Tag Archives: #weightloss

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

 

 

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.

Whole Grains Burn Calories, Boost Metabolism

Looking for an easier way to to control your weight? Whole grains could be a game changer, according to findings from a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Simply swapping refined grains (white bread, white rice, and pretzels, etc.) for 100% whole grains encourages the body to burn calories and boost your metabolism. Jackpot!

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More Whole Grains: A Step in the Right Direction

Here’s what’s so exciting about this study.

The group of men and women in the study who replaced refined grains with whole grains took up fewer calories from the food they ate, and burned more calories without exercising more.  Those losses amounted to about 100 calories a day compared to the group who ate refined grains.

A consistent intake of whole grains could help head off unhealthy weight gain that tends to occur with age.  While weight control isn’t a precise science, swapping 100% whole grains for the refined kind could add up to a “savings” of 36,500 calories a year, or the equivalent of about 10 pounds – as long as you don’t increase calorie intake or decrease physical activity.  Balanced diets rich in whole grains also help reduce the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, too, which is nothing to sneeze at!

How to Get More Whole Grains 

Whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and brown rice, contain the entire grain kernel. Whole grains are naturally high in fiber, phytonutrients (beneficial plant compounds) and other nutrients.

Experts suggest making half of the grains you eat whole grains, for a minimum of three servings of whole grains daily. A portion is 1-ounce slice of bread, 1/2 cup cooked grain, or about 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal.

OK, so you’re not totally on board with whole grains, but it may be easier, and more delicious, than you think to get the whole grains you need.  Here’s how to work more whole grains into your eating plan:

• Have oatmeal (I make oats with dairy milk for the calcium, vitamin D, and protein it provides) or a whole grain ready-to-eat cereal such as plain Cheerios or the store brand equivalent with milk and fruit for breakfast, or as a snack.

• Add 1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal to your favorite fruit smoothie recipe.

• Substitute 3/4 cup 100% whole wheat flour for all-purpose white flour in recipes for pancakes, muffins, and quick breads.

• Swap white bread for 100% whole grain bread.  Make sure you see the words whole wheat, oatmeal, or whole oats as one of the first terms in the ingredient list.

• Experiment with whole grains such as farro, freekeh, quinoa, millet, teff, and whole grain barley as side dishes.  Make extra whole grains and add to soups, stews, casseroles, and salads.

• Switch to whole grain cornmeal when making muffins, cornbread, and polenta.

• Make your own trail mix using 1/2 cup whole grain cereal, dried fruit, and nuts.

• Enjoy whole grain crackers instead of highly refined white versions, and whole wheat English muffins instead of a plain bagel.

• Munch on popcorn instead of pretzels or snack chips.  Popcorn is a whole grain!

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• On pizza night, opt for prepared whole wheat crust or whole wheat pizza dough.

• For a sweet treat with a serving of whole grain in every portion, try these no-bake peanut butter cereal bars.

 

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