New research confirms eating two meals a day are better than three

It’s the never-ending weight loss debate – eat more, eat less, skip meals, have fasting days, count calories, avoid skim products. Who can keep up?

But it looks like things might be finally becoming a little clearer thanks to new research that suggests less frequent eating is the key to long-term weight control.

A study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, analysed the diets of more than 50,000 adults living in California.

One of the most enlightening results researchers found when looking at dietary patterns, was that those people who consumed just one or two larger meals each day had lower BMIs (Body Mass Index) than those who had three meals.

Whereas people who snacked more often were more likely to have an increase in their BMI over time.

The research also suggests that a long period of fasting overnight – ie more than 18 hours - is an effective way to manage your weight.

“There are some good points in there, multiple studies are now suggesting that the longer we spend in the ‘fasted state’ the better,” personal trainer and online health coach Max Lowery tells Be exclusively.

The author of The 2 Meal Day eating plan believes it’s a more natural way of eating.

“Eat because our bodies tell us to, not because constantly fluctuating blood sugar levels confuse our understanding of what hunger actually is. There are lots of studies supporting the idea that giving your digestion a break is very beneficial,” Max says.

The study’s results seemed to favour those that ate breakfast as opposed to people that skipped it, with people who have their largest meal in the morning having significantly lower BMI’s than those who had it at dinner.

However Max suggests there is actually evidence that breakfast is not the be all and end all.

“There is lots of evidence to suggest that we are less tolerant to blood sugar spikes in the morning, so I believe breakfast is an easier meal to skip, both practically and socially,” he tells us.

“Having said that, it’s down to personal preference, each individual has to decide what is going to be more practical and sustainable for them.”

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Max believes sticking to two meals a day can completely change your relationship with food and has kindly given us his tips on how to get started.

Clean out Throw away all junk food, including ready meals, fizzy drinks, processed foods, refined sugars, snacks and alcohol. This is rule number one; if you don’t have temptations in the house, you are giving yourself the best chance of success.

Breakfast or dinner? Choose whether you are going to skip breakfast or dinner and stick to that decision. It’s crucial that your body gets used to one eating pattern.

Get organised Pick five to ten meals that you think you will enjoy the most and go and buy the ingredients. Decide which days are going to be your training days and which are rest days and make a meal plan around this schedule.

Eat at normaltimes Although you’re skipping a meal, don’t change the times you eat your other two meals. So, if you are planning on skipping breakfast and you normally eat lunch at 1pm and dinner at 8pm, stick to these times.

No cheating! Consume nothing but water, black tea or black coffee during your fast and be strategic with caffeine. You may have one healthy snack between your two meals, but not during your fasting period.

Beat tummy rumbles Your body works very well on routine; the rumbling is your body expecting to digest food at the time you would normally eat. The best way to remedy this is to drink a big glass of cold water, which will quickly alleviate the problem.

Stick with it Once you get through the initial transition stage where your body starts to tap into stored body fat for energy, you won’t get headaches or light-headedness. It may take longer for some people than others, depending on previous daily carbohydrate intake.

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