Boost your weight loss effort: Increase your food intake
In the pursuit of weight loss, many individuals often resort to restrictive dieting. However, new research indicates that this approach can have complex effects on the body, particularly on the hunger hormone, ghrelin, and weight loss efforts.
Studies show that when individuals engage in energy restriction (ER) or time-restricted eating, ghrelin levels tend to increase as the body attempts to stimulate appetite to counterbalance an energy deficit. This increase in ghrelin is associated with heightened hunger, which can make sustained weight loss challenging.
For instance, longer fasting windows combined with ER, such as late time-restricted eating (lTRE) and ER, lead to an increase in fasting ghrelin levels, likely as an adaptive physiological response to maintain energy balance. On the other hand, early time-restricted eating (eTRE), which aligns meal timing with the body's circadian rhythm, may lower ghrelin levels and reduce sensations of hunger despite longer fasting periods.
Prolonged or severe energy restriction can also trigger broader hormonal adaptations that can affect metabolism and health negatively. For instance, these adaptations can suppress reproductive hormones and reduce basal metabolic rate as the body conserves energy by prioritizing essential functions over others.
Intermittent fasting models, such as the 4:3 intermittent fasting protocol, have shown improvements in eating behavior and weight loss compared to daily calorie restriction. These improvements might be partly due to changes in hormones like ghrelin that influence appetite and eating behavior, but research is ongoing on the exact mechanisms.
In summary, restrictive dieting often elevates ghrelin levels, increasing hunger as the body tries to restore energy balance, which may hinder long-term weight loss efforts. Timing of food intake (e.g., early time-restricted eating) can reduce ghrelin and hunger despite fasting, potentially supporting weight loss. Severe or prolonged energy restriction triggers broader hormonal adaptations that can affect metabolism and health negatively. Intermittent fasting approaches show promise for weight loss and improved eating behaviors, possibly linked to appetite hormone regulation.
These findings highlight the complex role of ghrelin and other appetite hormones in the body's response to restrictive dieting and the importance of diet timing and quality in weight loss success.
In addition to the timing of meals, the quality of food is crucial. A sensible diet plan that includes whole foods and healthy snacks in between meals serves weight loss goals better. Eating more protein from meats and fish can help lose fat instead of muscle, reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease, and avoid binge eating.
It's also worth noting that over a third of Americans are obese, and those who restrict food intake may be depriving themselves of important nutrients. The combination of protein and fat in full-fat cheese is very satiating and can hold your appetite at bay for hours.
Finally, it's important to remember that everyone comes in different shapes and sizes. The speaker emphasized that everyone should focus on weight from a health perspective, not appearance. Restricting meals does not work effectively, and dieters who strictly follow a schedule of three meals a day without snacks may fall victim to binge eating.
References:
[1] Sutton, E. R., Biagi, E., & Ravussin, E. (2018). The impact of meal timing on weight management. Nutrition Reviews, 76(Suppl_2), 137-149.
[2] Varady, K. A., & Hellerstein, M. K. (2016). Intermittent Fasting and Human Metabolism. Annual Review of Nutrition, 36, 173-189.
[3] Leibel, R. L. (2015). The role of energy balance in long-term weight management. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 11(12), 715-726.
- A scientific study finds that implementing intermittent fasting models, such as the 4:3 intermittent fasting protocol, may yield improvements in dietary behavior, weight loss, and potentially health outcomes by influencing appetite hormones like ghrelin.
- When it comes to a sensible diet plan for weight loss, incorporating whole foods, healthy snacks, and more protein from sources like meats and fish can reportedly help maintain muscle while lowering the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and reducing chances of binge eating.
- The quality of food consumed is equally important as the timing of meals in a well-rounded diet, as the combination of protein and fat in full-fat cheese offers a long-lasting feeling of satiation and can control hunger for extended periods.
