"Same Food, Less Weight: The Surprisingly Simple Secret to Losing Pounds"

Eating Earlier Helps Manage Weight
Expert: "Finish Your Meals 2 to 3 Hours Before Bedtime"

A study has found that eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner earlier not only aids with weight loss but may also help regulate blood pressure and maintain satiety.

Generally, our body is more efficient at converting food into energy during the daytime when activity levels are high, so eating at this time increases the opportunity to burn the consumed energy. Getty Images

According to the UK’s Daily Mail on September 16 (local time), researchers in Slovenia reported that when meal times were restricted to between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., participants experienced an average weight loss of around 4.5 kilograms over three months, along with positive changes in body fat and blood sugar levels.

Nutritionist Sophie Medlin explained that distributing more of the day’s caloric intake earlier in the day could have beneficial effects on both weight and cardiovascular health.

Our bodies operate according to a circadian rhythm that takes place over roughly 24 hours. This biological rhythm not only impacts blood sugar regulation and digestion, but also affects hormones that control appetite. Generally, our bodies are more efficient at converting food into energy during the daytime when activity levels are high, so eating at this time increases the opportunity to burn the consumed energy.

A 2022 study from Harvard University actually tested 16 overweight or obese adults, instructing them to consume the same number of calories but varying only their meal times.

Photo is unrelated to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

The early eating group had their first meal around 8 a.m. and dinner at around 4:30 p.m., while the late eating group delayed their first meal until noon and had dinner around 8:30 p.m. In the group that ate later, levels of hormones related to hunger were higher and levels of substances related to satiety were lower.

Some experts have pointed out, however, that these effects may simply result from a reduction in caloric intake due to eating within a shorter window of time.

Medlin emphasized, "We cannot guarantee that eating at a specific time will always prevent overeating or weight gain," but added, "It is important to finish your main meal 2 to 3 hours before going to sleep."

The expert-recommended meal timing is to eat breakfast within 1 to 2 hours after waking up, lunch 4 to 5 hours later, and dinner 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. Under a typical sleep schedule, this would mean breakfast between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., lunch from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

However, experts note that these times may vary based on individual sleep and activity patterns. Above all, it is important not to consume most of your daily caloric intake right before sleep.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.