Timing Your Meals Could Be Key to
Your Weight Loss Goals

When you think of the word diet, some of the first things that spring to mind include “restriction”, “deprivation” and “starvation”. Dieting is vastly misunderstood and years of tried and tested, healthy eating techniques have proven that a diet doesn’t mean you have to go hungry or die of starvation.

While many people associate dieting with eating celery, carrots and cabbage, those days and ways are way behind us. In fact, one of the best ways to trim your waistline is by eating healthy meals, but also timing your meals, so that you never allow a moment in the day when you feel hungry.

The correct way to “diet” is to eat five to six small, balanced meals throughout the day. This means, three “solid” meals and three snacks in between. Ideally, you should not let more than two to three hours pass before having another meal. Now this doesn’t mean gorging yourself on everything and anything in sight every few hours. You still need to follow the principles of eating a balanced meal (consisting of one portion of lean protein and one portion of complex carbohydrates).

This concept is called grazing and it is certainly not a new-age system that has been developed by some new-age genius trying to make a quick buck. Grazing allows you to keep your metabolism and blood sugar levels stabilized throughout the day. A sudden drop in these levels and you will find yourself craving something sugary and very nutrient dense to try elevate these levels again.

What happens when you allow your blood sugar levels to drop and then rapidly rise them by consuming something you crave (like a chocolate or packet of crisps), is you spike your insulin levels, which in turn sends a burst of energy to your system. If that energy is not used up, it is stored as fat.

A successful dieter knows this and therefore plans his or her meals ahead of time. This planning ensures that you always have healthy, clean food ready and available when you need it.

Pack a lunch box with all your meals for the day stored in individual containers and when you’re ready for your next meal, just take one out and you’ll see how much easier it is to stick to eating your healthy food.

You will also notice that eating consistently and regularly throughout the day will have you feeling more energized and more focused.

Author: Dimi Ingle.
Copyright 2009: Remedium. This article may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Remedium.