Stop Overeating! End Your Hunger and Food Cravings

When Your Body’s Fat- Burning Ability Peaks

A University of Alabama at Birmingham pilot study found hard evidence for one of my Quantum Eating teachings. So says the study, when people eat all their calories within a six-hour window, they burn six percent more fat, with more stable hunger levels than those who eat the same amount over twelve hours.

Lead author Courtney Peterson said: “It kind of makes sense. Your body's fat- burning ability peaks after you’ve been fasting for twelve to fourteen hours.” Peterson noted that up to twelve hours after the start of a fast, the body is still burning glycogen, a molecule that stores glucose. After twelve hours, the body starts to burn fat.

The study tested eleven overweight people between the ages of 20 and 45 in two different week-long stages. During the control period, starting on day four, participants consumed all calories in the twelve-hour window of 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, roughly mimicking “normal” North American eating patterns. In the other period, also starting on day four, participants ate all their calories between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

Peterson said there was a nearly thirteen-hour period, typically during the night, when fat-burning levels were elevated in participants who consumed calories within the six-hour window. In addition to this increased fat burning, the study also found that hunger levels (measured by individual estimation on an arbitrary scale) fluctuated less for participants on the six-hour eating plan than those on the twelve-hour plan.

The sample size is small, and the experiment cries out for repetition on a much larger scale. (See a new study here: The Best Time to Eat For Weight Loss. Peterson hypothesizes that waiting till later in the day to consume a last meal may set us up for binges or for other unhealthy eating patterns. This remains a possible testing scenario.

What’s becoming clear beyond doubt… We have scientific ground for saying, “It’s not just what you eat, but when.” The issue clearly goes beyond just the old cautions about avoiding Dagwood’s legendary midnight sandwich. A carefully planned program of healthy eating—a program that ends early in the day—can make a real difference in your quality of life. You can learn more in my Quantum Eating book. What do you do if you feel hungry later in the day?