You probably know that you must live healthy now that you’re getting older. I know it’s hard because you have no time to exercise, dieting is cumbersome and your eating habits are awful. But come on. Let’s face it! Metabolism slows down as people age. And if you are dying to get your body back in shape, change your lifestyle and bring back your youthful glow, it is time to take action! Besides, the fact that you decided to read this article implies that you want this change, don’t you?
Eat More to Lose Weight? Is it A Myth?
Okay, so does slower metabolism mean that you should eat less as you get older? The answer is no. In fact, recent weight loss experts recommend eating 5 or more meals a day. This is the diet strategy of celebrities and fitness experts because of several reasons. The truth is, many studies have already proven that you can actually eat more to lose weight! Read on to learn how.
Eating Frequently Boosts Metabolism
One of the effects of eating 5 or more small meals a day is that this considerably boosts metabolism. Fitness experts use this method to take advantage of the thermic effect of food. In fact, a new study conducted by the American Dietetic Association proved that eating 4-5 small meals a day is associated with no or reduced obesity risk.
What does this all mean? Simple. Eating more to lose weight is effective because eating frequently throughout the day keeps the body working through the process of digestion which burns calories. This also keeps the body’s blood sugar level at even levels. Just remember to include a good amount of protein (at least 10 grams) in each meal because this further increases metabolism.
Eating Frequently Keeps You Satisfied
The most important effect of eating frequent meals throughout the day is that this keeps you from hunger pangs. The problem with most diets is that you may eventually become too hungry and suddenly break the diet and give up. Eating small meals every 2-3 hours prevents ravenous hunger which is one of the main problems of most restrictive diets.
Counting Calories Is Still Important
So does this mean you can eat anything you want? Sorry but the answer is no. In order to lose weight using “eat more to lose weight strategy”, you need to create a daily calorie deficit. This means that you have to consume 200-400 calories lesser than your daily caloric need or the number of calories you need to stay at the same weight. To get your daily caloric need, multiply your weight in pounds by 10. For example, assuming that your weight is 140 pounds, your daily caloric need is 1400 calories. Now as we can see, you need to consume around 1000-1200 calories depending on your physical activities in order to lose weight.
Never Starve Yourself
Sometimes, people go on excessively restrictive diet programs consuming less than 1000 calories a day. This is not a good idea since this will result to the body going into starvation mode and you do not want this to happen. Why? It’s because the normal response of the body is holding on to stored fat instead of using it for fuel. The body also breaks down muscle as a source of fuel. Metabolism also considerably slows down and the result is having the same weight or even weight gain. Can you believe it?
Eating more to lose weight sounds like one effortless step to weight reduction, but it’s not. Let’s face another harsh reality that there is no short cut to a healthy weight loss. Effort, time, self-control and determination are all part of the package. After all, there is no sweet victory without conquering challenges along the way, right?
Know of eating myths one should be wary of when losing weight? Tell us by adding your insights below.