When to Eat

Some people prefer to eat three meals a day, where as others find it more effective to eat five to six smaller meals. Everyone is different where metabolism is concerned, which is why it's important to develop a meal plan that works best for you and stick with it.

With today’s busy lifestyle, most people don't eat often enough. Skipping meals is a frequent occurrence that's detrimental to any successful weight loss program. The body has two modes, feast and famine. When the body is inconsistently fed, it naturally moves into famine mode where it stores calories as fat, and converts excess carbohydrates into fat.

The feast mode is most effective for weight loss as the body is consistently fed at regular intervals. In this mode, the body does not hold onto excess calories or carbohydrate as fat, because it has a constant fuel source. The body automatically begins to burn excess stored fat because it no longer needs to hold onto it. People who feed their bodies regularly with small, nutritious meals will see results faster.

A person’s metabolic rate is directly influenced by a their eating habits. For example, your metabolism is comparable to a fire. A slow metabolic rate is comparable to a fire that has burned down to coals. Even if a log is thrown on to the fire, it still takes a long time to burn. A high metabolism is comparable to a raging fire, it doesn't matter how big or small the log is, it still consumes the wood at an incredibly fast pace. The human body is the exact same way. No fuel, small fire. More fuel, bigger flames. The more frequently you consume food, the faster your body will naturally burn it. In short, the body needs to be fed a minimum of 3 healthy meals daily with 1-2 snacks.

The next thing to consider is what to eat and when. Studies show that in order to get the most benefit from your weight loss plan, you should consider eating the bulk of your daily fat intake during the first half of the day. High-fat foods take a minimum of two hours to digest. When you eat fat late in the day, you're more likely to store it.

There is no one right way of doing things. The crucial thing to remember is that your body must remain “fueled” to function properly.