Why do I need to eat every few hours?

Whenever you eat something, you stimulate your metabolic rate. We also know from physics that objects in motion, stay in motion and can even pick up speed. Therefore, if you eat consistently, every 2 to 4 hours, you will be stimulating an increase in your metabolism four to five times per day. The only other way to accomplish this is to exercise somewhat vigorously (interval training is best) for at least 30 minutes every 2 to 4 hours. This is unrealistic for most people. And you may feel that eating food every 2 to 4 hours is unrealistic as well. However, how long does it take to eat a hard boiled egg (if you’ve already peeled it) and or an apple or other similar fruit? It takes about the same amount of time it takes to go to the bathroom. And we all know you definitely make time for that!

We have learned however, that foods high in concentrated fats will actually slow down your metabolism. So choose your foods wisely. Eating a handful of nuts wouldn’t work in most cases for the majority of the body types to help lose weight. This is why we eliminated them. So what is left? Ideally, you would eat a small piece of protein and carbohydrate to stabilize your blood sugar. It also depends heavily on what you are going to be doing. We will learn how to really customize your meals in step 4. For now, try to keep it balances and if in doubt, have a light fruit to keep your blood sugar from dropping. Here are some examples of some very easy to carry and eat proteins and carbohydrates:

Proteins:
Hard boiled egg whites (peeled)
Chicken tenders (small strips)
Chicken or beef fajita strips (small strips)
Small beef or turkey meatballs (about the size of a piece of apricot)
Slider sized beef or turkey patties (about the size of a piece of charcoal)
Half of a turkey medallion
“Hot Wing” sized chicken drumstick
Chicken wing
Kebabs (even some of the vegetables hold up well such as zucchini, squash, and bell peppers.

Carbohydrates:
Apple
Peach
Pear
Plum
Nectarine
Orange (peeled and sliced)
Tangerine (peeled and sliced)
Guava
Apple slices
Fingerling potatoes
Freeze dried fruit pouches (unsweetened)
Dried fruits (unsweetened)