AUGUST newsletter

Hello everyoneJ

Does that sound familiar? "This time I am going to stick to my diet," you tell yourself. And you do make every effort to follow a healthful eating plan, but in a moment of weakness, hunger strikes and you find yourself indulging in a feeding frenzy. Then you feel guilty, feel like you have failed and may even go completely off your eating plan all together.  Is that a pattern you recognise?

You may be wondering if there are any ways to break this vicious cycle and lose weight for good? It might be time to consider not only looking at what you eat, but also when you eat.

Skip Meals Now, Overeat Later

If you are trying to lose weight, you probably know the importance of keeping an eye on the number of calories you're consuming. But you may not know that how many calories you eat at each sitting can make a difference in your weight-loss efforts, too.

There is evidence that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer, larger meals during the day tend to weigh more than people who eat a healthy breakfast and four or five smaller meals. This may be because they end up feeling hungrier, which makes it easy to give into temptation. When you skip meals you will [eventually] overeat.
 

When you go for hours without eating, your blood sugar levels dip, which can leave you feeling hungry and shaky. A drop in blood sugar can also trigger people to lose their willpower and reach for the closest and often a calorie-laden snack.

Smaller Meals, More Often

If you eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, your appetite may be better controlled, helping you adhere to your weight-loss plan. By consistently fuelling your body with calories — even limited calories — you avoid the feeling of starvation that derails so many diets.

The idea is that if you have three meals and a couple of snacks throughout the day, you are regulating your blood sugar and maintaining your body chemistry.

When you are consuming fewer calories every day as part of a weight-loss plan, it's even more important to eat consistently throughout the day to reassure your body that you are not starving. When you eat too few calories (for most that would be less than 1000 calories a day), your body goes into starvation mode and actually holds onto calories, which can sabotage weight loss and leave you feeling hopeless.

Managing Your Calorie Intake

Switching from two or three large meals to five or six "mini-meals" may help keep both your blood sugar and metabolism steady. Try restructuring the day's intake into smaller meals plus more substantial snacks. For someone who plans to eat about 2,000 calories per day (generally this would be an active man), for example, eating three meals of 500 to 600 calories each and two 100- to 200-calorie snacks.

However if eating larger meals is working for you and you're meeting your weight-loss goals, there is no reason to switch to smaller meals. Spreading your calories out may simply help you better control your appetite and perhaps increase your success, especially if you reach a weight-loss plateau.

Remember that the bottom line for weight loss remains the same: Calories in must be less than calories burned. Monitor your caloric consumption and watch those hidden calories in drinks! I know it can be a pain, but research shows over and over again that people who keep food journals tend to lose twice as much weight as those who don’t keep a journal (in the same period of time). Remember also from the July newsletter to think of the hundreds of mini-decisions you make in a day rather than having an all-or-nothing attitude. Every single healthier decision you make (for example: 2% milk instead of full cream, or a small muffin instead of the large one!) will help in the end!

Also, look out for the new FREE Vibrant Life Magazine in Health Stores. It is filled with loads of interesting tips on all aspects of healthy living.

Please send any questions, comments or queries to info@weight-masters.com. I will endeavour to return your mail within 48hours.

Best regards

Lesley Wood

021-4182843

082 3 782 782

www.weight-masters.com

You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence is not an event - it is a habit.                Aristotle 384-322 BC,   Greek Philosopher and Scientist

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