Are you trying to lose weight? Perhaps try eating one smaller meal per day. Cornell University researcher David Levitsky conducted a small study published in the October issue of Appetite reporting that eating just one reduced calorie meal per day, while eating what you want the rest of the day, can be and effective weight loss strategy.
Study subjects ate nearly 250 fewer calories on the day they ate a reduced calorie lunch. And guess what—on average, participants lost an average of a pound a week for the two week period. This study found that if you eat one low calorie meal, it doesn’t mean that you will compensate and eat more the rest of the day.
We would need more time and more subjects to see how these findings would pan out for the long haul. But it is still good news for dieters.
My advice: Start by watching what you eat for just one meal per day. But take note: you can’t eat “whatever you want” for the rest of the day and expect to lose weight. That would be wishful thinking. So be sure that the rest of your meals and snacks are still within a reasonable calorie range. And, aim for healthy choices such as fruits, veggies, lean protein, and small amounts of healthy fats.