Weight loss: The best time to eat your meals to shed kilos

Also read: These foods could be harming your child's dental health https://thetimesofindia.online/life-style/parenting/toddler-year-and-beyond/these-foods-could-be-harming-your-childs-dental-health/photostory/89524085.cms The desire to lose weight is so common that diet plans and exercise regimes are flooding the internet, another one each second. The focus on what to do, what not to do, what to eat and what not to eat is so much that it has overshadowed all other aspects that aid weight loss. The urge to lose weight quickly makes people resort to instantaneous methods that deliver short-lived results. The first and foremost thing to remember is that quick results are often short-lived and in order to lose weight while maintaining a good health, one has to develop and stick to a lifestyle and not a one month regime that plays between extremes.

In addition to what to eat, it is also important to know when to eat. The time of eating is equally important and plays an important role in regulating digestion and metabolism. Here is how you can build a sustainable lifestyle that will help you lose weight while maintaining your health.

Most of us have the urge to eat something in the middle of the night or during the day. These cravings call for snacks and research has shown that the best time for snacking is 9:30 in the morning or 11 in the morning. 3 AM also tops the list and it is during these hours that our will power is at its lowest. Having snacks ta this time or anytime between meals when one feels hungry is important in order satiate oneself but the nutrient content of these snacks should be proper and balanced. High in fiber, protein and a low content of carbohydrates will ensure good health and no weight gain. Lack of snacking and long intervals of not eating in between meals can lead to overeating during meals and increased cravings.

Skipping meals is not about eating less but more about a poor metabolism and increased cravings. Skipping breakfast leads to overeating during other meals and a slowed down metabolism. Skipping lunch and dinner have also been associated with gained weight and studies done at Osaka University have shown that men and women who skipped dinner were observed to be heavy drinkers and smokers.

The first and most important rule of losing weight is to maintain a calorie deficit. Burning more calories than one consumes is the first condition that enables weight loss. Eating more than you burn leads to that food being stored as fat in the body and instead of being used up for energy purposes, it adds to body weight. Over eating therefore, is a strict no-no and exercise is indispensable.

It is quite impractical to want to have a strict routine where everything is governed by the clock. However, it is important to keep in mind that eating breakfast within an hour of waking up is healthy and much needed. Lunch should not be very late in the evening and should mostly be in between 1:30 and 2 PM. Having dinner around 6 PM is the ideal time but a delay or advance of half an hour is excusable. Timing your meals is extremely important to ensure optimum health and fitness.