Learn to pay attention to your body’s cues for hunger and meal time.
Not hungry first thing in the morning? It could be because you are eating too late in the evening.
Skipping meals during the day to “save” calories for dinner? You could be setting yourself up for a binge later in the day. If you let yourself get too hungry you may not be able to make a balanced, healthy choice when dinner time comes around.
If you aren’t hungry for breakfast, not a problem. But, resist filling up on coffee drinks instead of food. Not only could you overdo it on sugar and calories from your latte but you also could postpone your natural appetite and throw off your eating rhythm. Try having a small snack in the morning instead of a full-blown meal. Throughout the rest of your day, aim to eat about every 3 to 4 hours according to your body’s feelings of hunger.
Experiment with having a bigger meal at lunchtime when your digestive capacity is at its greatest. Your metabolism is in full swing midday and you will be able to burn up more energy than if you wait and overeat later at night. Plan on a moderate amount at dinner when your body is winding down.
To learn more about nutrition, rhythm, and metabolism, check out this blog post from the Institute for the Psychology of Eating by Marc David.
Quiz: Is Your Diet Causing More Harm Than Good? Take this quiz to find out.
