restricted eating over a three-month period could potentially aid in maintaining weight loss durability
Fancy fasting? Here's the scoop on scheduling your chomping sessions
The hype around intermittent fasting has been on the rise for a few years now, and one burning question remains: What's the best time to cram in those chomps during this diet?
A recent study presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) 2025 suggests that you can still shed pounds by adopting time-restricted eating - regardless of whether your "eating window" rolls in the morning or evening.
Taking snapshots of weigh-ins
The minds behind this study enlisted the help of 99 Spanish individuals averaging 49 years old, who all carried some extra weight. Each participant got placed into one of four groups, which they kept up with for 12 weeks:
- All-day noshing: munchies whenever, baby! (12+ hour eating window)
- Early-bird eats: grab breakfast before 10:00 am and relax in the 8-hour zone
- Night owl noshes: fill your gut after 1:00 pm and bask in your 8-hour feast
- Self-appointed feast times: 8-hour snack-spree according to your whims
Scientists tallied up each participant's body weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference at the start of the game, after 12 weeks, and a year on (if you made it that far!).
Bigger weight loss with earlier nibbles but all timeframes are winners
After 12 weeks, researchers noticed that all the time-restricted eating groups dropped more weight compared to the all-day feeders. Alba Camacho-Cardenosa, PhD, a post-doc researcher at the Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada (ibs.GRANADA) and the Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS) at the University of Granada, and the study's lead author, shared, "This finding shows that time-restricted eating can be an effective strategy for short-term weight loss, even without strict calorie counting..."
Generally, groups that noshed earlier in the day saw a more significant decrease in both waist and hip circumferences. But don't be disappointed if you're not a morning person - leaner bodies can be yours no matter the time!
Real deals
During the study's conclusion and a year later, the all-day munchers experienced a weight gain and a rise in waistlines. Conversely, all three time-restricted eating groups held onto their weight loss. Camacho-Cardenosa stated, "The fact that participants were able to maintain weight loss after 12 months shows that time-restricted eating can be a sustainable long-term approach..."
Time-restricted eating appears to be a promising tool for both whittling weight and keeping it off - two tough challenges in any weight loss journey.
The researchers are considering further research to see how combining time-restricted eating with exercise impacts heart health and other factors (yahoo!). They also aim to identify the perfect audience for specific eating windows - to truly customize your mealtime magic.
What's the secret to success?
Mir Ali, MD, a board-certified bariatric surgeon, chimed in on this study, calling it a great confirmation of the benefits of time-restricted eating. However, don't pay too much attention to the specific time windows - it's all about finding a schedule that works for you and sticking to it for long-term success.
Ali also encourages further studies into whether specific diets - like the Mediterranean or Paleo - fare better in combination with time-restricted eating and identifying the minimal time required for the time-restricted eating to be effective.
Ready, set, munch!
For those ready to test the waters of intermittent fasting, Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Nutrition-In-Sight, offers her top tips:
- Explore your schedule: take stock of your meals, see which routine will help you meet your nutritional needs, and adhere to it.
- Understand your digestive better-half: remember the migrating motor complex (MMC), which helps keep your gut tidy between meals and works optimally with routines and specific mealtimes.
- Ponder the "4 W's": understand why, how, what, and when you're eating, and adjust accordingly for best results.
- Balance your meals: ensure they contain high-quality protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. Add fruits and veggies to meet any missing micronutrient needs.
- Stay consistent: track your progress and be flexible if needed to accommodate lifestyle changes.
- The study at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) 2025 examined the impact of time-restricted eating on weight loss, focusing on nutrition, health-and-wellness, and fitness.
- The participants in the study, who struggled with weight, were divided into four groups based on their meal times for a period of 12 weeks, including an all-day feeding group and three time-restricted eating groups.
- After 12 weeks, the time-restricted eating groups exhibited more significant weight loss compared to the all-day feeders, with those who ate earlier seeing a greater decrease in waist and hip circumference.
- Long-term success was demonstrated as the time-restricted eating groups were able to maintain their weight loss for a year, while the all-day feeders experienced weight gain and an increase in waistlines.
- Bariatric surgeon Mir Ali recommends finding a schedule for time-restricted eating that suits your lifestyle and sticking to it for long-term weight management, while further research is needed to determine the optimal diet and minimal time needed for the effectiveness of time-restricted eating.
