Why Eat Every 2-3 Hours?

The 80%: Eating.

I know this is against every one's logic, but I promise you it works. EAT OFTEN, BUT EAT HEALTHY! Eat small, healthy meals throughout the day. Watch the pounds slide off. I know because I've tried it and still trying to keep it going. It's a bit of a challenge, but I feel the difference when I don't. Eating this often doesn't cost a lot of money either if you plan and if you cook most of the meals as well. What I try my hardest to do is to eat 4-6 meals a day which averages every 2-3 hours. When you first start, watching the clock like a mad person for your next meal is normal. Also this method helps you learn when you are truly full and when you are truly hungry. You will be surprised at how much you really actually require per meal, but since you are used to cramming lots of food per setting at a fast pace down your throat, this will be hard in the beginning.

Some of you are making the concept too complicated. You quite possibly already eat similar to this because this is the equivalent of you snacking between meals. Same concept, but healthier. Eat the 4-6 meals in this order: Meal, Snack, Meal, Snack, Meal, Snack. Got it! Good!

Now for what I found outside of my personal knowledge. This is what I found about the topic through research.

Why it's important?

WebMD/Enzine Articles

"Each time you eat, you stimulate your metabolism for a short period of time, which means that the more often you eat, the more you’ll increase your metabolism. 'When your metabolic rate increases, you burn more calories all day long. You can further increase fat burning and metabolism by eating these meals with high protein levels.' Eating every 2 to 3 hours feeds muscle and starves fat. By eating frequently, you reassure your body that you aren’t going to starve; that food will always be available. Skipping breakfast, eating only a sandwich for lunch, and pigging out at dinner, on the other hand, frightens your body into storing fat, just in case your next meal never comes. Research from Georgia State University shows that people who eat every 2 to 3 hours have less body fat and faster metabolisms than those who eat only 2 or 3 meals per day."

MyBodyTutor explains body fat storing even further by talking about how and why the body starts to store the fat when you have gone hours without eating. The author states that when we don't eat for hours our blood sugar drops and after hours of not eating when we finally do eat are blood sugar spikes and it continues this cycle more and more storing more and more fat.

Starving only works for those severely food and nutrient deficient and believe me they are not healthy at all and are usually suffering from malnutrition or anorexia or bulimia which is why not eating makes them smaller. The body can't continue to store fat that is not even coming in at some point. This is why they lose weight. They also lose muscle too and gain health issues. NOT GOOD! I think that is why most of us are confused on the topic of whether to eat more or less to lose weight.

OK. Off of my soap box... Now where was I? Oh...

When blood sugar spikes it causes excess insulin to build up in the blood which allows fat to store. This makes it even more important for you to eat breakfast! The hours between your last meal or snack and when you wake up and finally eat makes your blood sugar extremely low and imagine the hours between your last meal and waiting till lunch time. It is not merely going to sleep on a meal that gets you, it is the amount of hours in-between that meal and your last meal, how big the portions were, whether or not the food was healthy etc. When I was at a performance camp out in Florida all I did was eat, drink water and protein shakes, workout and sleep. I'd sleep right after a meal, but I did not ever gain a pound. I was shocked because how much sleeping and sitting I did when I wasn't working out.

Don't play "Survivor" with your body! It will go into survival mode and start storing fat! That sucks cause why are we reading about my meal plans and workout regimen and actually working out ourselves and trying to eat right if we are going to let the very thing we are trying to destroy (FAT) create an army in us?

What are the benefits?

Livestrong says:

• Lose Weight
• Increased Energy
• Appetite Suppressant
• Boost your metabolism
• Helps build muscle

How do I transition myself into eating this way?

• Make it a lifestyle
• Create weight-loss goals
• Make it a habit... Give it time to become one...
• Create a routine and try to stick with it... Tip: Write it all down... PLAN.
• Be flexible. Things do pop up! Work and class are so hard to work around. PLAN.
• Don't listen to the voice in your head that is complaining and says you can't do it.
• Do not make other people's goals yours!
• Do not make others bodies your self-image! Just use them as motivation.
• Don't listen to the haters!

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TRICK: I repeat again... PLAN. Schedule your meals and plan and have them wherever you are, the meal or snack that you will be eating! (I usually plan my meals and cook them, if needed, on Sundays.) It is difficult at first, but it will become routine after a while. Make your fats healthy fats (like nuts) and eat meals with a good balance of lean protein, fruits and veggies. FYI: Protein and fiber help you stay fuller longer. If you follow similar meals to my A Day In the Life... Meals post then you will be on the right track. Emergency Snack: Also, always, always, always have something handy to prevent you from going astray or when you get stuck in traffic, stuck at work or something doesn't go as planned, so you can eat!

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Truth - In the start of my weight loss journey, I chose to use appetite suppressants to help me eat less per setting and also to help me learn when I was actually hungry and when I was actually full. I asked my doctor which would be best: store bought or prescribed. She said there is not a real difference, but she preferred I got it prescribed so she could monitor me. Most of these drugs can be addictive or increase heart rate and have other issues. I used this (Phentermine) for 3 months. At the very start of my weight-loss journey which was 2 years ago. If you try this consult your doctor as I did.

Another note: Whether or not you have insurance, when going to the doctor for obesity related issues you will end up paying a little more out-of-pocket in most cases  for the doctors visit and for the meds. Obesity related issues are usually not covered by most plans. :( All the more reason to not be considered obese right? Thank goodness I am not obese anymore, but darn despite how you see me now, I am still considered overweight for my height and stature... 

Consider this...

I did say eat healthy and eat more often. Let me also state portion control and 4-6 meals only! You can overindulge on healthy food just as you would on unhealthy food. If you have a problem stopping yourself from fixing too much food or eating the whole plate or bowl or eating more than 4-6 times a day then this may not be for you! This is especially true for those who are emotional eaters or eat out of boredom. This type of eating calls for extreme discipline. If you don't have it then this meal plan could go wrong really fast! Overeating, even on healthy food can have negative consequences.

Note this:

Also, OMG did she say cook meals? That is just a suggestion. It allows for control of what goes into your meal and I prefer it to tv dinners etc. I too hate cooking all the time though. Solution if you do decide to cook, cook a regular sized meal and split it into smaller meals. This means though that you will be eating that same meal several times and you will have to be honest with yourself on what is a good portion size.

As I stated, I had to learn what hunger really felt like and what being full really felt like. It will really help you not overeat and it will aid in you eating when needed, as in wanting to eat the 4-6 meals.

The 20%: Remember to incorporate cardio and strength training into your day to see even more results!

Glam, FIT & Love,
Kimberly

P.S. Tanks prob won't be up till this summer. :( They will be up nonetheless though. :) Check Instagram for updates or to see samples when I get them. The company I was supposed to work with went ghost, so I may be handmaking the samples until I find a new graphics place! Of course this means they prob won't be made until June... :(