A Simple Daily Trick... Repeating Meals May Help in Weight Loss

SadaNews - A study conducted by researchers at the University of Oregon Health & Science revealed a simple trick that may help with weight loss more effectively, without the need for medications or dietary supplements.

They explained that repeating the same meals daily and adhering to a fixed number of calories facilitates the process of shedding excess weight. The results were published on Thursday in the journal "Health Psychology."

Obesity is one of the prominent risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. It is influenced by factors including genetics, lifestyle, a calorie-rich diet, and lack of physical activity. Psychological and social factors can also play a role in weight gain, such as stress, lack of sleep, and irregular eating habits.

Addressing obesity requires adopting sustainable lifestyle changes, including following a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and improving daily habits to maintain a healthy weight.

During the study, the researchers analyzed real-time dietary records of 112 individuals suffering from overweight or obesity who participated in a structured behavioral weight loss program.

The participants were asked to log everything they consumed daily via a mobile app, in addition to weighing themselves each day. The researchers focused on the initial weeks of the program to ensure data accuracy and reliability.

They also measured dietary regularity in two ways: first, by examining calorie fluctuations from day to day and between weekdays and weekends, and second, by assessing how often the same foods and snacks were consumed instead of constantly trying new foods.

The team followed the adults who maintained a more consistent diet, such as repeating the same meals and keeping calorie intake stable over time, finding that they lost more weight during a 12-week behavioral program compared to those who had more varied meals.

The results showed that those who repeated the same foods lost, on average, 5.9% of their weight, compared to 4.3% among those who had varied meals. It was also found that daily calorie stability is linked to better outcomes; for every increase of 100 calories in daily fluctuation, weight loss decreased by about 0.6% during the study period.

According to the researchers, the findings suggest that simplifying food choices, such as creating a fixed menu of preferred meals and maintaining stable calorie intake, may help individuals build sustainable habits in a challenging dietary environment.

However, the researchers warned that the study shows a correlational relationship, not a direct causal one, and that other factors, such as personal motivation and discipline, may also play a role.

They noted that previous studies linked dietary diversity to better health, but they often focused on diversity within healthy food groups like fruits and vegetables. Yet, in our current environment, following a repetitive diet may be better to help people consistently make healthy choices.