Time Restricted Eating (TRE)? What Is It And Can It Help You Lose Weight.

·         Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a form of intermittent fasting

·         Research is limited as to whether it will help you lose weight

·         Nutritionists say if it curbs unhealthy nighttime snacking, it could be a good thing

If the idea of counting calories to lose weight sounds like the absolute worst, a buzzy concept called time-restricted eating (TRE) might be more up your alley.

Time-restricted eating is basically a form of intermittent fasting, which has gained traction thanks to diet books such as The 5:2 Diet and The 8-Hour Diet. Based on the theory that most of us spend way too many of our waking hours munching away, this diet method is as simple as shortening the number of hours during the day that you eat. 

That could mean eating only between noon and 7 p.m. or 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. (it's up to you to decide how many hours you want to eat or fast per day). But the greatest benefits of time-restricted eating seem to occur when you stop eating earlier in the day.


Related: Intermittent Fasting. Does It Help Your Weight Loss?

For example, in one new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, when 11 overweight men and women spent four days eating only between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. (a "restricted" schedule), and then four more days eating between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., researchers found that time-restricted eating ramped up how much fat they burned at night. And, ironically, it led to fewer cravings throughout the day. 

Granted, this was a small study, and the researchers note that more research will be needed to determine if time-restricted eating could lead to long-term weight loss. Still, previous animal studies suggest that TRE may effectively help lower body fat and cholesterol levels, and even improve insulin sensitivity. Plus, a 2017 review from the University of California, San Diego, shows that, in some cases, TRE can indeed lead to weight loss in both men and women.

Essentially, this style of eating revs your metabolism, says Eliza Whetzel-Savage, R.D., a registered dietitian with Middleburg Nutrition in New York City. “When you cut the eating window down, you are creating a fasting period in which the body will have to use its own stored glycogen from carbohydrates and fat as fuel,” she says. “When the glucose and glycogen stores are used, the body switches over to a ketogenic state and burns fat for fuel.” 

Still, the diet has its challenges.