Eat by the clock for weight loss

THERE’S an old saying that one should “feast like a king at breakfast, dine like a prince at lunch and graze like a peasant at dinner”.

It’s a mantra that’s lost some resonance as more and more focus is placed on the type and amount of food we eat in relation to weight management. However, there’s now emerging evidence that the timing of our food intake can also play a role in weight gain.

To appreciate this more fully, we need to understand the ways in which energy gets used by the body. Contrary to common belief, the main component of energy expenditure in the body is resting metabolic rate.