Mini-meal it!

One of our Weight Loss Challenge participants (Jaime) suggested I do a post to remind everyone about the importance of eating small meals throughout the day...as in 5-6 meals a day, not 2-3.  So, I got online and got some good resources and articles that talk specifically about this.  Jaime has been eating small meals throughout the day and so far she's rockin' the competition! 

This picture pretty much sums up how "dieting" works!  Let's call our "diet" a lifestyle change.  Don't just diet, change the way you eat for good!

Another Reason Why Dieting Doesn't Work

15 Easy Ways to Cut 500 Calories

5 Tips to Eating Right
(You can read the entire post that this link goes to, or you can get the meat of the topic below)

5 Tips to Eating Right (credit to Dr. Rick Kattouf II)

1. Mini-meal it! You’ve probably heard this before, but in order to keep your energy level up and your workouts spot on, you have to fuel regularly. Aim for five to six mini-meals a day. If this seems unreasonable, just try splitting up your lunch as a first step. Have the first half at your normal lunch time, and the second later that afternoon. You’ll be amazed at how much better that small tweak can make you feel—especially if you work out later in the day!
2. Always eat before your morning workout. If you get up and work out like I do, the last thing you probably feel like doing is eating before you head to the gym or hit the pavement running, right? But it’s so essential to fuel your body before you do a long exercise session. So make yourself have a little something, like half of a banana, before you head out to get your sweat on!
3. Eat after you work out. You’re probably not hungry after you come back from the gym, but be sure to refuel as soon as you can after exercise. Your muscles need the fuel to rebuild and repair! Coach Kattouf recommends a protein drink or smoothie after a good sweat session, as it gets nutrition into your body quickly and easily!
4. Drink up first thing. One of my fave tips from the DVDs is to hydrate early and often. The first thing you should do in the morning—before eating and working out but just after peeing—is drink 16 ounces of cold water. When you wake up, your body is pretty much dehydrated from the night of sleep. Water helps to get your metabolism firing, improves energy levels and helps that brain function better. It’s how you start your day off right from the get-go. And if you’re a coffee drinker, this is especially important as coffee can further dehydrate you, so you really need that H2O.
5. Healthy doesn’t always equal “right.” Sure, yogurt and fruit are healthy, but when you eat the same thing every day or never have any protein or fat, you’re not doing your body as much good as you could. Make sure that your mini-meals have some carbs, protein and fat in them, and try to eat a variety of foods to make sure that you’re getting all your nutrients and vitamins.
Ladies, this stuff really does work! Skipping meals and cutting calories drastically just saps your energy. Eat regularly with the right foods, and you’ll set yourself up for some serious fit bottomed happiness! —Jenn