Did you know that every time you eat, the thermic effect of food (digestion) boosts metabolism? As you read in the amazing weightloss facts article, maintaining body functions accounts for 60-75% of your daily caloric expenditure. Other factors affecting metabolism include activity (occupation and lifestyle) which accounts for 20-30% of daily caloric expenditure and digestion (the thermic effect of food) which accounts for 5-10%. The more often you eat the more calories you burn. According to Jay Williams, author or the 24 Hour Turnaround, a 160lb sedentary woman who eats twice a day only burns around 140 calories digesting food but can increase that number to 300 calories in 24 hours just by eating 5-6 mini meals of less than 500 calories every 3 hours. And it doesn’t stop there, in six months the same woman can increase the number of calories burned digesting food to almost 400. In addition, Williams writes that 16 hours without food puts your body into starvation mode, also known as the fat storage zone. If you’re eating dinner around 6 p.m. and not eating again until 12 p.m., everything that you give your body at that point, whether it’s a piece of fruit or a candy bar, will get stored as fat until you get back on a regular eating schedule.
If you hate counting calories, restricting foods and are inconsistent with exercise, eating mini meals every 3 hours is a great way to increase your daily caloric expenditure without much effort. Another advantage is that eating smaller meals more frequently cuts down on cravings, binges, and low energy levels, plus it boosts fat burning like you wouldn’t believe. After only 1 month of eating 5-6 mini meals daily most clients I train are able to drop anywhere from 4-8% body fat because less food is being stored as fat when on a regular eating schedule. Sounds unbelievable but calipers don’t lie and neither do baggy clothes. For those who are exercising hard and consistently but not seeing results eating this way can make you or break you.
So how do you get started? The best way to ensure that you are eating less than 500 calories per meal is to use your hand as a measuring tool. The palm of your hand excluding fingers but including width and thickness is equivalent to one portion of protein (chicken, fish, beef). A tight fist is equivalent to one portion of starchy carbs and a cupped hand is equivalent to two cups of vegetables or fruit. Strive to eat a balanced meal with the portions described above and you’ll be well on your way to increased calories burned and increased fat loss.
What if eating often makes you nauseous or you feel too full. Initially you may feel strange eating frequently and many people report feeling somewhat sick to their stomach but this passes quickly. If you do feel too full check to make sure your portions are not too big. Use an actual measuring cup and always remember that it’s mini meals and not regular meals. After some time eating this way, skipping a meal will actually have the same effect. You may feel dizzy, nauseous, irritable, sleepy, or get a headache. This means that your metabolism is now working the way it should be and it’s your body’s way of telling you that you need food NOW! Everyone gets super busy and forgets to eat from time to time. Be prepared by having snack bars, fruit, vegetables, yogurt, low fat cheese, nuts, or meal replacement shakes handy. This will ensure that you continue to burn the maximum number of calories and fat throughout the day.
