(PCM) When you’re on a diet, do you skip meals in an effort to cut calories? While that may work for some people – people with extreme willpower – it usually doesn’t work for most. Skipping meals leads to a drop in blood sugar levels, extreme hunger and irritability, and can even slow your metabolism. By mid afternoon, you’re starving and willing to eat the first thing that comes your way.
Studies show that people who eat 4-5 meals or snacks throughout the day are better able to control their appetite and weight. But again, you have to have some willpower. If you’re not mindful of how many calories you’re consuming at each “mini” meal or snack, you could easily end up going over your caloric needs. For example, if you’re a 150-lb woman trying to lose 10 pounds, eating 500 calories, 5 times a day, is not going to lead to weight loss.
Figure out exactly how many calories your body needs a day, and subtract 500 from that if you’re trying to lose weight (this will lead to a 1-lb weight loss per week). If that seems like too much, cut 250 or 300 and add daily exercise to burn the remaining calories. Divide the total number of calories by 4 or 5, depending on how many meals you want to eat a day, and don’t go over that number when planning your meals! If you want to eat more than 300 calories for dinner, which most of us do, save yourself 500 calories for dinner and keep the rest of your meals around 200 calories each.
200 calories may seem like a very small amount of food, but you’d be surprised at how much food you can really eat! For example, one serving of oatmeal topped with a few banana slices and a tsp of honey is about 200 calories, as is a cup of fat free plain Greek yogurt topped with 1/2 cup of Fiber One cereal. Two eggs and half of a whole grain English Muffin is also about 200 calories, and so is a garden salad with 3 oz of grilled chicken. But, then again, so is just half of a standard muffin. In other words, you can get a lot or a little for 200 calories depending on what you put in your mouth!
Weight loss is like a math equation, but everyone’s numbers are different. Do the math and you’ll be well on your way to sustained weight loss!
But remember: Not all calories are created equal…