[susanpesek]

Eat More, Weigh Less

Shawn McKee
One of the most basic tenets of weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume. It's not terribly complicated, but it can 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're starving and go into survival mode. If you don't eat enough, you will sabotage your weight-loss efforts.

A healthy diet generally won't drop your caloric intake below 1,200 calories, but you will need to find your "magic number" for optimum weight loss. Research suggests that women who consume less than the optimal amount see their resting metabolic rate plummet by as much as 45 percent.

"Don’t be surprised if you need to adjust your calories several times throughout your weight-loss journey, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose," says registered dietitian Nicole Bengtson, LD/N. “Your calories will need to be adjusted to account for your changing weight, activity level and metabolism.”

The best way to lose weight is to keep your metabolism firing on all cylinders by eating enough calories, which can be accomplished by following these simple steps:

Always eat breakfast. I know, I know, there's no time for breakfast, you're not hungry and you can save some calories by skipping it, right? Wrong! While you're asleep, your metabolism slows down, and it doesn't pick back up until you eat something. Eating breakfast is crucial for boosting your metabolism first thing in the morning and burning more calories all day long. It doesn’t need to be a hot-cooked breakfast that takes long to prepare, either.

“Even if you just grab a piece of fruit and a string cheese on your way out the door, you need to at least eat something to get your system going in the morning,” Bengtson says.

Eat more often. That's right, eating every two to three hours will not only keep you from gorging at meals because you're starving, but it also keeps your metabolic rate higher because it takes more energy to digest food. Shoot for eating smaller meals and snacks -- yes, you can snack! Aim for 200 to 400 calorie mini-meals every few hours and keep your metabolism stoked.

Plan your meals. It does take a little work to learn to plan ahead, but once you get into the groove, it's a piece of cake. You'll find that by knowing what and when you’re going to eat, you have more energy throughout the day and you'll have a steadier stream of nutrients supplied to your body. The other key is to make sure you have proper snack foods on hand, like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts -- anything that's high in fiber is helpful, too.

Once you get your body used to a regular healthy routine, you'll be on your way to serious weight loss without the starvation associated with it.

[megangleeson]

Themarket is flooded with low caloriediets and advertisements for the best healthy low caloriediet. Those looking into losing fat and at the same time they want to stay healthy.

[k_renee]

This must be exactly what I've done! I've sabotged myself. Any idea how long it'll take to unsabotage me? I've been eating next to nothing, about 400 calories, for 2 weeks. The first week was great 8 - 9 pounds, this week NOTHING! If I start eating around 1200 calories am I going to gain any of the weight back that I just lost, or just maintain and then start losing again?

[jlclnicho]

I have been so sabotaging my diet! That really really sucks. I haven't been eating except only when I feel hungry and that is not alot. Can I have a do-over and start again even if I have been taking the phen for a little while? I hope that hope is not lost

[doctorjohn]

Good Day to all of you.. I'm new here, I just want give out my own experience on eating.. from the book i had read, you can eat 4 to 5 times a day but in a minimum way. what I mean is you can eat up to 5 times a day but make sure every meal is just to satisfy your hunger on that time, and especially eat fruits and veggies. and it really work for me, I lost a couple of pounds is a week..

-Doctor John

[spice2621]

Hi there! Welcome aboard...good luck on your goals...you should start a journal so we can all keep up with your progress and or tips..take care and everyone have a great day!!

Originally Posted by doctorjohn

Good Day to all of you.. I'm new here, I just want give out my own experience on eating.. from the book i had read, you can eat 4 to 5 times a day but in a minimum way. what I mean is you can eat up to 5 times a day but make sure every meal is just to satisfy your hunger on that time, and especially eat fruits and veggies. and it really work for me, I lost a couple of pounds is a week..

-Doctor John