Experts believe that eating low calorie fruits, low-calorie vegetables and other healthy, low-calorie foods is more important than restricting what time you eat.
Researchers in a new study noted that time restrictions can cause overeating at certain times of the day. They then deduced that calorie reduction is more important than restricting what time you eat when it comes to weight loss.
In this article, we will know whether you can lose weight just by watching what you eat. We will also take a look at a healthy weight loss.
Want to Lose Weight? Watch What You Eat!
According to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, reducing the number of calories you eat may be more effective when it comes to losing weight, rather than restricting what time you eat.
For instance, 139 obese study participants were given a calorie-restricted diet: women consumed 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day, while men consumed between 1,500 and 1,800 calories.
Half of the participants were told to follow 16/8 intermittent fasting, a time-restricted eating pattern wherein there are only allowed to eat for 8 hours and fast for 16 hours.
Those that are in the calorie restriction group experienced a 14-pound weight loss, on average, while those in the time restriction group lost an average of 18 pounds over the 1-year study period.
The study authors however did not observe significant differences between the two groups.
Focus on What You Eat, Instead of When
Being mindful of what you are eating, instead of when you eat, can be an effective weight loss strategy.
The food you eat really matters when it comes to weight management. Eating low calorie fruits, low-calorie vegetables, and other weight loss friendly foods is key to reducing calorie intake. It is highly important that you focus on the quality of food you consume.
What’s more, focusing on what you eat is more sustainable than restricting your eating time.
How About Time-Restricted Eating?
Time-restricted eating is not so bad at all. It has also become a popular dieting trend for a reason. It has been thought to aid in weight loss.
It also supports weight loss by reducing the number of hours in the day that you eat. This can also reduce chronic inflammation and improve blood sugar.
What’s also beautiful about restricting “when” you eat is that it doesn’t matter if you’re 100% vegan, keto, or paleo; it can still cause weight loss, especially when combined with portion control.
However, calorie reduction is not guaranteed in time-restricted eating. In fact, time-restricted eating may only lead to eating disorders, such as binge-eating disorder, which may only increase calorie consumption.
A Healthy Weight Loss
A healthy weight loss is one that you can stick to in the long term, based on long-term changes to the way you eat, move, and even think.
Many healthcare professionals recommend aiming to lose no more than 2 lbs per week.
7 Simple Ways to Win Your Battle with Weight Loss
- Don’t skip a protein-rich breakfast. Eating a protein-rich breakfast can help set you up for the day. It can help keep you feeling full, which may reduce your food intake during the next meal.
- Choose weight loss-friendly foods. Weight loss-friendly foods include beans, fish, pureed vegetables, nuts, yogurt, and dark chocolate.
- Control your portion sizes. Watching what you eat is an excellent weight loss strategy, but eating excessive amounts of any weight loss food can sabotage your weight loss efforts. Make sure to control your portion sizes as well.
- Listen to your hunger. Don’t stop eating until you’re full; stop until you are not hungry anymore. Learn to listen to your hunger.
- Exercise moderately. Regular, moderate exercise is no doubt a great complementation of watching what you eat to lose weight. Moderate exercise includes walking, jogging, and cycling. These activities can help improve metabolism and increase fat burning.
- Drink plenty of water. Drinking a glass of water before meals can help reduce your food intake by keeping you feel full.
- Plan your meals. Meal planning can help save your time thinking about what to cook and eat. Plus, it also reduces your chance of eating unhealthy foods.
Conclusion
Weight loss efforts go beyond being mindful of what you eat. It requires hard work, perseverance, and patience. You need to eat a protein-rich breakfast, eat weight loss-friendly foods, establish portion control, listen to your hunger, exercise moderately, drink plenty of water, and plan your meals.
Basically, you can’t expect to lose some extra pounds just by watching what you eat. You also need to watch your portion sizes and follow a regular exercise program. Combined together, these efforts can help create a calorie deficit, which can eventually lead to weight loss. Creating a calorie deficit means burning more calories than you consume.
Take note that the key to success in a long-term healthy weight journey is staying motivated.
