Tip Tuesday: Stick to a Schedule

The real “magic” of sustainable weight management is eating every 3-4 hours (give or take 30 minutes), 5-6 times per day. This set schedule in conjunction with eating smaller portions enables your body to process food quickly and appropriately, which in turn helps you naturally lose weight. There is a technical explanation behind this but I will spare you the boring details!

If you are lucky enough to have a flexible work/school schedule, plan your day around your mealtimes (not the other way around) so that you can ensure proper nutrition daily. If your schedule is a bit more stringent, try your best to fit in all of your meals even if it means you must have a working lunch. Eating while you work is not usually recommended because it may cause you to eat too much or not eat enough and may aggravate your digestive process (i.e., indigestion). However, if this is your only option, it is better to eat than not eat at all.

Your eating schedule is very personal to you. It should start as soon as you wake up (give or take 30 minutes) and end two hours before you go to sleep. Food is energy. You need energy to do even the simplest of tasks like getting ready in the morning and commuting to work. Similarly, you need energy at the end of your day to do whatever it is that is keeping you up. As long as you stick to your schedule, allow two hours before bedtime for your body to digest food properly, and get adequate amount of sleep (ideally 7-8 hours) you can eat as late as you need to.

I have provided eating schedules  below for four different scenarios. Keep in mind these are guidelines that may need to be adjusted to reflect your personal schedule.

• Early to Rise, Early to Bed.
  6:00AM – Breakfast
  9:00AM – Snack
  12:00PM – Lunch
  3:00PM – Snack
  6:00PM – Dinner
• Early to Rise, Late to Bed.
  6:00AM – Breakfast
  9:00AM – Snack
  12:00PM – Lunch
  3:00PM – Snack
  6:00PM – Dinner
  9:00PM – Snack
• Late to Rise, Early to Bed.
  10:00AM – Breakfast
  1:00PM – Lunch
  4:00PM – Snack
  7:00PM – Dinner
• Late to Rise, Late to Bed.
  10:00AM – Breakfast
  1:00PM – Snack
  4:00PM – Lunch
  7:00PM – Snack
  10:00PM – Dinner

The key is making sure your work/life schedule fits into your eating schedule and vice versa. When you achieve this, it will be easy for you to follow and adapt your eating schedule as your life changes. Ergo, sustainable weight management!

Sasha

Thanksgiving

Amidst this festive occasion, I am elated to have received this message from a past colleague:

I lost a massive amount of weight. I was 235lbs now I’m 190lbs. I’m still working on going a little lower. However, I’m looking to tone up. I know we only spoke a few times but I just want to thank you. I took a lot of the information you gave me and put it to work.

Congratulations and you are very welcome!

Sasha

Healthy Living Saves Money

One of the most common arguments against healthy eating is that it is too expensive but the hard, cold facts below prove otherwise. While reading through budgeting tips on LearnVest, I was not surprised to find that four out of six ways listed for saving money were also healthy living strategies.

Drink more water. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average American spends $944 per year on beverages. Drinking anything other than water can really add up. Skip your soda and switch to water. You and your wallet will feel better.
Eat at home. Perhaps it seems obvious that eating in will save you money, but to put it in terms of dollars, the average person spends $2,668 per year on food outside of the home, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That number goes way up if you live in a metropolitan city.
Make a shopping list and stick to it. Know what you need before you go to the store (any store!). Don’t stray from the list or be tempted by things that catch your eye.
Always opt to walk. Avoid using your car and even public transportation, as both will cost you a lot. If you can, you should always choose to walk. The average person spends $2,384 per year on gas, and $538 per year on public transportation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The lesson to be learned in that you have to be smart about eating and living smart. If you put some extra thought into your lifestyle choices and revamp them in a smart, healthy way you can keep costs low. So make the conscious effort to eat and live healthfully and don’t worry about breaking the piggy bank!

Sasha