Dirty Thirty #7: Snacking Throughout the Day

First of all, let me state that snacking throughout the day does work for some people, but it certainly doesn't work for many of us. This is where our bioindividuality comes into play.

If you are eating healthy meals, you do not need to eat many times throughout the day to keep your blood sugar stable or to satiate hunger. This is especially true for those of us who are overeaters. The problem is not starting to eat; it is stopping the eating! If you eat three meals a day, you only have to stop eating three times a day. Studies also show that, for overeaters, snacking throughout the day actually leads to weight gain and more unhealthy eating.


In addition to eating three meals a day, it is also important to pay attention to when you are ingesting the bulk of your calories. Many of us eat a large dinner, and, while this isn't detrimental if you do it on special occasions, you should be sure to eat 50% of your daily food at lunch. Midday is when your digestion is the strongest, and your body will use these nutrients and calories to their full efficiency. Breakfast should be smaller (and contain either whole grains or good protein, whichever your body responds to best) and eaten within a half-hour of waking. Dinner should be your smallest meal of the day. Try a non-creamy soup or a small salad as your last meal of the day. Even better, try juicing your vegetables for dinner. This way, your body is concentrating on absorbing the nutrients and not having to digest bulky food before bed. Also, do your best to have all of your eating done before 7:00 PM. Anything you eat past that time will just end up on your thighs anyway!

Try experimenting with eating three meals a day as I outlined above and share your experiences below.

Check back tomorrow for another Dirty Thirty!