Timing is everything when losing weight: The effects of time-restricted eating on weight loss
12/03/2019 / By Rose Lidell / Comments
Timing is everything when losing weight: The effects of time-restricted eating on weight loss

Beyond choosing the right food or counting calories, dieting should also consider the timing of each meal, according to scientists. This was the finding of a multi-university study from Spain, which appeared in the International Journal of Obesity.

Understanding the benefits of time-restricted eating

Time-restricted eating requires a person to eat within certain periods of the day. For example, he can eat all the food you need in a day in an eight-hour time period, such as from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The remaining hours of the day will be allotted to fasting.

For the study, the team conducted an experiment on 12-week old male mice, which were fed a high-fat diet eight hours a day. One group of mice was subjected to time-restricted feeding (tRF), while another group ate food at any time they desired, also known as ad-lib feeding.

The scientists reported that tRF mice consumed the same number of calories found in a high-fat diet without becoming obese. The mice also didn’t develop hyperinsulinemia (high levels of insulin), hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) or inflammation and even showed better motor coordination.

The tRF mice also maximized the nutrients they consumed. This was in contrast with the ad-lib mice, which showed higher insulin levels and were obese.

The study presented another way of fighting obesity by timing mealtimes. It showed that food intake based on the body’s natural rhythm keeps weight down and prevents obesity-related disease. The scientists attributed this to the fact that mice on an ad-lib diet had shorter fasting periods than those on a tRF regimen. Since the former ate whenever they wanted, their body’s circadian and feeding rhythms were interrupted and obesity, along with higher insulin levels, was seen.

The tRF type of feeding, on the other hand, follows the body’s internal clock. It doesn’t disrupt the body’s cellular metabolic system. Thus, it helped the mice stay healthy.

These findings support another study, this time from Harvard University, which showed that regardless of diet, mealtimes that clash with the body’s circadian rhythm creates an 18% spike in blood sugar levels. This means greater amounts of the fat-storing hormone insulin are released in the body.

Keeping the weight off with time-restricted eating

How do you help your body maintain its ideal weight by timing mealtimes according to the body’s rhythms?

Here’s a suggested meal-to-meal guide:

  • Breakfast –Data from the National Weight Control Registry show that almost 80% of those who lost at least 30 pounds had breakfast at the same time every day. A 2015 study revealed that a high-protein breakfast between 6 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. helped the body reduce its fat content. It also resulted in fewer hunger pangs throughout the day. On the other hand, those who took breakfast at 10 a.m. didn’t show these health benefits. Dietitian Jim White, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests eating a healthy breakfast within an hour upon waking up. The longer you delay breakfast, the longer you deprive your body of the hunger-squashing effects of protein, fat and fiber.
  • Mid-morning snack – This is not required, especially for those who had a heavy breakfast or those who don’t eat until 9:45 a.m. But it helps to know that the body digests and absorbs food between two and four hours. Then, it fasts. White says sticking to that window of time between breakfast and snacks will keep energy levels up and prevent a decrease in blood sugar. So, remember to take that snack only when hungry. Otherwise, extra calories could make things difficult.
  • Lunch – A 2016 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that those who took lunch at earlier hours lost more weight. This supports another study which showed that those who took lunch at an earlier time lost less weight than those who took lunch breaks later.
  • Mid-afternoon snack  White maintains that an afternoon snack two to four hours after lunch keeps blood sugar levels stable and prevents overeating at dinner. A University of Illinois at Chicago study of overweight women revealed that those who snacked in the afternoon tended to eat more fruits and greens throughout the day compared to non-afternoon snackers.
  • Dinner – A recent study found that those who took a third of their calories between 6 p.m. and midnight quit eating between 7 p.m. and 9 a.m., they lost weight and slept better because they didn’t take anything after dinner.

Too busy to follow the recommended timeline? That’s fine, as long as the meals are healthy. It also helps to eat only when you’re hungry, but not ravenous, and to leave the table when you’re satisfied.

Sources:

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov 1

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov 2

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov 3

WomensHealthMag.com 1

WomensHealthMag.com 2

Academic.OUP.com

Nature.com

MedicineNet.com

100% Fresh Food News, Right at Your Fingertips!
Find out everything you need to know about clean and healthy eating when you sign up for our FREE email newsletter. Receive the latest news on all the top superfoods, recipes, natural remedies, diets, food tips, and more!
Your privacy is protected. Subscription confirmation required.

Related Articles
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

100% Fresh Food News, Right at Your Fingertips!
Find out everything you need to know about clean and healthy eating when you sign up for our FREE email newsletter. Receive the latest news on all the top superfoods, recipes, natural remedies, diets, food tips, and more!
Your privacy is protected. Subscription confirmation required.

Popular articles