I’m not eating more, so why am I gaining? I’ve been putting in long hours at the office, so it’s impossible for me to eat breakfast—or even dinner sometimes. As a result, I usually have one big meal for lunch. But it’s weird because, although I’m not eating more than usual overall, my waistline is clearly expanding. What’s going on?
The secret to avoiding weight gain isn’t just in the number of calories you consume, but in how often you eat. Volunteers in one study who consolidated their daily calories into one large meal experienced sustained elevations of glucose (blood sugar). This causes the liver to pad the belly region with fat—even if a person isn’t overeating. The good news: You don’t need three full meals to avoid glucose elevations. Simply scale back your lunch and enjoy a healthy snack every two hours. Eat-at-your-desk options include a handful of pumpkin seeds, 2 oz. of dark chocolate, a serving of whole-grain crackers or an apple. (Try programming a “snack reminder” into your computer to stay on track). With this approach, you can lose a pound every week.
