Could You Lose More Weight By Simply Eating “By the Clock”?

Weight loss isn’t just about what you eat, or how much, but when you eat can give you a kick in the right direction too. Studies have shown that eating ‘by the clock’ is a no-extra-willpower-required way to help you lose more pounds, boost your overall wellbeing and satisfaction and stick with your weight-loss plan for the long haul. Your dieting success can increase by 29% if you work with your body’s natural rhythms and wellness needs.

Firstly, there’s plenty of evidence that those who eat breakfast are slimmer, so make sure you start the day the right way and include some protein in there somewhere. If possible, your biggest meal of the day should be at lunchtime, but dinner should still be satisfying with chunky, filling foods like salads, cooked and raw veggies, and veggie-packed soups, stews, stir-fries and casseroles.

You can also lose weight by making meals last longer, as this boosts the release of the appetite-satisfaction hormones that help you feel full. If you spend 30 minutes eating a bowl of ice cream, this increases your ‘feeling fuller’ peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1 hormones by 25-30%, than if you just wolf it down in five minutes. These hormones also remain elevated for the next 2 1/2 hours if you eat slowly, so linger over your meals. Try putting down your fork between bites, making conversation, listening to music while you eat or just taking in the view from your dining-room window. However, avoid the TV as you will benefit more if you eat mindfully and savour every bite!

Surprisingly, taking a break from your weight loss diet every now and then could actually help you stick with it long-term. Studies have shown that taking time off from a diet leads to the same amount of weight loss as if you’d dieted continuously, because knowing you’ll get a break soon makes it easier to resist temptation today.

So take the weekend off, declare a no-diet day once a month in the middle of the week, or if you’re on a long-term weight loss plan, give yourself a whole week off! Remember, if you are going to indulge, stick to healthy ones such as half an ounce of dark chocolate twice a day or your favourite fruit, and remember to stay with main dishes than are based on vegetables and lean protein.