When you eat during the day may have less effect on your long-term weight loss goals than the size and number of meals.
A study published earlier this month in the Journal of the American Heart Association found a positive association between the number and size of daily meals and weight change over a six-year span. The study did not find an association between time-restricted eating and weight loss.
Some weight loss plans involve a level of intermittent fasting, or limiting food intake to specific times of the day and/or fasting for a number of hours or days in a given week. The study results suggest that eating less overall and fewer large meals may be more effective for weight management than restricting meals to a set time window.
“I think intermittent fasting may have its benefits but I don’t know if it’s necessarily the perfect fit for everyone,” said Kim Griffin, a registered dietitian for Metz Culinary Management at Albion College who read the study. “If people want to see long-term weight loss results and health benefits, I try and help them to focus on eating health foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats, no matter when you eat.”
More than 500 participants in the study used a mobile application to record the timing of meals and sleep. Researchers analyzed participant weight and comorbidities going back 10 years and forward 10 months after baseline using electronic health records.
For each logged meal, participants indicated what time they ate and whether the meal was small (less than 500 calories), medium (500-1,000 calories), or large (more than 1,000 calories). Participants were encouraged to use the app as much as possible for the first four weeks and again one week per month for six months.
Time between first and last meal, as well as time from wake up to first meal, last meal to sleep, and total sleep duration were not associated with weight change. However, the daily number of large and medium meals was associated with increased weight, and total number of small meals was associated with decreasing weight.
Researchers said consuming energy early in the day might facilitate weight control, as participants with shorter time from wake up to first meal and with longer time from last meal to sleep appeared to have less weight increase.
While prior studies have suggested intermittent fasting may improve the body’s rhythms and regulate metabolism, the AHA study did not detect this link within its large group of individuals with varying body weights.
Dr. Parag Patel, a family medicine clinician with Corewell Health East, formerly known as Beaumont Health, said intermittent fasting can benefit individuals with high insulin and sugar levels, but it’s not applicable for everyone. Often times, success stories with intermittent fasting are a result of caloric restriction, which can be done in other ways.
“Having smaller meals does change what the person perceives as being full, so over time, by eating smaller meals, you can feel less hungry which allows you to cut down on how much you’re eating,” Patel said. "
More long-term research is needed to better understand the association of time of eating with weight change as it relates to a person’s metabolism.
Griffin and Patel agreed the best way to achieve long-term healthy weight loss involves crafting an individualized meal plan based in healthy foods, in addition to staying physically active, drinking enough water and getting ample rest.
Many people will fixate on unrealistic goals, especially when setting resolutions for a new year. Griffin said those folks are better off establishing healthy choices as their goal rather than the outcome they’re hoping to achieve.
“For example, looking at every meal and every snack as an opportunity to make a healthy choice,” she said. “My philosophy is that all foods can fit. It’s just about making healthy choices and eating small meals frequently throughout the day.”
“Weight loss difficulties are across the board and each individual is unique so it’s hard to generalize,” Patel said. “I think the study is good in that calorie restriction is more effective; it’s just how to get there and maintain it, that’s the key component for each individual.”
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Meal size affects weight loss more than when you eat, study says - MLive.com
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