Eating Less amounts more times daily

stewarm01
stewarm01 Posts: 331 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So what's the deal about eating less, maybe 300 calories every 3-4 hours? Has anyone tried this? Does it work? I've read this somewhere before.
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Replies

  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    3rd pimp of this thread in about an hour.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/529002-a-compliation-on-meal-frequency?hl=compliation+meal+frequency

    Eating more often does not boost metabolism.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    If your daily intake is 1600 calories: whether you eat four small 400 calorie meals, or two 800-calorie meals, or 8-200 calorie meals, it doesnt matter....

    Personally I would drive myself to insanity if I had to eat more than three, maybe four meals per day.. I just dont have that kind of time on my hands... too much to do at work, my music practice, etc...
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I used to do the small meals every few hours and it turned out to be more work than I wanted. It was a PITA when I went places because I always had to make sure I had snacks on me and I was constantly hungry.
  • fitQueenbeast
    fitQueenbeast Posts: 298
    I do five small meals a day and it has been the best path for me. This works well for me and is a lifestyle I will choose to stick with. It really depends on the individual and what your goals are, but I do know the "experts" suggest the five smaller meals as opposed to three big ones.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    I used to do the small meals every few hours and it turned out to be more work than I wanted. It was a PITA when I went places because I always had to make sure I had snacks on me and I was constantly hungry.

    Bingo!

    Can you imagine what it would be like to tell a conference room full of Physicians, Surgeons and Management "sorry, I have to leave to go eat my 200 calorie meal"... that wouldnt go over so well..
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    Some ppl say to eat small frequent meals throughout the day (like you said) but you don't have to. It doesn't work for everyone. Like me. I like to sit and eat and 3 meals a day with maybe a snack works great for me.

    Your metabolism will treat both the same, despite what others may say.

    You just gotta do whats best for you.
  • denezy
    denezy Posts: 573 Member
    I like snacks, but realistically I can only do it on the days when I am sitting in my office. I do try to give my body SOMEthing every couple of hours though. A piece of fruit at least.

    My body prefers life like that. I get cranky on empty.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Doesn't matter. Whatever method works best for you. Eat six meals a day or one meal a day.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    I eat every 2-3 hours when I'm at work during the weekend. The weekend is typically 2 or 3 bigger meals. Works for me.
  • LoriBeMe
    LoriBeMe Posts: 165 Member
    I get bored here at work and find that a light snack every 2-3 hrs. keeps me from binging at meal time.
  • Miiimii
    Miiimii Posts: 279 Member
    I prefer eating just twice a day - just lunch and dinner (and sometimes have a dessert after dinner) and feel realy well this way. I'm not hungry in the morning so I don't eat. When I know I'm out for dinner, I save calories at lunch (having just a 200kcl lunch for exmaple) and enjoy eating a proper dinner in the restaurant - a whole pizza for example. Yummy!

    I like it this way.
  • futfurd
    futfurd Posts: 33 Member
    I eat 6 times a day, but I am on a musclebuilders diet. The thought is that the consistant infusion of protein keeps you anabolic. I also find that I don't tend to overeat as much because I am not starving come meat time. that having been said when you miss a meal it doesnt take long for the headaches to start. You do become somewhat of a slave to mealtime, but with a little thought it isn't that inconvenient. Your meal can be a scoop of protein powder, or a handful of almonds. You don't have to eat a "MEAL" each time.
    Hope this helps
  • Graceious1
    Graceious1 Posts: 716 Member
    I do this in the week and it works for me because I tend to use more energy here. Try things and choose what works for you.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    It does work, if your goal is to eat less and be full all the time, no matter how much I eat, it just seems like if I eat every 3 hours I stay full all day. Won't do anything for weight loss though.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I do five small meals a day and it has been the best path for me. This works well for me and is a lifestyle I will choose to stick with. It really depends on the individual and what your goals are, but I do know the "experts" suggest the five smaller meals as opposed to three big ones.

    Which "experts" would those be? I'm attaching a link from a PubMed study that shows in makes no difference. It's all preference and what works best for compliance. There is no metabolic or physiological advantage to eating more often, or less often or nutritional timing in general.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
  • stewarm01
    stewarm01 Posts: 331 Member
    Thanks to everyone for the advice and information. This gives me something to think about.
  • nml2011
    nml2011 Posts: 156 Member
    The six times a day eating (or 4+ etc.) craze has been proven not to have any difference over eating once a day.

    If anything it will hinder weight loss / body recomposition in that you are constantly spiking your insulin and slowing down or stopping your fat burning.
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
    I eat more frequently and aim for 200-300 for breakfast, 250-350 for lunch, 300-400 for dinner and then about 50-200 for snacks. I usually have breakfast, 2 morning snacks, lunch, 2 afternoon snacks, dinner and 2 night snacks. Every day I pack my breakfast, lunch and 4-5 snacks but I count that as 4-5 of 100 calories so in my head I count 50 calories as half a snack, 200 calories as two snacks, etc.

    ETA: I don't do this for any reason other than that I really like snacking and I've found I'm more likely to stay within my calorie goals if I snack a lot in small quantities. It also works well for me because I have to eat before I get hungry. If I wait until I'm hungry, I get hangry and then I make poor decisions and usually blow through my calorie goal.
  • funpilot56
    funpilot56 Posts: 100
    Excluding those people using this site for accountability, what do the 40% of Americans who are obese do when they only eat 2-3 1,000 calorie meals (read fast food) a day. What happens to the calories they don't burn because they are couch potatoes? Does their metabolism just utilze what they eat over time?
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    When I had a personal trainer that is what he told me..eat less but more often (five meals daily) It worked for me
  • katamus
    katamus Posts: 2,363 Member
    Some days I have two big meals, other days I snack throughout the whole damn day.. I try to not restrict myself. If I feel like eating, I eat. If I don't feel like eating, I won't. I'll just make up for it by eating more at dinner when I'm actually hungry.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Excluding those people using this site for accountability, what do the 40% of Americans who are obese do when they only eat 2-3 1,000 calorie meals (read fast food) a day.

    They burn a portion of those calories and store any excess over time as fat.
    What happens to the calories they don't burn because they are couch potatoes? Does their metabolism just utilze what they eat over time?

    Everyone's metabolism utilizes it over time regardless of feeding frequency. The same thing would happen in your example if they were eating the same 3000 calories partitioned into 6 meals of 500kcal each.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Excluding those people using this site for accountability, what do the 40% of Americans who are obese do when they only eat 2-3 1,000 calorie meals (read fast food) a day. What happens to the calories they don't burn because they are couch potatoes? Does their metabolism just utilze what they eat over time?

    It's simple. If they are in calorie surplus they store them as fat, thus why they are obese. But the reason they are obese is the caloric surplus not the frequency of eating. They cycle goe something like. Eat a big meal, store what you don't need to use immediatly, don't eat for awhile, oxidize the energy you stored after eating. If you are in surplus, you don't oxidize all of it. If you are at maintenance, you do. If you are in deficit you oxidize all of it plus some previously stored fat.

    This is going on with all of us 24 hours per day.
  • AnnaMC1977
    AnnaMC1977 Posts: 241
    It actually works for me...as long as I'm actually in town. I think it keeps your metabolism up, and you feel better since you literally cannot get hungry when you eat that often.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    Excluding those people using this site for accountability, what do the 40% of Americans who are obese do when they only eat 2-3 1,000 calorie meals (read fast food) a day. What happens to the calories they don't burn because they are couch potatoes? Does their metabolism just utilze what they eat over time?

    This is rather simple. When you sustain a vlcd for an extended period of time, your body adapts. And starts to become less effective at burning calories. Also, it catabolizes lean body mass to create energy. So what happens when you splurge here and there and eat 3000 calories and on average you only burn 1200 calories due to adaptation? You now create a calorie surplus and gain a lot of weight.
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 639 Member
    The six times a day eating (or 4+ etc.) craze has been proven not to have any difference over eating once a day.

    What is your source? link? Eating often increases your metabolism, that's why they say to eat breakfast to break the fast your body is doing and jumpstart your metabolism for the day.

    I eat four 400 calories meals a day, snack being the fourth meal split up into 4 parts.
  • teejay2039
    teejay2039 Posts: 35
    Which "experts" would those be?

    I know you didn't ask me, and no i don't follow this advice, but it IS still being disseminated out there in internet land......


    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer-phase-1-day-1.html

    ***Eat every three hours (usually 5 or 6 times a day, depending on when you wake up)! It's the secret to speeding up your metabolism. Be on time!***
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
    On a routine day, I eat 4 times.
    But I can be flexible on non-routine days. The main focus is don't go over my calorie budget.
  • Julicat6
    Julicat6 Posts: 231 Member
    I prefer to eat small meals and have snacks most of the time, but I don't get upset over days when that doesn't happen. I just feel more energetic and balanced when I eat smaller meals, but more frequently. I think its one of those personal preference things. I don't want to argue science as to whether or not you get better calorie burn and metabolism doing frequent meals, I just know it keeps me from getting hungry and giving in to cravings for food that doesn't meet my goals.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    It actually works for me...as long as I'm actually in town. I think it keeps your metabolism up, and you feel better since you literally cannot get hungry when you eat that often.

    It has no metabolic benefit. It just helps you with compliance. It does for some and doesn't for others. If it works for you, by all means do it.

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