true or false: meal frequency / meal timing matters

Springfield1970

:huh:

So, if you require 2500 calories a day to maintain your weight, but you only eat 2000 calories a day total, but all in one sitting, you'll gain weight, is that what you're saying?

I'm thinking "not"...:smokin:

Why don't you try and let me know how that works out?

You people believe what you want. Personally I can tell whether my energy is coming from stored glycogen or fat reserves. Glycogen=happy time. Fat reserves = shaky, tired, and miserable.

Lets try a little experiment---eat your normal breakfast then go run a few miles in the morning. Then do it the next day but don't eat breakfast. I can promise you if you skip breakfast youre going to be miserable running because your body has already depleted its glycogen reserves during the night, and the process to break down fat for energy will leave you feeling like crap while running. It's been a long time since I've studied the actual process but it takes longer to break down stored fat for fuel and you can feel that. You know once you've depleted your glycogen reserves.

Does it make a difference eating 6 meals or 3? I dont know. I do know from the extreme example of eating one meal a day the results won't be pleasant.

I skip breakfast every morning and train fasted. Hasn't hampered my workouts or physique.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Out of interest, what kind of training do you do fasted? I find I can't go more than aerobic (zone 4) without bonking whilst fasted.

Eat something prior to training then.

That's what I'm pointing out, athletic above threshold training is hampered greatly by lack of glycogen in the muscles. You simply cannot sustain it. Aerobic and bb is fine using fat stores. Many endurance athletes that don't need to sprint(ie ironmen) train themselves to burn fat and operate at a high aerobic capacity. This is impossible at the sprint distance triathlon speed I do., I wouldn't be fast enough, which is way above a point that my body can burn fat and keep up. I can store about 90 mins of glycogen which is enough to see me through a sprint triathlon, though I still need gels and extra glucose to replace and keep the muscle oxygenation fires burning.

nytrifisoul

Meal timing does not matter. I followed this diet called "the warrior" diet were i skipped breakfast and lunch and ate a big late evening dinner and a small late night snack. I lost good 60lb on that weight loss stint.

Sarauk2sf

:huh:

So, if you require 2500 calories a day to maintain your weight, but you only eat 2000 calories a day total, but all in one sitting, you'll gain weight, is that what you're saying?

I'm thinking "not"...:smokin:

Why don't you try and let me know how that works out?

You people believe what you want. Personally I can tell whether my energy is coming from stored glycogen or fat reserves. Glycogen=happy time. Fat reserves = shaky, tired, and miserable.

Lets try a little experiment---eat your normal breakfast then go run a few miles in the morning. Then do it the next day but don't eat breakfast. I can promise you if you skip breakfast youre going to be miserable running because your body has already depleted its glycogen reserves during the night, and the process to break down fat for energy will leave you feeling like crap while running. It's been a long time since I've studied the actual process but it takes longer to break down stored fat for fuel and you can feel that. You know once you've depleted your glycogen reserves.

Does it make a difference eating 6 meals or 3? I dont know. I do know from the extreme example of eating one meal a day the results won't be pleasant.

IF followers do it often. So...what was your point again?

IF followers tend to focus on bodybuilding, which is great. Burning stored fat can also be good for endurance sport below the lactate threshold. If you want to do anaerobic sports though, glycogen is the best way. My anaerobic fitness and well being has skyrocketed since partitioning my carbs, loading high GI around workouts and low gi paleo at other times. You can't be an anaerobic athlete without em!

Bodybuilding is an anaerobic activity. Many bb'ers train fasted.

Yes, you're right, I'm talking about running, cycling etc above the lactate threshold for up to an hour, before glycogen just runs out. I'm fine bb fasted with the 30-60 secs rest, even when my heart pounds, I just don't think you can really breakthrough without glycogen. That's my experience. I've done every bb diet known to man! In Lyle macdonalds ultimate diet he used fasted bb to deplete the muscles of glycogen to burn fat half the week. The anabolic (muscle building stage) came after the carb load. It was amazing albeit alarming experience.

You brought up bb'ers so I assumed you were talking about them and not endurance athletes.

ThickMcRunFast

Generally, no meal timing does not matter outside of personal preference

LOL @ sleeping being a glycogen-depleting event.

As a marathon runner, I will do a full glycogen depletion before a carb load during race week. It takes an exhaustive (90+ minute) effort, followed by a day of low carb (15% or so). After that running will be miserable.

After a nice meal and 8 hours rest, however, running is awesome.

Tedebearduff

To me meal frequency and meal timing doesn't matter. What matters is the amount of calories you burn / consume by the end of the day.

Sometimes I hear people say that you should eat 5 or 6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism going. Or that you should never eat right before you sleep.

Try both for a month each, whichever works best for you.... do that ... end of story... everything else is just an opinion there are no studies to prove otherwise (that I know of, chill out trolls)

Springfield1970

Generally, no meal timing does not matter outside of personal preference

LOL @ sleeping being a glycogen-depleting event.

As a marathon runner, I will do a full glycogen depletion before a carb load during race week. It takes an exhaustive (90+ minute) effort, followed by a day of low carb (15% or so). After that running will be miserable.

After a nice meal and 8 hours rest, however, running is awesome.

Ooh interesting...tell me more. Why is totally depleting first before carb load better than just keeping topped up. Is that the super compensation thing? I think I did this on the ultimate diet before power lifting and feeling like the Incredible Hulk but I never really understood how it worked. Plus it seemed such an extreme thing to do!

Springfield1970

:huh:

So, if you require 2500 calories a day to maintain your weight, but you only eat 2000 calories a day total, but all in one sitting, you'll gain weight, is that what you're saying?

I'm thinking "not"...:smokin:

Why don't you try and let me know how that works out?

You people believe what you want. Personally I can tell whether my energy is coming from stored glycogen or fat reserves. Glycogen=happy time. Fat reserves = shaky, tired, and miserable.

Lets try a little experiment---eat your normal breakfast then go run a few miles in the morning. Then do it the next day but don't eat breakfast. I can promise you if you skip breakfast youre going to be miserable running because your body has already depleted its glycogen reserves during the night, and the process to break down fat for energy will leave you feeling like crap while running. It's been a long time since I've studied the actual process but it takes longer to break down stored fat for fuel and you can feel that. You know once you've depleted your glycogen reserves.

Does it make a difference eating 6 meals or 3? I dont know. I do know from the extreme example of eating one meal a day the results won't be pleasant.

IF followers do it often. So...what was your point again?

IF followers tend to focus on bodybuilding, which is great. Burning stored fat can also be good for endurance sport below the lactate threshold. If you want to do anaerobic sports though, glycogen is the best way. My anaerobic fitness and well being has skyrocketed since partitioning my carbs, loading high GI around workouts and low gi paleo at other times. You can't be an anaerobic athlete without em!

Bodybuilding is an anaerobic activity. Many bb'ers train fasted.

Yes, you're right, I'm talking about running, cycling etc above the lactate threshold for up to an hour, before glycogen just runs out. I'm fine bb fasted with the 30-60 secs rest, even when my heart pounds, I just don't think you can really breakthrough without glycogen. That's my experience. I've done every bb diet known to man! In Lyle macdonalds ultimate diet he used fasted bb to deplete the muscles of glycogen to burn fat half the week. The anabolic (muscle building stage) came after the carb load. It was amazing albeit alarming experience.

You brought up bb'ers so I assumed you were talking about them and not endurance athletes.

Apologies. My lack of clarity. I forgot anaerobic can mean other things like bb. I've lost bloody hard earned muscle to anaerobic running from not fuelling myself properly. It's a complicated journey this, and fascinating! It's also brought me into contact with some cool people like yourself so thanks for your help and inspiration.

soldiergrl_101

To me meal frequency and meal timing doesn't matter. What matters is the amount of calories you burn / consume by the end of the day.

Sometimes I hear people say that you should eat 5 or 6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism going. Or that you should never eat right before you sleep.

I have noticed for me it does not matter, I typically eat between 4-6 meals a day the intervals always varry its just a matter of how many calories I consume and if I work out