Weight Management 101: Fail To Plan…Plan To Fail

Skip breakfast? Eat your heaviest meals at night? You’re only setting yourself up for failure. In order to achieve your goals you must develop and practice meal management strategies.

Having a plan is essential if you are truly serious about creating a positive physical change. Obviously it takes a good amount of planning, preparation, and persistence to get into the habit of eating this supportively and this frequently. You must prepare your food well ahead of time. Initially it will be a bit tedious, but once you get into the habit you’ll see some amazing changes.

Plus, when meals are balanced and timed appropriately, you can avoid energy swings and non-productive food choices. Modern lifestyles in our fast-paced world have made it difficult to prepare a food plan for a week, much less a day.

The average 8 hours of sleep burns about 450 calories, therefore your body needs to refuel within 90 minutes of waking. Eating breakfast is like adding kindling to the fire of your metabolism.
If you skip breakfast, your metabolism slows down and your blood sugar drops. As a result, you become hungry, have less energy and your body will be more likely to store fat. You are just setting yourself up to impulsively snack in the morning – often on high-fat sweets – or to make up for those lost calories by eating extra servings or larger portions later in the day.

Need more proof? A recent study conducted by the National Weight Control Registry at the University of Colorado found that those who had lost and maintained at least 30 pounds for at least one year ate breakfast every morning.

Eat Every Two to Three Hours.
Eating once or twice a day is a sure fire way to lose muscle and lower your metabolism. As you already know, less muscle mass and a lower metabolism is not the way to get to your goal. To control your appetite, regulate your blood sugar level and build lean muscle mass, you must eat every 2 – 3 hours.

Eating five to six meals a day also provides your body with the energy it needs to contend with daily activities and stress. Digesting food requires energy, which cranks up your metabolism. So the more frequently you eat, the more calories you burn. The bottom line is you’ll maintain consistent energy levels and turn your body into an efficient, fat burning machine.

If you’re spending time exercising and putting energy into your workouts, it only makes sense that you eat the right foods before your workouts if you really want to reach your goals. Yet many people exercise on an empty stomach. By not eating, your body uses muscle protein for fuel because it doesn’t have enough carbohydrates to burn. If you start your workout well-fueled, your body will burn a combination of the carbohydrates stored in your muscles and the fat stored in your fat cells.

How many times have you stopped exercising because you felt dizzy, shaky, or just plain tired? That’s because you didn’t have enough fuel to go the distance. Have a small meal about an hour before your workout. Choose to eat a small, easily digested meal composed of complex carbs. You will have the energy to workout longer and more intense and you won’t experience low blood sugar jitters and dizziness.

Eating smart before a workout-particularly with a food that supplies loads of carbohydrates-provides a host of benefits. Your muscles receive an infusion of energy to help maximize the results of your workout, and your entire body (especially your brain) gets the fuel and nutrients it needs for daily living.

It’s important to make the right choices after you exercise. Otherwise, your hard work won’t yield the results you want. After a workout, your body’s energy levels are considerably depleted and must be replenished.
Eating a properly balanced meal 30 to 45 minutes after your workout does two important things. One, it helps your body to recover quickly, which is needed for muscle growth because of tissue repairs and for replacing lost glycogen in the muscles. And two, it helps muscle growth.

A liquid meal replacement shake or another form of carbohydrate/protein based meal that can be quickly absorbed is ideal. Having a shake is an excellent strategy. Not only are liquids easily digested and absorbed at a faster rate, but after exercising there is a window of about an hour when your ability to absorb nutrients is exceptionally high. After that time your uptake of nutrients returns to normal, so don’t miss the opportunity to feed your hungry muscles.

When you help your body recover from the stress imposed upon it (exercise) by ingesting the proper nutrients at the right time,  the quicker you will be able to affect body composition change (gain muscle, lose fat or both). You will automatically help your body “bounce back” and you will see results in less time.

Eating a meal that is balanced to include carbohydrates, proteins and fats gives your body everything it needs to function efficiently and feel its best.

Each meal should contain a portion of each of the macronutrients. Eating the recommended balance creates a favorable environment that leads to muscle growth and fat loss.

Eating a variety of foods is the secret of happy weight management. According to several studies, those who had difficulty adopting a nutrition plan ate the same foods week in and week out. Don’t make the same mistake! Before you sit down to make out your grocery list, plan to buy at least one new food.

When you think about variety, think about eating the full rainbow assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. If you use this tactic, you won’t become bored and tempted to choose high-calorie snacks and you’ll improve your nutritional intake at the same time.