6 small meals a day is a scam?

billyh333

You’ve probably heard that eating smalls meals throughout the day ‘stokes the metabolic fire’ or is the ideal way to eat in order to control cravings and blood sugar; as consequence, this should also be the ideal way to eat for fat burning purposes. This belief is partly based on a gross and blatantly incorrect interpretation of research concerning TEF (Thermic Effect of Food).

The problem here is that the research has been presented in such a way that it has lead people to believe that the net effect of TEF of several small meals would be greater than that of a few, large meals.

TEF is directly proportional to the calories contained in the meal you just ate (ref). Assuming a diet of 2400 calories, with the same macronutrient composition, eating six small meals of 400 calories or three big meals of 800 calories, TEF will be exactly the same at the end of the day.

So, while eating several small meals a day will per definition ‘keep the metabolic furnace burning’,three big meals will ‘keep the metabolic furnace blasting’.

Good stuff. I can certainly attest that when I have larger meals my metabolism goes into overdrive (I get hotter and could probably break into a sweat!), especially when combined with an IF eating lifestyle

jawheb

Interesting. I eat every hour just to maintain with lifestyle.

billyh333

healthiest option.

Wherever you turn there is someone extolling the virtues of eating five to six small meals per day. From doctors to dieticians, from Cosmopolitan to Women's health, there has been an explosion of acceptance that frequent small meals are the key to everything from weight loss to lower cholesterol and longevity. Almost all diet books either base their recommendations on this principal or incorporate aggressive snacking as part of their program. Yet remarkably, despite its presentation as dietary dogma, there is almost no science to support such information. In fact it flies in the face of everything we know about metabolism and the hormonal regulation of our energy supplies.

The myth that frequent small meals were the key to weight loss likely arose from two sources. The first involved dietary studies performed in the late 1990's that showed how frequent small carbohydrate meals could lead to more stable blood sugar and insulin levels along with lower cholesterol. Aimed primarily at diabetics, the concept spread rapidly to normal and then overweight individuals. The second related to research indicating that metabolic rate increased temporarily after a meal. This led to the concept that more meals would somehow "supercharge" the body and allow it to burn off fat. However, that was the '90's. Things have changed and new research is available. In addition, the fact that our population is growing steadily larger and unhealthier is certainly a compelling argument against frequent small meals being a dietary panacea!

In order to dispel the myth of frequent small meal eating, consider some of the theories proposed as to why it works. For example, does it really "supercharge" our metabolism? The answer is "no". While it is true that there is a temporary increase in the metabolic rate associated with the ingestion, absorption and metabolism of food, it only amounts to about 10% of your calorie intake and is independent of meal size. So, whether you eat 3 meals of 900 calories or 6 meals of 450 calories (both totalling 2700 calories) you will only increase you metabolism by 270 calories per day. Unfortunately, the frequent small meal option reduces your leptin levels, which actually lowers your metabolic rate!

Eating numerous small carbohydrate meals during the day may well lead to more stable blood sugar but at what cost. The persistent secretion of insulin this type of diet causes will actually increase the risk of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. The studies that showed how frequent small meals could reduce cholesterol only compared small carbohydrate meals to large carbohydrate meals rather than to balanced protein-complex carbohydrate intake. This latter type of diet achieves stable blood sugars without overstressing the pancreas and also stops the liver from producing cholesterol.

For those on a diet, frequent small meals are offered as the answer to food cravings and satiety. That is a little like trying to get someone to stop smoking while allowing them to light up every time they have a nicotine yearning! Recent research on the real reasons behind hunger and craving relate to neurochemical changes in the brain, abnormal behaviour patterns that need to be changed not reinforced.

Probably the biggest problem with the whole concept of frequent small meals is that they rapidly become frequent large meals. Research shows us that having a snack between meals does not reduce the size of the next meal. In addition, the availability of fast, unhealthy food means that snacks often become highly calorific themselves. Giving an individual carte blanche to eat whenever they like in a society where food is so readily available may be a popular and painless option, but it is highly unlikely to be successful long-term. It will certainly never address the many health issues associated with overeating and a dysfunctional metabolism.

Normal human physiology is not designed for frequent small meals and remains essentially unchanged from that of our prehistoric ancestors. Neanderthal man was more accustomed to starvation and long gaps between meals than tucking into limitless dinosaur snacks by the fire. As such, humans are hardwired to be hungry and to store food away as fat. The two major hormones, insulin and leptin work together to manage fat stores. After a meal insulin rises for three hours, initially replacing glycogen stores and then shunting any extra calories into fat. As insulin levels fall we become able to access our fat stores as a source of energy. Eating another meal or snack at this point causes a further release of insulin, which not only inhibits our ability to burn fat but also acts as a strain on the pancreas. This secondary rise in insulin is more prolonged and when the cycle is repeated will eventually lead to hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance, forerunners of metabolic syndrome. In addition, this pattern leads to leptin resistance resulting in food cravings and a slower metabolism.

For individuals using exercise to lose weight, fat is normally mobilized at two to five time normal with even moderate activity, mostly from the abdominal area. However, even a slight increase in insulin immediately shuts off this process and prevents any access to fat stores. So snacking effectively reverses any weight-loss benefits of your exercise program

jawheb

That's for the majority of people though. Most people want to lose weight, I on the other hand NEED to gain weight. I just keep losing. I eat to live not live to eat. Food is fuel that's it. How in the heck can I cram 2800 calories into 3 meals? seriously? I'm not bring sarcastic.

astrampe

I don't care if its a scam - I like to graze all day long, and it worked for me while losing 60lbs....

meshashesha2012

That's for the majority of people though. Most people want to lose weight, I on the other hand NEED to gain weight. I just keep losing. I eat to live not live to eat. Food is fuel that's it. How in the heck can I cram 2800 calories into 3 meals? seriously? I'm not bring sarcastic.

yeah this can be tough. this whole week i'v been eating at maintenance which is like 2500 calories for me. i personally prefer 3 larger meals but that just hasnt been working. luckily this is only a week, but it's been a little stressful especially at the end of the night when i still have like 1000 calories to eat.

cmriverside

Not to mention the psychological aspect. I am so much happier when I can have at least one meal where I feel really full and content. The smaller meals just irritated me.

I'm all for the Three Squares. Actually, I usually have two big-ish meals and maybe a small midday snack. Makes me happy, and I agree, I get that intense "heat" from the metabolic process of a large meal.

jawheb

That's for the majority of people though. Most people want to lose weight, I on the other hand NEED to gain weight. I just keep losing. I eat to live not live to eat. Food is fuel that's it. How in the heck can I cram 2800 calories into 3 meals? seriously? I'm not bring sarcastic.

yeah this can be tough. this whole week i'v been eating at maintenance which is like 2500 calories for me. i personally prefer 3 larger meals but that just hasnt been working. luckily this is only a week, but it's been a little stressful especially at the end of the night when i still have like 1000 calories to eat.

Girl I'm with you there. I'm constantly stuffing my face. I have to eat every hour just to keep up because I eat extremely clean.

OhKelsey1

For individuals using exercise to lose weight, fat is normally mobilized at two to five time normal with even moderate activity, mostly from the abdominal area. However, even a slight increase in insulin immediately shuts off this process and prevents any access to fat stores. So snacking effectively reverses any weight-loss benefits of your exercise program

Where did you get this from? Admittedly, I don't have research to refute you, but I've got some serious cognitive dissonance going on with this theory.

camrunner

I've been doing this (eating small meals throughout the day) for the better part of a decade at this point, though it's not something I've ever actively advocated. Even if the science is sound, and I'm really not questioning that, I know that it's worked for me psychologically. I'm happy to just say "to each his own."

billyh333

it worked for me also untill I hit my platu
I don't care if its a scam - I like to graze all day long, and it worked for me while losing 60lbs....

jawheb

I've been doing this for the better part of a decade at this point, though it's not something I've ever actively advocated. Even if the science is sound, and I'm really not questioning that, I know that it's worked for me psychologically. I'm happy to just say "to each his own."

BUT..,how do you cram 2800 calories into 3 meals. I just can't wrap my head around it! My stomach would be so sick.

camrunner

I've been doing this for the better part of a decade at this point, though it's not something I've ever actively advocated. Even if the science is sound, and I'm really not questioning that, I know that it's worked for me psychologically. I'm happy to just say "to each his own."

BUT..,how do you cram 2800 calories into 3 meals. I just can't wrap my head around it! My stomach would be so sick.

I meant that I've been doing the "6 small meals" thing. I've edited my post for clarity.

I would probably have three relatively "square" meals and have snacks between them, but then that's not a whole lot different from 5-6 meals, is it?

Yanicka1

I've been doing this for the better part of a decade at this point, though it's not something I've ever actively advocated. Even if the science is sound, and I'm really not questioning that, I know that it's worked for me psychologically. I'm happy to just say "to each his own."

BUT..,how do you cram 2800 calories into 3 meals. I just can't wrap my head around it! My stomach would be so sick.

By eating healthy but more calorie dense food. 800 calories is not that much for one meal. I practice IF and my main meal is between 1200 to 1500 calories.

kiachu

No way I could fit 200 grams of protein into 2 or 3 meals LOL. No way in hell.

geekyjock76

If I eat small portions to reach my current 2550 goal, that requires 8 meals at roughly 318 each. However, on days of IF with a 10-hour window, I can eat 4-5 meals with ranges of 510 to 637 calories. I do not think I can consume 2550 calories, or greater, in less than 4 meals.

thedancingleper

I used to do the small meals thing, but one day my husband looked at me and asked, "are you ever going to eat normally again?" It was then I realized that trying to maintain that, when every single person I know and live around does the three meals a day routine, is pretty unrealistic. At least for me it is.

Jenloma

I do eat small meals, which include snacks throughout the day. I have to because if I don't eat throughout the day, I have sugar crashes (Hypoglycemic here).

Helloitsdan

TEF is virtually the same throughout the day.
1 meal?
3 meals?
6 meals?

Doesnt matter.
Just get your Macros and calories in.

I eat 3 meals a day due to I.F.
I love the lifestyle because I love to eat big.

billyh333

No way I could fit 200 grams of protein into 2 or 3 meals LOL. No way in hell.

but you could fit 200 grams of protein in a 8 hour window easy

billyh333

TEF is virtually the same throughout the day.
1 meal?
3 meals?
6 meals?

Doesnt matter.
Just get your Macros and calories in.

I eat 3 meals a day due to I.F.
I love the lifestyle because I love to eat big.

your 100 percent right if is amazing and people knock it without trying it if they only understood the healthy reasons to if