Nutrition Frenzy

Calories are literally units of energy. Without the proper amount of fuel your cells need to perform, you’ll feel weak and light-headed. Your challenge: Trim enough calories to lose weight but get the right number to keep energized. Visit prevention.com/healthtrackers to determine your daily caloric needs, and then follow our smart strategies for slimming down without slowing down.

Eat more:

Frequent meals Small, regular meals and snacks (instead of a few large ones) every 3 to 4 hours give you sustained energy and dampen hunger by keeping your blood sugar on an even keel. When researchers at the National Institute on Aging compared middle-aged men and women who ate only one meal a day with those who consumed three squares, they found that the one-meal-a-day group had larger spikes in blood sugar. As a result, eating less frequently may cause energy levels to soar and then plummet.

Fiber Roughage-rich foods slow digestion, keeping energy stable; they also help fill you up so you eat less. Choosing foods such as onions, bananas, and whole wheat may help you keep up your stamina and control your weight because they are rich in inulin, a prebiotic fiber (meaning it encourages the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut). The substance may keep unwanted pounds at bay by regulating some of the hormones that control appetite, according to researchers at the USDA ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center. Right now there’s no recommended intake of prebiotic fiber specifically, but getting small amounts throughout the day is a strategy that can help you meet your daily 25 g of total fiber and drop pounds.

Drink more:

Water and unsweetened beverages Staying hydrated will keep you energized and may help you shed weight–even mild dehydration can slow metabolism, according to researchers at the University of Utah. Just avoid artificially sweetened beverages. Although they contribute few calories, a Purdue University study released earlier this year revealed that artificial sweeteners may interfere with your brain’s signals, prompting you to eat more. If you don’t like water, try another energy-revving drink that will hydrate you without increasing your appetite or adding excess calories, such as tea or sparkling water (either au naturel or flavored with homemade frozen 100% fruit juice cubes).