Meal timing and fat loss.

If you are trying to lose weight with the recommended method – you know sensibly, with realistic changes like portion control and eating more vegetables – you may have noticed that your clothes fit better before the numbers on the scale change.

This is good news.

Changes in body shape and size indicate that you are doing it the right way. The right way means regular exercise and eating whole unprocessed foods that are high in nutrients.

While this is definitely not a quick fix it is a long term solution.

Then why isn’t the scale changing?

Yet.

As long as you stick with a sustainable exercise program and a healthy way of eating, the numbers do change, gradually.

Rarely is there a dramatic drop in weight and this is good. Because dramatic weight loss means you are losing first water, then muscle.

The changes are gradual and if you are sedentary for most of the day this will make it even more difficult. However new research about meal timing proves that you can make changes to body composition with meal timing.

First, the study is small, only done on men, and only in unfit men, but it does prove one thing. Changing when you eat can change your body composition and ultimately your weight.

Intramuscular Fat

We all have it. We store fat within our muscles for quick access to a fuel source, but the problem is when we have too much of it.

Too much intramuscular fat reduces insulin sensitivity leading to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Researchers wanted to know if meal timing could change intramuscular fat. They divided the men into three groups, a control group, a group that exercised before their first meal and a group that exercised after their first meal.

The results?

There were no surprising changes in the control group and both of the exercise groups burned the same amount of calories, lost a little weight and improved their fitness.

However, the group that exercised before breakfast burned twice as much intramuscular fat and improved insulin sensitivity. As they were likely using the readily available fuel source from their muscles in the form of intramuscular fat.

This new study adds to what we know about intra and intermuscular fat stores and how it changes our training adaptations.

What does that mean for you?

First, staying active during the day, not just exercising, is important for improving muscle function.

Second, exercise makes you more efficient at using intramuscular fat.

Third, exercising before breakfast may be a good way to reduce fat stores within the muscle tissue.

And finally, changes in body composition happen before a noticeable weight loss. The key to success is to make your exercise program sustainable, to eat well most of the time and not be discouraged by a number that only tells you how much gravity sucks.

Curious if your diet or current exercise routine is helping you reach your goals? Send me an email and I can give you some feedback on reaching your goals.

Change your mind, change your health,

Shayla