Most people think that you get fat by eating too much. Well, it might shock you to discover that this is not entirely true. Of course, most of us could probably do with eating smaller portions but the real problem is the kind of food we eat and how often we eat it as opposed to how much we eat.
For example, protein, carbohydrates and fats all have different thermic effects. Did you know that protein burns off more energy than carbohydrate or fat which is one of the reasons why foods like chicken are often an important part of many peoples diets? Most dietitians now agree that counting calories is no longer an effective way to lose weight. A far better approach is to be aware of what you are eating and how much of it. That's why diet programs like Fat Burning Furnace are now actually telling us to eat more food to lose weight!
One of the most popular, and effective, weight loss tips nowadays is to eat little and eat often. For many of us this involves a big life change since we can no longer sit down to the three traditional meals at set times, and so our daily routines have to change. It is very effective though.
The idea behind this is to convince your body that food is abundant and that you don't need to store extra fat for when times become hard. Its been proven that if you go for three hours without eating, your body starts to prepare for survival mode. This involves a raising of stress levels which leads to increased Cortisol production which, in turn, leads to your body stockpiling fat and breaking down muscle to provide fuel.
However, by training yourself to eat a small amount of food every three hours you will be sending your body the message that it is not under stress, that food is plentiful and that it doesn't need to start making preparations for hard times ahead. Recent studies have actually shown that eating small and regular amounts of food can cut Cortisone production by up to 17% in just a few days, and that means accelerated weight loss.
Learn to eat smaller meals more often and you will definitely experience weight loss. It may be necessary to change your lifestyle and habits but these small changes will bring about big results - especially when used as part of a complete diet and exercise regime.