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

Azdak

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..

I have never seen anyone who deprive themselves of calories gain weight the way the experts say they do. /quote]

No one would say something like that could ever be consider an "expert". You cannot "deprive yourself of calories" and gain weight--at least not weight in the form of stored energy. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, a fact of physics that cannot be abrograted.

melanie92

Hey I didn't mean to upset anybody. People get very emotional when it comes to their firmly held convictions being challenged. I'm everyone's friend on here. Maybe the use of the word lie was unnecessary but I wanted an intelligent debate so I used a headline grabbing word. You can eat 10 meals a day if you want but I am just challenging the notion of metabolism slowing down when you don't eat for a few hours. As well as the sites I listed below also check out the Warrior diet. Tom Venuto also explains this in some detail on his site. Keep an open mind. Peace!

Since you just joined last month, you may not be aware that nobody thinks that one's metabolism slows down if one doesn't eat for a few hours.

I looked at your profile. I think you are a trouble maker trying to drum up business for yourself. That is not allowed on this forum.

esorcel

I have never seen anyone who deprive themselves of calories gain weight the way the experts say they do.

Happened to me. I was exercising very intensely and only consuming 800-900 cal/day after all was said and done, and I quit losing and then began gaining. I gained almost 10 lbs. during that time.

I went through a similar situation myself, and I think I was maintaining weight or gaining weight due to muscle gain. The many people people I've seen who ate less calories and lost weight quickly were not exercising at all. The downfall to their method is that they rapidly gained all the weight back, plus more once they started eating normal again. During the time they lost weight quickly and were getting many compliments from people, I was getting frustrated because I was exercising vigorously and watching my diet, and wasn't going anywhere with it.

LotusF1ower

I'm a fan of Martin Berkham - Leangains website, Lyle Mcdonald - Body recomposition website, Brad Pillon - Eat stop Eat website. Check em out people! Don't listen to the stuff they write about in Mens/Womens health mags. It always contradicts itself. The diet industry aims to confuse so they can sell you more 'magic' diet solutions.

Why are you on a site like this then? While MFP doesn't outwardly promote eating several smaller meals a day, it does recommend it (see default food diary settings).

It doesn't recommend it at all, those settings are there just to show you that you could have more than just the three meals if you wish in my opinion.

It is the calories in -v- calories out that determines weightloss, not the amount of meals you eat per day. I reinforced this by eating only three meals per day and lost all my excess weight.

Too much emphasis is being placed on metabolism here. The metabolism will never come to a complete standstill, the day it does is the day you die.

It is about time people got stuck into a healthy living plan and quit constantly thinking about grub, because that is what you are doing if you eat numerous meals per day, you are constantly planning for the next piece of food to go into your mouth.

Six meals per day, for me, would have been a definite no-no, this was a life changing plan for me, not just a weighloss one, therefore I started as I meant to go on, even after I reached my goal.

I also do a lot of sport and like to have at least a two hour break between eating and exercising, I am completely against exercising just after eating and if I were to eat six meals per day (apart from having measly portions due to only having been on 1200 calories per day = 200 calories per meal?!?!?!?!) I would not have enough hours in the day to fit in work, eat and exercise - my whole life, in fact, would have revolved around food - not a good thing when it is that food that I am trying to cut down on.

LotusF1ower

Hey I didn't mean to upset anybody. People get very emotional when it comes to their firmly held convictions being challenged. I'm everyone's friend on here. Maybe the use of the word lie was unnecessary but I wanted an intelligent debate so I used a headline grabbing word. You can eat 10 meals a day if you want but I am just challenging the notion of metabolism slowing down when you don't eat for a few hours. As well as the sites I listed below also check out the Warrior diet. Tom Venuto also explains this in some detail on his site. Keep an open mind. Peace!

Since you just joined last month, you may not be aware that nobody thinks that one's metabolism slows down if one doesn't eat for a few hours.

I looked at your profile. I think you are a trouble maker trying to drum up business for yourself. That is not allowed on this forum.

Melanie what are you on about?

Nowhere on his profile does it do anything of the sort, where does it state he is trying to drum up business for himself? By saying he is a personal trainer?? Lots of profiles have stuff like that and you can put stuff like that on your profile, it is putting your advertisement on the message boards where it is not allowed and he is not doing that.

jennylynn84

I'm a fan of Martin Berkham - Leangains website, Lyle Mcdonald - Body recomposition website, Brad Pillon - Eat stop Eat website. Check em out people! Don't listen to the stuff they write about in Mens/Womens health mags. It always contradicts itself. The diet industry aims to confuse so they can sell you more 'magic' diet solutions.

Why are you on a site like this then? While MFP doesn't outwardly promote eating several smaller meals a day, it does recommend it (see default food diary settings).

It doesn't recommend it at all, those settings are there just to show you that you could have more than just the three meals if you wish in my opinion.

It is the calories in -v- calories out that determines weightloss, not the amount of meals you eat per day. I reinforced this by eating only three meals per day and lost all my excess weight.

Too much emphasis is being placed on metabolism here. The metabolism will never come to a complete standstill, the day it does is the day you die.

It is about time people got stuck into a healthy living plan and quit constantly thinking about grub, because that is what you are doing if you eat numerous meals per day, you are constantly planning for the next piece of food to go into your mouth.

Six meals per day, for me, would have been a definite no-no, this was a life changing plan for me, not just a weighloss one, therefore I started as I meant to go on, even after I reached my goal.

I also do a lot of sport and like to have at least a two hour break between eating and exercising, I am completely against exercising just after eating and if I were to eat six meals per day (apart from having measly portions due to only having been on 1200 calories per day = 200 calories per meal?!?!?!?!) I would not have enough hours in the day to fit in work, eat and exercise - my whole life, in fact, would have revolved around food - not a good thing when it is that food that I am trying to cut down on.

So why is it completely impossible for smaller meals or snacks to not be a way of life? I ALWAYS have snacks, whether its yogurt or fruit or some sort of baked chip or something. And it's not disturbing or difficult and I don't constantly plan the next piece of food. When you get into the habit of snacks you tend to just have stuff around and available, so its not difficult. I don't think its necessarily fair to say that eating several smaller meals or snacks simply to assuage hunger is not conducive to a lifestyle change. Yes, if I was planning snacks and eating them just because I felt I should that might suck. But there are plenty of people who have said they do this because they are HUNGRY. I've lost almost 80 lbs while snacking away since January. And I don't feel like bringing a yogurt to the office to eat at around 10 is disruptive or not sustainable.

stormieweather

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.

You are a what?? Where did you earn your degree in Nutrition? Where did you serve your internship? When?

Are you still doing the HCG diet??

LotusF1ower

I'm a fan of Martin Berkham - Leangains website, Lyle Mcdonald - Body recomposition website, Brad Pillon - Eat stop Eat website. Check em out people! Don't listen to the stuff they write about in Mens/Womens health mags. It always contradicts itself. The diet industry aims to confuse so they can sell you more 'magic' diet solutions.

Why are you on a site like this then? While MFP doesn't outwardly promote eating several smaller meals a day, it does recommend it (see default food diary settings).

It doesn't recommend it at all, those settings are there just to show you that you could have more than just the three meals if you wish in my opinion.

It is the calories in -v- calories out that determines weightloss, not the amount of meals you eat per day. I reinforced this by eating only three meals per day and lost all my excess weight.

Too much emphasis is being placed on metabolism here. The metabolism will never come to a complete standstill, the day it does is the day you die.

It is about time people got stuck into a healthy living plan and quit constantly thinking about grub, because that is what you are doing if you eat numerous meals per day, you are constantly planning for the next piece of food to go into your mouth.

Six meals per day, for me, would have been a definite no-no, this was a life changing plan for me, not just a weighloss one, therefore I started as I meant to go on, even after I reached my goal.

I also do a lot of sport and like to have at least a two hour break between eating and exercising, I am completely against exercising just after eating and if I were to eat six meals per day (apart from having measly portions due to only having been on 1200 calories per day = 200 calories per meal?!?!?!?!) I would not have enough hours in the day to fit in work, eat and exercise - my whole life, in fact, would have revolved around food - not a good thing when it is that food that I am trying to cut down on.

So why is it completely impossible for smaller meals or snacks to not be a way of life? I ALWAYS have snacks, whether its yogurt or fruit or some sort of baked chip or something. And it's not disturbing or difficult and I don't constantly plan the next piece of food. When you get into the habit of snacks you tend to just have stuff around and available, so its not difficult. I don't think its necessarily fair to say that eating several smaller meals or snacks simply to assuage hunger is not conducive to a lifestyle change. Yes, if I was planning snacks and eating them just because I felt I should that might suck. But there are plenty of people who have said they do this because they are HUNGRY. I've lost almost 80 lbs while snacking away since January. And I don't feel like bringing a yogurt to the office to eat at around 10 is disruptive or not sustainable.

Smaller meals?? 200 calories per meal is bloody small if you ask me and if I ate just 200 calories for one meal, (1200 calories per day, 6 meals per day = 200 calories), I would indeed need snacks inbetween. As it turned out, I preferred something substantial for each meal and cut out any snacks.

Each to his/her own and if somebody wishes to eat such small meals, good for them, personally, I would find it incredibly difficult to sustain that and would have broken my eating plan, hence why I didn't eat that way.

I would also have found eating six meals per day would have consumed my every waking moment, something I would have found ultimately boring and bordering on the obsessive.

Grokette

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.

You are a what?? Where did you earn your degree in Nutrition? Where did you serve your internship? When?

Are you still doing the HCG diet??

Yes, I am a Certified Nutrition Counselor. Educated at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and certified through the AADP (American Association of Drugless Practioners). I have been pursuing this for over a year and continuing my education while developing my business.

I am NOT doing the HCG diet at the moment, but I will do another round starting at the New Year.

Contrary to what you may think, the HCG plan is NOT unhealthy. The number of calories a person eats has nothing to do with nourishing the body. Eating foods that are of high Nutritional value are what it takes for the human body to be satisfied.

Grokette

I'm a fan of Martin Berkham - Leangains website, Lyle Mcdonald - Body recomposition website, Brad Pillon - Eat stop Eat website. Check em out people! Don't listen to the stuff they write about in Mens/Womens health mags. It always contradicts itself. The diet industry aims to confuse so they can sell you more 'magic' diet solutions.

Why are you on a site like this then? While MFP doesn't outwardly promote eating several smaller meals a day, it does recommend it (see default food diary settings).

It doesn't recommend it at all, those settings are there just to show you that you could have more than just the three meals if you wish in my opinion.

It is the calories in -v- calories out that determines weightloss, not the amount of meals you eat per day. I reinforced this by eating only three meals per day and lost all my excess weight.

Too much emphasis is being placed on metabolism here. The metabolism will never come to a complete standstill, the day it does is the day you die.

It is about time people got stuck into a healthy living plan and quit constantly thinking about grub, because that is what you are doing if you eat numerous meals per day, you are constantly planning for the next piece of food to go into your mouth.

Six meals per day, for me, would have been a definite no-no, this was a life changing plan for me, not just a weighloss one, therefore I started as I meant to go on, even after I reached my goal.

I also do a lot of sport and like to have at least a two hour break between eating and exercising, I am completely against exercising just after eating and if I were to eat six meals per day (apart from having measly portions due to only having been on 1200 calories per day = 200 calories per meal?!?!?!?!) I would not have enough hours in the day to fit in work, eat and exercise - my whole life, in fact, would have revolved around food - not a good thing when it is that food that I am trying to cut down on.

So why is it completely impossible for smaller meals or snacks to not be a way of life? I ALWAYS have snacks, whether its yogurt or fruit or some sort of baked chip or something. And it's not disturbing or difficult and I don't constantly plan the next piece of food. When you get into the habit of snacks you tend to just have stuff around and available, so its not difficult. I don't think its necessarily fair to say that eating several smaller meals or snacks simply to assuage hunger is not conducive to a lifestyle change. Yes, if I was planning snacks and eating them just because I felt I should that might suck. But there are plenty of people who have said they do this because they are HUNGRY. I've lost almost 80 lbs while snacking away since January. And I don't feel like bringing a yogurt to the office to eat at around 10 is disruptive or not sustainable.

Smaller meals?? 200 calories per meal is bloody small if you ask me and if I ate just 200 calories for one meal, (1200 calories per day, 6 meals per day = 200 calories), I would indeed need snacks inbetween. As it turned out, I preferred something substantial for each meal and cut out any snacks.

Each to his/her own and if somebody wishes to eat such small meals, good for them, personally, I would find it incredibly difficult to sustain that and would have broken my eating plan, hence why I didn't eat that way.

I would also have found eating six meals per day would have consumed my every waking moment, something I would have found ultimately boring and bordering on the obsessive.

@Lotus -

You are so right!!! When I used to think this way I was always having to carry a lunch cooler with me and needless to say it didn't last long because it is not sustainable and no one plans their life out that much.

That is why I love Intermittent Fasting. There is so much freedom!!

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.

Which ancestors are you referring to?

The ones that had to hunt for food and didn't have it readily available for 3 meals a day every day let alone 6

SkierElle

I personally believe that the notion of eating more than 3x per day is a crutch. You may get grouchy, cranky, or get headaches, but it's just because you have trained your body to eat that often. If you are eating the right foods you really don't need to eat that often. Once you let, say 5 hours go between meals and keep doing that, the headaches and low blood sugar should stop. Since this is a "lifestyle change" how feasible is it to go your whole life eating 5-6 meals per day? That's crazy! I think it's funny how people complain that they dont have time to exercise or prepare food yet they buy into eating that often. I find my meals much more satisfying when I haven't eaten in at least 5 hours, and even more satisfying after a 24 hour fast. The OP didn't mean to create trouble - we all have our own opinions and whether they are based on personal experience or science or both we are entitled to them.

jwalters1805

Same here!

esorcel

I'm a fan of Martin Berkham - Leangains website, Lyle Mcdonald - Body recomposition website, Brad Pillon - Eat stop Eat website. Check em out people! Don't listen to the stuff they write about in Mens/Womens health mags. It always contradicts itself. The diet industry aims to confuse so they can sell you more 'magic' diet solutions.

Why are you on a site like this then? While MFP doesn't outwardly promote eating several smaller meals a day, it does recommend it (see default food diary settings).

It doesn't recommend it at all, those settings are there just to show you that you could have more than just the three meals if you wish in my opinion.

It is the calories in -v- calories out that determines weightloss, not the amount of meals you eat per day. I reinforced this by eating only three meals per day and lost all my excess weight.

Too much emphasis is being placed on metabolism here. The metabolism will never come to a complete standstill, the day it does is the day you die.

It is about time people got stuck into a healthy living plan and quit constantly thinking about grub, because that is what you are doing if you eat numerous meals per day, you are constantly planning for the next piece of food to go into your mouth.

Six meals per day, for me, would have been a definite no-no, this was a life changing plan for me, not just a weighloss one, therefore I started as I meant to go on, even after I reached my goal.

I also do a lot of sport and like to have at least a two hour break between eating and exercising, I am completely against exercising just after eating and if I were to eat six meals per day (apart from having measly portions due to only having been on 1200 calories per day = 200 calories per meal?!?!?!?!) I would not have enough hours in the day to fit in work, eat and exercise - my whole life, in fact, would have revolved around food - not a good thing when it is that food that I am trying to cut down on.

So why is it completely impossible for smaller meals or snacks to not be a way of life? I ALWAYS have snacks, whether its yogurt or fruit or some sort of baked chip or something. And it's not disturbing or difficult and I don't constantly plan the next piece of food. When you get into the habit of snacks you tend to just have stuff around and available, so its not difficult. I don't think its necessarily fair to say that eating several smaller meals or snacks simply to assuage hunger is not conducive to a lifestyle change. Yes, if I was planning snacks and eating them just because I felt I should that might suck. But there are plenty of people who have said they do this because they are HUNGRY. I've lost almost 80 lbs while snacking away since January. And I don't feel like bringing a yogurt to the office to eat at around 10 is disruptive or not sustainable.

This is what I was implying. I think the say really is to eat 6 times a day, not 6 actual meals a day, because some of them are snacks. Since I started doing this, and I don't eat late, my weight loss has picked up drastically. It really works!

LadyBarb

I agree we all have to find what works for each person. I have done both ways, at this point it is what ever is going to work for me. But I do find, if I have smaller meals during out the day, that I'm not as hungry.

pullright

I eat 2 meals a day. Big ones because I love to eat. Keep them below 1200 cals each and the weight has fallen off. Macronutrients are majority lean protein, then fibrous veggies for carbs. I then make the rest up with chocolate or beer if I feel like it. I can now see my abs and have been doing this for 8 weeks and have lost 5 kilos. My strength gains have increased with my weight program. My metabolism hasn't slowed like I stated in the original post and I don't have to worry about preparing six little meals every day. To all the people on here who have been agressive to myself and others for expressing an opinion that is based in science should consider the results I get myself and advise my clients.

MacMadame

Why are you on a site like this then?

Um, maybe to track food? That's really all MFP does. Everything else is just a suggestion or a convenience.

(The "why are you on MFP if you don't do X, Y or Z" argument is a pet peeve of mine. This is a site to track calories. How you consume those calories and how many you consume is up to you, not the site.)

It is about time people got stuck into a healthy living plan and quit constantly thinking about grub, because that is what you are doing if you eat numerous meals per day, you are constantly planning for the next piece of food to go into your mouth.

Well, no, that may be all YOU are doing but everyone is different. I pack my cooler every weekday morning with my lunch and my snacks. Whether I eat them as one meal or 20, it's the same amount of food and the same amount of thought.

It's really how many calories you eat in a day compared to your calorie expenditure that counts. For some people, it works better to spread them all out throughout the day and for others it doesn't. But its' really a personal choice matter, not a "this way work and this way doesn't" matter. Because both ways work and both ways are a lifestyle and both ways can be healthy. At the same time both ways don't work and both ways can be unhealthy. It just depends on context.

sarah8486

It always was an oxymoron to me that you have to eat a lot, to lose weight.
It just doesn't make sense.

The models who are stick thin don't say their secret is "I eat a ton during the day."
It's because they don't eat at all or very little.

But then again, I have been told that not eating is a bad thing for a person's health.
But so is eating a lot.

Anndd ... this is where dieting gets to be confusing. Lol.

TateFTW

It always was an oxymoron to me that you have to eat a lot, to lose weight.
It just doesn't make sense.

The models who are stick thin don't say their secret is "I eat a ton during the day."
It's because they don't eat at all or very little.

But then again, I have been told that not eating is a bad thing for a person's health.
But so is eating a lot.

Anndd ... this is where dieting gets to be confusing. Lol.

The only thing people are discussin here is how often to eat, not how much total. The people who eat throughout the day don't eat "a ton", they just eat smaller meals and snacks.

Actually, the research shows that not eating for sustained periods (16-24 hrs) can have a number of positive effects, even going beyond losing weight. It even lowers cancer and heart disease rates and increases lifespan in animals tested.

The most important thing is having a calorie deficit at the end of the week. If you want to lose 1lb a week, then you need a calorie deficit around 3500 calories as a general rule. How you do it is up to you. Personally, I vary my intake every day depending on whether I'm working and/or training on a given day, but the goal is to have slightly more than a 3500 calorie deficit at the end of the week.

SarahBC

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.

Pull Right I think the reason so many people have become offensive to your statement is due to the fact that instead of saying that you can also eat just two meals a day and loose weight, you completely state that eating 5-6 meals a day will make you fat. Which in turn again is wrong...

You can eat two meals a day or 5-6 meals a day and loose weight, its not about how often you eat but how much you eat and what kinds of foods. Two meals a day might work for you but for others it might make them hungry and start to binge eat or feel like snacking on crap more...

Maybe you should have just phrased it better...