Losing Weight Might Be Easier Than You Thought

You already know that eating the right foods is important. But what you might not appreciate is that it’s also important to eat at the right time. This is because the way the body works changes over the course of a day.

In the morning, up until noon, we are in a catabolic metabolism. Then, after noon, we start switching to an anabolic metabolism. That’s why, according to a new study presented at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, eating later in the day may contribute to weight gain.

Previous studies have already shown that eating later in the day and going to bed later at night are two of the factors that can cause obesity in susceptible people. In the current study, the researchers looked at 31 overweight and obese men and women. The average age was 36 and 90% were women. They were enrolled in an ongoing weight-loss trial comparing daily caloric restrictions to time-restricted feeding. That means they could eat only during certain hours of the day.

To control for activity and exertion, the men and women wore an activPAL electronic device on their thigh. This device measured how much time they spent in physical and sedentary activities. They also wore an Actiwatch, which assesses sleep/wake patterns. Participants were asked to use a phone app called MealLogger to photograph and time stamp all meals and snacks throughout the day. Here’s what they found.

The majority of the participants consumed their food throughout an 11-hour timeframe during the day and slept for about seven hours a night. But there were some notable differences. The people who ate later in the day also turned the lights out at a later time. This combination of eating and sleeping later was associated with weight gain and obesity.

So, if you are having difficulty controlling your weight and you tend to skip breakfast in favor of eating later, let me make the following suggestions.

First of all, eat breakfast. Not only that, but eat a big, substantial, high-fat, high-protein breakfast. Next, eat a relatively small supper and finish it before 6:30. In addition, skip supper once or twice a week. Lastly, make sure you turn the lights out no later than 10 p.m. Do this for six weeks. See how you feel and how your weight changes.

Eating like this works well with how our bodies are designed to function – with high energy demands during the day and low energy demands at night. For many, this is a key element to weight control.

Yours for better health,

Frank Shallenberger, MD