By Sean
Nalewanyj
Fat Loss Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.HowToBurnFat.com
When most people begin a weight loss program in order to burn
body fat and get into shape, the notion of eating more often throughout
the day would probably be the last thing on their minds.
For the majority
of individuals, the prospect of eating a greater number of daily
meals in order to lose body fat would seem counter-intuitive.
However, what
may seem logical on the surface isnt always the correct
way to go
What if I
told you that the generally accepted approach of 3 square
meals a day is actually one of the primary reasons why so
many people fail miserably when attempting a fat loss program?
In fact, when
you dont eat often enough throughout the day, you actually
program your body to become a low-energy, food-craving, fat storing
machine.
How could
this be?
All it takes
is a very basic biological explanation to understand why this
is so
From a purely
physical standpoint, your body is only concerned with one ultimate
goal: to keep you alive and healthy at all times. The body is
absolutely riddled with all kinds of fancy defense mechanisms
to aid in accomplishing this. These defense mechanisms automatically
kick into action during times of stress.
One of these
mechanisms is referred to as the famine response.
You see, although
your mind is consciously aware that you could sit down for a meal
at any time, your hardwired genetics are not. They simply act
in a mechanistic way and automatically make adjustments in the
body based on certain conditions.
Since your
body has no idea when its next meal is coming, and since our bodies
evolved and developed during times where food was scarce and eating
patterns were uncertain, it must take the proper precautions in
order to preserve energy in between meals.
If you go
for too long in between feedings, the famine response
kicks in.
What happens
as a result?
To put it
simply, the two major adjustments made are the 2 things that are
the most harmful and counterproductive to your bottom line progress
First of
all, the fat burning metabolism slows down.
Remember,
body fat is simply a stored form of energy. If your body is not
provided with an external source of energy through the food that
you eat, it will do whatever it can to preserve and maintain its
stored forms for when it needs them most.
In other words,
when you dont eat frequently enough, you stop burning fat
at an efficient rate.
Secondly,
you lose muscle tissue.
The body requires
a certain amount of protein in order to carry out its regular
daily tasks, and when you fail to provide it with a steady stream
of protein through your diet, it will enter into a state of muscle
catabolism.
Housing a
large amount of muscle tissue is low on the bodys list of
priorities, and when dietary protein is insufficient, it will
literally begin eating away at your muscles in order to obtain
a useful source.
If you didnt
already know, the amount of lean muscle tissue that you have on
your body has a direct effect on your metabolic rate. The more
muscle you have, the more fat you burn.
The muscles
basically act like giant furnaces where fat can be burned around
the clock, and any properly structured fat burning program places
its emphasis on maintaining as much muscle tissue as possible.
To sum up
what we've covered so far: when you don't eat frequently enough
throughout the day, the body's famine response kicks into gear,
which in turn causes you to burn less fat and to lose muscle tissue.
How long does
it take for this famine response to kick in?
It depends
on the contents and size of your previous meal, but as a general
guideline, it will take about 3-4 hours to settle in.
The solution?
Aim to consume
a small meal at least every 3 hours!
Your overall
daily food intake does not necessarily have to change, but you
should simply aim to spread out all of your meals over this set
interval.
This means
that on any given day, you should be consuming around 5-7 small
meals. It may sound like a lot, and the truth is that it will
require some discipline and willpower to initially get started
on.
That being
said, frequently grazing on small meals throughout the day truly
is one of the real secrets to developing the lean,
energetic and healthy body youre after.
Not only will
this method keep your fat burning metabolism working on overdrive
and allow you to preserve a high amount of lean muscle tissue,
but it will also:
- improve
the digestion process
- keep your blood sugar levels balanced
- control your food cravings
- keep your strength and energy at top levels
If you really
want to see dramatic results as quickly as possible, this is one
fat burning guideline that you cannot go without.
To learn more
details about structuring an effective fat burning nutrition plan,
visit www.HowToBurnFat.com.
You'll discover everything you need to know about proper fat loss
nutrition, and will also gain instant download access to a full
collection of customized body-sculpting meal plans.
About
The Author

Once an awkward, out-of-shape "social outcast", Sean
Nalewanyj is now a renowned fat loss and muscle building expert,
best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular
online fat loss program: "The Real Deal Body Transformation
System". Learn how
to burn fat and lose weight quickly, safely and permanently
by visiting: www.HowToBurnFat.com.