Are you wondering about what time of day you should eat the bulk of your calories? Does it make a difference? Is it better to eat more of your calories earlier in the day or later? Learn more about it in this post.
TL;DR: “we should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.”
Who knew that losing weight was such a complicated process? You thought you would just make a few changes to what and how much you eat, maybe start exercising and that would be that.
But, no. Not only have food choices become more complicated, but you have to think about the type of exercise you’re going to do, what time of day you exercise and how much sleep you get. Your diet choices range from keto to paleo to low carb to low fat and low calorie.
And now, you are wondering about what time of day you should eat the bulk of your calories. Does it make a difference? Is it better to eat more of your calories earlier in the day or later? What if your daily routine doesn’t allow for a big breakfast, but you can sit down for your main meal in the evening and spend some quality time with your family?
Meal times are an important consideration for weight loss and wellness. But, everyone is an individual with their own set of circumstances and preferences. Your daily routine may be determined by the necessary activities of work and raising a family. Food slots in when you have time. So, don’t be too hard on yourself if you struggle to follow the advice about when you should be eating.
We are all familiar with the internal clock that controls our sleep-wake cycle. If we wake up and go to sleep in sync with this natural rhythm, we feel energised. But if we stay up all night binge-watching our favorite series on Netflix it is a lot more difficult to get going in the morning.
Sleep is not the only thing that is regulated by a circadian rhythm. The term “circadian rhythms” refers to physical, mental and behavioural changes that take place in the body over a 24-hour cycle1. There are natural fluctuations in metabolism, hormone levels, hunger and body temperature throughout the day. The exposure to light and dark has a large impact on the processes in the human body.
As with sleep, a disruption to your body clock can have an impact on your metabolic processes2. If your daily habits are not aligned with your circadian rhythm the result may be metabolic imbalances. Maintaining the fine balance is a collaborative process and timing within cells and tissues.
Many studies have shown that shift workers who habitually work through the night are more likely to develop obesity. They also gain more weight than people who work during daylight hours3. This is an indication that our bodies burn less energy at night than they do during the day.
If you habitually stay awake past the time that your body wants to sleep, you are creating a metabolic imbalance which can make it much more difficult for you to lose weight. If you are eating late at night your body is not as capable of effectively metabolizing that food as it is during the day.
Based on this, it would be better to consume more calories earlier in the day, rather than at night.
To make matters worse, insulin sensitivity declines at night4. That means that the body cannot manage raised blood sugar levels as effectively at night as it can during the day. Any excess sugar in your blood from your late night snack is therefore more likely to be stored as fat than burned for energy.
Again, this indicates that it is better to eat more of your calories earlier in the day, rather than saving them for a big meal in the evening or late night snack.
Adele Davis, a nutritionist, once said that “we should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” Based on recent research on circadian rhythms she was right. But, your mealtimes need to fit into your routine. Do the best you can to eat more during the day, and maybe quit your midnight snack habit. Small habit changes can make a big difference.
