The best diet for managing your body weight is somewhat individual, meaning there is no one diet for everyone. I think that there are some basic factors that can be considered for eating in a way that will improve your weight (and health) and I have listed them here.
• We are more able to store calories when we eat smaller amounts of food or a snack. Every time we eat, some of the calories in the food, which is called the “Thermic Effect of Food”, are used to digest, absorb, and metabolize the nutrients in the meal. When we eat small amounts of food, such as a snack, we are more efficient in the energy needed so we can store more of the calories in our body, which is typically as fat.
• Eat your first meal as late as you can after you wake up, within reason. This could be a form of intermittent fasting. This would involve eating your last meal of the day at least three hours before you go to sleep and then do not eat again for about 14 to 16 hours after the evening meal. When you wake up in the morning, you have used for energy or stored all the nutrients from your last meal so now your body is using your stored fat for energy and it will continue to do so until you eat again. As soon as you do eat, you start using the nutrients in the foods for energy once they are absorbed in-to your blood stream. Delaying your breakfast means you use your own stored fat for energy for a longer period of time.
• Timing of meals: most adults need to eat their next meal four to five hours after they finish the previous meal. Knowing when you are going to sleep, you can figure back-wards about three hours which is when you should eat your dinner, four hours or so before that would be a good time for your lunch and four hours or so before that is a good time for your breakfast. Eating just two meals can be ok for weight control as long as you plan to not overeat at the second meal.
• Meal planning can be very helpful to controlling your weight. For many people, knowing what their next meal will be helps them not to snack before that meal. We do not like to be hungry. When we are hungry, there is a physiological drive to find food. In the past 30 or so years, it has become common to eat whenever we are hungry. But as an adult, you can get comfortable with some hunger.
• Decrease eating out, especially for lunch if you work. You have better control of meals you prepare yourself. If you work out of your home try to bring your lunch with you as often as you can. You are much more able to control your lunch calories if you have made the meal compared to anything you would purchase.
• Eat a healthy fat at all meals. The healthiest fat is extra virgin olive oil; try to include olive oil with vegetables at both your lunch and dinner meal. The olive oil will help delay the time until you get hungry and the vegetables provide bulk (and lots of phytonutrients) that will fill you up.
Summary:
- Eat 3 meals a day and avoid snacking.
- Meal plan – have at least a rough idea what your meals will be each day.
- Make more of your meals and eat out less.
- Include a healthy fat at all meals. Extra virgin olive oil with vegetables should be part of at least two meals per day.