Weight Gain on 5 Meals A Day

punkrain
punkrain Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
This week I began eating 5 meals a day and during my weekly weigh-in I was surprised to see that I had gained .4 pounds. The meals have been small, healthy, and I've not been going over my calorie goal of 1300 calories (kind of, I'll get to that). I've watching my fat, carbs, protein, and sugar and I only go over on protein and sugar (due to lots of fruit and veg). I go to the gym everyday and walk for an hour at a moderate pace, enough to be sweating quite a bit by the end, plus I've been doing a stretching class. Sometimes, I go over the 1300 (here it is) but I always stay within the amount of earned calories from exercise. Before I started being healthier to lose weight and before my "I'm so in love with my fiancé" weight gain, I only ate 2 meals a day. I switched to the 5 meals a day in the hopes of boosting my metabolism, but I feel like I eating all of the time.

So I guess I have a variety of questions:

Is it normal to have some weight gain when eating more meals day?
Should I go back to my 3 meals a day?
Will eating the 5 meals boost my metabolism in any significant way?
Should I make up for calories I've burned during exercise?

Thank you!

Replies

  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
    It's .4 of a lb, almost completely irrelevant. If you keep gaining week on week then most likely you are actually just eating more than before but changing your whole approach over a .4 lb gain is a total overreaction.

    No eating more often does not speed up your metabolic rate, eat however many meals fit into your daily life most conveniently.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    The number of meals or the time you eat them shouldn't matter. It's the calories (which, for the most part, should be from healthy food). You're probably underestimating your food intake. It's easy to do if you don't weigh everything and stick to known foods.

    If I ate on a formal schedule of several meals a day I'd surely gain weight because I'd overeat with all those opportunities.
  • Viva81Diva
    Viva81Diva Posts: 148
    Exercise should speed up metabolism. If you are finding that you are hungry now, then consume more lean protein and make sure that your water intake is good. It's best to stay hydrated all throughout the day rather than drinking your water hours apart.

    Here's a link that might help you...

    http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/6/Dining/meals_really_rev_up_your_metabolism_1304100555.html
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    It's .4 of a lb, almost completely irrelevant. If you keep gaining week on week then most likely you are actually just eating more than before but changing your whole approach over a .4 lb gain is a total overreaction.

    No eating more often does not speed up your metabolic rate, eat however many meals fit into your daily life most conveniently.

    Ditto all of this. It doesn't matter if you eat 3 meals a day, 6 smaller meals, 10 tiny meals...it will not make you lose weight any faster. Eat in a manner that keeps you full and satiated. personally, I am a 3 meals/day plus snacks kind of girl.

    If you are accurately (accuracy is important, no guesstimating amounts) logging your food and keeping at your calorie goal, you shouldn't be gaining weight. However, as mentioned above, we are talking about less than a 1/2 pound gained. That can easily be a daily fluctuation, retained water, etc. and not a real weight gain.
  • punkrain
    punkrain Posts: 6 Member
    I'm not really freaking out, so much as just curious. I know it isn't a large amount of weight. I was just wondering if an initial weight gain or plateau was normal as your body adjusts to the new diet. I drink water throughout the day and weigh my food very carefully, overestimating when I'm unsure.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    It's .4 of a lb, entirely, and completely irrelevant.

    fixed
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    I'm not really freaking out, so much as just curious. I know it isn't a large amount of weight. I was just wondering if an initial weight gain or plateau was normal as your body adjusts to the new diet. I drink water throughout the day and weigh my food very carefully, overestimating when I'm unsure.

    it's literally not even weight gain. every single person's bodyweight can fluctuate as much as 5 pounds daily based on how much sleep you got, how much water you drank, how stressed out you are, whether you've gone to the bathroom or not.

    .4 pounds literally means less than nothing.

    however, there is usually an adjustment period to a new diet or exercise regimen in which significant weight can be gained, but it's temporary and is usually in the form of simply retaining water. nothing to be concerned about and completely normal.
  • Annerk1
    Annerk1 Posts: 372 Member
    Are you weighing/measuring everything you eat? I think most people have no idea what constitutes the portion they think they are eating. If you don't already have one, invest in a digital kitchen scale and use that plus your measuring cups/spoons religiously.

    I would also look at what you are eating. Get rid of processed foods, sugars, "bad" fats, and strive to eat more lean protein and complex carbs (whole grains and vegetables.) Reduce the fruits and substitute with vegetables.

    I also wonder if you think you are burning off more calories than you actually are. Stretching is good for you, but an hour of it is only 160 calories or so.

    I personally don't think that eating five meals a day versus three makes any difference. The real way to boost your metabolism is to increase that walking to a much faster pace. I power walk five miles an hour over hilly terrain, and allow myself half the calories I "earn" if I"m hungry. An hour of power walking at that pace with 40% of it at a 15-20 degree or higher incline burns about 750 calories and totally jump starts your metabolism.
  • juanreveleshernandez
    juanreveleshernandez Posts: 1 Member
    Eating several small meals per day is beneficial to your body. When you eat three large meals per day your are teaching your body to store fat, specially if you don't keep a routine and meal plan. By eating several meals per day on schedule, you teach your body to use what it needs and release what the body isn't going to use. At the same time you maintain your sugar levels stable and your brain activity constant. Don't focus so much on your weight, but your body fat. Muscle weighs more than fat, therefore as you exercise and build muscle, your overall weight will increase along with your strength and overall health. Get plenty of sleep and keep a balanced diet. The scheduled meals alone will allow you to loose some weight. Also consider that most nutritionist will count sleep as a meal because of the lack of physical activity in your body. So, avoid eating your heavy meals past lunch and your last meal should be 3 hours prior to bed time. Keep in mind to stay hydrated. Many times your body will respond as hungry when in reality what it needs is water. Don't drink any fruit juices or soda since they contain large amounts of sugar. Only eat water fruits such as grapes, apples, oranges, watermelon, cucumbers, and many others among those mentioned. Avoid meaty fruits such as mangoes, papaya, or bananas. The best thing you can do is to drink a glass of water before every meal and wait 10 minutes before you start eating. This will allow you to stay hydrated and will keep you from overeating. Have fun and relax. If you stress over loosing weight you will never actually do it. Enjoy who you are and let other love you and respect you for who your are.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
    This week I began eating 5 meals a day and during my weekly weigh-in I was surprised to see that I had gained .4 pounds. The meals have been small, healthy, and I've not been going over my calorie goal of 1300 calories (kind of, I'll get to that). I've watching my fat, carbs, protein, and sugar and I only go over on protein and sugar (due to lots of fruit and veg). I go to the gym everyday and walk for an hour at a moderate pace, enough to be sweating quite a bit by the end, plus I've been doing a stretching class. Sometimes, I go over the 1300 (here it is) but I always stay within the amount of earned calories from exercise. Before I started being healthier to lose weight and before my "I'm so in love with my fiancé" weight gain, I only ate 2 meals a day. I switched to the 5 meals a day in the hopes of boosting my metabolism, but I feel like I eating all of the time.

    So I guess I have a variety of questions:

    Is it normal to have some weight gain when eating more meals day?
    Should I go back to my 3 meals a day?
    Will eating the 5 meals boost my metabolism in any significant way?
    Should I make up for calories I've burned during exercise?

    Thank you!

    Is this a serious question???

    If you are stressing over a .4 increase which is probably just water weight then you have bigger issues where food is concerned.

    Please seek help.

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