Eating Late Without Gaining Weight

We already know that watching what you eat leads to weight loss. Now, it looks like watching when you eat plays a part as well. According to new research from Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, getting tiny is all about timing.

"This is the first large-scale prospective study to demonstrate that the timing of meals predicts weight-loss effectiveness," said senior study author, Frank Scheer, PhD, MSc.

Scheer and his colleagues divided 420 overweight study participants into two groups: late-eaters, who ate their biggest meal after 3pm, and early-eaters, who ate before 3pm.

"Our results indicate that late-eaters displayed a slower weight-loss rate and lost significantly less weight than the early-eaters, suggesting that the timing of large meals could be an important factor in a weight loss program," said Scheer.

Apparently, breakfast was the one link that all the late-eaters had in common, or rather, the missing link. Skipping breakfast, or eating too few calories at a morning meal, can set your body up for failure later in the day. Not only is breakfast the boost you need to rev up your daily engines, it is also proven to help you keep down the calorie count later in the day.

But, we all know what it's like to wake up late and dash out the door without a good meal. And for many of us, life is a bit too roller coaster-esque to time a solid meal before 3pm. So, how can we get the most out of this new research in our busy lives?

Adopting some general guidelines for good eating is essential. The University of California, Los Angeles’s Student Nutrition Action Committee says you should grocery shop with your daily duties in mind. For example, if you know you run late most mornings, hard boil some eggs or stock up on protein bars.

Their second biggest tip is to keep eating throughout the day. "Your body burns calories 24/7. You need to refuel at least every 4‐5 hours," they write.

If dinner is around 6pm, and you don't go to bed before midnight, your body's going to need a snack. As long as it's not right before bedtime, "that late‐night snack will not be considered excess food by your body - unless you eat too much over the course of the whole day."

To help avoid nasty nighttime eating habits, the UCLA committee outlines two key rules for midnight munching:

H.A.L.T.
Ask yourself first: "Am I physically hungry" If so, ask yourself why: "Am I hungry out of Habit? Out of Anxiety? Out of Loneliness? Because I'm Tired? If you answer yes to any of these questions, put down that spoonful of peanut butter and focus your energy elsewhere!

Snack Smart
If you're really hungry at night, it can be a recipe for waistline disaster. In the evening, you've already cooked and those delicious pre-packaged snacks are devilishly tempting. Stop right there! Late night hunger pangs mean your body needs fuel, not empty calories. Snack smart and go for a midnight mini-meal rich in protein, and free of sugars and carbos.

Need suggestions? Here's a few great nighttime snacks that will fill you up with the good stuff, and not weigh you down on the scale!

Rice cakes and peanut butter

A small whole wheat pita spread with hummus

Canned tomato soup

A small dish of low‐fat cottage cheese