Eat Every 3 or 4 Hours ????

IJNIPA
IJNIPA Posts: 8 Member
edited November 16 in Food and Nutrition
Does that really work to keep your metabolism high ?

Replies

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • jimihndrks
    jimihndrks Posts: 9 Member
    Yes. Your body will get used to eating regularly. I changed to eating every 3 hours (5 times per day) and lost 60 lb in 6 months. This is one of the specific things they talked about in the plan I was on. I also cut out sugars, salts and did low fat.
  • JstTheWayIam
    JstTheWayIam Posts: 6,357 Member
    The time lapse since your last meal will effect the number on the scale...

    Some people say it doesn't matter Studies say blah blah blah

    But personally, if you're trying to build muscle... I say eat every 3-4 hrs but sometimes I go 6 during the day just to burn up and empty my stomach
  • Lizzypb88
    Lizzypb88 Posts: 367 Member
    I know for me, personally, eating small meals with water with and between meals keeps me more full, rather than 3 bigger meals and I tend to feel more hungry and want to snack.. I hope it boosts your metabolism, but I don't think if it does that it would be some huge difference
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    Ignore the bro-science. It is when you over complicate things (even if there is a tiny, tiny, tiny bit of truth to them) that you fail. Trying to stick to all these silly rules is just not possible for the average person. Trust me, it is much simpler than the hundreds of diet books make it seem.

    Good luck.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    I eat three main meals per day, monitor my Calories In and Calories Out, and I've lost the intended amount of weight plus a bit more.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    ebaroldy wrote: »
    I know for me, personally, eating small meals with water with and between meals keeps me more full, rather than 3 bigger meals and I tend to feel more hungry and want to snack.. I hope it boosts your metabolism, but I don't think if it does that it would be some huge difference

    If it keeps you full, thus helps you stick to your calorie goal, then it is good. There are many people who are always hungry on small meals, and prefer 2 or 3 big meals. If the calories are the same, the fat loss will be the same over time. There is zero evidence it increases metabolism in any way.

    The theory was that since people's metabolism goes up when they eat a meal, eating frequent small meals would increase overall daily metabolism. What further study found was that the amount a person's metabolism goes up from eating, and how long is remain raised is directly related to the size of the meal. So a small meal raises the metabolism less for a shorter period of time. A larger meal raises is higher for longer. The difference is proportional, so when you add up the differences over the day they will come out to the same total increase.

    Again, if frequent small meals work for you to help you feel satisfied and stick to your calorie goal, stick with it, but for those who are reading this who are always dissatisfied and struggling to not eat over their calorie goal eating a bunch of small meals, realize you don't have to eat that way, and it makes no difference overall to your fat loss. Find the eating patter that works for you as an individual. Just stick to your calorie goal.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    jimihndrks wrote: »
    Yes. Your body will get used to eating regularly. I changed to eating every 3 hours (5 times per day) and lost 60 lb in 6 months. This is one of the specific things they talked about in the plan I was on. I also cut out sugars, salts and did low fat.

    Not how it works.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    ebaroldy wrote: »
    I know for me, personally, eating small meals with water with and between meals keeps me more full, rather than 3 bigger meals and I tend to feel more hungry and want to snack.. I hope it boosts your metabolism, but I don't think if it does that it would be some huge difference

    Whereas I do better with 2 meals. Meal timing /frequency really is a personal preference thing :)
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    Overall, CICO is what's important.
    However, if it works for you to eat a larger breakfast & smaller dinner, research seems to show you will lose more weight, or more easily, than eating the same # of calories in the typical large-dinner way.

    References:

    This study compared eating a small breakfast, medium lunch, and large dinner, [200, 500, 700 cal]
    with eating a large breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner [700, 500, 200 cal].
    "The [large breakfast] group showed greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction ... fasting glucose, insulin [&] triglycerides ... decreased significantly to a greater extent in the [large breakfast] group."
    In addition, hunger was less and satiety was greater.
    Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957
    Full text:
    http://genetics.doctorsonly.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jakubowicz-at-al-Obesity-2013-oby20460.pdf

    "subjects assigned to high caloric intake during breakfast lost significantly more weight than those assigned to high caloric intake during the dinner"
    Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467926
    Full text: http://www.tradewindsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nutrient-Timing-and-Obesity-2014.pdf

    "data suggest that a low-calorie Mediterranean diet with a higher amount of calories in the first part of the day could establish a greater reduction in fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity than a typical daily diet."
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24809437
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    MKEgal wrote: »
    Overall, CICO is what's important.
    However, if it works for you to eat a larger breakfast & smaller dinner, research seems to show you will lose more weight, or more easily, than eating the same # of calories in the typical large-dinner way.

    References:

    This study compared eating a small breakfast, medium lunch, and large dinner, [200, 500, 700 cal]
    with eating a large breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner [700, 500, 200 cal].
    "The [large breakfast] group showed greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction ... fasting glucose, insulin [&] triglycerides ... decreased significantly to a greater extent in the [large breakfast] group."
    In addition, hunger was less and satiety was greater.
    Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957
    Full text:
    http://genetics.doctorsonly.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jakubowicz-at-al-Obesity-2013-oby20460.pdf

    "subjects assigned to high caloric intake during breakfast lost significantly more weight than those assigned to high caloric intake during the dinner"
    Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467926
    Full text: http://www.tradewindsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nutrient-Timing-and-Obesity-2014.pdf

    "data suggest that a low-calorie Mediterranean diet with a higher amount of calories in the first part of the day could establish a greater reduction in fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity than a typical daily diet."
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24809437

    Interesting study. The important thing you left out in your summary is that the women used in the study had metabolic syndrome. That puts them in a specific group where the comparisons to those who do not have metabolic syndrome becomes less than clear. It could be that it was due to their having metabolic syndrome that the eating pattern had the effect it had on them, similarly to how those with PCOS or diabetes benefit from limiting Carbs and eating frequent smaller meals which keep their blood sugar from spiking. To take this over to a demographic outside of those with metabolic syndrome would be to go beyond the evidence of the study, although study of this would be a good thing assuming this study doesn't have any major issues with its execution.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,976 Member
    IJNIPA wrote: »
    Does that really work to keep your metabolism high ?
    No. TEF (thermic effect of food) is a given.
    It works for many because it helps to reduce hunger. Eating preferences have no real impact on weight loss. It's still about total calories.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,976 Member
    jimihndrks wrote: »
    Yes. Your body will get used to eating regularly. I changed to eating every 3 hours (5 times per day) and lost 60 lb in 6 months. This is one of the specific things they talked about in the plan I was on. I also cut out sugars, salts and did low fat.
    It doesn't increase your metabolic rate. You just ate less than you used to.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • arrghmatey1
    arrghmatey1 Posts: 91 Member
    edited March 2017
    If you are even close to being pre-diabetic (type 2) or Insulin Sensitive or Insulin Resistant this style of eating will send your A1C right to the moon.

    A1C is an average of your blood sugar for every hour of the day for 90 days so for example with 2 or 3 moderate meals a day you have elevated blood sugar levels for 4 to 6 hours out of 24.

    If you increase that to 5 or 6 meals and are not extremely strict in its execution you end up with elevated blood sugar levels for 10 to 12 hours out of 24.

    Trust me on this you will be sitting in the doctors office and he will be looking at your 7.2 A1C level and stroking you a scrip for Metformin (Glucophage) while you are saying but my morning fasting sugar is only 100 and my evening testing as well there must be some mistake!
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
    I feel stuffed if I eat too frequently. It takes about 2 hours for food to leave the stomach and another couple for it to go through the small intestine. Some people could take longer. Maybe some take a little less. What food is eaten also comes into play. At any rate if I eat all these small frequent meals I just feel horrible stuffed. I like to give what goes in time to move down the line a bit. 4 hours seems to be what feels best for me. Just go by how you feel.
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