Boost Your Energy

by Fred

Maintaining a healthy energy level is one of the pitfalls of staying on a diet. I’ve been putting off writing this Update because I’m still doing research on it. I’ll just report on what I’ve learned so far.

I’ve mentioned on other pages on this website about how I am able to control my appetite so thoroughly that I have made my blood sugar crash on several occasions. This is NOT recommended. It’s actually common for many people. Some of us are just dumb enough to forget to eat.

I didn’t have to worry about controlling my weight until my late thirties. Ever since I managed to stop snacking between meals, I have had trouble maintaining a healthy energy level. For a few years, a cup of coffee would perk me up. But that doesn’t work any more. I have read about green tea and red pepper increasing metabolism but have never found it to work for me. WebMD also reports that green tea and red pepper are only marginally effective at boosting metabolism.

The most effective way to boost metabolism is to eat smaller meals more frequently. This actually works, but I am currently working out some pitfalls with it.

First, there is a difference between a snack and a meal. When we resign to the fact that we need two small breakfasts and two small lunches, we quickly realize that we must prepare four meals instead of two. The next thing you know, you’re grabbing a 400-calorie candy bar for the second breakfast instead of preparing a 300-calorie nourishing meal. The trick is to prepare nutritious, healthy foods that are easier to heat up at mid-morning and mid-afternoon. One of my favorite tricks that also saves money is to prepare large roasts for protein and simply slice them into quarter-pound portions. Even a simple sandwich with a slice of roast in the microwave is quicker and more nourishing than a Snickers.

The second pitfall I noticed is that I am not always hungry enough for a second breakfast or a second lunch, even though I’m taking in only 200 or 300 calories at the first breakfast or first lunch. I haven’t found a solution for this problem, yet. You may be thinking, “So you’re not hungry? Big deal. That’s fewer calories you have to burn off.” No, it doesn’t work like that. Your body needs calories to burn calories. If you don’t take in nutrition, your body will conserve energy instead of burning it. That is why I am half asleep all the time if I decide to skip meals or push them back.

It’s also why I haven’t posted an Update in two weeks. I have been too tired to really write this sucker. I’m doing better today, so I’m going to post this and just keep working out the glitches.

Possible solutions:

I think that I may have to prepare tastier meals that make me feel hungrier. I’m somewhat an ascetic type. I can live on plain meat or plain potatoes without complaint. I just like simple food. Trouble with that is, it’s just not interesting food. It’s nutritious, but work is more interesting. And, naturally, you skip the plain meal and wind up crashing or just napping and not burning energy. Over time you can wind up fatter and out of shape even though you’re eating small, low-fat meals.

If anyone has any suggestions for smaller, more convenient, tastier meals, feel free to post them below and/or link to your own site. Just remember that when I mean simple preparation, I’m talking forty-five seconds to three minutes. I’m not a fan of the Jenny Craig type quickies, either. I think there must be more economical solutions.

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