Top Ways to Improve the Way You Eat

#1 – Drink More Water

Divide your body weight by 2. What is the number? That is how many ounces of water you should be drinking each day. Are you drinking enough water? Most of us consume far less water than we should.

When you are properly hydrated, you will see a rapid improvement in both your weight, and body fat percentage. And since you’re getting in the habit of drinking more water, you may as well take your IntelliTrim at the same time. You’ll stay hydrated, lose fat and build lean muscle mass.

#2 – Eat Smaller Meals More Frequently

When trying to lose body fat it is odd to hear that you need to eat more. Eating smaller, more frequent meals is not about eating more but about the timing of food.

By eating more frequently the blood sugar is not allowed to drop so low that large energy fluctuations occur. When the energy level is kept at an even level, you will be less likely to overeat at the next meal.  The body will become accustomed to being fed more frequently and less likely to hold onto fat because it knows another meal is coming soon. It will no longer have the need to resort to starvation mode.

To put this healthier way of eating into practice, begin eating every 2-3 hours, or 5-6 times per day. Reduce your portion size for meals and snacks by 25-50%.

To help you get in the habit, we suggest that you visit our Wellness Center to download our FREE Meal Tracker. And while you’re in the mood to form new habits, now is a great time to get started with IntelliTrim.

#3 – Start Your Day Right with Breakfast

As we previously learned, spreading meals out over the course of the day will ensure that your body never kicks into starvation mode, and begins to store fat. During the day, breakfast is the most important meal for 2 reasons:

1)  Skipping breakfast often leads to overeating later in the day, which will result in fat gain.

2)  When you wake up, your body has not had food in 8+ hours, and eating breakfast is the way to flip your metabolism into the “on” position. If you wait until lunch, your body is already in starvation mode, and calories you consume will be stored as fat.

Take care of your body and eat breakfast. And feel free to include protein and fat in your meal. Some peanut butter on your toast will keep you satisfied longer. Your body will reward you with a higher metabolism, which leads to fat loss.

#4 – Eat Good Fat to Lose Fat

Fat is good for you. Given all the “low-fat” and “fat free” diet hype, that might seem strange. Eating a balanced diet, including good fats like omega-3 fatty acids and some omega-6s (CLA and GLA), is crucial to good health, and reducing body fat.

You should avoid saturated fats and trans fat, as they are detrimental in many ways. But make sure that you are getting your good fats.

Taking IntelliTrim is an easy was to check the good omega-6s off the list.

#5 – The Truth about Carbohydrates

In previous lessons, we learned that a balanced diet, including carbs, is best. Carbohydrates come in many forms though - from the processed sugar in a soda, to the natural sugar in fruit. All carbs are not created equal, and by removing the bad, we can reduce body fat.

We all need to consume a certain amount of carbohydrates each day to supply the body with glucose – the primary energy source for the brain and muscles. The average person stores around 300 - 400 grams in their muscle and 60 - 90 grams in their liver. Once full, excess carbohydrates are stored in the body as fat.

When consuming a carbohydrate make sure it has some fiber, fat, or protein with it. Carbs without these nutrients require very little breakdown and can be turned into fat quickly. Foods with a slower digestion rate will supply a more constant stream of energy and also keep you fuller longer.  A glycemic index chart can be useful to see where some of your favorite foods lie.

Balanced foods will reduce your fat storage, and so will IntelliTrim.

#6 – Eat More Protein 

After a workout, your body needs a few things to repair itself, and protein tops the list.  Your muscle tissue uses the amino acids from protein to rebuild muscle torn from the workout.  It is this repairing process that builds and strengthens the muscle. Without adequate protein post-workout, the body has fewer tools to work with and it will take longer for muscle to recover.

As we have already learned, the more lean muscle we have, the better is our metabolism, and the more fat calories we burn each day. So anything we can do to help our body build lean muscle, including eating protein after exercise, will result in reducing body fat.

How much do you need? In general we need about 0.4 to 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. For example, a 150 lb person requires approximately 75 grams of protein per day. For reference purposes, a 3 oz. chicken breast contains approximately 21 grams of protein.

And remember, IntelliTrim also helps you to build lean muscle mass, so make sure you are taking it in conjunction with your workout routine.