Good news: it turns out you don't have to starve yourself at every meal to lose weight. According to research results just released by Cornell University, controlling portion size and calorie content at just one meal per day can result in significant weight loss, without those dreaded hunger pangs.

The study followed 17 participants for five weeks, and looked at weight loss that occurred when half the participants ate a portion-controlled lunch for two weeks, while still eating their fill at other meals, and the other half continued to eat as they wished all day.

Even when participants added in two snacks per day, those who ate less at lunch lost about a pound in 10 days. The results held when the other group of participants cut their caloric intake by 250 calories daily, and lost a little over one pound in 10 days. No one who participated in the study reported feeling hungry, a big difference from most diet plans.

One pound may not sound like much, but it can add up to about 35 pounds in the course of a year, significant weight loss considering the relatively small change in eating habits. If you choose to try this yourself, you can shed the pounds twice as fast if you add in some exercise a couple of times a week.

Source: http://www.grannymed.com/news/health-study/smaller-lunch-portions-can-lead-to-big-weight-loss