Five Square

I have inadvertently gotten into the habit of eating five meals a day. All the American weight-loss gurus proclaim this as the way to lose: eating every couple of hours keeps up the metabolism, etc. etc. But snacking isn't very French Factor at all. So why am I eating so often?

Well, I like to exercise in the morning now. Anyone who knew me before would be shocked, but it's true. And before I go for a jog or do some yoga, I like to put a little bit of something in my tummy. Not much, I don't want to toss it, just a bit of fruit and a small cup of skim or soy milk. I usually have this and a glass or two of water, then go for my jog, take a shower, get ready for work, etc. When I finally get settled at work, I'll have a "second breakfast". Again, something light — a tartine de confiture, a bit of yogurt and Kashi, maybe an oatmeal. This I'll have with some coffee; it's my real breakfast.

Lunch is lunch, and then at around 4:30 or 5 I take tea. This is generally tea or milk with a cookie or a bit of fruit. (The true key to Tea time is, of course, my closed door policy: soft music, no phone and delightful reading material for 10-15 minutes.) Then I have dinner when I get home. On days when I take yoga in the evening, this is switched up: I eat a light supper at tea time and have a cookie or a sweet in the evening when I get home from class.

I used to think that the whole eating five times a day thing was fussy, obsessive, and led to over-snacking. But perhaps it is simply natural. I certainly fell into it organically enough.