Think of your metabolism as a fire. When you eat your fire burns, when the fire starts to burn down fuel is needed to keep the fire burning. The type of fuel is key to a long burning fire. Paper and cardboard will burn hot and fast but not for long. Oak logs burn slow, hot and for a long time. Think of carbohydrates and sugars as paper and cardboard and protein as the oak logs.
If you start the day with a bagel with cream cheese, your metabolism spikes and then starts to drop quickly. Lunch comes and its a fast food lunch and you spike up again, only to drop back down until dinner where it will spike again until bed time. If you start your fire with paper and cardboard it wont burn long enough to do anything and once it burns out, its that much harder to start the fire burning again. You want to eat small meals throughout the day, adding protein fuel to your metabolism fire and keep it burning high, hot and all day long.
I'm not suggesting to cut all carbs and sugars, just work them in with some protein. Start your day with an egg and cheese omelette with a couple strips of bacon. For a mid morning snack have an apple with a piece of cheese. Have a good lunch like a turkey sandwich with low carb bread and mustard. In the afternoon have some cottage cheese. Go home an have 4 ounces of grilled beef steak or chicken breast with fresh veggies.
Below are some of the snacks I have eaten and I try to change them up every day as not to get bored with it.
- cottage cheese with cayenne pepper, curry and cilantro
- cottage cheese with 1/2 can tuna
- 2% fat plain greek yogurt, add frozen black berries or raspberries
- plain greek yogurt with hot cherry peppers or jalapenos
- hard boiled egg and string cheese
- apple and peanut butter
- soy nuts, almonds or pistachios
- protein bars under 150 calories with 10 grams protein or higher
- homemade guacamole and Wasa crackers
- 2 slices of roast beef or sliced turkey breast rolled up in provolone, Swiss or american cheese
- 2 cups of popped popcorn
- 2 ounces of cooked sliced chicken breast
- carrots or celery
- beef jerky
There are more options but by now you get the idea. Plan ahead and prepare your snacks the night before. buy your almonds or pistachios in large bags and split them up into smaller baggies, same for the veggies. Boil up a half dozen eggs at a time and keep them in the fridge. Buy string cheese. Get a bag of apples. When your reading labels trying to find good snack choices keep this in mind. Look for a 10% protein to calorie ratio. If a food has 100 calories you should get close to 10 grams of protein.
The more healthy high protein snacks you have at home, you better your chances of making the smarter food choices elsewhere. Quick example, the Wife and I were out shopping all day and got hungry between Lunch and Dinner. We stopped at the local deli and asked for 4 slices of roast beef and 4 slices of provolone cheese, rolled them up and washed them down with a bottle of water. Good food choices are everywhere, you just need to make the right ones.
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