Higher at night, possible cravings especially for sugar and fat
GLP-1
Increases fullness after meals
Reduced secretion and reduced fullness
A consistent schedule can also help support healthier digestion, such as the following.
Reduced constipation, bloating, diarrhea
Decreased transit time - so you’re not weighed down as much
Increased gut microbiome biodiversity - a wider variety of healthy bacteria living in your gut is linked to less of a chance of obesity
To support digestive health, remember to hydrate, be active, and eat high-fiber foods like vegetables, beans, fruit, whole grains, and nuts
Better time management is another benefit of following a schedule. Time is like money! They are both limited, precious resources.
If You Budget…
If You Don’t Budget…
You can control where it goes
You may not know what happened to it
You can save time or money for priorities
You might spend it on low-priority items
You can plan to use it wisely
It may disappear faster than you expect
Another benefit of scheduling is to reduce stress. Here are some reasons why.
Lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol
Better recovery due to planned down time and more sleep
Greater sense of control over your life and decisions
More accomplishments and greater sense of pride
Less decision fatigue - save your energy for other things!
When you plan, you can listen to your body better, and better understand what it’s saying! For example, if you’re craving a pizza, is it because…
Your body needs pizza?
You’re short on sleep so your ghrelin (hunger hormone) is higher?
Your blood sugar is low because you had a high-sugar breakfast?
You’re hungry because you skipped a meal?
The best response to your pizza craving depends on information that you can gather more easily when you’re on a schedule.
Another benefit of following a schedule is that it’s easier to add health behaviors. When most of your actions are already routine and low-effort, it can be easier to add a health behavior through habit stacking and other techniques.
Earlier schedules have benefits, but what’s “early” depends on you
Research suggests that shifting some of your calories to earlier in your day and exercising earlier can have benefits, but the schedule that works best for you is one that includes healthy actions that you can maintain.
Your schedule needs to be right for your chronotype. Are you a…?
