Contrary to belief, the best way to lose weight is not to consume fewer calories but more.  Most people fight the battle of the bulge by cutting back on calories and even resort to starving themselves.  The best plan to dropping unnecessary weight is to figure out how many calories your body needs to maintain the weight you are at and then determine where you would like to be.

A healthy diet generally will not drop below an intake of 1,200 calories.  But you still need to figure out your magic number.  Research has shown that when we consume less than the optimal amount our metabolism bottoms out.  From time to time, you will need to adjust your calorie intake to account for your changing weight, activity level, and metabolism.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to keep your metabolism fired up:

1. Eat breakfast.  The meal you have for breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  It should contain protein, carbohydrates, and fat. 
2. Eat more often.  Snacking throughout the day or eating smaller portions keeps your body burning fat.  Aim for 200 to 400 calorie mini-meals.
3. Plan your meals.  Take the time to think about what you are going to eat.  Keep healthy snacks around to curve the craving.
4. Keep a journal.  Studies have shown that people, who write down what they eat, eat less.  Be honest with yourself and log it, calories, and portions.

In addition to managing what you consume, you should think about incorporating a good exercise routine.  Our personal trainers can help you do just that.

Tags: eat more, metabolism, simple steps

This entry was posted on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 11:53 am and is filed under Eating Right, General Information. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.