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Weight loss can be tied to when, not just what, you eat - CNN article

alpack42
alpack42 Posts: 1 Member
Article talks about research showing that frontloading calories (eat more calories early) may lead to more weight loss. Two groups consuming the same calories lost different amounts of weight - the early eaters lost more. It goes on to talk about how "metabolic circadian rhythms" of the body result in people burning calories at different rates through the day. It says in most cases the body burns calories at a faster rate early compared to later in the day.
So skipping breakfast may be a double whammy. 1) Skipping breakfast increases the likelihood of overeating later in the day and potentially eating less healthy (more sweets, chips, etc.). 2) The body metabolism will burn the calories you consume earlier at a faster rate than the calories consumed later.
If you want to read the article just search on the title of this discussion topic using your favorite search engine.
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Replies

  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    that actually counters some of the recent research I've seen, which showed women who had more of the calories at night, had the same rate of fat loss and someone who front-loaded in the am/spread out during the day - but their lean muscle mass was less than the other groups - I can see if I can find the article
  • allyphoe
    allyphoe Posts: 618 Member
    Actual study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3756673/

    "Further ANOVA analyses were only performed for lunch eaters because this was the only meal timing associated with weight loss." The cutoff was lunch before 3pm versus lunch after 3pm.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    that actually counters some of the recent research I've seen, which showed women who had more of the calories at night, had the same rate of fat loss and someone who front-loaded in the am/spread out during the day - but their lean muscle mass was less than the other groups - I can see if I can find the article

    Oh I'd be interested to see that. That would be one more reason to skip breakfast.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    that actually counters some of the recent research I've seen, which showed women who had more of the calories at night, had the same rate of fat loss and someone who front-loaded in the am/spread out during the day - but their lean muscle mass was less than the other groups - I can see if I can find the article

    Oh I'd be interested to see that. That would be one more reason to skip breakfast.

    let me see if I can find it - someone linked it on the FB group for the RD's I work with - when there was a discussion about is eating after 6pm ok
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    I'd also say - the two articles they cited are from 2013 - which is a huge time gap in research years - would love to see what have been looked at in the intervening time
  • crazyycatladyy1
    crazyycatladyy1 Posts: 156 Member
    I don't eat in the morning. Have had no problem hitting my weight management goals.
  • Penthesilea514
    Penthesilea514 Posts: 1,189 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    There was weight loss in both groups (from the two 2013 studies linked in the article), so I guess pick whichever works best for you and your schedule. All I know is eating breakfast larger than my coffee usually made me hungrier at lunch and dinner and I had a tendency to eat more throughout the day. I am also not super interested in "faster" weight loss, more finding what is sustainable for me in the long run.

    You are going to do very well!

    Thank you! I am trying :)
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    I didn't calorie count or eat breakfast. I still managed to lose and keep it off for over a year now.

    But to be fair I was thin for most of my adult life so I knew how to do it. I didn't eat breakfast when I thin, while I was gaining, while I was losing or now that I'm thin again.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Macy9336 wrote: »
    I think there is something here for people who do not calorie count. I agree if you're calorie counting, it doesn't matter when you eat. But if you're trying to maintain without logging and counting it makes sense that certain eating patterns are more successful than others. For example, they often report that the Mediterranean diet is very healthy...and if you look at these cultures you'll see that dinner is not the largest meal of the day (unless there's a celebration happening). Contrast the full English breakfast with a European breakfast. UK is the "fat man" of Europe so is a large breakfast really a good thing either? So to my mind, these studies have merit because calorie counting isn't for everyone...the vast majority of people simply do not have the discipline.

    One of the major studies that is being discussed is comparing two groups of people in the Mediterranean based on when they eat their lunch.