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The study, published last October in Cell Metabolism, a collaboration between Norwegian and Australian authors, showed significant improvements in several important biomarkers in all groups, except for the control, including a wide improvement in blood sugar response and a reduction in internal organs. It also indicates an increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Balsvik was part of the TREHIIT team, which, unsurprisingly, did the best. Balsvik lost half a stone (three kilograms) in seven weeks, her BMI dropped from 29.5 to 28.5 and she lost almost 20cm of visceral ‘belly’ fat, which was average across the group.

The hardest part of the study, she says, was the impact the 30-minute walk and run to the exercise sessions had on her hips and knees. Other than that, she says, it was “easy.”

Little effort

And here is where this little study gets interesting. Easy? The word rarely appears in the same sentence as ‘diet’. Although HIIT was a successful intervention, Balsvik didn’t keep it until two years after the study ended, but she still has a passion for TRE, which she found effortless.

“I was very nervous before I started. ‘How can I do my job if I don’t eat anything?’ I had this hunger pang for a day or two but it wasn’t extreme and then my body liked the routine, I had more energy and I was in a much better mood. It was the complete opposite of what I expected.”

After the study, she continued to follow TRE, losing an additional 4 kg and 12 cm of visceral fat (abdominal fat around the organs in the abdomen). “I stick with it. Sometimes we eat a little later on a weekend night and my body reacts and I feel sick that something is wrong. My boyfriend has just joined me.”

One of the authors of the study, Camila Haganes, from the Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, says that fasting should not be confused with intermittent fasting because it is a “chrono-diet strategy”.

Popular fasting regimens such as 16:8, 5:2 or OMAD (one meal a day) mainly deal with energy restriction during intermittent fasting periods. In contrast, TRE focuses primarily on shifting energy intake to the parts of the day where the human body is physiologically available to digest and use energy.

How TRE works

TRE works in harmony with our circadian rhythms, where the body, brain, and even individual cells and genes have their own clocks that work in sync with the 24-hour day. Food and light illuminate some functions. Sleep, body temperature, hormone levels, and digestion are all affected by the inflexible circadian rhythms built into all human beings.

One very famous study turned self-identified “night owl” students back to natural “larks” within a few days by removing all artificial light sources at night.

Another study found that even without weight loss, TRE still improves metabolic markers in pre-diabetes. Balsvik is now effortlessly stone-light for more than two years, has a BMI of 27, and has significantly reduced visceral fat, cutting out ultra-processed foods and increasing protein and vegetables out of choice.

She plans to kick off her HIIT regime with a light workout on her knees. Exercise helps, she said, but “if you’re not naturally motivated, you need encouragement…” Most of us can relate.

A study last summer found that TRE was most effective when applied between 7 am and 3 pm. Another finding is that people who stick to TRE but eat dinner later see more benefits.

So eat your evening meal earlier. Your body will thank you.


What time do you eat your evening meal? Does time-restricted eating make sense for you and your lifestyle? Join the conversation in the comments section below

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