For geeks only: meal timing affects weight loss

lemurcat12

Some resources:

http://examine.com/faq/does-eating-at-night-make-it-more-likely-to-gain-weight/ (links several studies)

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/nutrient-timing (related to the chart posted above)

mjffey

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/zBx3JZJCKfNBrWgT0Qyj93/the-big-experiment-could-i-lose-fat-just-by-changing-my-meal-times

EvgeniZyntx

joinn68 wrote: »

For a community who so strongly supports the position that "meal timing does not affect weigh loss" I expected more peer reviewed papers supporting that position. I thought I'd be drowned in a review of the literature on that.
Only one person (+me) acknowledged the possibility that our general position might not be 100% correct all the time
Thanks for everyone's input

Then you didn't read my posts then.
I specifically showed that it isn't 100% correct (see the graph), I pointed you to someone who has done the research review.
I also reviewed the review article you posted (which isn't peer reviewed research but a review article).
I also posted the real research that led to that research and identified the issues with it.

Others did too.
Also, it's a topic we've covered in various threads previously.

nordlead2005

mjffey wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/zBx3JZJCKfNBrWgT0Qyj93/the-big-experiment-could-i-lose-fat-just-by-changing-my-meal-times

I think this articles explains itself why it shouldn't be held valid without more information.

(and they weren’t allowed any snacks or drinks after that).

Did they normally not eat snacks or drinks after dinner? If not, they probably created a calorie deficit, as this is a common technique to create a calorie deficit. They are relying on self reporting and nowhere assert that the caloric intake was identical before and after the change in eating time. They ate the same "amounts of food" (supposedly) but that isn't the same thing.

Also, when you have to post an article under a title that is a direct appeal to authority I have to be highly skeptical of it. If it was worthy of standing on its own then the title wouldn't be required.

richln

joinn68 wrote: »

For a community who so strongly supports the position that "meal timing does not affect weigh loss" I expected more peer reviewed papers supporting that position. I thought I'd be drowned in a review of the literature on that.
Only one person (+me) acknowledged the possibility that our general position might not be 100% correct all the time
Thanks for everyone's input

I don't see most of the community saying that timing doesn't affect weight loss, I see them saying that it is a minor variable. Here are some links if you are interested. Most of these are meal frequency studies, not meal timing per se, but you can following the references for more relevant info if you want to wander down the rabbit hole.
http://www.jissn.com/content/11/1/20
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/24/4/465.abstract
http://nutritionreviews.oxfordjournals.org/content/73/2/69
http://advances.nutrition.org/content/5/6/822.abstract
http://nutritionreviews.oxfordjournals.org/content/67/7/379.abstract
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html/
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/07420528709078532

upoffthemat

richln wrote: »

joinn68 wrote: »

For a community who so strongly supports the position that "meal timing does not affect weigh loss" I expected more peer reviewed papers supporting that position. I thought I'd be drowned in a review of the literature on that.
Only one person (+me) acknowledged the possibility that our general position might not be 100% correct all the time
Thanks for everyone's input

I don't see most of the community saying that timing doesn't affect weight loss, I see them saying that it is a minor variable. Here are some links if you are interested. Most of these are meal frequency studies, not meal timing per se, but you can following the references for more relevant info if you want to wander down the rabbit hole.
http://www.jissn.com/content/11/1/20
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/24/4/465.abstract
http://nutritionreviews.oxfordjournals.org/content/73/2/69
http://advances.nutrition.org/content/5/6/822.abstract
http://nutritionreviews.oxfordjournals.org/content/67/7/379.abstract
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html/
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/07420528709078532

Thanks for those resources. It is interesting reading at least, seems a semi common theme is that a lot of the benefits may be psychological for any eating scheme.

WalkingAlong

I think the most quoted research I've seen recommending meal timing is that 78% of successful maintainers in the NWCR eat breakfast.
http://www.nwcr.ws/research/

Not that I think it's causal. I think people who are serious about maintaining a major weight loss are the ones who make plans to achieve that end. And planners would tend toward starting the day with a planned, healthy meal and exercise. Planning breeds success. Procrastinators may put off exercise and eating and put off "getting back on my diet tomorrow".

Which is not saying anyone who does IF is a loser, btw, so please don't chime in with the 'I lost XXX lbs. eating once a day so I guess I did it wrong or am *special* type" comments.

AnvilHead

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494

Lizzypb88

This WORKS!! I'm not kidding- my normal diet involves a medium sized breakfast, 3 tiny snacks during the day and biggest meal is dinner at 6pm... I changed it this week to have breakfast for dinner, and HOLY COW I lost more weight than I have in a few weeks! I think just changing up your diet will jump start your metabolism at least that's what I've read! It worked for me!

juggernaut1974

ebaroldy wrote: »

This WORKS!! I'm not kidding- my normal diet involves a medium sized breakfast, 3 tiny snacks during the day and biggest meal is dinner at 6pm... I changed it this week to have breakfast for dinner, and HOLY COW I lost more weight than I have in a few weeks! I think just changing up your diet will jump start your metabolism at least that's what I've read! It worked for me!

Yes I agree...eating less calories overall does truly jump start your weight loss!!!!!!

CoffeeNCardio

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

ebaroldy wrote: »

This WORKS!! I'm not kidding- my normal diet involves a medium sized breakfast, 3 tiny snacks during the day and biggest meal is dinner at 6pm... I changed it this week to have breakfast for dinner, and HOLY COW I lost more weight than I have in a few weeks! I think just changing up your diet will jump start your metabolism at least that's what I've read! It worked for me!

Yes I agree...eating less calories overall does truly jump start your weight loss!!!!!!

Love