Why I eat every three hours

I am currently reading a book called "The 3-Hour Diet" by Jorge Cruise and it really makes sense. This isn't really a diet, but a way of eating that is like a breath of fresh air in the world of restrictive fad diets. There are no off-limit foods at all, and the major point he makes is that unless you eat every three hours, your body goes into "starvation" mode and basically starts breaking down your existing muscle mass for energy. For every pound of muscle you lose, you burn 50 less calories even at rest.

What this means is, even if you don't exercise you can at least keep the calorie-burning muscles you already have if you nourish your body with food every three hours. Then you will burn more calories even while you are sleeping. Now, of course if you exercise you can lose even more, but he believes anyone can lose an average of 2 pounds per week just changing their eating schedule.

There are a couple of rules, but they are easy and become second nature when you incorporate them into your daily life. The first rule is that you must eat your first meal within one hour of waking. Otherwise, you will have no fuel and your body will start using your muscles for energy. Then you have a snack three hours later, lunch three hours after your snack, another snack three hours after lunch, dinner after another three hours, followed by a small treat. He advises not eating within a couple of hours of your bedtime so your body will be ready for rest and not trying to digest a meal, which could keep you awake.

Overall, I have felt really good since starting to eat every three hours and some of my pants are already looser at the waist. I tend to get mood swings and headaches if I don't eat regularly anyway, so this is a way to help keep my blood sugar levels steady throughout the day without feeling deprived.