Daytime Snacking & Weight Loss

Want to lose a few pounds? Maybe the secret is in when you grab that daytime snack.

We all love to snack at some time or another during the day. But it's not so much in the "what" you snack on, but the "when" you snack that's important. And it seems that morning snacking, grabbing that quick bite between breakfast and lunch, could be what's ruining your diet.

A new weight loss study found that the timing of your snacking could be more important than we thought, especially when you're trying to lose weight. Women involved in this study were overweight or obese and between the ages of 50 and 75 lost more weight. Although almost all of the women snacked during the day, those who snacked mid-morning didn't lose as much weight as the others.

Part of the reason might be because researchers also found that morning snackers tended to snack more frequently during the day. And those more frequent snacks added extra calories and hurt their attempts to lose weight.

But that doesn't mean you need to stop snacking all together, especially since other studies have shown that snackers tend to eat more fruits and veggies. Instead, try and limit your snacking and keep it to the afternoon.