How do you stoke the metabolic fire?
Should you take green tea extract capsules?
Should you eat 6 meals a day?
Should you avoid food after 7 pm?
Should you eat 500 calories a day to jump-start fat loss?
Here is the truth to set you free of your metabolism demons!
Myth 1: Eat 6 meals a day to boost your metabolism!
Decades of research have shown that the same number of calories spread out between 3 (standard) or 6 meals a day (grazing) are basically the same in terms of metabolism [1,2,3,4]. The significance in calories burned between the two methods is insignificant.
Myth 2: Spicy foods or drinking ice water will speed fat loss!
There is no magic food or beverage that will speed fat loss. The thermic effect of hot or cold foods is so small that it alone cannot drop inches from your waistline. If that was the case, eating ice cream all day would trim the waistline!
Myth 3: Avoid food after 7 pm because it will turn directly into fat!
There is no magic window of time that leads to excess weight gain. Instead, it is the overall quality and quantity of calories in your diet. If you tend to eat mindlessly or order pizza as a second dinner after 7 pm then deciding to stop eating at 7 pm may be a good solution for you. However, if you’ve only eaten 1000 calories due to having a busy day and your only option is to eat after 7 pm, don’t hold back on account of the clock, hit your macros!
Myth 4: Jumpstart weight loss with a low-calorie diet or fast!
Have you seen the before and after of Survivor contestants? A diet of 500 calories worth of rice for a month certainly leads to weight gain! But, by Survivor finale night, all of the contestants look like they have gained back their pre-low calorie stranded on a desert island weight! What gives? Our bodies are made for survival! If we lose weight quickly in starvation mode, most people inevitably gain it all back and then some in order to “survive” the next famine! Slow and steady weight loss with small caloric deficits is easier to sustain long-term, which is the goal of weight loss – to keep it off long-term!
The number one thing you should be doing is:
Find the best solution for you!
You’re an individual!
You’re unique!
Your body has specific needs different from your drunk co-worker, nosey neighbor, or childhood best friend!
Get honest with yourself, find a coach, do some trial and error with some real data and learn the best diet and lifestyle for you! It’s not rocket science when you work with a team that has gotten their client’s results time and time again!
Ready for an individualized plan? Contact us!
References:
[1] Jenkins, DJ, et al. “Nibbling versus Gorging: Metabolic Advantages of Increased Meal Frequency.” N Engl J Med. 1989 Oct 5;321(14):929-34.
[2] Wolfram, G., M. Kirchgessner, HL Müller, and S. Hollomey. “Thermogenesis in Humans after Varying Meal Time Frequency.” Ann Nutr Metab. 1987;31(2):88-97.
[3] Bellisle, France, Regina McDevitta, and Andrew M. Prenticea. “Meal Frequency and Energy Balance.” British Journal of Nutrition (1997), 77:S57-S70 Cambridge University Press.
[4] Cameron, JC, MJ Cyr, and E. Doucet. “Meal Frequency and Energy Balance.” Br J Nutr. 2010 Apr;103(8):1098-101. Epub 2009 Nov 30.
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