There is such a proverb: “Eat like a king in the morning, dine like a prince, and in the evening like a beggar”, so you will lose weight more easily. But a study conducted by the University of Aberdeen in Scotland showed that the metabolism of calories is not affected by a large meal eaten later in the day.

However, a study published Sept. 9 in the journal Cell Metabolism found that those who ate their main meal in the morning felt hungrier later in the day, which may help with weight loss.

For the study, scientists recruited healthy adults, 16 men and 14 women, who were overweight or obese, followed a controlled diet and measured their metabolism.

They were randomly assigned to two groups, which received a hearty meal in the morning and in the evening, respectively, for four weeks.

The diets were isocaloric (with the same number of calories) and consisted of 30% protein, 35% carbohydrate, and 35% fat. The groups were switched after a one-week break during which calories were balanced throughout the day.

Primary endpoints were energy expenditure and body weight. It was found that there were no differences in energy intake and weight loss between the two groups. Subjects lost an average of 3 kg over each four-week period.

Secondary endpoints were subjective appetite control, glycemic control, and body composition. It turned out that those who ate a lot in the morning had better control of their appetite throughout the day, feeling fuller for longer.

A limitation of the study was that it was conducted under normal living conditions and not in a laboratory. And some metabolic measurements were taken only after breakfast, not after dinner.

This type of experiment can be applied to intermittent fasting studies to determine the optimal time of day for caloric intake for dieters.

The research was funded by the Medical Research Council and the Scottish Government’s Department of Rural and Environmental Sciences.

Source: SciTechDaily