6 meals a day

shannaslife

I eat 5times a day and are not 3hrs exactly its more like

7am -breakfast
10am - snack
12:30pm - lunch
3:00pm - snack
7:00pm - dinner

I eat all veggies and fruit and turkey or chicken only. I don't believe in cheat days.. if I feel like eating from the bad list I eat half of the portion. I do not eat after 8pm and I'm usually in bed by 9 or 10 at the latest. It works for me

Showcase_Brodown

Obviously the theory behind it is to keep your metabolism stoked by consistently giving it fuel to burn. You can still give it too much fuel though so you do need to keep an eye on your calories and macros.

There is no metabolic benefit to eating more times a day. If you enjoy eating 6 meals a day and it works for you, then by all means, do it. If you keep it within your calories, it will work. I would find it very difficult to have to plan 6 meals. It just sounds exhausting. I prefer to eat 2 meals a day and possibly a small snack in between.

Alphastate

Are you hungry every three hours? Do you need to eat that often in a day or are you fine with less? Eating more often won't cause more weight loss.

If you do want to eat that often, break up your meals or add in snacks to add more meals in a day like the above poster mentioned.

Eating more often will aid in weight loss. If you are only eating two to three meals a day, your body thinks "Oh, I'm not going to get more food for another 6 hours, I better store this food for energy." Food get stored as fat. If you are eating every 2-3 hours, your body thinks, "I know I'll be getting more fuel in a couple hours, I can go ahead and use this food for energy now". This increases your metabolism, which in turns helps burn fat.

Probably why this guy is so fat...

http://www.leangains.com/

I don't practice this and I actually do eat 5-6 times per day, but the whole speeding up your metabolism thing is just a bunch of bro-science.

Um, you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. First, I'm 6'0" and 180 lbs, so, not so fat. Second, I'm a certified personal trainer, so it's not "bro-science", its real science. Maybe you should do your research before you try to insult people on a weight loss help website.

Let's clear one thing up. Being a CPT make no difference in if you are spouting bro-science or something else. So don't come on here stating you are qualified to give nutritional advice or build meal plans because you are not. There are many CPT's on here, many of them have a different opinion than you do so that right there makes your argument invalid.

Many of us have been very successful with IF or just eating 1 or 2 meals a day while eating at a deficit and macro targeting some please come back with a better reasoning than what you just tried.

You didn't clear anything up because I never stated anything like you said. And opinions don't invalidate anything, how can an opinion be wrong? I simply stated what has proven more effective in my clients. The "increase metabolism" statement is not 100% true on the surface, but when you delve into the person's actual diet, and show how taking the smaller meals more often actually helps more fully digest foods, especially protein, then you can see how it can increase energy, and show to work in weight loss. At the end of the day, weight loss comes from a calorie deficit, it's just a matter of how effectively you attain that deficit.

__Di__

The program that I am doing says do not eat longer than 3 hours apart and eat 6 meals a day. Can someone show me a day where you eat 6 meals a day and aren't going to sleep at midnight? Haha!

I usually start eating at 8:30.

That would only give me 200 calories per meal, that would be snacks, not proper meals for me.

dbmata

Let's clear one thing up. Being a CPT make no difference in if you are spouting bro-science or something else. So don't come on here stating you are qualified to give nutritional advice or build meal plans because you are not. There are many CPT's on here, many of them have a different opinion than you do so that right there makes your argument invalid.

Many of us have been very successful with IF or just eating 1 or 2 meals a day while eating at a deficit and macro targeting some please come back with a better reasoning than what you just tried.

Bro-science is bro-science. Certified Personal Bro or not.

ETA - unless there is actual scientific studies that our CPT has that would shed light on why 6 is a must for real ultimate metabolic power.

eep223

Are you hungry every three hours? Do you need to eat that often in a day or are you fine with less? Eating more often won't cause more weight loss.

If you do want to eat that often, break up your meals or add in snacks to add more meals in a day like the above poster mentioned.

Eating more often will aid in weight loss. If you are only eating two to three meals a day, your body thinks "Oh, I'm not going to get more food for another 6 hours, I better store this food for energy." Food get stored as fat. If you are eating every 2-3 hours, your body thinks, "I know I'll be getting more fuel in a couple hours, I can go ahead and use this food for energy now". This increases your metabolism, which in turns helps burn fat.

Probably why this guy is so fat...

http://www.leangains.com/

I don't practice this and I actually do eat 5-6 times per day, but the whole speeding up your metabolism thing is just a bunch of bro-science.

Um, you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. First, I'm 6'0" and 180 lbs, so, not so fat. Second, I'm a certified personal trainer, so it's not "bro-science", its real science. Maybe you should do your research before you try to insult people on a weight loss help website.

Let's clear one thing up. Being a CPT make no difference in if you are spouting bro-science or something else. So don't come on here stating you are qualified to give nutritional advice or build meal plans because you are not. There are many CPT's on here, many of them have a different opinion than you do so that right there makes your argument invalid.

Many of us have been very successful with IF or just eating 1 or 2 meals a day while eating at a deficit and macro targeting some please come back with a better reasoning than what you just tried.

And many people have been successful with 6 meals a day. Your point? Somebody else having success on a different program does not mean that this program cannot lead to success as well. Why are you even trying to argue that?

thisismeraw

Are you hungry every three hours? Do you need to eat that often in a day or are you fine with less? Eating more often won't cause more weight loss.

If you do want to eat that often, break up your meals or add in snacks to add more meals in a day like the above poster mentioned.

Eating more often will aid in weight loss. If you are only eating two to three meals a day, your body thinks "Oh, I'm not going to get more food for another 6 hours, I better store this food for energy." Food get stored as fat. If you are eating every 2-3 hours, your body thinks, "I know I'll be getting more fuel in a couple hours, I can go ahead and use this food for energy now". This increases your metabolism, which in turns helps burn fat.

False. Meal timing has NO EFFECT on weight loss. This is such an old myth and has been proven false time and time again. Food gets stored as fat when you eat above your TDEE. Simple.

thisismeraw

Are you hungry every three hours? Do you need to eat that often in a day or are you fine with less? Eating more often won't cause more weight loss.

If you do want to eat that often, break up your meals or add in snacks to add more meals in a day like the above poster mentioned.

Eating more often will aid in weight loss. If you are only eating two to three meals a day, your body thinks "Oh, I'm not going to get more food for another 6 hours, I better store this food for energy." Food get stored as fat. If you are eating every 2-3 hours, your body thinks, "I know I'll be getting more fuel in a couple hours, I can go ahead and use this food for energy now". This increases your metabolism, which in turns helps burn fat.

Probably why this guy is so fat...

http://www.leangains.com/

I don't practice this and I actually do eat 5-6 times per day, but the whole speeding up your metabolism thing is just a bunch of bro-science.

Um, you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. First, I'm 6'0" and 180 lbs, so, not so fat. Second, I'm a certified personal trainer, so it's not "bro-science", its real science. Maybe you should do your research before you try to insult people on a weight loss help website.

Personal trainer or not your claim that eating often increases metabolism is still false. Sure, eating more often may help with weight loss because it helps some people not overeat because they aren't allowing themselves to get too hungry however it does not increase metabolism.

And if you actually looked at the link the poster gave you, they weren't insulting you. They were not calling you fat so relax.

DCpaleochick

Are you hungry every three hours? Do you need to eat that often in a day or are you fine with less? Eating more often won't cause more weight loss.

If you do want to eat that often, break up your meals or add in snacks to add more meals in a day like the above poster mentioned.

Eating more often will aid in weight loss. If you are only eating two to three meals a day, your body thinks "Oh, I'm not going to get more food for another 6 hours, I better store this food for energy." Food get stored as fat. If you are eating every 2-3 hours, your body thinks, "I know I'll be getting more fuel in a couple hours, I can go ahead and use this food for energy now". This increases your metabolism, which in turns helps burn fat.

Yes...THIS^^^^^

wswilliams67

Eating more often will aid in weight loss. If you are only eating two to three meals a day, your body thinks "Oh, I'm not going to get more food for another 6 hours, I better store this food for energy." Food get stored as fat. If you are eating every 2-3 hours, your body thinks, "I know I'll be getting more fuel in a couple hours, I can go ahead and use this food for energy now". This increases your metabolism, which in turns helps burn fat.

untrue. I practice daily 16 hour IF and only eat for 8 hours and still train and lose fat effectively.

i used to eat 6-7 'meals' and all i got for my trouble was a constant bloated feeling and weight gain.

everyone is different. find what works for YOUR body and go with it. leave the broscience with the bodybuilders.

RickNeedzToGetShreaded

I eat around 5, 8am-7pm usually I fit some fruit and 2 protein shakes in aswell, everything has to be prepared especially if you're working.

astronomicals

Im pretty sure that eating smaller meals actually does result in more calories burned, however, the increase is next to nothing and would maybe be a few pounds a YEAR. Furthermore, more meals means more chances to underestimate your calories, which many people do. Meal frequency and timing is irrelevant. Calories and overall deficit are infinitely more important.

OP

Id focus on your workout regimen rather than focusing on silly dieting schemes. Eat your calories and thats that.

ETA: many people actually feel hungrier when they eat smaller meals and eating larger meals allows you a hell of a lot more freedom in food choices

Showcase_Brodown

Im pretty sure that eating smaller meals actually does result in more calories burned, however, the increase is next to nothing and would maybe be a few pounds a YEAR.

This might be dumb to even discuss, as I'll be burning more calories typing this than are in question... but how are more calories burned by eating more frequently, however insignificant?

I'm aware of a thermic effect (TEF) that will require a percentage of the calories ingested for digestion, but it is proportional to the calories, maybe 10%. So feeding frequency would make no difference given the same amount of calories in the day. Is there another phenomenon at work here?

lnxjenn

I like this method, as it was recommended to me by my doctor when i was diagnosed with Hypoglycemia. Eating the small meals 2-3 hours apart, usually vege/fruit with a protein for snacks, to maintain my glucose levels. When i follow it, like I should, I do pretty well and I haven't felt hungry. Sometimes if I eat smartly for breakfast and lunch, I wont' be hungry or have glucose drops before dinner. So , just be smart with what you eat, I think you'll be okay. But 6 smallish meals is a smart way to keep your blood sugar levels level.

eric_sg61

Oh no you'll go into starvation mode after not eating for 3 whole hours. LOL Bro-science is fun.

AnvilHead

Are you hungry every three hours? Do you need to eat that often in a day or are you fine with less? Eating more often won't cause more weight loss.

If you do want to eat that often, break up your meals or add in snacks to add more meals in a day like the above poster mentioned.

Eating more often will aid in weight loss. If you are only eating two to three meals a day, your body thinks "Oh, I'm not going to get more food for another 6 hours, I better store this food for energy." Food get stored as fat. If you are eating every 2-3 hours, your body thinks, "I know I'll be getting more fuel in a couple hours, I can go ahead and use this food for energy now". This increases your metabolism, which in turns helps burn fat.

Here's a link to a thread referencing plenty of peer-reviewed scientific studies which prove otherwise:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820577-meal-frequency-rev-up-that-furnace-lol

Additionally, here's a review/analysis by Lyle McDonald (who is a respected author/trainer, in case you've never heard of him):

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html

Bottom line: 6 meals a day is broscience. It's been scientifically proven that there is no metabolic advantage to it. Nothing wrong with it if it works for you in terms of satiety/adherence, but it has zero effect upon "stoking the metabolism".

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I'm just going to leave this here for anyone who is interested.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985

"We conclude that increasing MF [meal frequency] does not promote greater body weight loss under the conditions described in the present study."

That said, I eat at least 6 times per day. That's just my preference though, and I don't pretend that there's anything more to it than that.

kabneenan

I tend to eat something very small every couple of hours or so and it's been working for me. I start eating around 7 a.m. and usually have dinner about twelve hours later. My diary is open for examples, but generally speaking I snack throughout the day on something ~100 calories, but lunch and dinner time tend to be more (dinner is my biggest meal usually 300-400 calories).

I eat like this solely because it prevents me from getting super hungry and eating everything in sight, so if there's some science behind it that's cool. It's still just what works for me.

Mother_Superior