Which Is The Best Time To Eat Your Meals?

All of you want to stay slim but not all of you want to eat the right food items. According to a research, the key to success lies in the timing of meals. A survey has pinpointed the best times to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner if you want to shed as many pounds as possible. Do you miss your breakfast? How many times have you had your lunch post 3pm? Did you eat your dinner just an hour before sleeping? All these habits matter more than you think. Eating right is not the only solution but the timing of your eating right also has to be accurate. The timing of your meals and snacks can affect:

• metabolic regulation
• body-weight regulation
• management of obesity-related diseases
• sleep cycle

One study showed that late lunch eaters (after 3:00 p.m.) lose less weight than early-eaters. It also found no difference in weight loss for the timing of breakfast and dinner meals. Restricting when you eat to 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. can reduce overall calorie intake by 244, according to another study. This is most likely due to the fact that you eat fewer calories due to less time spent eating. A longer overnight fast can also help with increasing fat loss as your body has time to reach a state of ketosis, which indicates that the body is using fat for energy, says study. After reviewing studies regarding breakfast's impact on weight, the United States Department of Agriculture recommends that people eat a nutrient-rich breakfast to help manage weight and improve overall nutrient intake.

Research suggests that messing with sleep and the body's internal clock can cause you to eat at the wrong times and gain weight. People who slept late consumed almost the same number of calories as compared to the ones who slept on time but the difference lies in the timings of their meals. The late night owls had their meals at the wrong time leading to weight gain. Experts say that the most recommended route to managing your food intake is to have an eating schedule that suits your lifestyle. Keep a journal to keep a tab of your eating habits.

Make it a point to note the perfect meal timings:

BREAKFAST

- Eat within 30 minutes of waking up

- Ideal time to have breakfast is 7 am

LUNCH

- Ideal time to have lunch is 12:45 pm

- Try and keep a gap of 4 hours between your breakfast and lunch

DINNER

- The ideal time to have dinner is before 7 pm

- You should keep a gap of 3 hours between your dinner and bedtime