For Weight Loss and Control, You Gotta Have Rhythm!

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One of the things I always talk about with clients is the importance of a well-run “body clock” or circadian rhythm. The term circadian comes from the Latin phrase “circa diem,” which means “around a day.”

Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that are part of the body’s internal clock, helping to make sure that the body’s essential functions and processes are optimized at various points during a 24-hour period.

Different systems of the body follow circadian rhythms that are synchronized with a biological clock in the brain. This internal clock is directly influenced by environmental cues, especially light, which is why circadian rhythms are tied to the cycle of day and night and why our circadian clocks reset every day by the sun’s light/dark (sleep/wake) cycle.

By the way, circadian rhythms exist in all types of organisms. For example, they help flowers open and close at the right time and keep nocturnal animals from leaving their shelter during the daytime when they would be exposed to more predators.

What does your circadian rhythm have to do with weight loss?

It is important to remember that every time you eat something insulin is released from the pancreas to help stabilize blood glucose levels.

If food is ingested outside of typical mealtimes, then the subsequent release of insulin also occurs outside of a typical schedule.

As a result of this, the circadian rhythm can be disturbed, affecting both weight loss and weight gain. 

Cortisol, the stress hormone, typically peaks at 8 am, allowing individuals to wake from sleep, and falls to its lowest concentration at 3 am. This rise also occurs in line with exposure to sunlight. By noon, cortisol levels begin to fall inverse to serotonin and adrenaline, which elevates mood and energy.

The increase in energy levels stimulates feelings of hunger and prompts the person to eat. Throughout the rest of the day, cortisol levels continue to decline, and serotonin is synthesized into melatonin, promoting feelings of sleepiness. Alongside this is a decrease in blood sugar levels, which drop to their lowest point at 3 am. This balance can be disturbed in those who snack late at night or eat meals outside typical times, affecting stress levels and digestion.

And keep in mind, too, that our metabolisms are not the same at, say, 9:00 a.m. as at 9:00 p.m. This is why the same healthy meal at 6:00p.m. does not metabolize the same if you had the same meal at 9:00 p.m. Your metabolism is slower at 9:00 p.m. because you are closer to sleep time.

Bottom line: To be slim, to be healthy (both physically and mentally), to be energetic, to be cognizant, what, when and how much you eat plays a major role in maintaining your circadian rhythm.