You Should Really Eat More If You Want To Lose Weight, Not Less

By John GilbertGrant on July 7, 2009

It seems funny, but you actually need to eat more to loose weight instead of less. If you try a starvation diet, though, you run into a number of problems, none of which are healthy or good for long-term weight loss. Number one, you could damage the way your body keeps weight off so severely that you actually fight weight gain for the rest of your life. However, done right, you can avoid doing this type of damage and stay healthy right on into your golden years.

You need to understand the relationship between the metabolic rate and eating frequency. To do that you need to know how the body functions when you don’t eat for three or more hours. When your body doesn’t receive the nutrients it needs to function, it enters into a preservation mode – sort of like hibernation.

This is a mode where starvation trigger is activated. Starvation trigger is a survival instinct that slows down the metabolic rate to ensure that body will burn fat as slow as possible so it will maintain the minimum energy level to survive over a period of time under harsh conditions. Hence this is the mode where fat is preserved.

Another thing that happens in this mode is that the production of insulin and other enzymes that stores the food as fat, is increased so when you have your next meal, more fat than usual is stored in the body. And finally when you don’t eat for more than 3 hours our appetite increases. You end up feeling full, like after Christmas dinner. This condition doesn’t promote fat burning at all. On the contrary, it decreases the metabolic rate and ensures that more fat is stored in the body.

Eat more Frequently To Lose Weight

To lose weight, what you need to do is to eat smaller portions, more frequently. Eat every two hours or so, which is a great way to avoid overeating and keep your metabolic rate humming along. You can snack on fruits and vegetables or eat other healthy snacks between (small) meals, which will help keep you satisfied and from getting too hungry. This will also give you the energy you need so that your body is not encouraged to store fat.

You will need to do a little planning. The next time you shop, buy some healthy supplies for snacks. Try a boiled egg mashed with cottage cheese or cream cheese on a stick of celery with fresh almonds. Get creative and always have some small snack available so that you don’t reach for me junk food snack. Eat something every two hours.

Smaller portions for a smaller gut

When you’re home, use a small plate, or you can also ask for a child’s serving if you’re in a restaurant. Start with soup for your meal and eat 80% of your food before four o’clock. Drink a glass of water 10 minutes before every meal or enjoy a piece of dark chocolate. Both of these things will dampen your appetite somewhat.

Your body tends to use food as it is eaten and stores it when you do not use it. It’s not how much you eat in the day matters. It is when and how often you eat that does. This is why you should eat more to lose weight. Have a large breakfast, snack through to lunch, snack in the afternoon and have a small meal at night. If you haven’t eaten the last three hours go and nibble on something now.

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