Eat more often for weight loss: Here’s how it works – Times of India
Weight loss is often associated with eating less and burning more calories overall. But can eating more frequently help shed pounds? While this may seem counter-intuitive, it’s actually helpful when you are trying to avoid unhealthy snacking in between the meals. This advice by NYC-based registered dietician Natalie Rizzo may make sense to people who are eating healthy but snacking on cookies or chips to satiate the sudden hunger cravings.
While weight loss has become a global obsession, not everyone knows how it truly works. Rizzo has a different perspective and a valid one perhaps. Rizzo told NYT why wellness enthusiasts should eat more frequently for weight loss.
Rizzo noted that one should eat frequently to avoid reaching a ravenous stage of hunger where one indulges in cookies and chips to fill one’s stomach without much thought. She said that eating throughout the day can prevent you from feeling starved and mentioned that though the calorie intake is important, it is important to not feel hungry.
In her column for Eating Well last week, Rizzo had stated, “Timing is key. If you are unable to nosh at the same time every day, try to eat a meal or snack every three to four hours to stave off hunger pangs.”
Rizzo referred to a study from 2022 that mentioned that consuming a consistent amount of calories at regular intervals can increase the success of weight loss. She explained how eating at regular intervals will give enough time to digest food and, at the same time, it won’t be long between two meals that will make you go hungry.
Is grazing really helpful?
Eating frequently or at regular breaks is called grazing, but it has both pros and cons when it comes to weight loss. There is a risk of overeating and it may result in gaining weight.
If done mindfully, it can stop one from over eating when they are hungry and allow one to eat only a proportioned quantity.
The pros of eating frequently
With the concept of eating frequently, there is reduced hunger in the human body and in that case, one can only opt for eating smaller quantities, and it can help your blood sugar levels to be stable, preventing hunger pangs, which leads to overeating.
Studies also prove that eating frequently will boost the body metabolism, letting it digest the food and your body burns more calories.
The drawbacks
While it might reduce the quantity of the food one consumes, it also leads to an increase in calorie intake if one mindlessly snacks on unhealthy items.
It is necessary to find a balance when eating frequently by opting for nutrient-dense food like fruits, vegetables, salads and nuts.