Eat To Lose Weight

"He who waits until circumstances completely favor his undertaking will never accomplish anything." Martin Luther

If you want to banish belly fat, you've got to do something fairly counter intuitive: eat.

Research shows that dieting too intensely or tracking every morsel too closely creates the perfect conditions for adding belly fat, not subtracting it.

A new study tracked the tension levels of 121 female dieters for 3 weeks. Those who followed a strict low-cal eating plan -- consisting of prepackaged meals totaling 1,200 calories a day -- experienced a significant rise in their levels of the stress hormone cortisol.That can spell big trouble when it comes to belly management. Cortisol tells your body to store more calories in your midsection, exactly where you don't want it. On top of that, feeling stressed-out can make sticking with any weight loss plan feel darn near impossible.

For a long time we have heard about how weight gain or loss was all about calories consumed verses calories spent. Well certainly that is part of the picture but evidence is mounting that what and when we eat might be at least as important. One thing is certain - being hungry is not the answer to weight loss! The increased production of cortisol is not the only reason to eat to lose weight. Here is why:

1. Being hungry will lower your metabolism while eating increases metabolism. The faster your metabolism is the more you can eat without gaining weight.

2. Hunger is a natural mechanism to make sure you eat, and eventually you will, and when you do you are much more likely to overeat and eat the wrong things.

3. If your weight loss program involves being hungry all the time you will eventually give it up. It just isn't very fun being hungry!

4. When you are hungry you are more likely to feel tired and sluggish. You are less likely to want to move and of course moving burns those calories.

So how do you eat and lose weight? Try this:

1. Eat first thing in the morning. It doesn't have to be a lot. Remember your body has gone a long time without food.

2. Eat often - every 2 1/2 - 3 hours.

3. Include protein with each meal. Good options are raw nuts, beans and lentils, fish, chicken, string cheese, and of course, the fabulous egg.

4. Eat real food. Avoid chemicals, additives, hormones, sugar and sugar substitutes.

5. Don't over-eat! Remember you get to eat again in 2-3 hours.

"We must all suffer one of two pains, the pain of discipline or the pain of regret." Jim Rohn