Eat Greens First
The more vegetables that you eat at a given meal, the less total calories you will eat. This is one of the few "eat more and consume less" claims that's actually supported by scientific research. For most people, the best way to do this is to eat vegetables first. Have small salad prior to your meal, and if that isn't possible, eat all the vegetables on your plate before diving into anything else in front of you.
RELATED: Sneaky Ways to Eat More Veggies
Know the Meal Frequency Math
Remember this formula: 3 + 1 = fat loss success. You should eat three meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—every day, plus one protein-rich snack. On days that you exercise, the protein-rich snack can be replaced with a post-workout drink. This eating framework allows you to eat large enough meals so that you are satisfied, while also aligning your eating habits into a normal social construct so that it's easily executable. This way you don't need to always be running out for "food breaks" like a smoker does cigarette breaks.
RELATED: It's the fat- and fuel-burning furnace in your cells, and it determines whether you'll be nicely muscled or marshmallowy. Good news: You'll burn calories just learning about it—The Truth about Your Metabolism.
Chew Your Food
Don't underestimate the power of your mother's sage advice. Digestion starts in your mouth; not just mechanically, but metabolically. Chewing your food causes your body to preemptively release the hormone insulin in small amounts, leading to better blood sugar control and thus a more optimal environment for fat loss. So eat slowly, take smaller bites, and chew well.
More: 4 Reasons You Should Eat Your Food
Sustain the Effects of Your Workout With Whey
Working out breaks down your muscles, and it isn't until after you've finished that your body starts the repair process. You can further increase your body's ability to regrow muscle following exercise with a fast-digesting, leucine-rich protein such as whey. Leucine is the key amino acid for flipping your body's muscle-building switch. Drink a shake containing 20 to 30 grams of whey protein directly after your workouts to supercharge your body's ability to recover.
RELATED: Eat more, stay full longer, and still lose serious weight with these 7 Ways to Outsmart Hunger.
Drink Water and Unsweetened Tea
Sugar-sweetened drinks are the biggest and easiest obstacle to remove in your efforts to get lean. Displace sugar-sweetened drinks from your day by focusing on drinking water and unsweetened tea. Through the unique combination of caffeine, amino acids, and antioxidants, green tea provides added fat-burning and cognitive-boosting benefits. Aim to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water (including tea) per day. So if you weight 180 pounds, you should try to consume 90 total ounces of water and tea.
More: 15 Hydration Facts for Athletes
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