2 years, 3 months ago-
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I’ve just attended a presentation by Dr. Hollie Raynor from the University of Tennessee which summarized what research has shown to date about the role of meal timing on weight loss and hormone regulation. I want to share the highlights to reinforce the purpose of our own efforts to adhere to the CARE meal timing guidelines (breakfast within an hour of waking, meals every 5 hours, snacks only if it will be longer than that and you are starting to feel hungry).
Some Not-Encouraging Facts
– People are starting to snack (way) more and eat less balanced meals: People reporting to eat all three meals a day has decreased from 75% to 63% while snacking has increased by 5% (this doesn’t sound like a lot until you see the next stat)
– US Adults are “eating around the clock”: there is only 1, 5 hour block of time during the course of a day that the US population is eating <1% of total energy intake (this means that of all food consumed in a day, there is only 1, 5 hour chunk of time that less than 1% of those calories are eaten) – this time is from 1am-6am.
– Humans evolved to eat during daylight hours, matching their natural circadian rhythms – this meant that we used to eat more of our calories in the daylight hours versus evening. However, this pattern is being changed and significantly pushed back. US adults now eat greater than 76% of their total daily intake after noon. They still have greater than 36% of their total intake to eat after 8pm! This isn’t part of evolution; this is self-imposed new dietary patterns.
The Mechanism Involved
– Our natural circadian rhythms are controlled by a master ‘biological clock’. We also have what are known as ‘peripheral oscillators’ (secondary systems that influence appetite, hormone regulation, and blood sugar control) throughout our bodies including in our digestive system, kidneys, and liver. Ideally, our biological clock is in sync with these peripheral oscillators. When this happens, we have better weight management and blood sugar/hormone (insulin and ghrelin) control.
– When these are out of sync, our risk factors increase. These include sleep disorders, poor weight management, and increased risk of cancer and diabetes.
What to Do
– Adhere to CARE meal timing guidelines: in pilot studies that are exploring these connections, they consistently find that those who eat balanced throughout the day, beginning with a full meal within one hour of waking and keeping meal size consistent versus having a larger dinner, have better weight loss, better insulin and glucose control, and better hunger regulation through control of ghrelin (the ‘hunger hormone’)
– Avoid eating large meals in the evening: when you first get started in CARE, if eating earlier in the day doesn’t sound good contact me for support and possibly scheduling an individual consultation to discuss strategies.
– Avoid excess snacking: Metabolically, our bodies do better without constant eating/snacking. Snacks can be important if used purposefully and if portioned are maintained. Also, if you have strong desires to snack, its an opportunity to explore the root cause (are meals not properly balanced? is it a stress response/habit? are you tired?)
The Benefits
– In these pilot studies where individuals ate balanced meals and were able to ‘resync’ their biological clocks to their periphery oscillators, those that avoided their largest meal at night lost weight at a faster rate, had better glucose/insulin control, and improved their sleep efficiency and regularity. This means that even if they didn’t sleep longer, the quality improved and the regularity of wake/sleep times improved.
Please Note: This summary doesn’t include implications for shift workers.
Questions or comments?
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@What interesting information! It sounds like the idea of grazing all day may not be so good for us after all?
I’m just going to toss out my eating schedule and see where it lands.
I usually eat breakfast about 7 am. I have 3 dogs and they get me up anywhere from 4 am – 6 am (and occasionally get me up a couple of times during the night which really messes with sleep). I don’t like to eat earlier than 7 am because it throws off my eating schedule for the day so there are days when I am up much longer than an hour before I eat breakfast.
Mornings are typically reserved for my workouts which last between 1 and 2 hours. I have lunch between 11:30 and 12 on a typical day. Lunch is always my largest meal.
Cravings to eat start about 2 pm which doesn’t make any sense as I have had a larger lunch. I also feel very tired by about 2 probably because my workouts are pretty vigorous. My husband and I eat dinner around 5-5:30 usually. I do not snack at night nor do I have any food cravings after dinner. Nighttime snacking has never been an issue for me for which I am thankful. I journal what I eat and how much I eat in a Fitbit app so I can see if I am on track with my daily calorie goal of 1300-1400 calories.
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Sheryl- Thanks for sharing this post. Given that you do have a vigorous workout schedule, I would recommend you consider the additional snack requirements around extended activity found in Core CARE Step 8: Physical Activity.
There is an important recovery time for nutrition known as the “metabolic window” which starts immediately after strenuous activity and continues for 30 minutes. It can be very beneficial to have a denser carbohydrate snack in this window to replenish glycogen. In CARE Step 8 there is a longer explanation of this along with specific snack ideas.
Happy to answer any questions that come up. I hope this is helpful and remember to explore the additional materials when it feels complementary and not overwhelming!
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