A Simple Strategy for Weight Loss
How to lose weight without changing what you eat, supported by science.
Losing weight can be hard. And complicated. There is so much conflicting information, and everyone tells you different things. So what is the best way to lose weight?
I don’t know either. But I do know one simple strategy that is backed by research, and has been shown to be effective for losing weight. This strategy is time-restricted feeding, or eating according to your personal circadian rhythm.
Anahad O’Connor, a New York Times reporter on health, fitness, and nutrition, explains,
“A growing body of research suggests that our bodies function optimally when we align our eating patterns with our circadian rhythms, the innate 24-hour cycles that tell our bodies when to wake up, when to eat and when to fall asleep. Studies show that chronically disrupting this rhythm — by eating late meals or nibbling on midnight snacks, for example — could be a recipe for weight gain and metabolic trouble.”
If you want to read about some other evidence-based strategies for losing weight, you can read this article and this article.
Time-restricted feeding
This is similar to the concept of intermittent fasting. However, it has a bigger focus on specifically when you are eating, rather than reducing calories. It aims to line up your eating patterns with your circadian rhythm, to optimize your health and help you lose weight.
Everyone has a slightly different circadian rhythm, known as a chronotype, and there are many different ways to refer to these differences. Here, I will outline the two main classifications.
Chronotypes
According to the Munich Morningness-Eveningness questionnaire, we are either a morning type or evening type. These are sometimes also referred to as larks and owls.
Morning type
These people wake up early and feel their best in the mornings. They tend to be most productive before lunch time, and get sleepy in the evenings.
Evening type
These people wake up later and can feel groggy until mid morning to afternoon. They are most productive in the afternoons and evenings and often don’t feel sleepy until late at night.
According to Dr. Michael Brues, we are either a dolphin, lion, bear, or wolf. You can take this free quiz to find out which chronotype you fall under.
Dolphin
Often referred to as insomniacs, dolphins have trouble getting to sleep and/or staying asleep. They are subsequently often tired throughout the day, and tend to be anxious people. Their ideal sleep times are 11:30pm-6:30am, and focus best in the late afternoon to early evening.
Lion
The lions are the early risers. They have the most energy and focus in the mornings, and waking up is no problem for them. Their ideal sleep times are 10pm-6am and they focus best from 8am till noon.
Bear
The most common of the chronotypes, the bear rises and sleeps with the sun. Their ideal sleep times are 11pm-7am and their best focus is from 10am-2pm.
Wolf
The wolf is productive around dusk and late into the night. They struggle to wake up early and don’t feel awake until well into the day. Their ideal sleep time is 12am-7:30am and they focus best after 5pm until midnight.
Once you figure out your chronotype, you can start to learn about the best time of day to eat, specifically related to you.
Briefly, here is what is recommended for the chronotypes:
Dolphin: Eat breakfast at 8am — a balance of carbs and protein. Have lunch at 12pm. Have dinner at 7pm.
Lion: Eat breakfast 5:45am — high protein and low carb. You can have a high protein snack around 10am. Have a balanced lunch at 12pm. Have a balanced dinner at 6pm.
Bear: Eat a hearty breakfast at 7:30am with a cup of coffee. Eat lunch at 12pm. Have a high protein dinner at 7pm.
Wolf: Eat breakfast at 11am with a cup of coffee. Have lunch in the mid afternoon (2–3). Have dinner at 8pm.
If you want to read about these in more detail, you can read The Power of When, by Dr. Michael Breus.
A study was conducted to determine the impact of time restricted eating on body weight. The researchers divided mice into two groups — one group could eat whenever they wanted, and the other group was restricted to eating between certain times. Both groups ate the exact same food and the exact same number of calories. However, the mice that could eat whenever they wanted gained more weight and were sicker than the mice eating between certain times.
This study shows the power of when you eat. You can eat the same food and the same calories, but when you eat has a huge impact on the result.
So, something as simple as changing when you eat can have huge results for your health and body weight.
“If you’re overweight or in poor metabolic health, achieving a caloric deficit and eating in sync with your circadian rhythms are effective strategies for improving glycemic control and fighting off chronic obesity and type 2 diabetes.” — Marc Bubbs
But regardless of chronotype, we should aim to eat within an 8–10 hour window, starting in the morning and finishing in the early evening. Eating late at night can actually disrupt our circadian rhythm, which has downstream effects of weight gain and ill health.
“Human metabolism follows a daily rhythm, with our hormones, enzymes and digestive systems primed for food intake in the morning and afternoon. Many people, however, snack and graze from roughly the time they wake up until shortly before they go to bed.” — Anahad O’Connor
Losing weight doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult. You don’t need to give up all the foods you love, or even drastically restrict how much you are eating. Making a simple change of when you eat your meals can have huge benefits for your metabolism, and therefore to your weight.
Implementation
- Determine your circadian rhythm by taking this quiz
- From your result, determine the best times of day to eat
- Eat within an allocated 8–10 hour window each day
- Avoid eating at night
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