Michael Mosley shares toothbrush trick that will help you lose weight faster

TV doctor Michael Mosley recommends time restricted eating for those who want to lose weight more 'easily' - and has shared a toothbrush trick he uses to make sure he doesn't get late-night food cravings

When it comes to losing weight, there is no 'one size fits all' approach, but one popular method that is hailed by the likes of TV doctor Michael Mosley, is time restricted eating (TRE), or intermittent fasting. Dr Mosley, who is the inventor of the Fast 800 and 5:2 diets, has previously explained how carefully selecting the times in which you eat can make weight loss "easier".

Time restricted eating is when meals are eaten within a specific time period each day, for example, only between 8am and 4pm - and the rest of the time you are fasting. Speaking of TRE previously, Dr Mosley, who is a TV presenter, journalist and author, said: "There is increasing evidence emerging to show that to get maximum benefit from your diet, you need to take care about how you time your meal.

"In one of the first human trials of time-restricted eating, carried out with the help of the University of Surrey, two groups of healthy volunteers ate the same food. The group on a time-restricted eating plan, ate breakfast 90 minutes later than usual, and dinner 90 minutes earlier each day. They lost more body fat and saw bigger falls in blood sugar levels and cholesterol than the control group."

But while it can lead to you losing weight, it doesn't mean it's necessarily easy, but Dr Mosley does have certain tricks up his sleeve to make sure it's possible to not crave food in-between mealtimes. Sharing tips to make TRE easier, Dr Mosley said: "As soon as you have finished the last meal of the day, brush your teeth. It'll help you to keep away from snacks and nibbles!"

This tip was backed up by personal trainer Nick Mitchell, founder of Ultimate Performance, who put it all down to the mint in the toothpaste. He explained: "Mint is great at suppressing cravings and your brain may also associate the taste of mint with the end-of-the-day brushing of your teeth, thus quelling your desire to eat."

Dr Mosley also recommends continuing to exercise to really give yourself a chance of keeping the weight off. He added: "A fitness programme will help to keep you insulin-sensitive, which is key to preventing cravings from taking over. However, avoid endurance or highly demanding exercise on a fast day."

One of Dr Mosley's diets, which is known as the New 5:2 Diet, involves consuming 800 calories twice per week, and normally the other five days, but he encourages people to eat a low carb Mediterranean-style diet. Meanwhile, the Fast 800 involves following a daily 800-calorie eating plan for a minimum of two weeks and no more than 12 weeks. Then, followers of the plan restrict calories to 800 calories a day for two days of the week, and eat a Mediterranean diet for the remaining five days. Once they have reached their goal, there's a maintenance stage.

According to the NHS, the recommended daily calorie intake is 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men, and if you're trying to lose weight, they recommend reducing the daily intake by about 600 calories.

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