The
Problem
"I'm trying to lose weight. I was told to try small meals every
couple of hours, but I feel like I'm constantly eating and
overeating. What should I do? How does this affect my weight
loss?"
--kzadora
The Solutions
1. Grazing works
"This way of eating enables you to change your metabolism. Eating
small meals keeps your blood sugar level from making large
up-and-down fluctuations; believe it or not, it is much better for
you."
--sandy
2. If you can't graze, just snack
"You don't need to be eating small balanced meals every two hours.
The trick is to break up the nutrition you need in a day to have as
snacks in between meals. Don't skip a meal to save calories -- that
has the opposite effect. Your body will hold onto fat calories
(survival mode) and burn muscle because that is the most readily
available energy source. This will in turn lower your metabolism,
making it that much harder to lose weight."
--amanda
3. Listen to your body
"Eating several small meals a day means eating when your body, not
your mind, is hungry. When people wait for the standard meal times
(breakfast, lunch, dinner), often we are so hungry we overeat. If
you eat when your body tells you you're hungry, you will eat more
frequently but fewer total calories and feel more satiated."
--iVillager