Tweak of the Week: Eat More!

We have all heard it…you need to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight. This can be complicated and easily lead to one of the most common weight-loss misconceptions: The less you eat, the more you lose.

This truth does apply to a certain extent — if you eat more calories than your body needs to maintain your weight, you will gain weight. However, if you suddenly drop your caloric intake too low, your body will think you are starving itself and go into survival mode.  Think about it this way…your body, its metabolism, and its fat burning furnace will begin to hibernate like a bear!  If you don’t eat enough, you will sabotage your weight-loss efforts.

A healthy diet generally will NOT tell you to consume less than 1,200 calories, but you will need to find your “magic number” for optimum weight loss. Research suggests that those who consume less than the optimal amount see their resting metabolism plummet by as much as 45%.  I don’t know about you but my workouts are tough and I expect a great deal out of my body to be sacrificing it and its fat burning effectiveness (AKA metabolism).  I am not letting my metabolism drop!

The best way to lose weight is to keep your metabolism firing on all cylinders by eating enough calories and QUALITY calories (a fine example of quality calories can be found in my past blog about 10 Things to Purchase at the Grocery Store This Week ).  You can eat foods that will FUEL your muscles or you can eat junk that will do nothing but slow you down and make you feel tired!  Eating clean, quality foods ensures that you keep your metabolism revved up all day!  Remember and follow these few tips:

Always eat breakfast. I know, I know, I hear it all the time…
“I don’t have time for breakfast!”
“I’m not hungry when I wake up.”
“I can go until lunchtime Jess and save the calories by skipping it, right?”

Wrong! While you are asleep, your metabolism slows down, and it will not turn the “thermostat” back on until you eat something. Eating breakfast is crucial for boosting your metabolism first thing in the morning and burning calories all day long. It does not need to be an extravagant breakfast or even something that you need to sit down and eat.  Grab a protein shake, pre-made/prepared hard boiled whites, string cheese, ostrich stick, a piece of toast with peanut butter or sunflower butter spread on top!  Yum, now I just made myself hungry!  All of these can be taken in the car and eaten while you drive to work!  Be careful driving though:)

Eat more often. That’s right!  Eating every three hours or so will not only keep you from gorging at your next meal because you are starving, but it will also keep your metabolism higher because it takes more energy to digest food. Shoot for eating smaller meals and snacks — yes, you can snack! Eat a meal when it’s meal time (think in the range of 350/400 calories) and eat a snack when you cannot make it to your next meal (think right around the 100 calorie range).  And keep your metabolism fired up all day!

Plan your meals. I am always telling you guys…PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE!  It does take a little work to learn how to plan ahead, but I can assure you, you will get in the groove and that’s when it becomes second nature!  By knowing what and when you are going to eat, you have more energy throughout the day and that is when you will notice amazing changes in your body!

Once you get your body used to a regular, eating clean schedule, you will be on your way to serious weight loss without the starvation associated with it. And going into hibernation like a bear! Grrrrrrr!

What is your favorite, quick, breakfast of the day? (or get ideas from others)

J`