When you eat or drink something, your body either burns the calories in the food for energy or it stores them as body fat for later use. Blood sugar is the #1 factor that affects your body’s ability to burn calories for fuel before they are stored as fat.

Your metabolism functions best when the amount of sugar in your bloodstream is within a certain range. When your blood sugar spikes or dips, your metabolism slows down and your body goes into Fat Storing Mode.
So, the question becomes, how can you keep your blood sugar in that sweet spot, within the optimal range? There are factors that will help to keep blood sugar levels “steady as she goes”:

1) How You Eat

We’re not talking about chewing your food a certain number of times or using the right fork for your salad. What we mean by “how you eat” is how you combine different types of foods at meals.

In most cases, blood sugar spikes are caused by eating too many simple carbohydrates (Fast Carbs) at once. At the same time, it’s completely unrealistic to expect people to give up Fast Carbs altogether. I know I wouldn’t want to live without potatoes, pasta, bread and wine.

Fortunately, your body reacts to the makeup of the calories in ALL the foods in your meal ― Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats. And it just so happens that fiber, Protein and Fat all slow the rate at which Carbs are converted to sugar.

So, by combining your Fast Carbs with high-fiber Slow Carbs, Proteins and Fats, you can keep your blood sugar levels low enough that your body will stay in the Fat-Burning Zone.

2) How Much You Eat

Any time you eat more calories than your body can process at one meal or snack, the excess calories will be stored as fat. A pound of body weight is equal to 3,500 calories. So, if you eat 500 extra calories a day, times seven days a week, you will gain a pound of fat.

Similarly, eating too many Fast Carbs at a meal also will slow down your metabolism. While you can ― and should ― continue to enjoy your favorite Fast Carbs, just be sure to eat them as part of a balanced meal that also contains Proteins and Slow Carbs.

The key is to always keep your portions within the guidelines spelled out in the Food Lovers Online Portion Charts.

3) How Often You Eat

The single biggest mistake most people make when trying to lose weight is skipping meals in an attempt to restrict their calorie intake. Skipping meals sends your body a confusing message. Your body will believe that food is scarce and try to protect you from starving by shutting down your metabolism.

Eating food in small bundles throughout the day keeps your metabolism chugging along. It tells your body that it doesn't have to store up calories for a rainy day. And it keeps you from becoming ravenously hungry, so that your less likely to gorge on a large meal.

The goal is to eat every 2 to 3 hours so that your metabolism is always working. Think of snacking like it's exercise for your body's Fat Burning muscle.

So, to summarize, to keep your blood sugar in the optimal range, follow these 3 easy steps:
1) Eat foods in the perfect combinations of the Food Lovers Fat Loss Plate
2) Follow the guidelines spelled out in the Food Lovers Online Portion Charts
3) Snack between meals and in the evening up until 1 hour before bedtime