By Melissa Rollins

Kitty Finklea, dietician and nutritionist for Florence’s Biggest Loser, encouraged contestants at the kick-off event to take control of their food. She offered them a sample meal plan to give them an idea of what types of food would help them on their weight loss journey. Here are a few other suggestions:

Breakfast: Eat something two hours after your feet hit the floor. Eating breakfast will help jumpstart your metabolism for the rest of the day.

Lunch: Soup, salads and sandwiches. Eat whole wheat bread and control the condiments.

Dinner: Eat lean meats and stock up on your vegetables.

Snacks: Two big snacks, two small snacks or one of each throughout the day. Do what works for you. Fruits make great snacks as do popcorn, yogurt and peanut butter.

Also:

• Eat every three to five hours.
• Don’t eat in front of the television; you won’t pay attention to what you eat.
• Don’t eat from an open container.
• Eat more fiber.
• Don’t eat three hours before going to bed. This can cause acid reflux and heartburn.

 

Read the full story with a sample meal plan at SCNOW.com!