It's not just about how much you eat—it's also about when you eat. This is what a recent study on The Wall Street Journal says based on a study from Tel Aviv University.

Researchers asked 93 overweight and obese women in their mid-40s to follow a 1,400-calorie weight-loss diet for three months. One group consumed 50 percent of their allotted calories at breakfast, 36 percent at lunch, and 14 percent at dinner. Another group consumed 14 percent at breakfast, 36 percent at lunch, and 50 percent at dinner.

The results revealed that those who ate the bulk of their calories during breakfast lost an average of 19.1 pounds from their total weight and 3.3 inches from their waist in 12 weeks. On the other hand, those who ate the most during dinner lost only 7.9 pounds and 1.5 inches. And although both groups showed a decrease in glucose, insulin, and ghrelin (an appetite hormone) levels, the effect was much more evident in those who ate heavy breakfasts.

Although the kind of lifestyle you lead may either make this system easier or harder for you, the main point is that the last meal you have before you sleep should be the lightest in order for your body to focus more on resting and recuperating instead of digesting.