Eating meals in the work of the short interval between breakfast & lunch may lead your weight-loss efforts to go in vain, a new study has revealed.
According to a study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Middle, ladies dieters who grab mid-morning snacks lose less weight compared to those who abstain from it.
In the work of the year-long study, the researchers found that mid-morning snackers lost an average of 7 percent of their total body weight while those who ate a healthy breakfast but did not snack before lunch lost over 11 percent of their body weight.
For the study, a snack was defined as any food or drink that was consumed between main meals.
"Mid-morning snacking therefore might be a reflection of recreational or senseless eating habits than eating to satisfy true hunger," said Anne McTiernan, the lead author of the study.
"We think this finding may not relate necessarily to the time of day snacks, but to the short interval between breakfast & lunch."
"Snacking could be part of a dieter's toolkit if they are eating in response to true hunger. Individuals ought to decide in the event that they experience long intervals - such as over hours - between meals."
They said that while snacking close to a main meal may be detrimental to weight loss, waiting long between meals also may sabotage dieting efforts.
"Adding a snack might help people deal better with hunger & ultimately help them to make more sound choices at their next meal."
The ancillary study involved 123 overweight-to-obese postmenopausal Seattle-area ladies, ages 50 to 75, who were randomly assigned to either a diet-alone intervention (aim: one,200 to two,000 calories a day, depending on beginning weight, & fewer than 30 percent of every day calories from overweight), or diet and exercise (same calorie & overweight restrictions and 45 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per day, days a week).
While the ladies received nutrition counselling they were not given any specific instructions or recommendations about snacking behaviour.
At the finish of the study the ladies were asked to record the time, type & frequency of meals consumed on a traditional day. Percent of calories from overweight, fibre & fruit & vegetable intake were also estimated using a food-frequency questionnaire.
"Our study suggests that snacking may well help with weight loss if not completed close to another meal, if the snacks are healthy foods that can help you feel full without adding lots of calories."
"Many people think that a weight-loss program has to mean always feeling hungry," McTiernan said.
The study will be published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
