Posted by Janis Jibrin on Fri, Jul 24, 2009
You've likely heard about the benefits of eating three square meals each day, but it's tempting to ignore this rule when you want to lose weight. Skipping a meal or eating only a low-cal salad may seem like an easy way to cut 500 or more calories, but this approach always comes back to bite you. As the research shows, skimping on calories triggers a series of physical reactions that actually encourages weight gain.
An eating schedule of three squares and a snack or two can actually help you drop pounds because it quells appetite. Eating a complete breakfast (about 400 calories), an adequate lunch (at least 450 calories) and complete dinner (500 calories or more) about four hours apart helps prevent a dangerous hunger attack. And when between-meal cravings mount, a healthy snack does the trick. The three-squares approach also speeds up your metabolism. After a meal, the rate at which you burn calories is slightly elevated. In fact, this "thermic effect" of food, as it's called, burns up about 10 percent of a meal's calories
Of course, you still have to watch what you eat for those three meals and snacks. Keep calories in check by following these simple rules:
1. Eat when you're hungry and serve yourself reasonable portions. Have no more than 1 cup of rice, pasta or potatoes (about the size of two tennis balls). Keep meat, poultry and fish to about 3 to 5 ounces; salad dressing to about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons; and candy, chips and other treats to about 150 to 200 calories.
2. Wait 20 minutes after eating to decide whether you want more. That's how long it takes the brain to register fullness.
3. Use snacks only when you're actually hungry between meals. Otherwise, don't have one. When you do snack, keep it light. Have a 12-oz skim latte; 1/3 cup hummus with celery and carrot sticks; or 50 calories of whole-grain crackers with a tablespoon peanut butter. For more healthy snacks, check out TheBestLife.com.
Posted by Stephanie Clarke on Thu, Jul 09, 2009
The other night, I couldn't stop thinking about carrot cake. So I called up a friend (one I knew shared my love of carrot cake) to see if she wanted to walk to our favorite NYC spot to split a piece. She was up for it and I was excited!
Shortly before I was about to leave, my friend called up to cancel. I was pretty disappointed but still determined to forge ahead with my carrot cake mission solo. As I was walking, I started thinking about why I really wanted this cake to begin with. Surprisingly, my craving slowly started to fade. I thought about how I didn't want a whole piece of carrot cake myself—nor did I want the other half laying around my apartment. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was the whole experience of getting outside for a walk and enjoying my friend's company that had the real appeal.
So instead of heading to the cake shop, I took a another route and stopped into my local supermarket. As I got to the freezer section, I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but when I saw the Skinny Cow fudge bars, I knew I found the perfect item. They're only 100 calories (a bit less then my half piece of carrot cake would have cost me) and cold and creamy—perfect for a humid summer night. I was happy with my decision!
This is a good example of why it's important to think about what you put into your mouth before you do it. Often times, cravings are present not because of the food itself, but the activity or feelings surrounding it. So the next time you have a craving for something indulgent, first try thinking about what it is you really want. Then if you do decide to indulge in a treat or dessert, make sure you're not too hungry before diving in. And splurge wisely: Look for individually packaged or portion-controlled foods (think Skinny Cow fudge bars versus a pint of ice cream). Can't find a single-serving splurge? Split it with a pal!
For more healthy-eating advice, join TheBestLife.com.