When I was on Paleo (not anymore), I pounded back the largest most nutritious packed salads in the biggest Tupperware containers I could find. I always heard comments like — you’re not going to be able to finish that, or you’re going to gain not lose weight eating THAT much food. When in reality I was quickly transforming my body into a fat-burning machine. Why? How?
Eating 5-7 times a day benefits you:
- By giving yourself more energy
- You reduce your food cravings since you’re already full all the time.
- Eating frequently (and healthy) reduces body fat
- It maintains and increases muscle mass
- Controls your blood sugar levels
- You’re less hungry
Sure it takes a lot of preparation and planning, and a crazy amount of self control to get into the habit of eating this frequently. I sure don’t follow it to a tee. But to keep it simple I just make extra foods in the evening. Instead of cooking for just the Boyf and I, I cook for 4-6 people so we have tons of leftovers for a day or two for lunch.
To make things easier, I designate a day on the weekend to cut up and prep meals for the following week. I make sure that there is protein or fiber in every snack or meal. Eating a reasonable portion — I use my hands to measure the portion size.
Easy way to measure portion sizes. Let your hands guide you (source: Canadian Living)
Here’s how to estimate the amount you should eat.
- The palm of your hand: one serving (75 g/2.5 oz) of chicken, meat, fishor seafood
- A closed fist: one serving (1 cup/250 mL) of salad
- A cupped hand: one serving (1/2 cup/125 mL) of vegetables or grains, such as pasta or rice
- A thumb tip: 1 tsp (5 mL) of added fat, such as oil, butter or margarine
- An entire thumb: 1 tbsp (15 mL) of salad dressing
 Wash all of your veg and fruit before hand. So it’s easy to grab in the fridge when you’re looking for a snack.
I chop up all of my celery, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli and cauliflower and store them in airtight containers with some water. That way it’s easy to grab and throw in a frying pan for a stir fry or muck-up of some sort.
You’ll see some amazing changes in yourself if you get into the habit of prepping your meals in advance and eating healthy food every few hours.
- Skipping meals is hard on your body.
- Your metabolism slows down.
- Feeling cranky or light headed? It’s because your blood sugar dropped.
- Plus, you over eat at your next meal, trying to compensate for the dip in blood sugar.
Do I eat this way all the time? Heck no, it’s most definitely time consuiming and takes a lot of prep work. It definitely helps me in the long run through the week days when I do take time to manage everything. I really need to get back on track. Because if I don’t plan ahead, I make the not so nutritious meals for us.
What are some of your favorite foods?
How often do you eat?
Do you prep your meals ahead of time?
