch lost an average of 22 pounds, while their late-eating counterparts lost only 17 pounds, almost a 25% difference. Based on this study, the timing of other meals didn’t impact the amount of weight they lost. They also measured levels of appetite hormones, ghrelin, and leptin but found no differences between the two groups.
Not only did the late eaters lose less weight, but they also displayed more insulin resistance, meaning their pancreas had to pump out more insulin after a meal to process glucose and escort it into cells. This is concerning since insulin resistance is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. This goes along with other research showing that people who eat large meals in the evening have higher blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance also makes it more difficult to lose weight.
Does This Mean You Should Eat Your Biggest Meal Early in the Day?
The researchers in this study are quick to point out that this study doesn’t necessarily show cause and effect. In addition, it was carried out in Spain, a country that has different eating habits than people in Western countries do. The Spanish tend to eat a large lunch and dine lightly at dinner. They also consume fewer snacks than Americans. Still, there is evidence in humans that eating meals late in the day, especially before bedtime, contributes to insulin resistance.
People who eat their big meal late in the day are more likely to skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast makes it more difficult to lose weight according to some studies. This is mainly because people who don’t eat breakfast eat more later in the day. There’s another reason why eating breakfast is important. You’ve fasted overnight and your body is in a catabolic state, meaning you’re breaking down muscle protein to use as fuel. You need carbohydrates to replace your glycogen stores so you’ll stop cannibalizing muscle tissue. Plus, if you work out first thing in the morning, especially if you do a high-intensity workout, you need muscle glycogen so you can maximize the intensity of your workout.
What’s the ideal scenario? Eat an early dinner and keep your portions small. For dinner, go light on the carbs, and choose high-fiber carb sources like veggies that won’t raise your blood sugar level and insulin level rapidly. Include a lean source of protein and healthy fats with dinner. An example? You can’t go wrong with wild-caught salmon sautéed in a little olive oil on a bed of greens and a bowl of veggie soup. Resist the urge to snack after dinner. If you’ve eaten enough calories earlier in the day, you shouldn’t still be hungry. Watch out for mindless eating and try to improve when you eat. Some people snack before bedtime out of boredom.
The Bottom Line?
Most people don’t focus on when they eat but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. Don’t backload calories. Instead, frontload so you’re eating more early in the day and less as evening draws near. It’s a small change you can make that could make it easier to control your weight.
References:
Medical News Today. “Late Lunching Can Slow Weight Loss”
Br J Nutr. 2012 Oct;108(7):1286-91.
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