Want to lose weight? Eat the same meal every day

Yes, it’s boring, but it’s a great way to lose weight: eat a similar meal every day.

Preparing the same meal—with a few minor variations, perhaps—every day is one of the most effective ways to shed the pounds.

The meal needs to include healthy choices, but if you lack self-discipline and find it hard to avoid sugary treats, it’s a good strategy, and it controls your calorie intake, say researchers from Oregon Research Institute.

They tried out several diets on a group of 112 people who were overweight or obese: some ate the same foods every day for three months, and the rest ate a more varied diet.

By the end of the study, the same-food group had lost nearly 6 percent of their body weight, while those who varied their diet lost around 4 percent.

Earlier studies had discovered the very reverse: eating a varied diet is the best way to lose weight, but the Oregon say that depends on the food you’re eating. You won’t add on weight if you’re ringing the changes with different fruits and vegetables—but most don’t have the discipline to consistently make healthy food choices.

“If we lived in a healthier food environment, we might encourage people to have as much variety in their diet as possible.  However, our modern food environment is too problematic. Instead, people may do best with a more repetitive diet that helps them consistently make healthier choices, even if they might sacrifice some nutritional variety,” said Charlotte Hagerman, one of the researchers.

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