Eating healthy and keeping a balanced diet are important elements of weight loss but if you're eating schedule is off then chances are you are taking longer than normally accepted to cut off the extra pounds.
What is the ideal eating time for weight loss?
Your body works like a clock.
A study done at Harvard shows that however healthy you eat, if you don't consider you circadian rhythm when planning your meal times, chances are you're storing more insulin instead of burning it.
The circadian rhythm refers to physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism's environment. Your body tolerance for insulin reduces by the hour and is an important factor to consider when determining when to have a meal.
It's important to note that not following these rules will not affect you as much unless you're diabetic. However, you're better off adhereing.
Breakfast at 6 am-9 am
Optimise your metabolism by having breakfast before 9 am. Always start your day by drinking a glass of warm water just to wake your body up. Have your starch and protein at this point so as to curb hunger pangs during the day.
Mid morning snack 2- 4hours after breakfast
Your body digests the food that it gets withing the first two hours. After that, you're fasting. Keep your sugar levels balanced by snacking on a fruit or carrot sticks. This will help you maintain your energy levels and remain alert.
Lunch at 12-1pm
To achieve optimal metabolism, it is better to eat most of your calories in the first part of the day. Research shows that people who had their lunch at noon lost weight faster than those who fed at 3pm.
Afternoon snack at 3-4pm
The same rules on midmorning snacks apply.
Dinner at 5-7pm
Usually this timing assumes that you will sleep at about 10pm.It gives your now tired body three hours to digest a meal before you sleep. However, a lot of people find it hard to have dinner before 8pm and thats okay. Just be sure to give your stomach time to digest your meal before hitting the sack. Your body shuts down when you sleep. So giving it time prevents unnecessary storage of fat in the body instead of being digested.
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: news@pulselive.co.ke