Perhaps you have tried it all. You have cleaned up your diet, you are exercising daily, managing stress, getting plenty of sleep and drinking lots of water and still….. the pounds prevail. That stubborn roll that just won’t go away has become your worst enemy. A new study may reveal the answer to your prevailing pudge. According to researchers, it is not just what you eat, but when you eat that determines fat loss.
In this latest study of weight loss, American and Spanish researchers determined that people who eat early in the day lose more weight than people who eat late in the day. Over four-hundred participants took part in the twenty week Spanish weight loss program.
Participants were divided into two groups according to when they would eat their largest meal of the day. In Spain, the largest meal of the day is taken at lunchtime. Early eaters were those who ate their biggest meal before 3pm and late eaters were those who ate their biggest meal after 3pm.
Early Eaters Lose More Weight
Early eaters lost 25 percent more weight that late eaters. Most late eaters skipped breakfast or ate fewer calories at breakfast and had lower insulin sensitivity. This is a precursor to diabetes.
Both groups consumed the same amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It was determined that it was just the timing of the main meal that determined the greater weight loss.
Changing Eating Habits
Like switching from a highly processed diet to a whole food diet, changing the time that you eat your largest meal takes some time to get used to. It may not be easy either, especially if you only have a short period each day for lunch. In many parts of Europe where lunch is the largest meal of the day, workers are given up to two hours a day for lunch.
This makes the workday a little longer, but culturally this is the time that families gather, eat, rest and chat. In America, most people eat their largest meal in the evening and sometimes even skip lunch. If you are battling stubborn fat, it may be well worth considering changing your large meal to an earlier time in the day.
Aim for 70% of your calories to be eaten before mid afternoon for best results. Reserve the evening for a light snack. This may also eliminate unnecessary snacking throughout the day, another contributing factor to weight gain.
-The Alternative Daily
