If you’re like most of us your head is probably spinning from all the different weight loss advice and theories that abound online and in nutrition and fitness circles.

Have you heard that you are supposed to delay your first meal until noon or later?

But wait, what about the first meal of the day being the most important?

And how about the old refrain, Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch, and a pauper at dinner?

Feeling confused? I don’t blame you. Hit reply and share your thoughts with me.

It is confusing. Fasting until noon has been popular advice for weight loss over the last decade, and for a lot of people, that can be a great way to begin a weight loss journey, however… it’s not always the best advice in practice.

In fact, that old refrain about eating like a king has also long been preached by health eating experts as one of the top ways to keep your digestion and metabolism in great condition.

So which is best for weight loss?

In fact, a study out there shows that overweight and obese women on a three-month weight-loss diet who ate a bigger breakfast, lost two and half times more weight than those who ate a light breakfast and had most of their calories at dinner. Both groups had the same calorie intake overall.

Essentially the study shows us that having a bigger breakfast is best for weight loss because the group who ate a bigger breakfast experienced lower hunger levels and lower fasting insulin levels overall throughout the rest of the day.

But there’s a problem.

People tend to find it so much easier to skip breakfast than dinner.

Why?

Well for one, our culture is structured to have rushed and frantic mornings. Who here just grabs a coffee on the way to work?

Many people don’t even eat breakfast at all and even forget to eat because of their busy or stressful schedules, reaching for more and more coffee instead to power through the day.

Evening schedules are often when people slow down for the first time to eat. Dinner is also much more of a social event when the whole family can sit down together, or perhaps you go out with friends and partners to a restaurant.

The problem is that we are more insulin resistant in the evenings. In the morning when you wake up, your cortisol levels are meant to rise, whereas leptin levels should be at its lowest (signaling to you that you are hungry).

The real issue is that many people have circadian disruption of these hormones which causes dysregulation in their hunger signals.

The bottom line? Lifestyle changes are needed.

The more in alignment we eat with our circadian rhythms, the better. That’s because our internal body clock impacts our bodily functions. Blood sugar control is best in the mornings and worst at night.

It is best to consume the majority of your calories earlier in the day so your body can metabolize the food better, allowing your digestive system to have a well-needed rest at night.

A big breakfast can also keep you feeling fuller for longer and less likely to snack or overeat during the rest of the day.

So what should you do?

If you want to begin to incorporate a bigger breakfast and a lighter dinner into your daily routine, start small.

Instead of immediately making drastic changes and skipping your usual big dinner, work on adjusting your lifestyle slowly.

If you’re not normally a breakfast person, start by adding some more fruit or a slice of wholemeal toast with nut butter or avocado to your morning. Try building up to include some eggs or another form of protein a few times a week.

Success is all about teaching your body slowly to make changes that work for you. That way your body learns how to digest and metabolize in a new, healthier way.

Don’t forget to check in with your body each morning and evening.

I firmly believe that the more you stay connected to your own internal rhythms (sleeping right, getting exercise, understanding your hunger) the easier it is to nourish your body in the most natural way that feels perfect for you.