Dieters beware of their ‘Fat O’clock’!

If you are trying to stick to a healthy diet to lose excess weight, be cautious of Sunday evenings! According to the findings of a new survey, the three hour time period between 7pm and 10pm is when we are most likely to give-in to our cravings, banish our diets and eat typically high-calorie ‘comfort food’ like biscuits and crisps.

The European food company Forza, quizzed hundreds of customers on their eating habits and found Sunday evenings were the worst times for us to eat food containing high fat and high sugar, with almost half (48%) admitting that they overate most often during that time.

Another dangerous time for healthy eaters appears to be just before many of us finish a typical working day, with 28% of those who completed the survey claiming that the two hours between 3pm and 5pm was when they most ate ‘bad’ foods.

The third most common time when our diets go out the window is later in the afternoon – between 5pm and 7pm – as 13% said that is the point when they will probably cave-in and eat high-calorie treats.

One discovery from the survey will perhaps surprise nobody, but many of us will choose the weekend as our time to comfort eat. In particularly, it is Sundays (selected by 16%) when diets are most often forsaken and junk food is consumed.

It was found that 12% of those surveyed would typically comfort eat on a Monday. This could be either for a sugar-boost after a hectic weekend or simply to get over those Monday blues from being back in work!

Judging from the survey’s answers, the majority of over-eating seemed to be during or after dinner time as respondents said they were more likely to consume more than two units of food extra after a meal. A unit was regarded as a packet of chips, a cookie, a piece of toast, or a chocolate snack.

Dinner time for over-eating was chosen by 6%, followed by supper (22%), lunch (16%) and breakfast (a mere 3%). Clearly not enough of us are taking into account the golden rule of breakfast being the most important meal of the day.

Around a third (34%) of comfort eaters scoff two units after feeling hungry.  Over a fifth (22%) said admitted to consuming three units when hungry and one unit by 17%.

Worryingly, 11% claimed that have between four and five units, and 8% even manage to consume more than five units of ‘bad’ food when they are feeling hungry.

Forza chief executive Lee Smith said: “Fat O’clock is a nightmare for all dieters. It’s that time when you are especially vulnerable and the only thing that is going to stop your cravings is padlock on the pantry. It is useful for everyone to know the exact times of those danger spots so that they can eat more sensibly on those days.”