Play it again, Crook…

Read this if you don’t know how to start losing!
18 January 2008, evilgrin @ 2:45 pm

ONE or TWO meals a day is a disaster. If you haven’t been eating at least three times a day, you are causing serious damage to your metabolism.
True, calories count. But the amazing thing about eating frequently is that IT MAKES YOU BURN MORE CALORIES! Five or six meals a day accelerates your body’s natural rate of burning.

If skipping meals is the cardinal sin of fat burning and muscle building nutrition, then skipping breakfast is a capital crime suited for the death penalty! And yet “everybody” is doing it! When I analyze nutrition programs for my clients, one of the most common errors I see is skipping breakfast or eating it late, around 10:00 a.m. or even later. “I don’t have time” is usually the excuse justifying this unforgivable blunder.

Let’s take a close look at the devastating impact this lack of planning and discipline has on your fat loss efforts:

If you’re still not convinced yet that eating six times a day is worth the effort, then this ought to hammer the point home for you: Here are the seven reasons why frequent meals of the proper quantity and quality will turn your body into a turbo-charged fat burning machine!

1. Frequent eating speeds up your metabolism due to the thermic effect of food.
2. Frequent meals prevent binges and control cravings.
3. Frequent meals help maintain high energy levels by regulating blood sugar and insulin levels.
4. Frequent meals are ANABOLIC: They help promote muscle growth by regulating insulin levels and providing a steady flow of amino acids into muscle cells.
5. Frequent meals are ANTI-CATABOLIC: they help promote muscle growth by preventing muscle breakdown (you stay in positive nitrogen balance).
6. Frequent eating promotes better utilization of nutrients.
7. Eating smaller meals more frequently reduces fat storage through portion control.

The perfect meal size:

Ok, so now you know all the reasons why you must never skip meals and why you must eat small meals every three hours. The next question is, “What is the definition of a small meal?” Well, if you’ve done your calorie calculations already then this is very easy to figure out.
On average, the optimal intake to lose fat is about 2400-2500 calories per day for men and 1500-1600 for women. Naturally if you are a serious athlete or bodybuilder with high activity levels, these calories will be higher. To get your ideal calorie intake per meal is easy; simply divide your total daily calories by the number of meals you are aiming for (preferably five or six).

Men:

Average optimal caloric intake for fat loss=2400
Desired number of meals=5 or 6
Target calorie intake per meal=400 to 800 calories per meal

Women:

Average optimal caloric intake for fat loss=1500
Desired number of meals=5
Target caloric intake per meal=300 calories per meal
As you can see, these are fairly small meals. Now let’s take a look at the calorie contents of some sample meals you might encounter while eating out:
• Big Mac and large fries=980 calories
• Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast=1100 calories
• Porterhouse steak, steak-house size portion (one pound)=1150 calories
• Spaghetti with tomato sauce, restaurant serving a93 1/2 cups)=850 calories
• Medium movie theater popcorn with butter=1100 (*Wow!)
• Chinese/Kung Pau chicken with rice (1 order)=1620 calories

The problem is obvious: Most people are over-eating, big-time! (And these examples aren’t even including drinks or desserts.) An average restaurant meal, whether we’re talking steak, breakfast, Italian, Chinese, or fast food, can easily top 1000 calories. An average sized meal for fat loss is 300 calories for women and 400 calories for men, based on five or six meals per day, respectively. Even if you have a large frame and you’re highly active, the upper end of the calorie range for fat loss is usually around 400 for women and 550 for men. Your objective is to never, ever eat huge meals- not even on a “cheat day.” It’s permissible to enjoy cheat foods occasionally in small amounts, but NEVER binge or stuff yourself-EVER! Always spread out those calories!

Taper your calories: Make breakfast your largest meal and dinner your smallest.

Although these “average” caloric amounts were divided evenly in each meal, there’s one small adjustment that can increase your fat loss even further; it’s called “calorie tapering.” There’s an old saying, “Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and dinner like a pauper.” This arrangement of meals from largest to smallest is wise advice. The typical eating pattern of the average American is; no breakfast or skimpy breakfast like a bagel or doughnut, then a big lunch, usually fast food or cafeteria food, concluding with a huge dinner and a late night snack.
Start eating early in the day and eat your last meal at least two or three hours before bedtime.

Ideally, you should begin eating early (6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. or earlier), so you can fit in five or six meals and your last meal falls two to three hours prior to going to sleep. If you sleep in and miss your first meal, or wait until late morning or early afternoon to start eating, you’re leaving a gaping hole between meals. This gap can be 16-20 hours long if you haven’t eaten since six or seven the night before. This sends you into starvation mode and causes an incredibly catabolic (muscle-wasting) state. Yes, this means you must become a morning person if you’re not one already. Brian Tracy, one of the world’s leading experts on personal achievement said, “In my studies of successful people over the years, I have never found any highly successful person who was a late riser.” Get up early and start eating early!

So, with our slight adjustment for a smaller evening meal and a larger first meal, our sample day might look like this:

Men/2400 calories/six meals:
• Meal 1: 500
• Meal 2: 400
• Meal 3: 400
• Meal 4: 400
• Meal 5: 400
• Meal 6: 300

Women/1500 calories/5 meals:
• Meal 1: 375
• Meal 2: 300
• Meal 3: 300
• Meal 4: 300
• Meal 5: 225

Maintain a consistent eating pattern seven days a week:

Consistency is the hallmark of all people who successfully lose body fat and keep it off. Because most people work on a regular schedule Monday through ?Friday, it’s often easier to follow the meal frequency guidelines on the weekdays. On weekends, it’s tempting to sleep in, miss meals or fall off your regular schedule.

How snacking fits into the fat loss-eating plan:

Most people’s snacks of choice are refined carbohydrates and fatty foods such as crackers, cookies, candy, muffins, potato chips and pretzels. This is largely because “carbo snacks” are so readily available (it’s not like you can grab a chicken breast or Salmon steak at the checkout counter of a convenience store!) Eating “carb snacks” by themselves is not a good idea. On the fat loss-eating plan, usually you won’t want snacks because you’ll be eating meals so often that hunger and cravings between meals will be a thing of the past. If you make healthy choices and stay within your calorie limits, snacks are perfectly acceptable if you want them. Some of the best snacks include fruit, raw vegetables (carrots, celery, cauliflower, etc.), nuts and seeds (in small quantities) non-fat or low-fat cottage cheese and non-fat or low-fat sugar free yogurt.
Transition gradually into five or six meals a day if you find frequent eating difficult.

If you find it too difficult to eat five or six meals a day right from the start, you may need to use a transitional period. If you’ve only been eating two or three times a day, there’s a simple way to get started on the habit of frequent eating: Continue to eat your three full meals per day, properly combined with a lean protein and a complex carbohydrate. Then simply add two or three snacks; one in between each full meal.

Transitional menu plans:

Men/2400 calories/six meals
• Meal 1: 575 (breakfast)
• Meal 2: 225 (snack)
• Meal 3: 500 (lunch)
• Meal 4: 450 (mid aftern. meal)
• Meal 5: 425 (dinner)
• Meal 6: 225 (evening snack)

Women/1500 calories/5 meals
• Meal 1: 400 (breakfast)
• Meal 2: 175 (mid morning snack)
• Meal 3: 400 (lunch)
• Meal 4: 175 (mid aftern. snack)
• Meal 5: 350 (dinner)

A “snack” such as a piece of fruit, is only 60-110 calories, and does not by itself constitute a full meal by the standards of this program(it’s not a full “meal” without protein). However, it does get you into the habit of eating frequently, and that would be a start. (Snacks such as non-fat cottage cheese or non-fat yourt with a scoop of protein powder would provide more calories and a solid serving of protein). As you get accustomed to eating more often, you can progress to four full meals and finally to the more effective habit of eating five or six meals, each containing a lean protein and a complex carbohydrate.

FAT BURNING AND FITNESS TIPS:

• Increase aerobic activity (cardio) for at least 30-45 minutes, 5-7 days a week! Increase your intensity in spurts during your work-out for even more fat burning powder.
• Watch less T.V. and do less of other hobbies that require you to sit on your behind, especially if you have a desk job.
• Use metabolism-stimulating exercise such as weight training exercises that utilize large muscle groups like the back and legs. High rep compound leg exercises (squats, lunges, leg presses, etc.) are particularly effective for this purpose.
• Restrict refined carbohydrates (i.e. white bread, white rice, sugar, chips, cookies, cake, etc.), and eat more whole grain products. (i.e. whole grain bread, brown rice, oatmeal, barley, whole wheat pasta, and other whole grain products. Kashi makes good whole grain cereals, granola bars, and other whole grain products).
• Be consistent and persistent. You must be very consistent and diligent in eating and exercise habits 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Going on and off diet and exercise programs will never work for you to achieve your goals. Make it become a part of your lifestyle. Even if it takes you longer to lose weight than others, stick with it. Remember, patience is a virtue that you must cultivate!