Don’t eat after 7:00 PM, intermittent fasting, eat every 2 hours, whole day fasting. Meal timing is a popular topic in nutrition and often misunderstood. Most often, meal timing is used to promote weight loss, but it can be used for weight gain, performance improvement, and even improving our bodies resilience to stress. 

Does meal timing make a difference?

Like many topics in nutrition, it depends on what your aim and goal is. Whether it be losing weight or improving your 5k time, the answer will vary. Since the majority of meal timing methods promise weight loss and to keep this blog from becoming a book, we will focus on the four most popular methods and weight loss. If you are interested in having a custom meal plan developed to achieve your goals, schedule a free consultation to get started with Adam today!

The four popular methods of meal timing

• Not eating after 7:00 PM 

• Intermittent fasting 

• Eating every 2 hours  

• Long-term fasting 

Not eating after 7:00 PM

The Claim - The idea behind this meal timing is that eating after 7:00 PM results in weight gain. This is often tied with our circadian rhythm and that metabolism slows down in the evening to get ready for sleep. 

The Truth - There is no scientific proof that eating after 7:00 PM actually results in weight gain when following a prescribed diet. Compared to other diets, as long as calories are reduced the weight loss remains the same. 

Most Americans eat dinner around 5-6 PM and then they find themselves snacking while watching TV later in the evening. By following the 7:00 PM rule you stop the evening snacking, this reduces your total daily calories. This is great for most people; however, this may not be the case for shift workers or people who wake up later and stay up later than most.

If someone wakes up around 11:00 AM and goes to sleep around midnight, not eating after 7:00 PM may result in them not getting enough nutrients throughout the day. Shift workers on the evening or overnight shift also may have a later dinner time.

What to do instead - Aim to eat your last large meal 2-3 hours before bed or a smaller meal or snack 1 hour before bed. This will help reduce reflux and allow your body to finish digesting your food before trying to sleep resulting in a more restful sleep.

Intermittent fasting

The claim - By not eating for the first few waking hours or last few hours of the day you are forcing your body to use more of its stored calories and lose weight.

The truth - Extending the fasting period can increase use of stored calories however, if you are suppressing your hunger there is a high chance of overeating during the 8-hour eating window. This can actually result in gaining weight. Some people do not feel hungry in the morning and eating early often increases their hunger. In this case, intermittent fasting works well because you are not eating when your body does not feel hungry. There is no scientific proof backing the idea of an 8-hour eating window during the day for weight loss.

What to do instead - Listen to your body's hunger cues (intuitive eating - there will be a future blog on this topic). If you are not hungry in the morning and feel fine until lunch, then do not eat until you are hungry. If you wake up hungry then you should not suppress your hunger and have breakfast. If all you need in the evening is a small meal, then there is no need for a large dinner. 

Eating every 2 hours

The claim - Eating a small meal or snack every 2 hours will keep your metabolism running high and burn more of your stored calories. 

The truth - Eating stimulates the GI system to release enzymes and hormones needed for digestion. However, it will not increase the rate of your metabolism. Eating food is not the same as stoking a fire to keep it burning all day. It works for some people because it keeps them from overeating at one meal. It can also keep some on a schedule when they may otherwise forget to eat (due to work, being busy, etc.) and over consume at the next meal. In both cases it’s a reduction of daily calories that results in the weight loss, not the timing. 

What to do instead - A well balanced meal with fiber, protein, and healthy fats will keep you full and satisfied for 3-4 or more hours. Become familiar with what to look for in a meal to keep you satisfied and full while reducing the overall calories needed for weight loss. If you want to learn more on how to choose a well-balanced meal that’s right for you, schedule your free consultation to get started on your new path to a healthier you!

Long term fasting

The claim - Not eating anything for 24 hours or up to 7 days will result in your body losing weight. 

The truth - Yes, multi day long term fasting does actually work in the short term. You will lose weight but it’s extremely difficult and very dangerous to do on your own without professional supervision. If you have diabetes or any other medical condition, long term fasting can result in serious complications even death. Long term fasting does have a positive side effect on the body of increasing your body’s resilience to stress. However, there are clinics around the world that monitor and supervise people during such a long term fast. 

What to do instead - Work with a dietitian to learn how to make balanced meals and find a meal plan that works best for you and your needs and goals. If you plan to fast for an extended time, get checked and approved by your physician first and connect with a dietitian to work with during the fast to prevent any health complications. 

The final say

Meal timing does have its place and purpose. Oftentimes it is used for ensuring proper recovery for athletes between events. It’s also a great way to prevent heartburn or keep stable blood sugar levels. But for weight loss, meal timing itself has little effect on your results. For some, following a specific meal timing method gets them to eat less total daily calories. For others, it may end up in eating too many calories if the meal timing method works against their lifestyle. 

Meal timing methods, if chosen properly based on your lifestyle, work, social and other factors, may be a great tool to reduce your calorie intake and lose weight. If you are wanting to try a meal timing method best suited for you, schedule a free consultation with Adam to start your path to a healthier you. 

Written by: Adam Skowyra MPPD, RDN, LD