Expert: Lela Simon - 9/24/2009

Question
Lela
Laurie
I have been unable to lose any weight for two weeks following a 1500 calorie a day diet.
I have always had a slow metabolism.
I tried exercising each day but I think it just made me hungrier.
Do you think if I ate the same amount of calories but consumed more of them for breakfast and lunch instead of dinner it would be helpfull?
My usual pattern, like most people, is a light breakfast and lunch and a big dinner.
After dinner I hit the couch then go to bed.
Maybe the bog meal isnt getting burned off?
I usually wake up with my belly still full and slightly nauseous.
Someone told me one we should eat breakfast like a king. lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. Most people do it the other way.
Thanks!

Answer
Laurie,

Calories are calories. At 8 AM or 8 PM a snickers bar is 220 calories.

It isn't a good idea to eat late because going to sleep on a full stomach can weaken your pyloric sphincter and cause acid reflux. It is also important to eat breakfast because going 12 hours without eating will slow your metabolism- but there's no proven validity to the "eat late, gain more" philosophy except for the fact that people tend to eat more if they are eating late in front of the tv- they don't pay attention to how much food they are eating- so they eat more than they should.

So- eat when you're hungry- but not when you're bored!

Hope this helps,
Lela Simon