The Best Times to Eat for Weight Loss

How and when you eat can impact your health—and your 

weight. Upgrade your eating habits to maximize fat burning 

and keep hunger at bay

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Certainly what we eat has an enormous impact on our health and weight status. But did you know that when and how we eat also make a huge difference? Eating at the appropriate times throughout the day will help to maximize fat burning and keep hunger at bay.

Aim to eat every 3 to 4 hours. Most people eat three meals and one snack, while others may prefer four smaller meals; you're free to find the combination that works best for you. Timing your meals in this way will improve your fat loss by preventing excess insulin, allowing leptin to work its magic on appetite control and metabolism, and by balancing the stress hormone cortisol. You should also enjoy your meals at the same time every day.

Eat within 1 hour of rising. Your mom was also right when she told you breakfast was the most important meal of the day. When you skip breakfast, you lose its stimulating benefits on your metabolic rate. You also become more likely to eat unbalanced meals, more calories, and larger amounts of saturated fat throughout the day. Plenty of research shows that those of us who skip breakfast are actually heavier. Missing out on a healthy morning meal also increases stress hormones.

Never eat within 3 hours of bedtime. Eating too close to bedtime raises your body temperature, increases blood sugar and insulin, prevents the release of melatonin, and cuts down on growth hormone release. All these factors interfere with the quality of your sleep and the natural fat-burning benefits of a good night’s rest. Furthermore, sleep deprivation leads to more cravings and a greater likelihood of overeating the next day.

If you must eat before bed, opt for a light meal or snack that's high in protein and low in carbohydrates and fat, such as a protein shake made with berries and water, salad with grilled chicken, or a shrimp and veggie stir-fry.

Start the day with protein. For better appetite control throughout the day, try combining your starchy carbs at lunch, dinner, or after your workouts rather than at breakfast. Stick to eggs or whey protein smoothies for breakfast and you'll eat less throughout the day.

Always eat within 45 minutes of finishing your workout. This meal or snack is the only one of the day that should not contain much fat and should be higher in carbohydrates. For example, have a smoothie made with juice, fruit, and protein powder, but no flaxseeds or oil.

Never do your weight training on an empty stomach. You will need energy from your foods to perform optimally. You may, however, complete your cardio before eating if your session will be less than 30 minutes.

Focus on your food. Do not eat while you are doing anything else (i.e., watching TV, working, surfing on the computer, etc.). Focus on chewing your food and relaxing while you eat.

Eat protein first. Eat the protein on your plate first to help speed the signal to your brain that you are full.

Drink alcohol last. If you have alcohol or wine, do so after your meal to enhance the hormones involved in appetite control and digestion.

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5 Tips For Timing Your Meals to Maximize Fat Loss

Your mother always told you that breakfast was the most important meal of the day -- but does it matter when you eat it? And what if your dinner time fluctuates wildly from day to day? Does meal timing actually matter? Yes! Eating at the appropriate times throughout the day will help maximize fat burning, avoid hormonal interference and keep hunger at bay. Here are five tips so you can time your meals to maximize your results.

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Start Off on the Right Bite: There's a good reason why I tell patients to eat within one hour of rising. A study from 2005 found evidence that people who skip breakfast compensate later in the day with more refined carbohydrates and fats and fewer fruits and vegetables. Skipping breakfast was also associated with significantly higher fasting cholesterol and impaired insulin sensitivity post-meal.

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Eat Less But More Often: By eating smaller meals more frequently (i.e. approximately every three hours), you will help maintain a steady level of blood sugar throughout the day, which is important. Meal frequency may also have a positive impact on your body composition. One older study found that an increase in meal frequency lowered overall body mass in men and had a positive impact on energy levels through the day in both genders. Another study found that spreading out your food intake into many small meals keeps you fuller, longer during the day and also sustains fat oxidation (a.k.a the use of fat as fuel) at night.

Lunch Early: A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that consuming meals earlier in the day was associated with faster and greater weight loss. Research scientists monitored the eating habits and weight loss success of 420 overweight Spanish participants on a 20-week diet program. Participants consumed about 40 per cent of their daily calories (roughly 550 to 570) at lunch. In the end, the group that ate lunch after 3 p.m. lost an average of 17 pounds compared with a 22 pounds in the early-lunch group. The late lunch eaters consumed fewer calories during breakfast and were more likely to skip breakfast than early eaters, which can cause it's own problems. The late lunch group also had lower insulin sensitivity, a risk factor for diabetes and weight gain in general.

Aim for the Same Dinner Time Daily: An older study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology manipulated "dinner time" for 22 obese and 24 healthy-weight individuals to determine whether eating behavior changed when standard mealtimes were altered. They found that the obese group ate more when they thought they were eating after their regular dinner hour than they did when they thought that they were eating earlier.

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Skip the Sugar, Not the Meal: Skipping a meal entirely causes a blood sugar imbalance and raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn has a host of negative consequences (from increasing belly fat to disrupting insulin receptors). So despite a busy schedule preparation truly is key when it comes to fat loss.

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