We have looked at how futile it is to dramatically reduce your calorie intake to lose fat in myth #1. We now know that this approach to weight loss doesn’t work. The same people that try this method, though, may also take the path of myth number two. They believe that reducing the frequency with which they eat their meals will help them achieve fat loss. Their faulty logic assumes that they can lose weight by eating less frequently.
Actually, on the face of it, the logic doesn’t seem that faulty at all, does it? If I eat fewer meals throughout the day, then I will reduce the number of calories my body takes on board. That means that my body will then have to start using up its fuel reserves, which we know are stored as fat. That means I will lose fat and lose weight. It would be best if you were aiming to do the exact opposite of the above. It is undoubtedly a good idea to alter the frequency of the meals you eat during the day. However you shouldn’t reduce the rate, you should increase it!
Our bodies have come to develop some very sophisticated defense mechanisms over the thousands of years we have been roaming the earth. However, we have only been able to develop farming methods and other food production methods that allow us to have a continuous source of nutrition quite recently.
As discussed in myth number one, the defense mechanism which keeps us alive during times of starvation begins to burn fat slower and starts to break down our lean muscle mass as a way to obtain valuable protein. This response comes into play much quicker than you might imagine. Your body starts to react in this way after you have been without food for as little as three or four hours. By sticking to the regular three meals per day routine, there will be several periods during the day where your body is in defense mode.
To promote weight loss and lose fat more efficiently, the number of meals you eat throughout the day should be increased to maintain a higher than average metabolism for a more extended period. Most people would typically consume two or three meals every five to seven hours. For example, you might start with breakfast at 8 am followed by lunch at 1 pm (5-hour gap) and an evening meal at 8 pm (7-hour gap). Don’t forget; there is then another 12-hour gap before you eat breakfast again. It is easy to see why you might get hungry between meals and resort to raiding the fridge for a snack. That is because your metabolism starts to drop, and so does your blood sugar level.
But what if you were to eat smaller, more regular meals throughout the day? By consuming five to seven meals every two to three hours, your body comes to believe that its food supply is plentiful. It will, therefore, make more energy available to you, and it won’t be too concerned with storing fat or using up your lean muscle for protein. Also, by allowing your body to release more resources for use as fuel rather than storing them up as fat, you will feel more energetic throughout the day. You will also notice that any snack cravings you may have had before should also disappear as your blood sugar will be kept at more consistent and healthy levels.
This is “Myth #2″ in our “8 Myths of weight loss” series. Follow the link for Myth #1 – Drop the Calories, Drop the Fat?
