Although afternoon is the lunch hour, but for those who want to shed a few pounds it might well be the dinner hour.
According to the findings of a new study, eating dinner at 2 PM followed by an 18 hour fast may help combat obesity. The findings of a new study suggest that eating the last meal of the day very early, the process scientifically termed as early time restricted feeding (eTRF), bestows a positive effect on metabolism, leading to significant weight loss.
For the purpose of the study, searchers recruited 11 overweight adults. The participants aged between 20-45 years were without any chronic illness.
All participants followed a regular sleep pattern. However, half of the participants followed an 8 AM- 8 PM eating schedule, while the others kept an 8 AM-2 PM eating schedule with no eating until 8 AM next morning.
The exercise pattern and calorie intake of all participants was kept alike.
On the last day of the trial, participants altered their eating pattern and ate three conventional meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner. They then underwent a 24-hour metabolic testing. Findings revealed that their hunger swings and energy metabolism had improved in the participants following the 8 AM-2 PM eating pattern.
“Eating only during a much smaller window of time than people are typically used to may help with weight loss,” Courtney Peterson, PhD, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, study’s lead researcher, concluded.
The findings of the study were presented at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at Obesity Week 2016 in New Orleans, LA.
