Eating three vs. five times a day
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Cocochickdeleted
Posts: 343 Member
I know that the causes of obesity have been addressed many times on these forums, and there are so many different factors, it's impossible to pinpoint any particular one, or even two or three, as the cause. However, I was reading a blog the other day, and the blogger pasted in part of an article she ran across, and it made me take pause for a moment. Here is the snippet she posted:
Eat THREE – not six – meals, which gives the intestinal tract time in between meals to rest and heal. If you have erratic eating habits, such as "grazing all day," the digestive fire is always on and soon the incessant digestive process begins to irritate the intestinal wall.
In the old days a farmer could spend hours in the fields with no problem. Imagine if they had to come into the house every 2-3 hours for a snack! This kind of blood sugar instability is a modern day imbalance.
Six meals a day is a medicinal diet for treating the symptoms of severe hypoglycemia. It was never intended to be a way of life. Nowhere else in the world have humans eaten constantly until this vain American experiment. We are told that eating six meals a day will help us lose weight by keeping the metabolism high and revved up and that it won’t let the body store fat.
We are not meant to have our metabolism revved up all day. It depletes and exhausts the adrenals (which ultimately causes fat storage) and never gives the digestion a rest.
While we won’t store fat eating every 2-3 hours, we also will never burn any stored fat. Cancer causing toxins are stored in our fat cells and the fat needs a reason to burn.
With blood sugars artificially propped up from constant feeding, the ability to make energy last is replaced with fragile energy, constant hunger, mood instability and extreme cravings if a meal or snack is missed.
I started talking to my husband about this, and he made two very good points. First, eating all the time keeps people's pancreases working constantly, thereby wearing them out, which may explain why type 2 diabetes cases are spiking. Second, he recalled first hearing about eating multiple times a day back in the 1980s, which is about the time that obesity rates started spiking. Is it possible that by eating multiple times a day, rather than slaking our hunger as experts claim, it may be causing people to ingest more calories than they would eating only three meals a day? Not everyone can eat a couple hundred calorie snack, and it takes just a few extra calories daily to pack on the pounds over time.
Do any of you have thoughts about this? Do the 'experts' REALLY know the best way to lose weight? It seems to me that we are fighting a losing battle, and their 'expert advice' is not working so well.
Eat THREE – not six – meals, which gives the intestinal tract time in between meals to rest and heal. If you have erratic eating habits, such as "grazing all day," the digestive fire is always on and soon the incessant digestive process begins to irritate the intestinal wall.
In the old days a farmer could spend hours in the fields with no problem. Imagine if they had to come into the house every 2-3 hours for a snack! This kind of blood sugar instability is a modern day imbalance.
Six meals a day is a medicinal diet for treating the symptoms of severe hypoglycemia. It was never intended to be a way of life. Nowhere else in the world have humans eaten constantly until this vain American experiment. We are told that eating six meals a day will help us lose weight by keeping the metabolism high and revved up and that it won’t let the body store fat.
We are not meant to have our metabolism revved up all day. It depletes and exhausts the adrenals (which ultimately causes fat storage) and never gives the digestion a rest.
While we won’t store fat eating every 2-3 hours, we also will never burn any stored fat. Cancer causing toxins are stored in our fat cells and the fat needs a reason to burn.
With blood sugars artificially propped up from constant feeding, the ability to make energy last is replaced with fragile energy, constant hunger, mood instability and extreme cravings if a meal or snack is missed.
I started talking to my husband about this, and he made two very good points. First, eating all the time keeps people's pancreases working constantly, thereby wearing them out, which may explain why type 2 diabetes cases are spiking. Second, he recalled first hearing about eating multiple times a day back in the 1980s, which is about the time that obesity rates started spiking. Is it possible that by eating multiple times a day, rather than slaking our hunger as experts claim, it may be causing people to ingest more calories than they would eating only three meals a day? Not everyone can eat a couple hundred calorie snack, and it takes just a few extra calories daily to pack on the pounds over time.
Do any of you have thoughts about this? Do the 'experts' REALLY know the best way to lose weight? It seems to me that we are fighting a losing battle, and their 'expert advice' is not working so well.
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Replies
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intermittent fasting0
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Wow, I just don't know if I have ever thought of it that much or in depth. I like eating 6 times a day actually. I treat them like smokers do their smoke breaks. Plus, it helps me not feel the need to make up for missed meals as much if I have a 200-300 cal snack. Maybe I am doing more harm than good with it but it works for now. Maybe I will change later, who knows.0
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I have found from experience that eating five times per day means that the only thing I ever seemed to be doing was eating or thinking about eating. It did however help me stabilise my weight so I know it works if the right foods are eaten.
I have now entered a phase where I eat a snack if I feel hungry but otherwise only eat three meals per day. The quality of what I eat however is the most important thing for me. I make sure that I dont eat processed food. I also dont add salt to any food that I cook. I also stopped drinking alcohol in January and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Its not for everyone but for me was the right thing to do.
The other important decision I took, which I imagine wont make much sense to many people, is that I have stopped weighing myself. I measure my sucess through how I feel in my clothes. Putting the scales away in January 2012 has been a revelation as prior to this I would weigh myself twice per day. Now I no longer have that constant pressure on myself that many of my girlfriends still share. Being healthy and listening to my body allows me to know when I am eating right or not. So on this site you will never see my weight progress but I will update with how I feel as I make additional changes to my diet and when I drop a dress size. I believe also that sport is so key to health both physical and mental. I have two operations recently and am currently at home on sick leave but my doctor told me walking would be good for me so I am doing that everyday. First time exercising outside of a gym but I am loving it especially as the autumn weather is so great at the moment.0 -
Personally I've always struggled with the 6 meals a day thing. It was just really difficult for me.
I eat four times a day. 9AM, Noon, 3PM and then at 6PM. After that I fast until 9AM. It's a weird system but it works for me AND works with my work schedule as well...
I think everyone just needs to find what works for THEM and stop worrying about this study or that study or whatever.0 -
I eat about nine times a day.
Breakfast
Lunch
Snacks 1-5 (yogurt, veggies [2], almonds or pistachios w/variable snack 1, variable snack 2)
Dinner
Dessert
Currently on a 1400-1500 net calories per day range.
Breakfast is at 9am, dinner/dessert typically no later than 7pm since I workout after dinner.
Not endorsing it as a plan to follow, just how I like to do it.0 -
I do both. I tend to do 3 meals a day when I am on vacation and eating out the majority of the time. When, I'm home, I tend to eat more frequently: 4 - 6 times a day, depending on hunger.
Here's a short video that has a surprising ending:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/to-snack-or-not-to-snack/0 -
I think the myth that 6 meals a day raises your metabolism has pretty well been dismissed. I think the main help is building muscle and giving your body a steady flow of protein to repair build muscle. Also, I understand it can help with getting a six pack as some people's genetics have their bodies store fat on the bellies and burn else where.0
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I think the myth that 6 meals a day raises your metabolism has pretty well been dismissed. I think the main help is building muscle and giving your body a steady flow of protein to repair build muscle. Also, I understand it can help with getting a six pack as some people's genetics have their bodies store fat on the bellies and burn else where.
I eat three meals a day and sometimes have an afternoon snack and its working just fine.0 -
I know that the causes of obesity have been addressed many times on these forums, and there are so many different factors, it's impossible to pinpoint any particular one, or even two or three, as the cause. However, I was reading a blog the other day, and the blogger pasted in part of an article she ran across, and it made me take pause for a moment. Here is the snippet she posted:
Eat THREE – not six – meals, which gives the intestinal tract time in between meals to rest and heal. If you have erratic eating habits, such as "grazing all day," the digestive fire is always on and soon the incessant digestive process begins to irritate the intestinal wall.
Is this from RunEatRepeat?! I just read that this am. I eat about 4x a day - when I'm hungry (though gummi bears are my snack at work weakness....)0 -
I'm not sure about this information. I mean, farmers used to eat while in the field. So, I'm not sure that's a great example.
Whether eating often can "hurt" us, I'm not sure. I think most people now know that eating often does not raise metabolism.
I eat multiple times a day because I get hungry. Whether I eat a large breakfast or a small one, I get hungry before lunch. So, I started eating a small one and allowing myself a snack. This works for me. I think everyone should do what works for them.0 -
I don't care about timing, the only thing I care about is letting food digest before I sleep, but I usually have cottage cheese right before I go to sleep0
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TEF is the same across the board.
1 meal or 37 meals a day doesnt matter.
Do whats convenient to you.
Personally when cutting calories I skip breakfast and eat from 2pm-10pm (IF).
When I bulk ill be eating all day.
Just get your macro/micro nutrients and move around.0 -
I know that the causes of obesity have been addressed many times on these forums, and there are so many different factors, it's impossible to pinpoint any particular one, or even two or three, as the cause. However, I was reading a blog the other day, and the blogger pasted in part of an article she ran across, and it made me take pause for a moment. Here is the snippet she posted:
Eat THREE – not six – meals, which gives the intestinal tract time in between meals to rest and heal. If you have erratic eating habits, such as "grazing all day," the digestive fire is always on and soon the incessant digestive process begins to irritate the intestinal wall.
In the old days a farmer could spend hours in the fields with no problem. Imagine if they had to come into the house every 2-3 hours for a snack! This kind of blood sugar instability is a modern day imbalance.
Six meals a day is a medicinal diet for treating the symptoms of severe hypoglycemia. It was never intended to be a way of life. Nowhere else in the world have humans eaten constantly until this vain American experiment. We are told that eating six meals a day will help us lose weight by keeping the metabolism high and revved up and that it won’t let the body store fat.
We are not meant to have our metabolism revved up all day. It depletes and exhausts the adrenals (which ultimately causes fat storage) and never gives the digestion a rest.
While we won’t store fat eating every 2-3 hours, we also will never burn any stored fat. Cancer causing toxins are stored in our fat cells and the fat needs a reason to burn.
With blood sugars artificially propped up from constant feeding, the ability to make energy last is replaced with fragile energy, constant hunger, mood instability and extreme cravings if a meal or snack is missed.
I started talking to my husband about this, and he made two very good points. First, eating all the time keeps people's pancreases working constantly, thereby wearing them out, which may explain why type 2 diabetes cases are spiking. Second, he recalled first hearing about eating multiple times a day back in the 1980s, which is about the time that obesity rates started spiking. Is it possible that by eating multiple times a day, rather than slaking our hunger as experts claim, it may be causing people to ingest more calories than they would eating only three meals a day? Not everyone can eat a couple hundred calorie snack, and it takes just a few extra calories daily to pack on the pounds over time.
Do any of you have thoughts about this? Do the 'experts' REALLY know the best way to lose weight? It seems to me that we are fighting a losing battle, and their 'expert advice' is not working so well.
Whoever posted the snippet you reposted, I suggest you ignore them from now on0 -
The Primary Laws of Nutrient Timing
* The First Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
* The Second Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=123915821&page=10 -
I know that the causes of obesity have been addressed many times on these forums, and there are so many different factors, it's impossible to pinpoint any particular one, or even two or three, as the cause. However, I was reading a blog the other day, and the blogger pasted in part of an article she ran across, and it made me take pause for a moment. Here is the snippet she posted:
Eat THREE – not six – meals, which gives the intestinal tract time in between meals to rest and heal. If you have erratic eating habits, such as "grazing all day," the digestive fire is always on and soon the incessant digestive process begins to irritate the intestinal wall.
In the old days a farmer could spend hours in the fields with no problem. Imagine if they had to come into the house every 2-3 hours for a snack! This kind of blood sugar instability is a modern day imbalance.
Six meals a day is a medicinal diet for treating the symptoms of severe hypoglycemia. It was never intended to be a way of life. Nowhere else in the world have humans eaten constantly until this vain American experiment. We are told that eating six meals a day will help us lose weight by keeping the metabolism high and revved up and that it won’t let the body store fat.
We are not meant to have our metabolism revved up all day. It depletes and exhausts the adrenals (which ultimately causes fat storage) and never gives the digestion a rest.
While we won’t store fat eating every 2-3 hours, we also will never burn any stored fat. Cancer causing toxins are stored in our fat cells and the fat needs a reason to burn.
With blood sugars artificially propped up from constant feeding, the ability to make energy last is replaced with fragile energy, constant hunger, mood instability and extreme cravings if a meal or snack is missed.
I started talking to my husband about this, and he made two very good points. First, eating all the time keeps people's pancreases working constantly, thereby wearing them out, which may explain why type 2 diabetes cases are spiking. Second, he recalled first hearing about eating multiple times a day back in the 1980s, which is about the time that obesity rates started spiking. Is it possible that by eating multiple times a day, rather than slaking our hunger as experts claim, it may be causing people to ingest more calories than they would eating only three meals a day? Not everyone can eat a couple hundred calorie snack, and it takes just a few extra calories daily to pack on the pounds over time.
Do any of you have thoughts about this? Do the 'experts' REALLY know the best way to lose weight? It seems to me that we are fighting a losing battle, and their 'expert advice' is not working so well.
Whoever posted the snippet you reposted, I suggest you ignore them from now on
Aye.0 -
Well, personally I rather eat when I'm hungry, rather than waiting 3 more hours and then eat too fast or too much because I've been hungry for several hours. Usually I have to eat every 3-4 hours - but is a piece of fruit really a "meal"?0
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Listen to your body, eat when you're hungry. The body is much smarter than people give it credit.0
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The Primary Laws of Nutrient Timing
* The First Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
* The Second Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=123915821&page=1
Well said0 -
Listen to your body, eat when you're hungry. The body is much smarter than people give it credit.
This. I eat all day every day, it works for me, never been overweight.
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I am a type 2 diabetic and even though I do not believe in meal frequency, eat when ever you can get your calories and macro's in... I tend to eat 3 main meals and 3 snacks a day, eating right up til bedtime, I do this cause it works the best to keep my blood sugars in check... Best of Luck0
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