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The problem I have with following the basic breakfast/lunch/dinner schedule is that, usually, most of us are starving by the time we finally sit down to eat.  Our bodies were designed to be hunters and gatherers; we have a genetic switch inside that goes from burning fat to storing it.  Back when we had to find our food, we weren’t guaranteed 3 meals a day and when we didn’t have food our body had a back up supply to keep us going.

Fortunately, we don’t have to hunt for our next meal.  Unfortunately, our “back up supply” keeps growing every time we get really hungry.  In order to keep that fat storing switch in the “off” position we have to make sure that we are never hungry and eating every 3 hours definitely helps with this.

I know it sounds time consuming but it’s not if you correctly plan it.  Just throw 2-3 snacks n a bag and take it with you for the day.  Here are some easy options.

Snack Options (2-3 times/day):

Steal some of your husband or boyfriend’s protein powder or grab a meal replacement shake from the store.

Prepare ¼ cup (1 oz) of either raw or roasted and unsalted nuts in a snack-sized zip-lock bag.

Purchase single-serving sized containers of plain, fat-free yogurt (Greek or regular) or measure out 1 serving into Tupperware before you go to bed so it’s ready in the morning.

Purchase single-serving sized containers of fat-free cottage cheese or measure out 1 serving into a Tupperware.

Pack 1 serving of fruit for your day. An example of 1 serving would be 1 banana, 1 orange, 1 apple, or 1 cup of melon or berries.

Pack 1 oz of jerkey in a snack-sized zip-lock bag.

For most non-perishable snacks, I just measure out 7 separate servings every Sunday so I’m ready for my week. I throw one in my purse every night so I don’t forget it the next day.

The other good thing about eating every 3 hours if that it makes you less hungry when it does come time for a sit down meal.  This makes it way easier to not devour outrageously large portions, or mindlessly grab for the calorie-dense options (fats, sugars, starches, etc).