Try to Eat Smaller Meals More Often

It   may   surprise   you   to   learn   that   I   now   eat   about   six   times   every   day   rather   than   three.   So   instead   of   an   eating   plan   that   contains   three   large   meals   separated   by   4   or   5   hour   intervals: -my   meal   schedule   involves   smaller   meals,   of   about   half   the   size,   eaten   every   2   or   3   hours.

This   is   in   direct   contrast   to   the   dieting   approach   which   suggests   that   the   best   way   to   lose weight   is   to   skip   one   of   your   meals   so   as   to   lower   the   total   calorie   intake.   Or   the   other   approach   which   would   have   you   reduce   the   amount   of   food   you   eat   for   each   of   these   three   daily   meals.









The   trouble   with   these  " dieting"   approaches   is   that   by cutting   down   on   your   total   calorie   intake   you   are   sending   a   message   to   your   body   that   food   is   scarce,   when   in   fact   this   is   not   the   case   at   all. The   truth   is   that   most   of   us   are   only   ever   a   few   minutes   walking   distance   from   great   reservoirs   of   food,   whether   it   be   your   own   refrigerator   or   the   local   supermarket.   Food   is   not   scarce   at   all!

But   when   your   body   does   get   the   message   that   food   is   scarce   it   responds   according   to   a   set   of   survival   instructions   that   were   programmed   into   our   genes   over   the   two   million   year  course   of   our   evolution.   For   most   of   that   time   food   was   in   short   supply   and   we   had   to   work   hard   to   ensure   that   we   did   not   go   hungry.  

On   the   occasions   when   food   was   in   good   supply   it   made   sense   from   an   evolutionary   point   of   view   to   store   any   left   over   calories   as   body   fat,   so   that   when   the   lean   times   arrived  again  ( as   they   always   did)   there   would   be   an   energy   reserve   for   the   body   to   draw   from.

Moreover,   when   food   in   the   environment   is   scarce   it   makes   sense   for   the   body   to   burn   food   reserves   more   slowly,   so   as   to   conserve   its   store   of   energy   for   as   long   as   possible.   In   other   words,   your   metabolism   drops   when   you   starve   yourself  -  you   burn   fat   more   slowly,   and   you   pack   it   on   whenever   you   get   a   chance   to   eat.   This   is   the   exact   opposite   of   your   intentions   if   your   goal   is   to   lose   weight. So   every   day   that   you   eliminate  to   be   plaguing   you   so   frequently   right   now.