Want to Lose Weight? Try Changing These Eating Habits

Illustration of eating habits that need to be changed if you want to lose weight (Freepik/prostooleh)

YOGYAKARTA - Losing weight often makes many people focus on the type of food they consume. In fact, recent research shows that meal time can also affect weight and overall body health. The way the body processes food turns out to have a close relationship with the biological clock or the body's natural rhythm. Therefore, regulating daily eating habits can be a simple step that helps support a healthy diet without having to undergo extreme rules.

A study involving more than 3,000 adults in Catalonia, Spain found that certain eating habits are associated with a lower body mass index. Citing Verywell Health, Wednesday, May 20, the study was conducted by researchers from several health and academic institutions in Spain, including the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and the Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili. The researchers looked at the relationship between meal times, the duration of the night's fast, and the participants' weight status. The results showed that a more regular diet can have a positive impact on the body.

Eating early can help maintain weight.

One of the eating habits associated with healthier weight is eating earlier in the day. People who are used to having breakfast and dinner earlier are known to tend to have a lower body mass index than those who eat too late. This is thought to be related to the way the body regulates metabolism according to biological clocks. The body works like a store that has operating hours, so when eating too late, the energy processing process does not run as efficiently as usual.

In addition, eating too late at night also often makes a person more easily consume high-calorie foods in excess. Many people unknowingly make the evening as a time to snack or eat extra even though the body actually doesn't need much energy anymore. Therefore, trying to eat dinner earlier can be a small change that helps keep the diet balanced. This habit can also help the quality of sleep feel more comfortable.

Illustration of eating habits that need to be changed if you want to lose weight (Freepik/bearfotos)Giving a longer break for the night fast.

The study also found that longer fasting times at night are associated with better weight. Night fasting here means the time interval between the last meal to breakfast the next morning. The longer the interval, the more time the body has to rest from the process of digesting food. Like a machine that is turned off for a moment after working all day, the body also needs a break time so that the metabolic system can work more optimally.

You don't have to immediately undergo a very strict diet to try this habit. Advance dinner time or reduce late night eating habits can be a realistic first step. For example, if you usually eat dinner at 10 pm, you can slowly move it to 7 or 8 pm. That way, the body has a longer natural fasting break until breakfast time.

Healthy diets don't always have to be complicated

Many people think that losing weight must be done through extreme diets that are difficult to live with in the long run. In fact, research shows that simple changes in daily eating habits can also have an impact on weight. Regulating meal times and reducing the habit of eating too late at night can be a smaller step that is easier to maintain. Healthy eating patterns often work like a calm stream, slowly but consistently forming results over time.

In the end, the process of losing weight is not only about reducing the amount of food, but also understanding when the body works most optimally to process energy. By building a more regular eating habit, you can help maintain your weight while supporting overall body health. Healthy diets also feel lighter when done gradually and realistically. Small changes in daily routines sometimes become the biggest foundation for long-term results.