eat on time!

over the years, i've really struggled with what weight loss plans would work for me.

most of the time, it would deal with me focusing on a particular food group or type (the salad diet, the slim fast diet, the protein diet) or just eating once or twice a day.

looking back, i know that those were bad decisions for my body. even if i lost a few pounds, it was almost always short-lived. my body would begin to crave the things i cut out, and before i knew it, i was binge-eating. not to mention, i was depriving myself of the needed nutrients to function!

this time around, i decided to eat on a schedule—every two hours or so—without fail.

when you schedule your meals (and follow it), you're providing your body with an ongoing supply of nutrient-dense calories, keeping yourself on an even-keel.

"A steady supply of glucose is your body and brain's primary source of fuel," says Ellie Krieger, M.S., R.D., author of Small Changes, Big Results. "If stores get too low, you might get that foggy feeling before you even feel hungry."

the trick is to eat five or six mini meals each day.

i eat at 8, 10, 12, 2, 4, and 6.

sure, it varies slightly due to my schedule, but i really try to stick to that.

and after dinner, i cut off the food intake. i try to not eat after 7 p.m., if i can help it.

NOTE: i'm not giving into the "food turns into fat after X p.m." hype, but i do find that i do most of my "bored binging" then. by setting a limit for myself, i can consciously tell myself no, and have a reason why.


each night (begrudgingly—i'm so lazy) i make the next day's meals, except for dinner. a sample day goes something like this:

• 8 a.m.: 4-oz. fat free yogurt, homemade granola and 16-20-oz. skim milk
• 10 a.m.: granola bar
• 12 p.m.: two chicken sandwiches, yogurt, fruit slices
• 2 p.m.: 100 calorie snack pack
• 4 p.m.: granola bar
• 6 p.m.: speghetti with salad
• all day: 60-80-oz. of water or crystal light

i really try to focus on the uber-healthy meals during the day, and have a "normal" meal at night.

strange how virtually starving myself had no results, but practically gorging myself does!

what a lovely overhaul this is ....