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Why 5 Meals?

Eating 5 small meals a day helps to regulates metabolism and blood sugar, controls cravings, and reduces overall hunger. If weight-loss is your goal in 2014, then frequent eating needs to be among your resolutions.

How Much to Eat?

There is a simple formula that I use for my weight-loss clients. Simply follow the chart below to discover how many calories you need to stick to in order to achieve your weight-loss goals:

 Activity Level                                                                         Multiply Your Weight x

Sedentary (0-2.5 hours of exercise/week)                        8-10

Moderately Active (3-4 hours of exercise/week)              10-12

Very Active (5-7 hours of exercise/week)                        12-14

***For example, I currently weigh 125lb and exercise 7+ hours/week. In order to create a target calorie range, I will first multiply my weight by 12 and then by 14. This will provide me with a target calorie range of  1,500-1,750 calories/day***

How to Use Your Calorie Range

There are 2 ways to determine the best ways to split your meals:

1) If you have time to eat often, then divide your calorie count by 5 and customize your meals accordingly.

***For Example: If I want to lose weight fast, then I will use my lower calorie count of 1,500 calories/day. I will evenly distribute these calories among 5 meals by dividing 1,500/5 which equals 300 calories per meal***

2) If you don’t have time to eat often, then begin by using step 1). Then add 100 calories to meals 1 and 3 and subtract 100 calories from meals 2 and 4, leaving you with a 3 meals and 2 snacks kind of schedule.

***For Example: based upon my personal information above, my eating schedule would look like this:

Meal 1: 400 calories

Snack 1: 200 calories

Meal 2: 400 calories

Snack 2: 200 calories

Meal 3: 300 calories

=1,500 calories (my target goal for the day)

How to Figure Out How Many Calories You Consume Per Day

There are 2 easy ways to determine whether you are staying on track with your calorie-count:

1) You’re a creature of habit: Read the labels on the foods you eat every day. Create a spreadsheet using caloric totals and make sure that they don’t supersede your daily caloric needs.

2) You eat different everyday: Use a calorie-counting phone app to measure your food. Most restaurants offer caloric intakes for their dishes online. I hate to bum you out, but you will soon learn that you consume far more calories then you think you do when you dine out……it might be time to consider packing your lunch!

***If you want to maximize results and minimize the guess-work, then please remember that I am a Sport and Exercise Nutrition Specialist and that I provide custom nutrition plans***

E-Mail me directly for more info at lauren@laurenkern.com

Stay fit, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay tuned for more successful weight loss tips this 2014!

XOXO

Lauren