Tip of the Week: Eat Every 2.5-3 Hrs

Hello! Sorry for the long absence. I didn't have internet at home (I know, how can anyone survive without nternet!) and now I do! So here we are with this week's Tip. In order to manage your hunger, you need to eat every 2.5-3 hrs.

It sounds like a lot, but that means you end up eating about 5-6 times a day depending on when you wake up. Your first meal/snack should be within the first hour after waking and your last meal/snack should be about 3 hrs before you go to bed. Your body might even tell you that you are hungry right before bed because you are used to eating so often. Don't give in. With time this craving will subside. Eating this often will increase your metabolism and also help you curb cravings for less healthy things. If you're in to counting calories (which I am not) each meal should be about 200 cal and each snack should be at least 100. 

The most important part of eating this often is to make sure you are eating protein with every meal/snack. Protein is an important part of blood sugar stabalization. It makes it so your body doesn't metabolize whatever carb you are eating as quickly. This helps keep your blood sugar stable which prevents you from craving snacks like a candy bar or soda. It also helps to keep your mood and energy more stable throughout the day. Try to include a lot of fresh fruits and veggies in your day as well. 

A good way to start implementing this habit is to set a reminder or alarm on your phone. This way you don't go too long without eating. When I started doing this, I set an alarm on my google calendar then shared it with my husband. He would often forget to eat throughout the day and get headaches and started to gain a lot of weight. Once we had the reminders on his phone he now remembers to eat and eats a lot more healthy foods. He's also lost a lot of weight!

It is important to plan your snacks for the day if you are going to be at work and school so that you don't end up going to the vending machine when that alarm goes off. Keep your pre-prepped foods at the ready so that you can grab the appropriate amount of food to take with you. 

Here is an example of what I eat each day:

Breakfast 8:00- 1 egg over easy, 2 slices of bacon, half a grapefruit

Snack 1 11:00- String cheese and 1 cup of cucumbers

Lunch 2:00- Spaghetti squash with meatballs and red sauce (leftovers)

Snack 2 5:00- 1/4 c raw almonds

Dinner 7:30- Grilled chicken with steamed asparagus

Start using this tip this week and you'll find you have more energy and might even find yourself losing weight!