Most people understand that the food choices and calorie balance are both important considerations when planning a weight loss strategy. In fact these are often the only lifestyle changes made in some weight loss diets. Little attention is given to the timing of meals and their sizes because most people in daily life are conditioned to conform to the three basic set meals. Weight loss strategies often involve simply reducing the quantity of food eaten at these three meals. However, animal models indicate that the timing of meals in relation to the lighting provided to cages has an affect on the body weight, body temperature and energy expenditure of the animals. Meal timing and size is important because the metabolic needs of the tissues changes throughout the day and also varies with the exercise demands placed upon them.
Research published in the Journal of Nutrition in 19971 measured the weight loss and fat free mass in healthy women taking regular exercise. The women were given 70 % of their daily calories in one meal in either the AM or the PM. The researchers found that the weight loss and fat-free mass were affected by the timing of the meal. The AM meal pattern (0800-0830) resulted in a greater weight loss than the PM meal pattern (2000‑2030), but the weight loss was primarily attributed to fat-free mass. The loss of fat‑free mass in 6 weeks for the AM meal pattern was 1.28 kg compared to 0.25 kg in the PM meal pattern. However, there was no significant effect of meal timing on fat loss. Larger meals in the PM may therefore preserve fat-free mass on weight loss diets.
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