Weight Loss & 6 Small Meals

What you eat, how often you eat and what types of exercise you do all play essential parts when it comes to weight loss. You can incorporate weight training and cardiovascular exercise, but if your diet isn't right, you may not get the results you desire. Food and exercise influence your metabolism and well-being. To lose weight, you must condition your body to do so, using a combination of a healthy diet and exercise regimen.

Eating Smaller Meals

• In general, breakfast, lunch and dinner are the three standard meals of the day. If you want to lose weight, eating six small meals over the course of the day may get you better results. Eating a meal every three to four hours gives your body constant energy, stabilizes your blood sugar and forces your metabolism to stay active. According to the Cleveland Clinic, eating more often also lowers your cholesterol. You may feel as if you are eating a lot of food. You will feel satiated and cravings will reduce. Eating smaller meals may also keep indigestion at bay.

What and How To Eat

• To get the most benefit out of eating small, frequent meals, include fiber and protein in each meal. Both promote feelings of fullness. A small meal can be a peanut butter on top of whole-wheat toast and a glass of skim milk or a piece of chicken breast with a side salad. Smaller meals can be made by dividing your regular breakfast, lunch and dinner in half. Choose healthy foods to make up your meals. Include fruits, vegetables, unsaturated fats such as olive oil, lean protein such as chicken and fish, and complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal and brown rice.

Exercise

• Both cardiovascular and strength training exercise help weight loss by stimulating your metabolism so you burn calories. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that health benefits can be gained from performing strength training on two days of the week and by getting at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense cardiovascular exercise weekly. Cardio may include walking fast, biking or mowing the lawn. Strength training can be done with weightlifting machines, free weights and your body weight.

Lifestyle

• Your lifestyle influences your weight. Getting at least seven hours of sleep each night is essential to stay productive during your daytime hours. Lack of sleep may trigger cravings and is associated with obesity. Alcohol is another no-no when it comes to weight loss. Not only does alcohol contain many empty calories, it also drains your energy.