Good habits are as easy to form as bad ones (Tim McCarver)

By Elena Voropay

And think about what your body goes through: it quickly recognizes the development of energy crisis and activates the survival engine by slowing down all the chemical reactions that occur in your body, all the reactions that take place in your brain, digestive tract, muscles, heart, lungs, and every other tissue or organ. That long list of complicated processes is known as metabolism. Research has indicated that the thyroid gland, the source of thyroid hormones that help determine your metabolic rate, reacts quickly to starvation by decreasing hormonal output, which causes metabolic slowdown. Remember that the human system is so efficient that a 25% drop in caloric load causes the metabolic rate drop by 35% as an overadaptation. Other side effects of skipping meals include an increase in fat-storing enzymes forcing the body to hold on to every single gram of fat you've got.

This is only part of the puzzle. The next time you eat your body moves into a hyperinsulinemic state. That is, there will be an overproduction of insulin regardless of what and how much you eat, which causes to stash away the majority of food as adipose tissue, otherwise known as fat. Considering that your metabolism was forced to slow down, even less fuel will be used as energy and more of it will be reserved as "emergency energy source" in the form of adipose, according to Dan Benardot, Ph.D., R.D., L.D. The sad truth is that this unappealing reserved energy will be used only after all the alternative sources are empty, or when you have already depleted your muscles' energy source glycogen. Going without food for extended periods of time deprives the body of nutrients that are converted into glycogen. Instinctively, the survival engine will turn to alternative sources for glucose production, mostly cannibalizing existing protein which we have in the form of muscles. So before you even tap into your fat stores, the hard-earned muscles will be wasted for energy.

Fortunately, there is a solution. The simple truth in fat loss is consuming fewer calories than you expand. The key here is to eat small five or six meals a day keeping your metabolism humming and providing your body with energy it needs to function at the utmost level of efficiency. Many people who are trying to lose weight mistakenly think they'll lose more pounds if they cut down the number of times they eat. But according to a number of respectable researches, those who ate more often during the day enjoyed less body fat than those who ate the same amount of food in two or three sessions! Many experts now recommend you eat every four hours to avoid a drop in blood sugar levels that they believe can result in cravings for foods high in sugar and fat. The "spread-out" plan has also been shown to contribute to lower blood cholesterol levels. According to the latest research from Norfolk, England, those who ate only once or twice a day reported eating less total energy, fat, protein, and carbohydrates, but they had higher total serum cholesterol levels. Those who ate more often were thinner, more physically active, smoked less, and drank less alcohol.

Knowing how work and school can add to your negative stress level, consider the following study by Dr. Bill Timmons, the founder of Bio Health, who has many years of clinical experience in testing levels of stress hormone cortisol. From the research he found the cortisol levels normalized very nicely for most of those who were eating more frequently.

Start your day the right way - eat breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day. If you are used to not eat anything in the morning you probably consume large portions at night time, when you need the least amount of energy. Eating breakfast curbs mid-morning hunger and staves off overeating later in the day. Your metabolic machine needs a spark to start the energy flame, and the morning meal can do just that - light the fire. Throughout the day you just keep throwing in wood to keep it burning. Even a small amount of food can do the job. Keep meal portions sensible. If you are accustomed to consuming three squares a day, divide each one in half - that would be an appropriate size. Remember to get enough sleep, stay hydrated, and do some kind of physical activity during the day and you will find yourself feeling 100% better.