One big meal a day?
Replies
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Is that one meal a day a supersized cheeseburger meal with a shake from Mcdonalds? That will quickly get you to 2000 calories but your body is getting nothing nutritionally sound. I don't think you could sit down and eat a nutritional meal that would give you 2000 calories. I think the point of spreading your meals out over the day is because if you are eating lean protein, whole grains, and vegetables it is pretty hard to get more than 400 calories at one time and you are going to get hungrier faster.0
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I dnt know how any1 can think that starving themselves all day and binging at night is ok. Ur a nutrition student, but i'm a nurse and I worked at an eating disorder facility for 2 1/2 yrs. side by side with registered dietician, and my uncle is a certified nutritionist, and non of them would agree, so if ur a student and being taught its ok, maybe u need to look into a new program. anyways, to the OP, u obviously have 2 make the choice, just make sure you research, and make sure to make an informed decision. good luck
It is not binging. Binging is not structured and causes a large surplus at the end of the day. I am not starving if I don't eat for 16 hours either. The body does just fine without food for that long.
Nurses are not food scientists. When did they get their degree? They may need to go back to school for a while if they think it has a metabolic advantage.
My school program is great, one of the best in Iowa. No need for a new program.
Once again. MY metabolism works perfectly. I eat plenty, look great, feel great, and am not starving by any means.
In defense of nurses: Nurses can specialize, in nutrition/food science or have a minor in such.0 -
Add me into the group who support eating in whatever way supports your lifestyle. For me IF works like a charm...and trust me. I do not starve myself, nor do I even feel hungry until later in the day. I understand the OP may have talked to their nutritionist, but, if you ask the same question to 100 different nutritionists, you are not going to get the same answer across the board. This is because we are humans, and we simply don't know what we don't know. How can you advise a client on something you know nothing about? It takes someone with a personal interest to keep up on the even changing science that goes into better understanding the human body.
Evaluation of evidence is a crucial step in developing a better understanding.0 -
I might try IF starting next week. Eating breakfast can be a hassle for me and sometimes I don't eat until 2PM Might as well go all the way and see what happens. Also thinking of getting that Spike Diet book, to see if that will stop my weight loss stall.0
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Is that one meal a day a supersized cheeseburger meal with a shake from Mcdonalds? That will quickly get you to 2000 calories but your body is getting nothing nutritionally sound. I don't think you could sit down and eat a nutritional meal that would give you 2000 calories. I think the point of spreading your meals out over the day is because if you are eating lean protein, whole grains, and vegetables it is pretty hard to get more than 400 calories at one time and you are going to get hungrier faster.
If you can't get more then 400 calories of healthy food in one meal, I'd suggest that you don't really understand what healthy food is. That would almost have to be a very low fat meal, considering the amount of calories in fat.0 -
I was referring to the fact that if you are eating 6 meals a day you can't afford for it to be more than 400 calories or so. I guess we would call them mini-meals. But I can't imagine that someone would be able to take in 2000 calories of healthy stuff in one meal-they would be eating plates of food. I would assume that people on this website are trying to lose weight and wouldn't imagine that they can accomplish that by "only" eating one meal that has their total caloric intake for the day and it is the supersized meal.0
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If you can find anything wrong with her claims I'd love to hear it.0
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Anything less than about 18 hours is technically not a fast. You're still in a post-absorptive phase. Protein degradation hasn't kicked in yet, cortisol levels are still low, and you're basically just depleting glycogen and entering ketosis. As soon as you eat, insulin levels jump right back up and you're back into storage mode for the next 3 hours or so. Nothing magical about this diet.0
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Is that one meal a day a supersized cheeseburger meal with a shake from Mcdonalds? That will quickly get you to 2000 calories but your body is getting nothing nutritionally sound. I don't think you could sit down and eat a nutritional meal that would give you 2000 calories. I think the point of spreading your meals out over the day is because if you are eating lean protein, whole grains, and vegetables it is pretty hard to get more than 400 calories at one time and you are going to get hungrier faster.
Trust me...I can get a meal that's 2000 calories that is extremely nutritional. Head on over to the "show me your food" thread and feast your eyes upon the many treasures there!0 -
i'm not dying yet (well, i am but only in the sense that we're all dying from the moment we're born, man).
Life: A sexually transmitted condition with 100% mortality.0 -
Grazing remains the ideal mode for daily fueling strategy.
And sometimes, 6 meals a day aren’t always possible, but the body has a remarkable resiliency to carry us through on the days when it just ain’t happening.
Yet, it’s still the goal.
That said, there’s room and considerable benefit in shaking things up with intermittent fasting.
Keep us posted.0 -
All that 6 meal a day stuff is just because, for a lot of people, it's easier to eat fewer calories that way. Weight loss is simple- calories used exceed calories consumed. It doesn't matter what the calories are from or when they were eaten. WHatever you can do to burn more calories than you eat is what you need to be doing, whether that' having dozens of tiny meals, all on big meal, or eating and then burning it off with extra exercise.0
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I know right. I'm never hungry in the mornings, and then by dinner I want food, but the stupid bowl of oatmeal or whatever is hogging all my calories!0
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But I can't imagine that someone would be able to take in 2000 calories of healthy stuff in one meal-they would be eating plates of food.
You would be surprised at how much cabbage, beets and whole grain pasta I can eat. Besides, sometimes I want to eat a 12 oz prime rib, baked potato, creamed spinach, side salad and piece of cheese cake washed town with two martinis, and that would be an ideal day to do a daylight fast.0 -
Yeah, for me, eating small meals just makes me want to eat everything in sight, all day long. If I eat anything besides nuts or meat for breakfast I will feel crappy all day.All that 6 meal a day stuff is just because, for a lot of people, it's easier to eat fewer calories that way.0 -
If I eat anything besides nuts or meat for breakfast I will feel crappy all day.
That's what she said...0 -
ok b4 u shoot down da evidence, lettuce due sum research, k? omg lol ftwum no, the difference with ur body and a car, is that ur body continues to burn fuel at night, it never shuts off like a car. just bcuz there r websites that people give you that promote something doesn't make it ok 2 do it. Speaking from a medical point of view it is not ok. b4 u run to the websites that r being suggested, maybe talk to a nutrtionist (which I have), and get a little more info on how it may effect your body
:laugh: Exactly what i was thinking!
1 meal. 6 meals. From a biological standpoint it makes it makes very little, if any, difference to your weight loss. Psychologically it may affect different people in different ways, sure, but that's not the issue here. That's where personal preference comes in.
The fact is we have all been brainwashed from a young age by various companies and by society in general that we should have 3 meals a day, and lately more smaller meals a day. The main goal is to hit your macros, and create a calorie deficit. That is pretty solid for the vast majority of people. However, there are many, many ways to GET to that goal. 1 meal, 6 meals, low carb, paleo, etc etc. All end up at the same point. Calorie deficit.
As for nurses/nutritionists being right/wrong, don't forget they may have done their training a long time ago. A lot of the new facts people are talking about is from relatively new research, in the last few years, and as such may not have filtered down to those "in the know", so to speak. It's actually quite disconcerting that so-called professionals don't keep up to date with their research.0 -
Grazing remains the ideal mode for daily fueling strategy.
And sometimes, 6 meals a day aren’t always possible, but the body has a remarkable resiliency to carry us through on the days when it just ain’t happening.
Yet, it’s still the goal.
That said, there’s room and considerable benefit in shaking things up with intermittent fasting.
Keep us posted.
Here's the thing...Any time you're in a fed state, this happens:
Insulin levels increase.
Insulin increases protein phosphotase 1, which protects perilipin's coating on triglycerides and blocks hormone-sensitive lipase. Hence, no fat breakdown.
In addition, the lack of ATP breakdown (due to being fed) increases acetyl CoA carboxylase, which converts acetyl CoA to malonyl CoA which is then used to form fatty acids.
Malonyl CoA blocks carbamoyl phosphate 1, which is supposed to bring fatty acids into the mitochondria for oxidation. Can't happen when it's blocked.
So...by eating every 3 hours, you're actually helping to prevent fatty acid liberation or oxidation. The myth that it speeds up your metabolism is based on the faulty idea that the thermic effect of food is some massive number that will totally kick our metabolisms into high gear.
It is FINE to go longer than 3 hours between meals. Promise.0 -
OMG you are going to die!
/sarcasm
Seriously, your body will be just fine on one big meal per day. I usually only eat 2 meals per day, and I'm fine. I just don't like eating often so I have 2-3 500-600 calorie meals instead.0 -
Apparently I am starving myself too:
Frail and unhealthy I know.
I would say more like Damn sexy!!0 -
They call breakfast BREAK-THE-FAST for a reason. Your body has no food for 9-12 hours. The metablism slows to a standstill once it has digested the food and then goes into a rest period. When you break-the-fast in the morning, you start it back up again and start it working. If you ate every 2 hours, that would be preferable to eating large meals 3 times a day. Keeps your metabolism going at a stead rate all the time.
As to eating one meal - if you are diabetic, or have ups and downs, this type of eating will be HORRIBLE for your body. You're going to eat one meal - your insulin levels, amino acids, not to mention all the other things that your body produces when you eat - are going to go crazy for that one meal.
Additionally, I don't know how you can sit and eat 1500-2000 cals at one sitting. I suppose a burger, fries and a milk shake could do it, but it amazes me to think of one meal and that many cals.
Re: fasting. Yes, we can fast. It's good for the mind, spirit and body. Occasionally. I don't think a nutritionist would tell you that fasting every day is good - and then gorging one meal a day. That's basically what you're doing - gorging.
Lastly - I know that your mind and body significantly slow down when it's hungry and wanting food/nutrition. I can't imaging that eating one meal late in the day is going to be good for your body OR your mind.
Sorry - I just don't think this is good at all. But hey - your bod, your choice.0 -
I usually don't eat until way late in the day...sometimes 5, but normally between 6-8, and then I eat as I feel until bed. I feel FANTASTIC! I don't get hungry at all during the day and I have lots of energy for intense workouts.
My metabolism is on fire and I lose consistently.0 -
I work with nutritionist both professionally and personally and I have never heard a nutritionist say it is ok to go all day without eating. Yes when it comes to weight loss your total calorie intake is what matters. If you are only looking to lose weight maybe starving your body is going to work for you but when our bodies go into starvation mode doesn't it preserve the fat and eat away at the muscle???? It's been a long time since I've had physiology or nutrition but I remember something like that.
Everyone has an opinion and people are going to do what works for them the goal for everyone should be to do it in the most healthy way possible. Talk to your doctor, nutritionist whoever but get the info you need to make an informed decision.0 -
They call breakfast BREAK-THE-FAST for a reason. Your body has no food for 9-12 hours. The metablism slows to a standstill once it has digested the food and then goes into a rest period. When you break-the-fast in the morning, you start it back up again and start it working. If you ate every 2 hours, that would be preferable to eating large meals 3 times a day. Keeps your metabolism going at a stead rate all the time.
As to eating one meal - if you are diabetic, or have ups and downs, this type of eating will be HORRIBLE for your body. You're going to eat one meal - your insulin levels, amino acids, not to mention all the other things that your body produces when you eat - are going to go crazy for that one meal.
Additionally, I don't know how you can sit and eat 1500-2000 cals at one sitting. I suppose a burger, fries and a milk shake could do it, but it amazes me to think of one meal and that many cals.
Re: fasting. Yes, we can fast. It's good for the mind, spirit and body. Occasionally. I don't think a nutritionist would tell you that fasting every day is good - and then gorging one meal a day. That's basically what you're doing - gorging.
Lastly - I know that your mind and body significantly slow down when it's hungry and wanting food/nutrition. I can't imaging that eating one meal late in the day is going to be good for your body OR your mind.
Sorry - I just don't think this is good at all. But hey - your bod, your choice.
Such nonsense. Eating 1500-2000cals in a meal is quite easy actually, even made of whole foods and not fast/junk foods
and what's this?
Zauner et al. Resting energy expenditure in short-term starvation is increased as a result of an increase in serum norepinephrine.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Jun;71(6):1511-5.
DESIGN:
Resting energy expenditure, measured by indirect calorimetry, and hormone and substrate concentrations were measured in 11 healthy, lean subjects on days 1, 2, 3, and 4 of an 84-h starvation period.
RESULTS:
Resting energy expenditure increased significantly from 3.97 +/- 0.9 kJ/min on day 1 to 4.53 +/- 0.9 kJ/min on day 3 (P < 0.05). The increase in resting energy expenditure was associated with an increase in the norepinephrine concentration from 1716. +/- 574 pmol/L on day 1 to 3728 +/- 1636 pmol/L on day 4 (P < 0.05). Serum glucose decreased from 4.9 +/- 0.5 to 3.5 +/- 0.5 mmol/L (P < 0.05), whereas insulin did not change significantly.
CONCLUSIONS:
Resting energy expenditure increases in early starvation, accompanied by an increase in plasma norepinephrine. This increase in norepinephrine seems to be due to a decline in serum glucose and may be the initial signal for metabolic changes in early starvation0 -
They call breakfast BREAK-THE-FAST for a reason. Your body has no food for 9-12 hours. The metablism slows to a standstill once it has digested the food and then goes into a rest period. When you break-the-fast in the morning, you start it back up again and start it working. If you ate every 2 hours, that would be preferable to eating large meals 3 times a day. Keeps your metabolism going at a stead rate all the time.
As to eating one meal - if you are diabetic, or have ups and downs, this type of eating will be HORRIBLE for your body. You're going to eat one meal - your insulin levels, amino acids, not to mention all the other things that your body produces when you eat - are going to go crazy for that one meal.
Additionally, I don't know how you can sit and eat 1500-2000 cals at one sitting. I suppose a burger, fries and a milk shake could do it, but it amazes me to think of one meal and that many cals.
Re: fasting. Yes, we can fast. It's good for the mind, spirit and body. Occasionally. I don't think a nutritionist would tell you that fasting every day is good - and then gorging one meal a day. That's basically what you're doing - gorging.
Lastly - I know that your mind and body significantly slow down when it's hungry and wanting food/nutrition. I can't imaging that eating one meal late in the day is going to be good for your body OR your mind.
Sorry - I just don't think this is good at all. But hey - your bod, your choice.
Such nonsense. Eating 1500-2000cals in a meal is quite easy actually, even made of whole foods and not fast/junk foods
and what's this?
Zauner et al. Resting energy expenditure in short-term starvation is increased as a result of an increase in serum norepinephrine.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Jun;71(6):1511-5.
DESIGN:
Resting energy expenditure, measured by indirect calorimetry, and hormone and substrate concentrations were measured in 11 healthy, lean subjects on days 1, 2, 3, and 4 of an 84-h starvation period.
RESULTS:
Resting energy expenditure increased significantly from 3.97 +/- 0.9 kJ/min on day 1 to 4.53 +/- 0.9 kJ/min on day 3 (P < 0.05). The increase in resting energy expenditure was associated with an increase in the norepinephrine concentration from 1716. +/- 574 pmol/L on day 1 to 3728 +/- 1636 pmol/L on day 4 (P < 0.05). Serum glucose decreased from 4.9 +/- 0.5 to 3.5 +/- 0.5 mmol/L (P < 0.05), whereas insulin did not change significantly.
CONCLUSIONS:
Resting energy expenditure increases in early starvation, accompanied by an increase in plasma norepinephrine. This increase in norepinephrine seems to be due to a decline in serum glucose and may be the initial signal for metabolic changes in early starvation
Ah, but we aren't talking about early starvation here. This is just post-absorptive, not even fasting. You will see an increase in glucagon and epinephrine which are required to liberate fatty acids for oxidation, but it won't cause an appreciable increase in metabolic rate. After about 18 hours you'll see a big spike in cortisol and protein degradation...THAT is fasting. Early starvation happens at about 18hrs-2 days...then you'll see metabolic changes. Decrease in protein degradation, increased epinephrine, etc. But only for a little while.0 -
judykritikos & Janet717: Did you miss the last 4 pages of information?
The reasoning for meal frequency is really based on total calorie intake a person desires. If someone is wanting to eat 4000 cals a day that is obviously going to be quite difficult to do in 1 or 2 meals. Therefore, spread it out over more meals.
If someone is wanting to eat 2000 cals a day they could feasibly eat that in 1 or 2 meals (have done it plenty of times & hit my minimum protein & fat targets while getting sufficient micronutrients) or they could space it out into more meals if they wish.0 -
and courtesy of alloranx
Very true. Check out all the damage intermittent fasting has done to the muscles of these poor people:
http://www.leangains.com/search/label/Client results
Don't they just look so weak, sickly and unhealthy? Nasty, I'd never want to look like them. Practically anorexic:
http://www.chilloutpoint.com/images/2010/08/anorexic-models/anorexic-models-06.jpg
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Fasting just destroys your muscles and puts you into starvation mode where you don't lose any fat:
http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/265/5/E801.short
http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/50/1/96.short
http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/94/11/4524.abstract
__________________________________________________________________
Fasting is so bad for your health, too! Scientific studies have shown that over and over again, like these:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20300080
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17616757
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16529878
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It wrecks blood sugar:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17522614
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And it ruins your metabolism!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10837292
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Also, you can't work out while you're fasting! That would be stupid.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3622486
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17489012
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3292504
http://www.springerlink.com/content/w8712615714k8150/
http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html
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and courtesy of alloranx
Very true. Check out all the damage intermittent fasting has done to the muscles of these poor people:
http://www.leangains.com/search/label/Client results
Don't they just look so weak, sickly and unhealthy? Nasty, I'd never want to look like them. Practically anorexic:
http://www.chilloutpoint.com/images/2010/08/anorexic-models/anorexic-models-06.jpg
______________________________________________________
Fasting just destroys your muscles and puts you into starvation mode where you don't lose any fat:
http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/265/5/E801.short
http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/50/1/96.short
http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/94/11/4524.abstract
__________________________________________________________________
Fasting is so bad for your health, too! Scientific studies have shown that over and over again, like these:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20300080
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17616757
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16529878
_______________________________________________
It wrecks blood sugar:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17522614
_______________________________________________
And it ruins your metabolism!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10837292
____________________________________________________________
Also, you can't work out while you're fasting! That would be stupid.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3622486
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17489012
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3292504
http://www.springerlink.com/content/w8712615714k8150/
http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html
If there was a slow clap emoticon, I'd use it. Thank you!0 -
It is FINE to go longer than 3 hours between meals. Promise.
But what is ideal?
6 meals spread out works best over one huge feeding a day. Promise...lol0 -
Given the debate on the first page of comments....here is what I know from MY experience (no medical evidence or web-magic, just what I know from personal experience). I have battled my weight my entire life. In my very early 20s I had an eating discorder. Fast forward a few years...and I am back to battling my weight. I have lived on the "one big meal a day" plan on most days for a long time - except, there was no plan, that's just how I ate. Obviously, the weight remained and I gained even more over the years. When I first decided to tackle my weight issue, I started doing the 6 Week Body Makeover. This plan consists of 5-6 small meals a day. I dropped 30 pounds in no time and never went hungry - just the opposite actually, not being used to eating, I would have to force myself to eat on this plan.
So, just from my experience, when I was eating 5-6 small meals a day is when I had the most success and the fastest results.0
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