Calories More Important than Meal Timing for Weight Loss, New Study Finds

When it comes to losing weight, the calories you consume, and not the time on the clock, may matter most.

Researchers found both time-restricted eating and a regular eating pattern can help you drop pounds when calorie intake is reduced.

In a new study, 41 adults with obesity and prediabetes were randomly assigned to time-restricted eating between 8 am and 6 pm

Or typical eating between 8 am and midnight.

They received prepared meals with identical nutrient compositions and consumed similar calorie totals.

The time-restricted group ate most of their food before 1 pm, and the regular eating group ate most of theirs after 5 pm.

Over 12 weeks, both groups lost about the same amount of weight

and there were no significant differences in fasting blood sugar, waist circumference, blood pressure or lipid levels, according to the results.

The researchers say these findings suggest meal timing, in and of itself, does not change the scale, but rather the drop in calories.

They say clinicians can counsel patients that time-restricted eating may help them lose weight by decreasing caloric intake.

The authors of an accompanying editorial add that time-restricted eating may be easier for some patients to follow.