| 1. Eat your carbs early in the day. | | | | keep burning fat all day long. In addition, energy |
| Contrary to popular opinion, carbs are a | | | | levels trail eating patterns. If you've been eating |
| necessary part of your daily diet - especially if | | | | two-three large meals a day, I'm sure you've |
| you're trying to lose weight. Without the energy | | | | noticed that you get really tired an hour or two |
| from carbs, you're diet is inevitably going to crash | | | | after your meal. If you eat five-six meals a day, |
| and burn, and you'll end up right where you | | | | you're energy levels remain constant, and you no |
| started. However, don't go on an all-out carb | | | | longer oscillate between feeling super-energetic |
| frenzy yet. Carbs must be consumed at the right | | | | and super-tired. |
| time otherwise you risk gaining body fat. | | | | Now that you see the importance of eating |
| As a general rule, eat carbs when you know | | | | frequently, I'm sure you're beginning to see how |
| you're going to need them. If you're plan is to | | | | skipping breakfast is a really bad idea. After a |
| watch movies all day and barely move a muscle - | | | | good night's sleep, you haven't eaten for about |
| than you certainly don't need all the energy that a | | | | seven-eight hours, at least. When you wake up, |
| carb-filled meal would provide. On the other hand, | | | | your metabolism is crawling at snail's pace and |
| if you're planning on going for a run later in the | | | | your energy levels are low. Eating a good |
| day, it is a good idea to get some carbs | | | | breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism and |
| beforehand to provide energy which will sustain | | | | provides a foundation of energy that you will |
| you through the run. If you eat carbs when you | | | | draw from for the rest of the day. Besides, I |
| aren't going to use them (i.e. late at night) your | | | | don't know about you, but breakfast is my |
| body will store them as fat. To avoid this | | | | favorite meal of the day. Sometimes I even eat |
| unwanted result, be smart about when you eat | | | | breakfast food for lunch or dinner. In summary, |
| your carbs. Do this, and the pounds will begin to | | | | you are physiologically designed to eat every |
| fly off. | | | | two-three hours, do this, and your body will |
| 2. Eat breakfast. | | | | reward you. |
| "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and | | | | 4. Keep a food journal. |
| dinner like a pauper." - Adelle Davis | | | | "What gets measured, gets managed." - Peter |
| This is a big one. Studies have shown that a large | | | | Drucker |
| percentage of America skips breakfast on a | | | | If you're ready to really start seeing results, go |
| semi-regular basis. I don't doubt that much of this | | | | out to Office Depot and buy a small notepad. |
| percentage of Americans is also obese or | | | | From that moment on, write down everything |
| struggling with weight problems. Eat a good | | | | you eat. You'll notice an IMMEDIATE improvement |
| breakfast regularly, and this doesn't have to be | | | | in your eating habits. When you write down what |
| you. A well-rounded and healthy breakfast will | | | | you eat, you hold yourself accountable for your |
| provide the energy that you need to enjoy your | | | | habits. On a subconscious level, it's a lot harder to |
| day and to be effective at work. Eating breakfast | | | | eat terribly when you know that you're going to |
| is also critical for your fat-loss goals because of | | | | have to read about it later. Every week, try to |
| the positive impact it has on your metabolism, | | | | make incremental improvements to your eating |
| which is essentially the rate at which your body | | | | habits. Do this persistently, and you will start |
| burns calories. This will be elaborated on in the | | | | seeing the pounds fly off. |
| next weight loss tip. | | | | 5. Cheat once a week. |
| 3. Eat 5-6 small meals a day. | | | | This is probably going to be your favorite tip. |
| If you wait more than four hours in between | | | | Once a week, let yourself go a little bit. Go out |
| meals, your metabolism slows down significantly, | | | | and get some ice-cream, order a pizza, whatever |
| and your body begins to store fat, instead of | | | | you want. By doing this, you don't have to |
| burning it. This isn't what you want! Eating smaller | | | | completely deprive yourself of some the bad-for |
| meals every two-three hours solves this problem, | | | | you foods that you might really enjoy. This will |
| and keeps your metabolism humming all day long. | | | | keep you sane and make it easier for you to |
| Your body works this way because it's always | | | | reach your long-term goals. Unbelievably, eating a |
| trying to survive. When you wait more than a | | | | cheat meal every week also helps you lose |
| few hours between meals, your body perceives | | | | weight! When you're reducing calories many days |
| that it's starving. To protect itself, it begins storing | | | | in a row, that pesky survival instinct that we |
| fat and slowing down its operations. You feel this | | | | talked about in tip three begins to start working |
| through a loss of energy and feeling of lethargy. | | | | again. Spiking your calorie intake once a week |
| Eating small meals every three hours or so | | | | ensures that the pounds will keep flying off your |
| ensures that your body doesn't perceive | | | | body. |
| starvation and consequently, ensures that you | | | | |