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For weight loss, when you eat may matter just as much as how much you consume. On two occasions, six adults in their 50s and 60s each spent 56 hours confined to a room with a very controlled environment that allows researchers to carefully monitor their subjects’ metabolism. Participants ate the same lunch and dinner at the same time, but the third meal varied: In one session, breakfast was served, and in the other session, the third meal was served at 10 p.m. The breakfast and the after-hours meal offered the same nutrition. Despite being equally active for both sessions, the participants burned less fat when they ate a late-night meal. Eat a late-night snack only if you need to manage your blood glucose; otherwise, stick with daytime meals to lose weight.
Source: PLOS Biology, Feb. 27, 2020