6 meals a day is a lie. Your metabolism won't slow down.

eleanoreb

glad to hear this! I also find it hard to beleive that if you don't eat all of your calories your metabolism will slow down..

vaughny

I lost 80lbs eating just 3 meals a day, I have tried to eat 5-6 small meals a day always stress when am i going to find time at work to eat this way. If it works for you to eat 5-6 smaller meals a day great, if not then i feel you can still lose weight eating 3 meals a day and maybe a few snacks. To each their own. Good luck on your journey

BoresEasily

You sound like some sort of fanatic with your "it's a lie" statement. What is your background? How long have you studied nutritional science? Do you think world-renowned nutrition and bodybuilding experts like Tom Venuto are "liars"? I immediately get put off by statements like this!

I don't see any credentials or a convincing arguement why anyone should believe your statement.

I ate 3 meals a day for 30 years and was fat. When I started eating smaller meals, 5 times a day, I lost a lot of weight, look great, and lost 5% body fat. So it worked for me, it wasn't a "lie".

My thoughts exactly.

I don't care if eating 5 meals a day raises my metabolism or not. That doesn't even matter to me. What does matter is that when I eat smaller more frequent meals, I am less hungry throughout the day, my blood sugar is regulated, and I tend to eat less calories, less sugar, and less fat. Before I started losing weight, back when I was 191 pounds, sometimes I only ate once a day. Funny how I started to eat more meals and dropped to a low of 126. I would like to get back to where I was, and it was my own personal laziness that made me bounce back. But since starting here with MFP, I have lost weight and if you peek at my diary, even if it's not filled out completely, you see it has 5 meals listed...

So in short, eating 5 meals a day keeps me healthy by helping me reduce calories, fat, and sugar...and this motivates me to exercise more...and exercise raises metabolism...so IMHO, those 5 meals do raise my metabolism, even if it is in an indirect way.

Hear! Hear! Very, well said.

BoresEasily

I lost 80lbs eating just 3 meals a day, I have tried to eat 5-6 small meals a day always stress when am i going to find time at work to eat this way. If it works for you to eat 5-6 smaller meals a day great, if not then i feel you can still lose weight eating 3 meals a day and maybe a few snacks. To each their own. Good luck on your journey

Very nicely done!

cuddlesworth

when u dont eat enought calories, your body starts feeding off the lean muscle mass you do have. YOu dont want to lose that because the more u have, the more u burn

Grokette

I just want to say that a lot of people on here have been told the myth down the years that your metabolism will slow down if you don't keep eating. The fact that people keep eating is the reason why obesity is epedemic. The diet and food industry want people to keep eating so they can sell their products. Have a look at intermittent fasting for the truth on weight loss.

It is just 1 of the reasons why Obesity is out of control............

There are a multitude of other reasons why Obesity is out of control, I won't get started this morning. People just need to know that the USDA, FDA (aka food pyramid), Big Pharma, Doctors and some other agencies are not our friends where our health and well being is concerned.

The whole myth of Starvation Mode and eating 6 meals a day make me roll my eyes...................

Grokette

when u dont eat enought calories, your body starts feeding off the lean muscle mass you do have. YOu dont want to lose that because the more u have, the more u burn

This is not true unless it is done for a very prolonged period of time.

It doesn't really matter if you eat a lower calorie eating plan if you are eating nutrient dense foods. Your body doesn't care about Quantity..............it cares about the Quality of the food.

For instance - If I am eating 1000 calories per day of WHOLE, unprocessed foods which contain vital vitamins and minerals my body is getting way more out of it than if I ate 1200 or 1300 calories of refined, so called whole grains, inferior meats, and boxed or packaged foods..........

That is mostly why people can't over come cravings. Because they need to seriously clean up their diet.

skyley

I just want to say that a lot of people on here have been told the myth down the years that your metabolism will slow down if you don't keep eating. The fact that people keep eating is the reason why obesity is epedemic. The diet and food industry want people to keep eating so they can sell their products. Have a look at intermittent fasting for the truth on weight loss.

I totally agree with you and from what I've read IF is also very healthy for you I mean how do you think our ancestors ate I'm sure it wasn't 6 times a day.

eillamarie

You sound like some sort of fanatic with your "it's a lie" statement. What is your background? How long have you studied nutritional science? Do you think world-renowned nutrition and bodybuilding experts like Tom Venuto are "liars"? I immediately get put off by statements like this!

I don't see any credentials or a convincing arguement why anyone should believe your statement.

I ate 3 meals a day for 30 years and was fat. When I started eating smaller meals, 5 times a day, I lost a lot of weight, look great, and lost 5% body fat. So it worked for me, it wasn't a "lie".

Honestly, this guy added me as a friend to MFP and I never once saw a log entry by him on a comment on my entries, etc. I honestly think it's a spammer or somebody on here just to waste time and cause chaos. I know we're not supposed to "bash" other members on the forums, but something doesn't seem right about his profile or his comments. I'm just saying this so the ppl in charge can maybe check it out? Thanks.

MzBug

If you have found something that works for you, GOOD! You do what you feel you need to do for what ever your situation is. I did the intermittent fasting (unintentionally) for years. All it got me was grumpy, tired and overweight. Now I consume more calories on a fairly regular schedule (3 meals and 1 snack) and am losing weight. I am not grumpy, I am sleeping better, and actually have energy. If the intermittent fasting is working for you, more power to ya! No need to slam other lifestyles.

eillamarie

when u dont eat enought calories, your body starts feeding off the lean muscle mass you do have. YOu dont want to lose that because the more u have, the more u burn

This is not true unless it is done for a very prolonged period of time.

It doesn't really matter if you eat a lower calorie eating plan if you are eating nutrient dense foods. Your body doesn't care about Quantity..............it cares about the Quality of the food.

For instance - If I am eating 1000 calories per day of WHOLE, unprocessed foods which contain vital vitamins and minerals my body is getting way more out of it than if I ate 1200 or 1300 calories of refined, so called whole grains, inferior meats, and boxed or packaged foods..........

That is mostly why people can't over come cravings. Because they need to seriously clean up their diet.

I was an elite competitive swimmer for 10 years (Nationally and Internationally)...your muscles starts breaking down by itself after 72 hours if you don't work out again to add to it. So if you're doing any sort of strength training on a regular basic and you haven't eaten your body will break down that muscle even more.

ivyjbres

I've done both. They both work, for different reasons. Six meals a day doesn't really fit into my schedule, and due to a stomach condition I end up fasting at least 4 times a year anyway.

What works for me is (and I usually start this after a flare up)-

1 day water fast
3 day clear liquid fast; the 1st 2 days of which have at least a 1/2 gallon of a cranberry cocktai
1 week BRAT diet (bananas, rice, apples, and toast), with a gallon of water a day,
after that, 3 meals and a snack or two a day, lots of water. A cup of coffee in the morning, and no more than 1 soda a day.

Grokette

Women's metabolisms are different than men's metabolisms first off. Secondly, if you eat very small meals many times a day you will have a constant source of energy and will avoid the after lunch and 3 pm slumps. Every body is different, but a lot of ppl trying to lose weight or have a healthier lifestyle find that eating small meals throughout the day is better than 3 larger meals.

Guys can usually get away with just 1 or 2 meals a day, women not so much.

Also, when your body has to digest food you burn more energy, and if you're eating small meals throughout the day that means your body is burning energy at regular intervals and doesn't really have a chance to slow down. If it is being forced to deal with large quantities of food at a time it is more likely to store some as fat, where as if it only has to deal with a small amount of food at a time it is usually able to handle everything.

Wow, this is not true. I practice Intermittent Fasting and I am a woman. I go most days about 17 hours between eating and I am never HUNGRY, low on energy and I lose weight effortlessly this way.

I gained weight and had MAJOR blood sugar swings eating 5 or 6 meals a day the way they tell you your supposed to eat.

I am certified Nutrition Counselor and I agree with the Original Poster.

scalpay

I dont know what eating habbits everyone here has, but i am a snacker. I HAVE to eat inbetween main meals or ill go insane. that means my main meals have now fewer calories so i can afford to snack. That propably gets me up to 10 meals a day, if you count every ricecake or tangerine or yoghurt i eat as a meal. Im not doing that for my metabolism but for my own joy LOL
i believe it doesnt matter how many meals you eat, as long as you get all your nutritions and stay withing your calorie range.

@skyley: how do you know how many meals our ancestors ate? Or are you saying that because it was harder to get food back in the day? Wolves dont eat 6 meals a day, but when they eat, they eat so much that they are about to burst. that cant be healthy either ^.^

eillamarie

Women's metabolisms are different than men's metabolisms first off. Secondly, if you eat very small meals many times a day you will have a constant source of energy and will avoid the after lunch and 3 pm slumps. Every body is different, but a lot of ppl trying to lose weight or have a healthier lifestyle find that eating small meals throughout the day is better than 3 larger meals.

Guys can usually get away with just 1 or 2 meals a day, women not so much.

Also, when your body has to digest food you burn more energy, and if you're eating small meals throughout the day that means your body is burning energy at regular intervals and doesn't really have a chance to slow down. If it is being forced to deal with large quantities of food at a time it is more likely to store some as fat, where as if it only has to deal with a small amount of food at a time it is usually able to handle everything.

Wow, this is not true. I practice Intermittent Fasting and I am a woman. I go most days about 17 hours between eating and I am never HUNGRY, low on energy and I lose weight effortlessly this way.

I gained weight and had MAJOR blood sugar swings eating 5 or 6 meals a day the way they tell you your supposed to eat.

I am certified Nutrition Counselor and I agree with the Original Poster.

Apparently this fasting works for YOUR body, I never said it couldn't work for some people. But the truth about it is that it will not work for everybody, just like 6 meals a day doesn't work for everybody.

scalpay

3 day clear liquid fast;

i wonder if that includes vodka :drinker:

Megooo19

I dont think theres a right or wrong way to eat. Just eat healthy and eat when your hungry not just because. Personally I gain weight when I eat 6 meals a day and I feel hungry all day I'm way better off eating breakfast lunch and dinner or even just breakfast and a late lunch and snack in the evening. To each their own, just find what works and use it.

ivyjbres

I wish! Alcohol hurts soooo much when my stomach flares.

Sweet13_Princess

I wouldn't be suprised that this is a myth. I think it's just an excuse to keep grazing all day. It all comes to calories out versus calories in.

Shannon

DJJW

I did the 5 small meals a day and always ended up eating more than what I should have. This time around its 3 meals and a small snack before dinner. And I'm liking it.