That's why eating six times a day is okay!

Eating six times a day is important. Three main meals and in between - the word says it all - three 'snacks'. If you eat nothing all day and only have dinner in the evening, your metabolism will stagnate and you will lose weight less quickly.

Because this way your body gets far too few meals (calories > energy) per day, and thus your body has to do much longer with the food (energy) consumed before another meal 'arrives', your metabolism switches to economy mode.

In the process, blood sugar levels drop and you get a craving for sweet (sugar) which makes you tend to snack (a lot)!

Eating something six times a day keeps digestion going, blood sugar levels up, stomach and intestines moving and gives you energy throughout the day. Keep moving yourself, too!

Breakfast

If you normally skip breakfast and you haven't eaten anything since, say, 8pm the previous evening and you don't take your first food again until lunch at noon the next day, your body has already 16 hours been without nutrition (energy!). Very likely your body has then already had some muscle mass broken down To still meet his energy needs!

This is not good... Hit for that reason alone never your breakfast over!

Good spreads for starting the day include: Apple syrup, honey, jam or fruit sprinkles. Avoid anything with chocolate in it as much as possible.

If you do not like sweet on your sandwich, you can also choose cold cuts, Choose the lean types and not (fatty) sausages, or seasoned meat. Back/shoulder/bone ham, casser rib, natural chicken breast or a bit of sandwitch spread are 'responsible' savoury breakfast products. A boiled egg or cheese can also be eaten well on a sandwich in the morning. 20+, 30+ cheese, light cheese, fresh goat's cheese or a bit of camembert.

Can't get rid of bread in the morning? Then opt for cottage cheese with muesli or a plate of oatmeal (e.g. with pieces of apple, cinnamon and a bit of honey or a banana). A good fruit dairy smoothie always does the trick too.

Breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a king, dine like a beggar.

I learnt this wisdom from my neighbour Rik, a very good sports instructor and strength athlete. I used to always try to eat as light a breakfast as possible, but Rik explained to me that in the morning your blood sugar is at its lowest.

Which makes sense, because you haven't eaten anything all night. Anything you eat in the morning raises blood sugar levels again (which your body needs at that time!). This increases both your performance and concentration

Besides, the less you eat for breakfast, the more likely you are to get hungry later on. Your body will start asking for 'energy' anyway, resulting in you eating the wrong things between meals.

Lunch

If you have had a good breakfast and a responsible snack in the morning, it is time for a healthy, extensive lunch. Preferably use wholemeal bread and low-fat spreads for this too, or put a tomato or boiled or fried egg on your bread.

Low-fat cheese with a little mustard or some slices of cucumber or ham with mustard is also very tasty, as is a slice of tinned salmon or mackerel without sauce. Different sandwich spreads are also delicious on sandwiches and provide plenty of variety. 

In the evening, we are usually the least active (except those who work at night) and so it makes more sense to eat the least in the evening. Actually, it would therefore be better to move the hot meal to lunch and also eat a little less in the evening when you burn calories more slowly. However, this is neither feasible for everyone nor really necessary.

Hhe fact is not that everything you eat in the evening is immediately stored as fat. However, it is true that digestion is slower in the evening/at night so calories are burned more slowly than during the day when you are more active!

So you may feel 'full' and uneasy when you go to bed on a full stomach and sleep restlessly as a result. Your body also gets out of balance when you eat just before bed. Your body is preparing for the night (resting) while you are re-energising your body in the form of food!

The above text previously appeared in the Balance book. The book is now sold out, but may still be available to order second-hand via the link below.

The Balance Book

Slimming blog >HOME