There is a common misconception that the key to loosing weight is eating less. No! It is about fueling your body with the food that it needs and when it needs it! I will talk about what KINDS of foods you should be eating in another article but for the purpose of this dialog, I want to talk about how OFTEN you should eat.
We’ve all been at that place where we realize it’s been too long since we’ve eaten and we are STARVING. Visualize it. What happens? We tend to eat too much and not care what we eat. Anything in sight is up for grabs, the more carbs and sugar, the better. Our blood sugar has dropped too low for us to care; we have zero energy and just want food, right?
To prevent our blood sugar from dropping too low and to keep our metabolism going, we should be eating every 2-3 hours or approximately 5 times per day. This includes breakfast (never, ever skip breakfast), snack, lunch, snack and dinner.
Breakfast is what gets your body running in the morning. It provides the fuel that your body needs to start your day, improve your focus and start your metabolism.
By eating every few hours throughout the day, you avoid becoming overly hungry and are more likely to choose healthy, balanced foods.
You may choose to eat 5 small meals a day, or 3 meals and 2 snacks. How you divide your caloric intake throughout the day is about what works for you. You may also want to consider when you exercise to base your eating schedule appropriately around that time allowing for a pre and post-workout snack if needed.
The key is, don’t starve yourself! Eat every few hours to provide your body with the energy it needs to keep you functioning at your highest potential.
Emily Langlois, CPT 