How To Lose Weight On 5 Meals A Day

I found this post on HealthNet.com and wanted to reblog it because this Chef thinks like me. This is the way I lost my weight. Read the following and believe me it works.

I'm a chef (and a mom). You might think that eating frequent meals wouldn’t be an issue.

I understand the concept: Five small meals a day takes the edge off your appetite, evens out blood sugar levels, and keeps your energy steady. But I confess: I don’t always eat this way.

Although my fitness trainer encourages me to eat healthy food every few hours, my meals usually look like this: coffee, a bit more coffee, lunch at 3 p.m., dinner at 9 p.m. I start over again the next morning. This is called "eating when you want and whatever you want".

When I decided to change this habit, I found that doing these five things helped:

1. Plan ahead. Five meals a day equals breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. To do this right, you need to plan what you’ll eat every day for each “meal.” And you need to schedule eating every 2 to 3 hours.
2. Stock up. Face it: You’re going to grab whatever food is closest. So stock up on veggies, fruit, healthy carbs, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese.
3. Go for taste. Choose snack foods that will sustain you and taste good. Remember, healthy food can be satisfying.
4. Whip up a smoothie. Blend fruit, milk, yogurt and a little honey for a sweet filling snack packed with vitamins, fiber, protein, and calcium.
5. Combine carbs and protein to stay full longer. Try whole wheat toast with peanut butter or a hard-boiled egg; whole-grain pasta with olive oil and cheese; or oatmeal with fruit, milk, and honey. Or make yourself a big pot of soup (like my Tuscan chicken soup) to heat up for lunches or snacks.

It's a good plan but it's a little more complicated than that. For breakfast, you want 12 grams of protein with whatever you're eating. I eat 2 eggs and toast with peanut butter or some lean meat. No processed meat, like ham or sausage. You might prefer a protein shake. I make a shake when I have no time to eat. Almond milk and a banana, a serving of the protein powder and blend it for a few seconds, pour it in a glass or commuter cup and go. Your other four meals should all be about 300 calories. Space out the other meals about 2 0r 3 hours apart and don't skip a meal. 

The idea is if you eat healthy all day you won't get hungry. After the 5th meal, it should be about 6 p.m. and that's where you want to stop eating. No late night snacks. You want to eat the last time 3 or 4 hours before bed. If you are a person who stays up late you might want to try 6 meals a day. Just stick to 300 calories per meal.

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. Read some of my other blog posts.

gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com

blogonweight.blogspot.com

E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of website looking for the material you want.
My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon.com, BN.com, iBook, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smashwords.com. If you use the Smashwords' promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (TL96R). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.