Weight Loss: Scientific Small, Frequent Meals for Stable Metabolism and Efficient Fat Burning

Identify Your Greatest Threat

Joyce Nash, author of *Unleashing Your Greatest Potential*, is a clinical psychologist in Palo Alto, California. She says, "Everyone has weaknesses." For example, you might control your craving for ice cream well but lose control at a buffet; while some people might be able to control themselves at a buffet but throw all their resolve to the wind at the sight of snacks.

She also says, "First, figure out when your biggest weakness is. Is it when you're out with friends? When you're feeling down? In the bakery? Analyze it carefully, and once you have the urge to eat, find a way to overcome it."

Limit Alcohol Consumption

Dallas nutritionist Cindy Waterler says, "Although alcohol itself contains no fat, it can stimulate your cravings for meat. Having a drink before a meal can instantly make all the food look and taste better—your judgment of quantity is impaired."

Avoid Overeating Fat-Free Foods.

Remember, even fat-free foods contain calories. Don't assume you can eat them however you want. Satisfying your cravings with a long, full-fat candy bar is far better than eating large amounts of fat-free food, as the latter provides twice the calories.

Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals

The Source of a Healthy Lifestyle

Below is a typical day for two dieters.

Woman A eats small, frequent meals. In the morning, she eats some cereal and drinks orange juice; during her break at work, she eats a bagel while making a plan; at noon, she has a sandwich with some vegetables; in the afternoon, she adds some crackers; after get off work, she goes home and has fried fish and potatoes for dinner; in the evening, after finishing housework, she drinks some low-fat yogurt, eats some grapes while watching TV, and then goes to bed.

Woman B, however, does not do this. No matter how hungry she is in the morning, she goes to work without eating or drinking anything; at noon, she only eats a small salad; in the afternoon, when she gets home around 5 pm, she eats a large meal, watches TV, and then goes to bed.

Who can successfully lose weight? Of course, it's Woman A!

Why Eating Smaller, More Frequent Meals is Better

You might think that dieting reduces calorie absorption, thus helping you lose weight. However, your body doesn't operate on that principle at all. In fact, scientists have found that eating smaller, more frequent meals is more effective at burning fat; eating 4-6 meals a day can accelerate fat burning. The reasons are as follows:

1. If you skip breakfast and reduce your lunch portion, you'll inevitably overeat at dinner. Diana Gerhardski, a nutritionist at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Malibu, California, says, "After a day of dieting, you become unusually greedy, so you'll double your food intake at the last meal." Eating too much at once leads to excessive absorption, increasing fat storage, and fat is more easily stored at night than during the day. Therefore, overeating at dinner will generate more calories and fat than overeating at breakfast.

2. Fasting slows your metabolism by 5% because an empty stomach makes the brain think the body is starving, reducing calorie expenditure to prolong the use of stored fat. Eating smaller, more frequent meals keeps your stomach full, maintaining a healthy metabolism.

3. When you overeat (like a large dinner), your body produces insulin. This substance prevents fat from entering the bloodstream and being absorbed and used by other tissues. In other words, the more insulin you have, the less fat you burn. Furthermore, insulin can increase your appetite, leading to overeating. Conversely, if you eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, insulin won't cause this increased appetite.

4. Dividing your daily calorie intake into four or more meals, keeping your stomach full, will suppress your appetite, making you feel full rather than hungry, thus preventing overeating.

5. The stomach expands and contracts with the amount of food consumed. When there's too much food, it stretches, and you have to eat even more to suppress the feeling of hunger. This conclusion comes from experiments conducted by scientists at the Obesity Research Center at Roosevelt Hospital in New York State. Therefore, eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day won't stretch your stomach, and you'll feel full after eating only a small amount each time.

For women, a healthy lifestyle comes from eating smaller, more frequent meals.

Anita Betty was too obese and had diabetes. Her doctor gave her an ultimatum: be hospitalized to lose weight, or don't come back to see me, because you're wasting my time and money. Being 38 pounds overweight made Anita sluggish, and she definitely needed to lose weight. Under the doctor's guidance, she gradually reduced the amount of insulin she used to control her diabetes.

While in the hospital, the doctor spent four sessions teaching me how to eat and exercise, so when I left the hospital, I was able to complete these lessons on my own. The hospital's health specialists prescribed an exercise and low-calorie diet plan for me. I was to walk for 20 minutes several times a week and start eating smaller meals instead of my previous three meals a day. My husband was very supportive; he adjusted my diet, created menus, and taught me about proportions. For example, I was surprised to find that a tiny piece of cheese, no bigger than a fingertip, could contain 100 calories.

The menus were also quite varied. Although I was eating low-calorie foods, I wasn't hungry because I prepared the dishes well, making them appealing and delicious. I spent some time learning how to choose. Nutritionists provided various foods to validate our understanding of them, and we should be able to choose the right foods. One day, when the doctor came in, my roommate and I were eating muffins. When he asked why we were eating muffins, we replied: because they were on the menu. Clearly, muffins weren't a healthy choice.

After being discharged, I continued to eat 4-5 small meals a day—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a late-night snack. For late-night snacks, I usually eat rice crackers or sugar-free jelly, and occasionally a small dessert around 10 pm.

I eat less and choose better. I used to have eggs and bacon for breakfast, but now I have half a serving of grapes or a small serving of oatmeal with skim milk, half a bagel, and of course, coffee. Because of my diabetes, I don't eat sweets, but I haven't cut any other foods. I've learned how to determine portion sizes and how to use my knowledge to plan my meals.

I also exercise regularly, now five times a week, walking 2.5 or 3.5 miles. Over the past three years, walking and eating smaller meals have kept my weight at 126 pounds and have been extremely beneficial in managing my diabetes.

The magic of eating smaller, more frequent meals. Ready to try it? Think about it. You can eat a variety of foods every day—grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and protein, etc.—without having to calculate nutritional balance for every single meal. Eating eight types of grains, three or four types of fruits, four types of vegetables, two or three types of dairy products, and five types of lean meat or other protein foods can maintain a balanced diet throughout the day.

Below are some expert suggestions on how to cultivate the habit of eating smaller, more frequent meals.

Break Traditional Eating Habits
Annie Dabna, a private nutrition consultant in Houston, says, “Try turning your three meals into six, halving the size of each meal.” That is, if you used to have a bagel for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch, now divide it into four meals, eating half a bagel or half a sandwich each time, and then finishing the remaining half a little later.

Pay Attention to the Proportion of Fat
Pay special attention to fat intake when planning your daily calorie intake. Reducing fat intake is crucial for health and weight loss. Of course, you should also consider whether your calorie stores are too high or too low.

Eat more weight-loss foods. This means eating more high-fiber, low-fat, and low-sugar foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole-wheat bread, rather than fried foods like pancakes.

Choose portion sizes. The best foods are those sold in portions, such as baked sweet potatoes, yogurt, or bagels. "Eating these kinds of foods ensures you stop eating when you're full or almost full because they've already been eaten," says Michelle Sheve, a personal nutrition consultant and diabetes specialist in Delray Beach, Macedon, Florida.

Choose foods that won't make you fat. "When you eat, choose low-calorie foods," says Dabna.

Eat smaller, more frequent meals. "Eating smaller, more frequent meals will make you feel more satisfied," says Dabna. "So, replace one large pancake with several small ones, or eat several small ones instead of one large tortilla. You can even cut a cookie into pieces and eat it over several meals."