Today I got a question about losing weight by “grazing”, or eating many (usually 6) small meals a day. The weight loss advantage is that this keeps your metabolism running in high gear as opposed to not eating anything all day then breaking down and gorging which is what a lot of dieters tend to do.

Here’s the question:

I want to lose weight so Im trying to graze through out the day. So far today i had a cup of cereal (260), an apple(50), a pint of skim milk(90), and a serving size of almonds(200).. all totaling up to about 600 calories. i want to keep the calories to no more than 1500 a day..My question is if I am doing this right? (if Im eating too much or too little). Also im kind of questioning what i eat for dinner, if i even eat dinner for this type of meal plan?

So far this looks like good diet plan, but I do have some advice. Depending on how many almonds you’re eating you might not be getting enough protein. Protein is a slower burning source of energy as opposed to carbs that give you a quick boost then make you crash.

For a quick and easy shot of protein without many calories I like protein shakes. Shop around and always check the label because some of these shakes are designed to help body builders bulk up and thus are loaded with calories.

*Protein shake tip* If you’re going to GNC or another vitamin shop to pick up protein shake mix ask the sales person for some samples, most of the time they have single serving packets of all the top brands laying around that they’re happy to let you have.

Back to the grazing…

To keep your daily calorie intake under 1500 without starving yourself try adding in some low calorie veggies like cucumber and celery. You can eat a bushel full of either one of these and not even come close to consuming 1500 calories. I find this helps deal with any thoughts of deprivation that come along with dieting.

Finally I would drink a tall glass of water before – during – and after every meal to wipe out hunger and give you a feeling of fullness despite eating such a small amount of food.