Eat More Frequently to Lose Weight
That’s right! Eat more, weigh less! Sounds good, right! But before you get too excited, there are some things you need to know…
Eating more frequent meals and snacks can help you lose weight. The trick is to follow your recommended daily intake of calories. Then divide the total calories into 5 – 7 or more mini-meals. Or try 3 meals and 2 – 4 snacks per day.
And you thought that 3 squares a day was the way to go!
Why does frequent eating (of small portions) work so well?
If you eat frequent small meals, you can boost your metabolism and avoid the starvation response that lowers your metabolic rate. You can also keep insulin levels lower. When insulin is in check, your body is able to burn fat. Then you can lose weight.
Remember that when you eat a lot of calories at once, your pancreas responds with a large insulin surge. High insulin levels turn on fat storage mechanisms. At the same time, the presence of insulin prevents your body from burning fat for energy. So, we’re talking weight gain, not weight loss.
You may think that the best way to lose weight is to just not eat. Many misguided dieters avoid snacks. Sometimes they even skip meals. Big mistake!
Why? Because … you can’t fool Mother Nature. Your wonderfully smart body has built-in safeguards to keep you from starving to death.
After all, your body still thinks you’re a cave man or woman. It assumes that if you are not eating, it must be because there’s nothing to eat. So, even though your pantry is overflowing, your body thinks it’s starving. Your fat cells don’t realize that you are only a phone call way from an extra large pepperoni and cheese pizza.
Your fail-safe mechanisms, designed to keep you alive during a famine, slow down your metabolism if you go too long between meals. Fat loss slows. And you feel hungry, deprived, miserable.
On the other hand, if you eat frequent small meals, your body gets the message. “Plenty to eat. No danger.” Your stress hormones can lay low. Your insulin levels stay down as well, without the large surges associated with big meals.
Another advantage with frequent eating: you will be less hungry. You will find that it is easier to control your appetite when you eat frequent small meals and snacks.
So, eat frequently. The more frequently, the better. Of course, you need to pay attention to portion size or you will sabotage your efforts.
A well-designed daily plan is the most effective way to use this technique. You may want to keep a food journal as well to keep track of the foods you eat.
Here’s a suggested calorie breakdown to give you an idea:
| For a 1400 calorie/day intake: | |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | 300 calories |
| Snack | 150 |
| Lunch | 300 |
| Snack | 150 |
| Dinner | 400 |
| Snack | 100 |
