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Last Updated: Feb 14, 2020
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Can Simply Changing Your Meal Times Help You Lose More Weight?

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Dt. Smriti BhalotiaDietitian/Nutritionist • 6 Years Exp.Clinical Nutritionist
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According to a mice study done by Prof Satchidananda Panda from the world-famous Salk Institute in California, mice who were only allowed to eat within an eight-hour period were slimmer and healthier compared to the mice allowed to eat whenever they wanted. Similar study can work for humans also.

According to a recent study of intermittent fasting diets, changing meal times will help a person to lose weight effectively. Intermittent fasting is a form of diet that encourages people to lose weight by burning body fats and converting them into energy. Altering the meal time will affect the weight and metabolism of the body and help in improving the overall health of the person.

With an intermittent fasting diet, dieters can only eat for specific hours every day. This time-restricted diet will help you lose weight without starving. For example, eating an early dinner is a lot better than skipping dinner.

Scheduling the diet is one of the first steps towards an intermittent fasting diet.

How Many Hours Apart Should You Eat to Lose Weight?

According to Dr. Johnston and his team, people who modified their meal time for 1.5 hours lost more excess body fat than those who followed their regular meal time. This study suggests that having a proper meal plan will help a person lose and maintain weight easily.

According to one study, late lunch eaters (after 3:00pm) will lose less weight compared to early eaters. This rule is applied for breakfast and dinner as well.

According to another study, restricting meal time within 6:00 am to 7:00 pm will help to reduce calories by 244. Due to smaller gaps between the meals, a person tends to eat fewer calories. This also increases the overnight fast time and increases fat loss as the body has a lot of time to reach ketosis state, where the body uses fat as a form of energy.

Should I Eat Every 3 Hours to Lose Weight? According to fitness expert Jorge Cruise, eating a small and balanced diet in every 3 hours will potentially boost the body to burn the fat. He suggested that the key rule to reduce weight is to eat food which makes you feel full, but are low in calories. One should have meals with an average of 400 calories, a snack with 100 calories, and a dessert with 50 calories. 1,450 calories per day will help a person reduce 10 pounds in the first week. Is It Healthy to Eat One Meal a Day? Eating a meal per day plan increases the weight loss process by restricting the time during which a person eats and the number of meals he/she eats in a day. This type of diet is also referred to as caloric restriction in which a person reduces calories without compromising the nutritional content that the body needs to maintain a healthy weight. How Many Times a Day Should I Eat to Lose Weight? According to Jorge Cruise, one should eat at least 5 times a day. He further suggested that a person should eat breakfast within 1 hour of rising, take a portion-sized meal 3 hours after that, and stop eating 3 hours before bedtime. What Happens If You Only Eat 500 Calories a Day? Eating 500 calories a day is not a healthy diet. Consuming less than 1200 calories per day will make your body assume that there is a food storage. This will cause the body to go into a state of “starvation”. In this case, the metabolism of the body slows down and converse the energy. Final Words Skipping a meal is not at all a better option. Instead of skipping a whole meal, try to convert it into small portion meals and eat at least 5 times a day during a course of every 3 hours. Schedule your meal time prior to 1.5 hours of regular meal time. This will help to reduce weight and a person feels healthier. These facts and studies are beneficial; however, it is always advisable to consult a dietician before opting for any eating patterns.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult a specialist & get answers to your questions!
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