Eat Five Times a Day to Be
Lean and Healthy
You have to eat five times a day to stay healthy and lean.
Seriously.
Ever wonder why you see lean people who are always eating? It's not their metabolism. Obviously they are not channeling Twinkies all day, but they eat five times a day.
My children are bottomless pits who constantly need to be fed: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. I learned this because aside from being a human napkin, I was an open-all-day cafe owner.
When my children were very little all at the same time, the only two words I had ringing in my ears were "I'm hungry." I would now like to apologize to those of you who called me during those early days and heard my voice answering the phone with "I'm hungry" instead of "Hello."
I realize that my children have small stomachs and really can't eat that much at a sitting. I also realize this will change when we hit the teenage years, but we're not there yet.
What Happens When You Skip a Meal or a Snack?
1. Your body's metabolism slows down to make the food/fuel you gave it hours ago last longer.
2. Your blood sugar drops, leaving you feeling cranky and light headed.
3. You overeat at the next meal, to make up for the dip in blood sugar.
For children, skipping a meal or snack creates a cranky, whining kid. During the initial years of motherhood, I felt I was constantly feeding my children. I managed to get them on a five time a day plan to at least give me some kind of schedule.
Never wanting to miss out on the fun, I joined them in their five daily feedings.
Benefits of Eating Five Meals A Day
When you eat five times a day, you have:
• Less hunger and less overeating
• More energy and a more positive outlook
• More stable blood sugar
• Less cravings for unhealthy foods
I’ve learned that when my body keeps its blood sugar level, I have plenty of energy. I don’t get overly hungry at any point during the day, so that I do not overeat at meal time.
Healthy eating five times a day helped me lose my baby weight from all those pregnancies.
It is easier for me to eat healthy meals than healthy snacks. I had to work a little harder to find quick, healthy snacks.
Click here for over 30 healthy snack ideas
Tips for Eating Five Times a Day
1. Make sure there is protein or fiber in every snack or meal.
2. Eat a reasonable portion, using your hands to measure your portion size.
3. Plan your meals and snacks for the day by putting them in reusable tupperware.
Return from Eat Five Times a Day to Attitude
|
