Go From 3 to 5

"If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end"

-Julius Erving

WEBSITE: 5 exercises to do while watching TV http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/abs/express/made-for-tv-workout-5-fast-exercises/?esrc=nwfitdailytip102010&email=2686729334

Ditch crazy water diets, Special K addictions and carb-free lifestyles-a "snacking" lifestylemight be all you need for those last couple pounds.

I recently switched from the traditional 3 meals a day to try this 5 meal a day thing. I kept hearing about it and wanted to see what the hype was all about. The premise behind it is that you eat more times with less calories at each meal.

I never thought this is something I would stick to but I really have LOVED it! I truly feel like I have so much more energy because of it. I have breakfast when I wake up (typically eggs or oatmeal), a second meal about 3 hours later (a protein shake), lunch, a fourth meal around 3 hours later again and then dinner. The people I work with keep making fun of me because they say I am always eating!!

The benefits of this kind of eating:

**Less snacking. It helps keep those "pangs" reduced and you know the next meal is right around the corner

**Less surplus calories. If done right, you will eat the same amount of calories by the end of the day but by breaking it up your body is being refueled with less at each meal. When your body is left with excess calories it is stored as fat for later usage. Further, eating regularly amps your metabolism so you are burning fat more readily.

**Less energy slumps. As I said, I really feel as though I have more energy after I started eating this way. That "mid-day slump" comes from the body's attempt to digest a meal.

The pitfalls of eating this way:

**Time. OK I find that it takes forever for me to prepare all my meals to bring to work for me the next day, but I have increased my efficiency from when I first started for sure!

**Impractical. Many people claim that eating every 3-4 hours is completely impractical for a busy lifestyle, and yes it is difficult at first, but once you develop a routine you won't even think about it. Pack some healthy foods in your desk or keep extra protein shakes in the refrigerator for days when you need something quick.

**Eating out. Yes, few restaurants offer low-calorie meal options that fit in your budget but that should not keep you from an occasional splurge. Allow yourself a "meal off" and get right back to the plan. Now this does not mean to go crazy and order the fattiest food on the menu, but it is ok to enjoy the food you are eating without worrying about every bite.

So how many calories should you eat per meal:

Step 1: Calculate your BMR

-Women: 655 + (4.3 X weight) + (4.7 X height) - (4.7 X age)

-Men: 66 + (6.3 X weight) + (12.9 X height) - (6.8 X age)

Step 2: Activity level

-Sedentary: Multiply by 20%

-Lightly Active: Multiply by 30%

-Moderately Active (Exercise most days): Multiply by 40%

-Very Active (Exercise everyday for prolonged periods): Multiply by 50%

-Extremely Active (athletic training): Multiply by 60%

The number you get is what you need to maintain weight, and so eating less calories will cause you to lose weight (don't exceed a reduction of more than 500 calories!). Take the target calorie number and divide by 5 to see how many calories you should eat per mini-meal.

Have you ever tried 5 meals a day? How did you feel about it?

Megan