Have you ever wondered what the easiest way to lose weight (and more importantly body fat) is? I know I have The United States currently has the highest incidence of obesity in history, and the problem is only getting worse. The problem is that we are obese because we are constantly trying to find the easiest way to lose weight. It is an endless battle. We develop this without fat and that without sugar, but we still don’t lose weight.

Well, I’m here to tell you that there is an easy way to lose body fat, and it’s not what you think. You see, most people’s common sense would tell you that to lose body fat you need to eat less food. I am here to tell you that this is not always the case. Many times, the best way to burn excess body fat is to eat more, or at least more often. That’s why I call this the Hobbit Diet Plan.

You see, the Hobbits, from the “Lord of the Rings” book and movie series, tend to eat many meals throughout the day instead of just 2 or 3 like most Americans. If you’ve seen the first movie in the series, you’ll remember a scene where the Hobbits stop to eat and are scolded for doing so. Their guide tells them they’ve already had breakfast, to which a Hobbit quickly replies, “Yes, but what about the ‘second’ breakfast?” He then goes on to ask about various other foods that the Hobbits have grown so accustomed to eating. In total, I think the total number of meals adds up to 6. That’s right, 6 meals a day.

Now 6 meals a day may seem absurd, but the Hobbits have done it. By eating more meals spread out throughout the day, you are actually helping your body keep its metabolism as high as possible. Which in turn means your body will naturally burn more calories, even while sitting on the couch.

By eating less frequently, your body is almost guaranteed to go into “starvation” mode and hang on to every drop of body fat it can to survive. This, unfortunately, is a genetic trait passed down from our ancestors thousands of years ago, when food was scarce. When you give your body fewer calories, or go long periods without eating, your body automatically fears the worst and assumes that you won’t have another meal any time soon. So what does your wonderful body do? You begin to burn fewer calories to conserve the ones you currently have stored. Your body also begins to break down its own muscles for fuel instead of using body fat. Your body thinks this is the perfect solution. You’re getting rid of muscle that’s using up so much energy, and you’re saving your fat stores for later when you really need it.

Well, we all know that you’re not actually going to starve. So what happens when you finally eat? His body is still afraid that another starvation is coming, so it stores all those calories as fat for the next time it has to go without. And you get fat vicious circle.

So how do we break the cycle? Eat like the Hobbits. Eat more often every day. 5 to 6 meals evenly spaced throughout your waking hours, approximately every 3 to 4 hours. I know, you’re thinking “OMG, does this guy want me to eat every 3-4 hours?”. That’s how it is! He’ll see, by eating more often, you’re signaling to your body that it’s well nourished and there are no signs of shortages ahead, so it’s okay to go ahead and burn off all that extra energy stored as fat.

However, there are some important things to remember. Even though we are going to eat 5-6 meals a day, we still need to be aware of the calories we are consuming. You shouldn’t eat 5 or 6 meals made up of quarter pounders and French fries, or Big Macs and chocolate shakes. Your body only needs a certain number of calories to function efficiently. If you want to burn fat, you need to make sure you’re a little below that level.

“Aha!” you say, “You fooled us.” No, not really. I think you’d be surprised how many calories your body actually needs to function efficiently. In fact, it is very common for many people to not get enough calories and in turn send their bodies into starvation mode.

So how many calories does your body really need? Well, that’s a good question, and the correct answer depends on what your body composition is. Now, that’s some pretty heavy math for now, but here are some averages.

For women, the average calorie need to maintain body weight is 2,000 to 2,100 calories per day. Which means, in order to lose weight (preferably body fat), you need to consume between 1,400 and 1,800 calories per day.

For men, the average calorie need to maintain body weight is 2,700 to 2,900 calories per day. Which means, in order to lose weight (again, preferably body fat), you need to consume between 2,200 and 2,700 calories.

That’s a pretty substantial amount of calories. This is by no means a starvation diet. Just a little math will show that a man who is trying to maintain 2500 calories per day and eating 5 times a day can consume 500 calories per meal. If he chooses the right foods, 500 calories is a lot of food. For example, he could eat 4 ounces of grilled chicken, a 6-ounce baked potato, a cup of broccoli, and a large (2 cups) mixed green salad with light Italian dressing, and still have about 450 calories. That’s a lot of food!

So if you want to burn some fat and be able to eat well while doing it, I recommend eating like the Hobbits. Try to eat 5 to 6 balanced meals a day about every 3 to 4 hours. I think you will be surprised by the results.