Weight Loss Corner: Eat More Not Less

Weight Loss Corner

Eat More Not Less

By Bethany Roberts

What would you say if I told you that the way to lose weight is by eating more rather than less? You would probably say that I am crazy but if you will stay with me for a moment you will see that there is a method to my madness. Of course I should clarify that when I talk about eating more that I mean to eat more meals each day that contain smaller portions. There are many health advantages to eating smaller meals at more frequent intervals each day and we will explore exactly what these advantages can mean to you and how such a plan can help you to lose weight.

Probably the biggest advantage to eating more meals is that you get to eat. Lets face it, most of us enjoy eating and the biggest problem with traditional diets is that we have to eat less in order to lose weight. When you do eat less you develop an obsession for food because you are deprived of something that you enjoy and, more importantly, something you need. By eating more meals with smaller portions you will not be as hungry because you know you are going to be eating in just a few hours so you do not feel deprived.

Eating more meals is also better for your body because you can go into a starvation mode when you only eat once or twice a day. Your body is programmed to keep you alive by storing calories in times of starvation so when you go for long periods of time without eating this defense mechanism kicks in and stores more of what you eat as fat. When you eat every three or four hours you keep your body from storing as many calories because your body senses that it is going to have a steady supply of food.

Insulin is very important when it comes to losing fat and eating smaller meals evenly spaced out during the day helps to maintain steady insulin levels. People who are overweight tend to have diminished insulin function and many end up becoming diabetic. The type of foods that people eat as well as when the food is eaten plays a big role in how the body releases insulin which greatly effects how the body is able to utilize food for energy. When insulin levels are improper the body has trouble using food for energy and instead may store the food calories as fat. The best way to ensure proper insulin function is by eating smaller meals more frequently that contain the right proportion of nutrients.

The most important part to understand about eating more meals is that it is not a free license to pig out. Your goal is to eat smaller meals consisting of nutritious food that will satisfy the needs of your body. If you use the plan of eating more meals as an excuse to eat more garbage food like burgers, fries or high fat snacks then you are not going to lose any more weight than you would on a normal diet. If instead, you plan out your meals so that you are constantly eating a smaller portion of something nutritious like a piece of fish or a fruit or a vegetable then you will start to notice that you are less hungry overall and you need less food to fill you up at each meal.

Eating more meals with smaller portions is a lifestyle change that will require a certain amount of discipline to reap the rewards that it provides. You should plan out your meals during your day so that you do not skip one or two and revert back to the standard starvation/overeat meal plan that most people live out each day. The easiest way to avoid missing a meal is to have plenty of nutritious food available by providing yourself with apples, bananas, graham crackers, pretzels, etc, that can be eaten when you do not have time for something like a grilled chicken sandwich. There are also sports supplements available like Meal Replacement Shakes and Protein Bars that make excellent substitute meals. Eating five or six smaller meals may require a little more effort but the rewards are well worth it and once you get used to the new eating plan you really look forward to all of those small meals each day.

It may have sounded revolutionary when I started this article but by now I think you can see how beneficial eating more meals can be for someone trying to lose weight. What sounds like eating more food actually ends up being less food and maybe that is why this plan works so well since it gives you a psychological edge that other diets lack. Try this plan out for yourself and get ready to not only lose weight but also feel better than you ever have with any other eating plan.

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