According to a study done by Reuters Health, those who eat an earlier lunch tend to lose more weight than those who eat lunch later in the day.

After 20 weeks of continuing this process, those who ate before 3 p.m. lost an average of 11 percent of their initial weight.

Those who ate after had decreased their starting weight by about 9 percent.

ISU’s campus dietitian Dianne Feasley was not aware of this study, and although it does not necessarily prove anything, she said eating at regular intervals throughout the day does tend to have a positive effect on an individual’s metabolism.

“Practically speaking, we recognize that individuals who allow themselves to become extremely hungry will generally consume larger amounts of food and make poorer food choices than those who recognize hunger signals and respond to them by eating fairly soon,” Feasley said.

Another important factor to consider when trying to lose weight is calories.

She explained that a lot of foods have a surprising amount of calories, so an individual should keep track of them, and then decide if the food is worth the amount of calories it contains.

Erin Moses, a graduate assistant for the Health Promotion and Wellness department at ISU, suggests eating five smaller meals throughout the day rather than the typical three, because it is better for the metabolism to burn calories.

Moses also explains eating in a reverse pyramid — starting off with a good, hearty breakfast and to eat more in the peak of the day — is better for the body and metabolism.

“This way you are able to use all of the calories from breakfast throughout the day, and it also makes it less likely to binge eat,” she explained.

“Then you eat a smaller dinner, which is good because you don’t need as many calories to get you through the night.”

 Feasley explained portion control is also very important to watch. To avoid overeating, she advises individuals to recognize when they reach a comfortable level of fullness and stop eating.     

A lot of people do not realize that the food in a restaurant or one full plate of food at home is usually more than one portion and leads to overeating, Moses added.

Finally, Feasley recommends avoiding eating when bored, frustrated or tired.

“Food is the perfect remedy for hunger but will not satisfy every need or emotion,” she said.