Many women want to become slimmer, even though they are already slim. They resort to various methods and eating less is normally the first choice. They believe that since fat is not good for you, it's better to not eat as much. But that can have an opposite effect. To know why, ask yourself seven questions.

1. Which meal do you eat less?

If you eat less for breakfast, you have a lower chance of losing weight. Breakfast is important. It gives the body sufficient energy to sustain itself through the morning, and it also stimulates metabolic activity in the body. Metabolism is what consumes fat and what makes us slimmer. So, don’t forget to eat something for the breakfast.

2. Do you eat less for one meal but a lot more for the other?

What makes people fat is not the number of calories for one meal, but the total accumulated over time. So don’t expect your weight to drop when you eat less for just one meal. This needs to be sustained over a period of time. Be more aware of how much you eat for every meal, and after some time, you will notice a change.

3. Do you exercise less while eating less?

Many people stop doing exercises when they eat less. When you do this, your body will burn less fat. So even if people take in less calories, they get rid of less too. The balance is then unchanged.

4. Do you eat less regular meals but more snacks or late night eats?

People gain fat not from the food they eat, but from the number of calories in the food. For example, bunch of vegetables has just one tenth the calories contained in a small bite of chocolate cake. So make sure you have adequate regular meals, but firmly say no to various snacks, milk tea or even instant noodles.

5. Are you what you eat?

When many people eat less, it usually ends up as fat. Food containing carbohydrates and starch contribute mostly to fat. Rice, bread, buns, cakes and preserved meat are high in sugar, not only making people hungry and want eat more but also increases the secretion of insulin which helps turn food into fat. So it’s best to have a balanced diet made up of vegetables, cereal, fruit as well as protein.

6. When you eat less, does the body slow down its metabolic activity?

Less food tends to slow down the body’s metabolism. Yet it’s the metabolism that helps the body get rid of excessive fat. So when you eat less, don’t forget to do some activity to maintain the body’s metabolism at a regular rate. Drinking water, having hot baths and massages all can improve the body’s metabolism.

7. Do you eat food right before going to bed?

When you eat matters as much as how much you eat. If you ate your last meal right before going to bed, the calories accumulated from this meal can be twice the amount accumulated from a same meal if you ate it another time during the day. Try to distract your body from eating with some stretches to keep it in shape.

(Sina.com.cn October 29, 2007)