Weight Loss

The Best Time to Eat for Weight Loss

“What’s the best time to eat for weight loss?” I get that question a lot.  Meal timing is a concept that Hillary Wright and I discuss in detail in our new book, The Menopause Diet Plan, A Natural Guide to Managing Hormones, Health, and Happiness. In our personal and professional experience, we’ve found that there are better times to eat to lose weight and discourage weight gain.

woman thinking

There are better times of the day to eat most of your calories.

Your circadian rhythms and weight loss

Does this sound familiar? You skip breakfast, eat a light lunch, and are famished at night, when eat your biggest meal at dinner, and then snack.

It’s no wonder! Skimping on food during the day leads to overeating at night as your hunger finally catches up with you. Excess calories aside, there is another reason why eating at night can make it harder to lose weight or prevent the pounds from creeping on over the years.

Researchers are beginning to understand how eating at night can mess with weight control and it involves circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are part of your internal clock, which operates on a 24-hour schedule. They regulate your sleep/wake cycle, calorie burning, and hormones, including insulin, that affect how the body uses blood glucose. Blood glucose is the energy all cells need and is primarily produced by eating carbohydrates.

 

Chocolate cupcakes with piped vanilla frosting.

Skimping on food during the day makes it harder to resist treats at night.

How insulin works to regulate your weight

Insulin is released by the pancreas in response to the higher-than-normal levels of glucose in the blood that occur after eating. Insulin’s job is to “unlock” cells so that glucose can enter and return blood glucose concentrations to a normal range. Insulin also helps the body store the glucose that cells don’t need at the moment. Most of that glucose goes to fat cells for the body to use for energy between meals and snacks.

Because blood glucose regulation is influenced by circadian rhythms, there is a best time to eat for weight loss. Although genetics may play a role, it appears that the body is more sensitive to insulin during the day and more resistant to it at night. That means eating too much food at night leads to excess levels of insulin and other fat-storing hormones in the blood at the time of day when your body is designed to burn stored body fat. A pattern of overeating at night also strains your pancreas by forcing it to produce more insulin to reduce blood glucose levels.


Should you try intermittent fasting for weight loss and better health? 

Consuming most of your calories earlier in the day may help you lose weight or not gain weight as easily as you age. One study divided 93 women into two different meal plans with the same number of calories for 12 weeks.  Women who ate most of their calories at breakfast and lunch and had a small dinner lost nearly three times as much weight as those who consumed the most food at lunch and dinner.

In a recent study of overweight women with an average age of 40, researchers found not eating within two hours of bedtime or consuming all food within an 11-hour period every day (often called time-restricted eating) were associated with a lower overall calorie intake. Eating less at night, when your body is getting ready to sleep, can also help you get more rest. Adequate sleep is linked to easier weight control.

woman eating popcorn with remote control for TV in her hand

Eating less, or not at all, after dinner may be the ticket to easier weight control.

A no diet approach to weight control 

Some people can eat at any time of day without consequence, but most cannot. If you’re struggling with snacking too much after dinner, here are some helpful tips that don’t involve drastic dieting:

• Include enough protein at every meal. Protein is filling and can decrease nighttime noshing.

• Eat 1/4 to 1/2 of your current nighttime snack. You will probably wake up hungry and be more likely to eat balanced meals throughout the day, which will help decrease nighttime hunger.

• Don’t eat in front of a screen or while reading. Mindful eating is important for knowing when you’ve had enough food. Sit at a table when snacking.

• Focus on non-food activities away from the kitchen.

woman thinking

 

 

Should You Try Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss and Better Health? 

Alarm clock and coffee cup with saucer.

Surprise! You fast every day.

Are you tired of restrictive diets that you can’t stick with? Wondering if you should try intermittent fasting for weight loss and better health? Read on to weigh the pros and cons.


Read: Why eating less at night may be good for your heart


What is Intermittent Fasting?

Fasting is going without food. While that may sound drastic, consider that you fast every day while you’re asleep and between meals!

Intermittent fasting (IF) limits when you eat, not what you eat. IF is not a diet. It’s an eating pattern without the calorie-counting. 

There are several types of IF, including:

• Fasting every other day of the week.  

• The 5:2 plan: Eat as usual on five days of the week. Limit calories to 25% of your needs (for example, 500 calories on a 2000-calorie a day eating plan) on two non-consecutive days, such as Monday and Thursday.

• Time-Restricted Eating (TRE) limits food intake for at least 12 hours, and for as long as 20 hours, every day.  For example, you can choose to eat all your food from 10 AM to 6 PM, or during any other time frame that works for you.

Researchs suggests intermittent fasting for weight loss and better health is promising. TRE is the least restrictive and most adaptable form of IF, and it makes the most sense for people with a busy lifestyle. However, no type of IF is suitable for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with eating disorders, and some people with diabetes.


 Read: An RD’s experience with intermittent fasting


Grilled salmon with sauce and steamed vegetables.

Feeling satisfied is key to maintaining a healthy eating plan.

Should You Try Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss?  

While I’m a fan of TRE, evidence suggests that this, or any, form of IF is no better than eating fewer calories in the long term. A recent study showed that following the 5:2 eating pattern for six months helped people lose more weight than those who simply cut 500 calories from their typical eating plan. However, by 12 months, those on the reduced-calorie plan had maintained their weight loss, while the other group had not.

It’s important to choose a type of IF that works for you and that’s sustainable in the long run. TRE can jump-start your intentions to eat better, and may reduce feelings of dietary deprivation.

In one study, overweight people who reduced their eating window from about 15 hours a day to 10 to 11 hours daily for 16 weeks lost weight, and reported higher energy levels and better sleep. Even though they weren’t asked to restrict calories, participants ate less without feeling deprived.


Get the real story about the health effects of eating dinner late at night


 

Woman sleeping under white comforter.

Pro tip: Spend most of your fasting time asleep.

 

In another study, a group of overweight people who ate only from 10 AM to 6 PM consumed an average of 350 fewer calories and lost about 3% of their body weight. They also lowered their blood pressure.  Study subjects were not asked to limit calorie intake.

TRE and other forms of IF may help with modest calorie restriction, but fasting is not a magic bullet for weight control. Whether or not time-restricted eating actually decreases the amount of food consumed varies from person to person.

Intermittent Fasting Helps Prevent Diabetes 

Chances are, you can reap health benefits from IF simply by changing when you eat most of your calories. Here’s why.

IF improves the body’s response to insulin.  Insulin is the hormone produced in the pancreas that is necessary for cells to absorb glucose, which is used for energy. Insulin levels are lower when fasting, an ideal situation to prevent insulin resistance.

In insulin resistance, blood glucose levels are elevated. High insulin levels trigger the pancreas to produce more insulin to try to get glucose into cells. As time goes on, the pancreas’ ability to churn out insulin declines, leading to prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes and contributing to the risk for heart disease and cancer.

 

Breakfast foods

Pay attention to portions and the quality of foods you choose with intermittent fasting.

 

In addition, TRE plans that limit food consumption to daytime coordinate best with our natural body rhythms, which may help foster good health. That’s because insulin production is higher during the day than at night.

Even without weight loss, limiting food intake to eight hours and fasting from 3 PM on every day for five weeks decreased insulin levels, reduced insulin resistance, and improved blood pressure in overweight men with prediabetes.


Read: Eating later in the day can be bad for your waistline and your health


Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 40

Women may notice that it’s not as easy to control their weight after age 40. As we age, we lose muscle tissue that burns more calories than fat. In addition, we may become less active, which also burns fewer calories. At some point after age 40, most women begin the transition to menopause called perimenopause.  Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause, which typically occurs after age 50 in most women. 

During perimenopause, estrogen fluctuates as it begins to decline for good.  Weight gain is one of the side effects of a loss of estrogen and aging in general (men tend to gain weight, too!). Most women accumulate belly fat during the menopause transition, and after menopause occurs, and it’s often a source of consternation. 

Weight control, including IF, is a topic covered in great depth in The Menopause Diet Plan, A Natural Guide to Managing Hormones, Health, and Happiness, that I have co-authored with Hillary Wright, M.Ed, RDN. Depending on the type, intermittent fasting may be a good strategy for healthy eating for women after age 40 and age 50. We favor TRE for women because we think it’s the best way to meet their needs and maintain a busy schedule that may also include eating dinner with family every night, juggling household duties, and holding down demanding jobs. 

How to Try Time Restricted Eating

• Be consistent.  Choose an eating/fasting pattern that works for you and stick to it every day, including on weekends. Start by limiting food intake to 12 hours daily, and try to stop eating by 6 or 7 PM. If you want, gradually decrease your eating window to eight hours with 16 hours of fasting daily.

• Eat a balanced diet. Plan your food intake to include adequate amounts of nutritious foods, and limit added sugar. Eat three satisfying meals daily to avoid excessive snacking, also known as “grazing”.  Grazing is linked to a higher body mass index in women and a poorer quality diet in women and men. 

• Remember that moderation counts. IF doesn’t involve calorie-counting, but if you use your eating window as a free-for-all, you’re missing the point. You can eat whatever you want, but maybe not as much as you want. 

• Focus on calorie-free fluids. Water, black coffee and tea, and other calorie-free beverages are OK at any time.

Pizza with greens on top.

All foods fit on any intermittent fasting program, but moderation counts, too.

should you try intermittent fasting for weight loss and better health?

No-Diet Tips for Weight Loss

Just thinking about what to eat to lose weight can be overwhelming. The good news is that you don’t have to try so hard!  These three delicious no-diet tips for weight loss will put you on track for easier weight control, and you won’t feel deprived.

Peanut butter smoothie bowl topped with fresh raspberries, bananas, and chopped peanuts.

Peanut Butter, Raspberry, and Oats Smoothie Bowl from Expect the Best, Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During and After Pregnancy.

No-Diet Tip #1: Eat breakfast

Breakfast is an opportunity to include the nutrients you need. The energy it provides helps to jump-start the body and brain after sleep.

I talk here about how studies suggest that eating the morning meal does not guarantee better weight control, and it may seem like I am contradicting myself by suggesting breakfast. However, the research about breakfast and weight loss is inconclusive.

You may skip breakfast because you’re not hungry in the morning. Maybe you’re not hungry in the morning because you ate too much before going to bed. Eating more regularly throughout the day, starting in the morning, may prevent overeating at night and may decrease your calorie intake overall.

Many people don’t like traditional “breakfast” foods. Not a problem. Any food eaten in the morning counts as breakfast.  Your A.M. meal just needs to be balanced and nutritious and include enough protein, found in foods such as dairy, eggs, and beans.

You don’t have to eat breakfast all at once. It’s OK to divide up the morning into two smaller meals.

No-Diet Tip #2: Switch to whole grains

I  wrote about a study that showed swapping whole grains for the refined kind burns calories and boosts metabolism.  What a gift! You eat delicious whole grains, and you burn calories!

no added sugar fruit and nut quick bread is healthy and delicious

This No-Added Sugar Fruit and Nut Quick Bread is packed with whole grains and nuts. Get the recipe here.

It’s easier than you think to include more whole grains in your eating plan.

For example, instead of white bread, have whole grain. Enjoy oatmeal for breakfast in place of a highly refined cereal. Experiment with whole grains such as freekeh or farro. Munch on popcorn instead of chips.

No-Diet Tip #3: Include nuts for better health

Studies show that nuts often have fewer calories than what’s on the Nutrient Facts label.  That’s good reason to include them as snacks, and in other ways.

Research has found that whole roasted almonds have 25% fewer calories than what is listed on food labels; walnuts supply 21% fewer calories; and pistachios also contain fewer calories than what the label says.  It stands to reason the same goes for peanuts, too.

peanuts, walnuts, and pistachios

Skip the chips, cookies, and candy. Reach for delicious and nutritious nuts!

One ounce of nuts is an excellent substitution for the same amount of snack chips, pretzels, or crackers.

In addition to having fewer calories, nuts provide protein, heart-healthy fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.  Phytonutrients are powerful plant compounds that protect your cells.

Include nuts in salads, homemade trail mix, and in smoothies.

Bottom line: No-diet weight loss tips

Simple changes can help you to lose weight and keep it off.  Making a few small tweaks to your eating plan promotes eating satisfaction. In addition, including more healthy food choices in your diet provides you with the nutrients you need to support health.

Why You’re Exercising But Not Losing Weight

Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do not a punishment for what you ate. Does this sound familiar? You rely on regular exercise to torch the calories in that second margarita, the snack chips you nibble while watching TV, or the pint of ice cream you pick at while standing at the kitchen counter, but you haven’t shed a pound.  Here are some reasons why you’re exercising but not losing weight.


Read more about why all movement adds up to something good!


You give exercise too much credit for weight control 

Weight control is a balancing act, and exercise probably doesn’t burn as many calories as you think.

When you feel entitled to splurge because you’ve worked out, think about this: it can take less than a minute to eat back the calories burned on a 30-minute run or in a 45-minute exercise class.

According to the American Cancer Society’s Exercise Counts Calculator, a 150-pound person burns about 150 calories walking briskly for 30 minutes. That’s about the same number of calories found in:

• 6 ounces of white wine

• 5 chocolate creme sandwich cookies

• about 1/2 cup of soft serve vanilla frozen yogurt

I’m not a fan of the calories in vs. calories out approach to weight control for several reasons. It can make exercise seem like punishment for eating.

However, you could try cutting back on treats like sweets, chips, and alcohol for better balance. Research suggests that eating less probably has a greater effect than exercise alone on body weight.

woman or girl measuring herself with a measuring tape

Photo by Public Domain Pictures on Pexels.com


Exercise slows the effects of aging


You work out too hard.

When I was much younger, I ran a lot more than I do now, and I used exercise to justify my overeating. As a result, I was puzzled about why I didn’t weigh less (duh!).

Research suggests what I’ve learned through experience: intense exercise can overstimulate your appetite, and lead you to believe that you can reward yourself with extra food. In addition, you may move around less during after an intense workout, which decreases your daily overall calorie burn.

image of a woman in track suit ready to run a race.

Photo by Gratisography on Pexels.com

 

The solution is to take it down a notch or two. Find activities that raise your heart rate but not your appetite, such as brisk walking, kickboxing, and shorter runs.

Include at least two weekly sessions of resistance training, such as weight lifting, to preserve and build muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Generally speaking, moderate resistance training won’t make you ravenous.


Why walking is good exercise


Why exercise is so good for your body

Now you know why you’re exercising but not losing weight. However, don’t walk, run, or do yoga just for weight control.

Of all the lifestyle habits to develop and maintain, regular exercise is one of the best, if only because it reduces the risk for 13 types of cancer.

The real beauty of exercise is that everyone can benefit from it, no matter how much they weigh.

It’s never too late to benefit from adding exercise to your routine, and it may help you live longer, and better.


New study shows how exercise may alter gut health for the better


pinterest image of a woman in track suit ready to run a race.

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