Study finds repetitive eating and routine of go-to meals boost weight loss

A study has found that eating the same meals every day with a consistent amount of calories helps people lose weight. During a 12-week trial, those who repeated meals lost more weight compared to those who ate a varied diet. 

The authors of the study say the findings suggest weight loss benefits for simplifying one’s diet and that it makes it easier to follow a healthy routine.

“Maintaining a healthy diet in today’s food environment requires constant effort and self-control,” says lead author Charlotte Hagerman, Ph.D., of the Oregon Research Institute, US. “Creating routines around eating may reduce that burden and make healthy choices feel more automatic.”

Keeping it simple

The study has been published in Health Psychology and included 112 overweight or obese participants. The participants tracked their meals through an app and did daily weigh-ins.

The research team measured caloric stability — how much a person’s daily calorie intake fluctuated between weekends and weekdays. They also examined dietary repetition by tracking how often the participants logged the same meals and snacks over time, instead of constantly choosing new foods.

They found that the participants eating the same food every day lost on average 5.9% of their body weight compared to those eating a varied diet who lost on average 4.9%.

They found that the participants eating the same food every day lost on average 5.9% of their body weight.Meanwhile, keeping a consistent calorie intake was also found to increase weight loss. It found that for every 100 calories increased, weight loss decreased by 0.6% throughout the study period.

The researchers say simplifying food choices and maintaining a steady calorie intake, such as a rotation of go-to meals, can help consumers create sustainable habits in a challenging food environment.

“If we lived in a healthier food environment, we might encourage people to have as much variety in their diet as possible,” says Hagerman. “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.”

She concludes that when it comes to weight loss, consistency matters more than variety.

Varied diet key to health?

Meanwhile, multiple prior studies have found various health benefits in following a varied diet.

Researchers at the UK’s Department of Nutrition suggest that eating a more diverse range of plant-based foods leads to better cardiometabolic health results, mitigating the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. These outcomes include improved cholesterol levels, blood sugar markers, and higher intakes of key nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Another paper reviewing 43 observational studies found associations between plant-based food diversity and specific health outcomes. This is because various foods offer more nutritional profiles, which the researchers said reinforces the importance of exploring the biological benefits of a diverse intake of all plant-based foods to maximize health outcomes. However, they said the results needed further investigation in future studies.

Eating a diverse diet has been classified as a healthy diet by the UN, especially for women of reproductive age and children.