The Best Time Of Day To Eat Eggs To Promote Weight Loss
You're just beginning your weight loss journey and everyone is telling you how important it is to eat eggs, but you're hearing varying opinions on when to eat them. It's not as simple an answer as it should be. Before you can carve out the when, it's vital to look at the why.
According to Healthline, eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can put on your plate. Not only are they rich in protein, but they also contain healthy fats and vitamins and are low in calories. A few eggs for breakfast can keep you fueled for hours and they've been shown to boost your metabolism, according to research in Nutrition & Metabolism. Given their benefits, many people find that the best time to eat them for weight loss is in the morning. However, after a workout and before bed come in at a close second.
Don't take our word for it; look at the science behind how eating eggs in the morning, post-workout, and before bed can be beneficial to making the scale go down. It might just be time to add more eggs to your diet.
Eat eggs in the morning to feel full longer
Breakfast is your first opportunity to fuel your body and jump-start your metabolism. So, it's not a meal you want to miss out on, especially when looking for the best time to add eggs to your diet to shed a few pounds.
A 2005 study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition showed that eating an egg-based breakfast in the morning increased satiety and reduced short-term food intake compared to a bagel-based breakfast. Given that the calorie count of each breakfast was the same, the study concluded that eggs in the morning could be a helpful strategy for meeting weight loss goals. A 2010 breakfast study of eggs by Nutrition Research also found that eggs for breakfast influenced plasma glucose and ghrelin, the hunger hormone, in a positive way over a 24-hour period. The participants showed less variation in plasma glucose, meaning fewer spikes in their sugar levels. Also, having eggs for breakfast suppresses your hunger, so you stay full longer.
Research in 2013 in the European Journal of Nutrition demonstrated the same results when comparing eggs to cereal in healthy men. The group that ate the eggs was satisfied and full longer than the cereal group. Adding eggs in the morning can help you consume fewer calories and feel hungry longer, which is an excellent start to any day.
Try adding whole eggs as a post-workout snack
When you want to make an impactful dietary change for your weight loss goals, adding an egg or two in the morning will give you a significant boost. But eggs are a versatile food that doesn't stop with a satisfying breakfast. Research shows that adding eggs to your post-workout routine can also benefit muscle growth.
A 2017 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study illustrated that having whole eggs after a resistance exercise demonstrated more significant muscle growth than egg whites alone. This research suggests that nutrition and protein together are a greater muscle stimulant than just protein. The faster you build muscle, the quicker you can blast fat.
Healthline also pointed out that combining diet and exercise is the key to successful weight loss. Muscle burns more calories than fat; therefore, having more muscle benefits your overall weight loss goals. Additionally, research in the International Journal of Obesity showed that diet and exercise demonstrated the most meaningful initial weight loss. Looks like it's time to add a hard-boiled egg to your post-workout snack.
Eggs at night could be a good thing, too
Weight loss is more than just what you put into your mouth. Getting a good or bad night's sleep can affect your motivation, decision-making, and, ultimately, your weight loss goals. According to WebMD, people who don't get enough sleep can easily make bad decisions for weight loss, like grabbing a donut rather than cooking up an egg or relying a bit too heavily on your favorite sugar-laden latte. They also note that a sleepy brain's reward system is on full alert, so not grabbing that afternoon chocolate is going to be harder.
Eating an egg at night can help you get better sleep and keep your impulse control in check. Research published in Cell showed that bulking up on protein before shut-eye actually helped mice sleep better. The hypothesis behind this is that protein prevents arousal. As Stanford University professor Rafael Pelayo told New Scientist, "If you have some better-quality food, in this sense a protein-rich diet, then that would make you sleep deeper." Melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep, is also naturally found in the yolk of eggs, along with tryptophan, the amino acid in turkey that makes you sleepy. However, those with digestion issues might want to skip the yolk.