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Eating regularly to Lose Weight
Many weight loss experts have stated that losing weight can be a little
easier if we eat regularly. This is because there are extra energy costs
involved with the digestion and absorption of food, a process known as
thermogenesis, or the thermic effect of food. In fact, as much as 10% of the energy within each meal can be
lost through thermogenesis, meaning there's less energy within a meal to be
stored in the fat cells.
But is there a negative side to eating regularly?
Maybe. Every time we eat our blood sugar levels rise. This means we have
more carbohydrates available for fuel. Carbs are our body's preferred energy
source, so we tend to use up carbs more readily than stored fat. Keeping
this in mind, the more carbs available, the less chance the body gets to
burn up further amounts of stored fat. So if eating frequently is good for
weight loss, then how are we supposed to get rid of the stored fat?
Obviously, the answer is in the number of calories used, to those ingested.
It's ok to eat regularly as long as the
number of total calories consumed
each day is less than we burn off. In this case, our body has no choice but
to tap into energy reserves in the fat cells. The
trouble for many people
wanting to lose weight is that, if they need to eat only
1800 calories per
day in order to lose weight, then it would be incredibly hard to eat 6 or 7
times during the day without going over this small calorie intake. Many
small snacks have a calorie content of at least 300!
When we are hungry our body is telling us that blood sugar is low. Thus, if
carbs in the blood is low, then this can be one of the best times for our
body to tap into stored fat. Because many of us don't like hunger pains we
often relieve then by eating something relatively quickly. This means there
isn't much time for burning the fat!
Maybe there needs to be a happy medium. It may be best to eat at least 3
times per day, but I also believe it's important for a dieter to push
through the hunger phase, not to starve oneself, but to get used to feeling
hungry for up to an hour before actually eating any food.
Ways to Increase Thermogenesis
The Medifast eDiet program
7 ways to remove body fat from body
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