Frequent and Small Low-Carb Meals

Frequent and Small Low-Carb Meals
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Frequent and small low-carb meals are a common dieting approach for weight loss and blood sugar management. Frequent, small meals and low-carbohydrate meal plans are both designed to encourage fat loss. But this meal plan might not be for everyone, so consider the benefits and detriments of eating frequent and small low-carb meals before you alter your current eating regimen.

Frequent and Small Meals

A diet based on frequent, small meals typically consists of about six 300-calorie dishes per day. The goal of eating several small meals is to control your appetite and keep your metabolism high. When you consume a meal, you body’s blood sugar levels increase and give you a boost of energy. By eating frequently, these levels stay high and help maintain a feeling of satisfaction. Your metabolism, or the rate your body burns calories, lowers when meals are infrequent to conserve energy. By eating six meals per day, your metabolism stays at high levels, aiding in weight loss.

Low-Carb Diets

Low-carb dieting restricts carbohydrate intake, replacing foods such as fruit, starchy vegetables and grains with fats and protein to encourage weight loss. The theory behind low-carb dieting is that restricting carbohydrates forces the body into ketosis. When the body is in ketosis, it burns fat as well as food for energy fuel. In a nonketosis state, the body stores fat from food in fat cells and uses glucose obtained from carbohydrates for energy.

Benefits

The primary benefit of consuming frequent and small low-carb meals is weight loss. Your body burns calories at an increased rate when you keep your blood sugar levels high, hold your appetite in check and restrict carbohydrates. If you constantly feel hungry, eating several smaller meals will make it easier to stick to your diet .

Detriments

Eating several small low-carb meals per day allows multiple chances to break your diet and consume too many calories. Consuming an extra egg, a second helping of yogurt, a couple extra ounces of juice or an extra chicken breast all add up. Eating too much can easily result in going 600 to 1,200 calories over your daily limit with just 100 or 200 extra calories per meal. In addition, there is controversy over the safety of low-carbohydrate dieting.

Conclusion

Consuming frequent and small low-carb meals is a diet plan that can help some individuals lose weight and easily control their eating habits. However, if you simplify weight loss, it comes down to consuming fewer calories than your body burns each day. Ultimately, by controlling your caloric intake and getting a normal amount of carbohydrates every day, you can still lose weight effectively, no matter how often you eat. You can increase your metabolism with regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Warnings

Never begin a new diet plan without first consulting your physician. She can determine how many calories per day you require to maintain, lose or gain weight. In addition, she can tell you if low-carbohydrate dieting is right for your body and the current state of your health.

References

Article reviewed by TimDog Last updated on: Jan 20, 2012

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