Here's a neat way to cut calories and help keep your pants size stable. Just pull on your PJs an hour earlier.
Why? Because research suggests that people who turn in a little earlier typically eat about 248 fewer calories per day compared with night owls.
Early to Bed, Better Body
In a study, people with later bedtimes not only ate more calories later at night compared with the early-to-bed folks, but the night owls also tended to be heavier. In addition, the people with later bedtimes were drawn more often to poor food choices. They ate twice the junk food as the early-to-bed crowd and ate half the fruits and vegetables. Researchers think that a late sleep-wake cycle may encourage the packing on of pounds because it throws the body out of its natural circadian rhythm of sleeping at night and eating during the day, when bodies are more active. Doing the opposite -- eating at night and sleeping more during the day -- may boost weight gain by altering appetite, eating behavior, and metabolism.
