Stop right there! Step away from the Twinkies! I said eat more, not eat more junk! Actually I meant eat more often not necessarily more food, but it could be more. It just depends.

Like Weight Loss Guideline #1, this guideline is also one I think a lot of people get hung up on. I actually still do to this day. It seems like a paradox (and not like Dr. Suess and Dr. Phil, get it? Paradox…Pair of Doctors? Nevermind) that to lose weight more effectively you eat more food. It’s completely backwards.

Fuel your body

When I talk to people that are trying to lose weight, they usually indicate that they are working out like crazy but are seeing no results. The first thing I always ask is if they eat breakfast. More often than not their answer is no. Bingo! That’s the problem right there.

Your body needs energy to burn fat. Food is energy. Think about it, when you skip breakfast you are fasting for at least 10-15 hours. The results of that is your body starts to actually store fat (see Lose Weight: Eat Breakfast). On top of that, when you do finally eat around lunch you are so hungry that you over-eat. Then, if you don’t eat an afternoon snack you over-eat at dinner because and that in turn gives your body more calories to store the next morning when you starve it by skipping breakfast. Now you see why you’re gaining weight?

So, not only is breakfast truly the most important meal of the day, eating smaller meals 5-6 times a day (or every two to two-and-a-half hours) is much better for you than 2 or 3 big meals a day. The name of the game is energy balance! Eating only a couple times a day turns your body into a nutritional roller coaster thereby turning your weight into a roller coaster as well.

Eat more often

Here’s how:

• Eat breakfast. Oh, try to make it healthy too. Skip the Cocoa Puffs and, although it pains me to say it, Fruity Pebbles (my favorite cereal). This would also be a great time for a Shakeology^® shake, especially if you find yourself running around in the morning and lack the time to make something.
• Eat every 2 to 2-1/2 hours.. Again, let’s try to make these meals healthy too. By healthy, however, I don’t mean boring.
  • For a mid-morning snack try a part-skim string cheese and apple or carrots and peanut butter or a handful of nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, or macadamia nuts).
  • For lunch, try a turkey or roast beef sandwich on whole-wheat or whole grain bread with honey-mustard or spicy mustard instead of mayo (or stick to a serving size of mayo). Limit the cheese to a single serving. Load up on the lettuce and tomatoes though! My personal favorite for lunch is a sardine sandwich (I’m serious) on whole-wheat bread with some Louisiana hot sauce and spicy mustard. This would also be a great time for a Shakeology^® shake
  • Low-fat cottage cheese or Low-fat, sugar-free pudding or low-fat yogurt (watch the sugar content though) would be great afternoon snacks. Also meal-replacement bars or a protein shake would be good here. You can go to my Beachbody^® Coaching site and click on Shop and look under Nutrition and Supplements for a list of available supplements from Beachbody^®
  • My only advice for dinner is be careful. This was the most difficult time for me to make wise choices. It’s also easy to over eat, especially if you have a family and sit together a the table.
  • There is much debate about bedtime/after-dinner snacks. Some say don’t eat anything after 8pm, others say don’t eat carbs after 8pm. Low-fat cottage is a great choice because it contains casein protein, which releases slower than whey protein so it’s great to eat at night. If you need something sweet, which I usually do, I really like Skinny Dippers from Skinny Cow^®. You will probably need to experiment with what works best for you. In my personal opinion (hey, it’s my blog) this is not as crucial as the other points.
• Try to keep it balanced. If you have a high-fat morning snack (nuts or peanut butter) then focus on more protein in the afternoon and vice-versa. Same goes with all the meals. If you have a heavy carb breakfast then cut back on carbs for some of the other meals. This will take some practice, but will be a great benefit in the long run.
• Stick with it! This will take some work, but if you especially start eating breakfast you will have more energy and you will prime your body for losing those extra pounds.

I’d love to hear how you’re doing. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to comment on this post.

Further Reading

• Top Ten Reasons to Eat Breakfast
• 10 Reasons to Eat Breakfast
• My Shakeology^® shake
• Beachbody^® Coaching site

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”