Meal Timing: Considerations for Weight Loss

Meal timing is important for preventing hunger. Snacks such as cheese are beneficial at preventing unrestrained snacking on sugary foods.

Most people rush to get to work. This means they have little time for breakfast. What breakfast is eaten is often ‘on the go’ or whatever they can consume in the five minutes they allocate to feeding. Then at work, they work hard often taking little time for lunch. The result is that by evening, they are hungry and also tired. The upshot of this situation is a reluctance to spend time cooking healthy foods, and a reliance on convenience alternatives.

Meal Timing For Weight Loss

Scientists have compared the effects of meal timing on weight loss. Generally the results show that those who eat most of their calories early in the day lose more weight than those who eat the majority of their calories in the evening. The old saying ‘eat like a king at breakfast, like a prince at lunch and like a pauper at dinner’ therefore rings true nutritionally. Feeding habits therefore contribute significantly to weight gain and body composition changes.

Snack Attack

Another consideration for poor meal timing is the increased risk of snacking. Those who skip breakfast and lunch are more prone to snack throughout the day. The presence of vending machines and the proximity of fast food outlets often means these snack are unhealthy alternatives that are either high in sugar or salt or both. Snacking throughout the day in such a way is not uncommon in the modern Western office environment.

Don’t Get Hungry

Remember that the number one rule of weight loss is to not get hungry under any circumstances. Missing breakfast is a surefire way to make yourself hungry by midday and ensure a handsome intake of fattening sugar laden snack. Eating a breakfast containing healthy high quality foods such as oats, eggs and whole grain toast is therefore pivotal to maintaining correct blood sugar levels which will prevent snacking.

Healthy Snacks

Let’s face it, buying healthy snacks is hard these days. Most shops sell convenience foods that is high in sugar and salt and low in protein and micronutrients. Therefore if you need to eat at work, it is best to make your own food and take it with you. Being prepared nutritionally is one of the best ways to prevent hunger pangs that could lead to cravings for sugary snacks. Nuts, eggs, fruit, whey protein, milk and cheese make excellent snacks to prevent such a scenario.

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