Eat larger meals early in the day.
Your metabolism slows down towards the end of the evening and is less efficient at digesting foods. That means more of the energy stored in the food will be stored as fat and your body won't absorb as many nutrients from the meal.
Many American families tend to have their big meal at dinner time. The problem with this is your day is basically over and your body's need for energy isn't as great as it is early in the day. This large meal late in the day can also make you feel tired, and who wants to feel too tired to have fun now that the work day is over?
Try eating a medium sized meal for breakfast, a large meal for lunch and a small meal for dinner.
Better yet, try eating 4-6 small meals over the course of your day. That keeps your body fueled for the whole day without dumping a large amount of food into your stomach, which your body might have a hard time digesting.
Don't skip breakfast!
Many people do because they don't feel they need to eat breakfast, or they just don't feel hungry first thing in the morning.
Research shows that people who skip breakfast are usually fatter than those who eat a well balanced breakfast. Although you might not feel hungry first thing in the morning, if you skip breakfast you will feel extra hungry come lunch time, making you more prone to overeating for your afternoon meal. |