Fasting, eating earlier in the day or eating fewer meals – what works best for weight loss?

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referencing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and specific cancer types.

and prioritising healthy food.

Compared three weight-loss methods, to see if one achieved more weight loss than the others:

• Changing the way calories are distributed throughout the day – consuming more calories earlier rather than later in the day.
• eating fewer meals
• intermittent fasting.

We looked at information from 29 clinical trials that included about 2,500 individuals.

We discovered that over 12 weeks or more, the three methods led to similar weight loss: 1.4–1.8 kilograms.

So if you're after losing weight, choose a method that suits you and fits in with your lifestyle.

(in Australian English, "feed" is a common slang term for "meal")

Our body struggles to cope with the hormone insulin. This can lead to weight gain, exhaustion, and heighten the risk of various long-term health conditions like diabetes.

This means your body isn't as good at turning food into energy, managing sugar levels in the blood and storing fat properly.

metabolic function.

However, this might not be the case for everyone. Some people naturally have an evening "chronotype", meaning they feel more alert and are generally better able to concentrate later in the day.

It's attributed to a combination of factors, including genetics, an increased likelihood of having a poorer diet all round and higher levels of hunger hormones.

Eating fewer meals

ideal?

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On average, eating three meals a day is a healthier option than grazing six times a day. Simply cut out the extra snacks and stick to breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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Throughout the day. But more long-term studies are required.

Fasting, or time-restricted eating

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time-restricted eating may result in weight loss and a boost to one's metabolic rate. However, the available scientific evidence for humans, particularly regarding long-term outcomes, is still somewhat limited.

It's also unclear if the benefits of time-restricted eating come from the timing itself or because people end up eating less overall. When we looked at studies where participants ate freely (with no intentional calorie limits) but stuck to an eight-hour daily eating window, they naturally ate about 200 fewer calories per day.

What will suit you?

In the past, health practitioners have thought of shedding kilos as a simple equation of calories eaten, minus calories burned. But factors such as how we spread out our chews across the day, how often we nibble and whether we eat late at night can also influence our metabolic rate, weight and wellbeing.

4. Taking regular breaks to get up and move around if you have a desk job.

• looking to only consume food within a duration of eight hours
• Having your first two meals separately, having a hearty breakfast and giving lunch a go
• choosing to eat three meals a day rather than six.

It's really important to improve the quality of your diet to avoid putting on weight and the methods outlined above may also be beneficial.

We've still got a lot to learn about these eating habits. Many existing studies are short-term and on a small scale, so it can be tough to draw direct comparisons.

More research is being done, including big studies with bigger groups of people, with lots of different people involved and carried out in a consistent way. So hopefully, future studies will help us figure out how changing our eating habits can lead to better health.

In addition to her academic position, Hayley O'Neill also works as a wellness consultant.

I'm sorry, there's no text to paraphrase.