#144 eat more to eat less

THE BIGGEST cause of overeating is undereating. No kidding. People often go too long without eating, then pig out when they're ravenously hungry. Call it poor mealtime management.

Your body is designed to get hungry every 3 to 4 hours. The traditional, 3-meal-a-day plan is about the worst way to eat. It is much better to have a regular progression of meals: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and dinner.

This sort of regular routine maintains your body's normal hunger signals. It also boosts the metabolism to its highest rates, making it more efficient at burning calories.

Unfortunately, we tend to focus most of our attention on a few big meals, especially dinner. That's a problem because your body needs calories during the day, when you're active and burning them. It doesn't need large amounts of calories at night, when the body's natural rhythm is to slow down.

Research shows that people who eat their largest meal at night tend to be more overweight and have higher cholesterol levels than those who eat smaller amounts of food throughout the day.

Also, eating more often - and including planned snacks in your routine - is a great way to prevent binges. Binges usually are a result of poor planning: You'll inevitably find yourself at a wrong place (a fast-food restaurant, a vending machine) at the wrong time (when you're ravenous).

A Better Way

Here's what I advise nearly all of my clients:

• Eat your usual supper at least three hours before going to bed. Make this your last meal of the day, if you can.
• Allow for exceptions. You want to eat when you're hungry, and if for some reason you're truly hungry after supper - and you're not merely bored, tier, or depressed - go ahead and have a snack. A piece of fresh fruit is best. Or vegetables, which make a great snack at any time.
• Always plan to have a snack in midmorning and midafternoon. Your body needs the calories - listen to it! If you do nothing except plan your meals carefully, you're going to lose weight. I guarantee it. In fact, the amount of weight you'll lose over a year, even if this is all you do, will be impressive.

BOTTOM LINE: Lose 20-50 pounds

The great thing about mealtime management is that it doesn't involve dieting. All you're doing is eating delicious food at the right times! Some examples: Regular meals can eliminate the need for high-calorie snacks; planning for a fruit snack instead of raiding the doughnut box can melt away 20 pounds; and planning a healthful lunch instead of grabbing something on the fly can help you lose 22-30 pounds a year.