8 small meals/day, high protein, low carb & sugar?

Runtly89
Runtly89 Posts: 15 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Not trying to make the number on the scale go down, maybe just a couple of pounds. My goal is to lose fat and gain muscle. (I'm a 24 year old female) and I exercise regularly (cardio+weights)

My trainer wants me to eat 125g protein a day. Divided into 8 (small) meals a day, that's 15.6g/meal, plus two cups of veggies/meal. Carbs and sugars are limited but pretty much impossible to avoid altogether, and if I "have" to have any additional carbs, they need to be before noon and less than 25g. He's not concerned with fat as much as sugars. I don't have a sweet tooth anyways.

I bought a great protein powder that I will portion out to 15-16g protein/shake, and it has 0 sugars and carbs.

This sounded really easy, until I sat down and tried to "plan out" my meals.. Can anyone help me out? I have the motivation and determination, it's just really hard to come up with meals that fill the requirement and also are low in sugars and carbs. Help me get started!?

Replies

  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Why does it have to be in eight meals?
  • Runtly89
    Runtly89 Posts: 15 Member
    8 small meals throughout the day is much better than 3 big meals a day-- boosts the metabolism. It's okay if I eat double the protein for one meal and skip it for the next, but it's best to even it out.
  • Runtly89
    Runtly89 Posts: 15 Member
    The idea is to "graze" all day instead of just a couple big meals. 8 meals is more of a guideline.
  • FitnessMind_SS
    FitnessMind_SS Posts: 37 Member
    8 small meals throughout the day is much better than 3 big meals a day-- boosts the metabolism. It's okay if I eat double the protein for one meal and skip it for the next, but it's best to even it out.

    There isn't much of any evidence that I'm aware of to support this and there's plenty of it refuting the above.
    In short, I'd disregard the advice and I'd consider getting a new trainer.

    Please note:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17483007

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820577-meal-frequency-rev-up-that-furnace-lol
  • mich1902
    mich1902 Posts: 182
    I usually have 6 meals a day, just because i like to eat every few hours or I get 'hangry' lol. I usually hit my macros but I use the total per day, I don't split it all into meals to be honest. My veg intake is currently terrible but i do hit the fiber intake as well as 35% p, 30% carbs and 35% fat. Thats for my 1500 cals.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    8 small meals throughout the day is much better than 3 big meals a day-- boosts the metabolism. It's okay if I eat double the protein for one meal and skip it for the next, but it's best to even it out.
    No, no it doesn't. Quite the contrary. Short fasts (12-72 hours) increase metabolic rate. I eat one meal a day right after I lift and have gained a considerable amount of muscle and have lost enough fat that I'm considered underweight.
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    8 small meals throughout the day is much better than 3 big meals a day-- boosts the metabolism. It's okay if I eat double the protein for one meal and skip it for the next, but it's best to even it out.
    No, no it doesn't. Quite the contrary. Short fasts (12-72 hours) increase metabolic rate. I eat one meal a day right after I lift and have gained a considerable amount of muscle and have lost enough fat that I'm considered underweight.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    Get a new trainer
  • snowmanluv
    snowmanluv Posts: 200 Member
    Just checking....what protein powder are you using with 0 sugar and 0 carbs? 8 meals is a lot. sound more like body building food analogy.
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    Ammeeennnnnnn......:) brilliant and beautiful...8 meals a dayyyyy?? what the ****! I lost all my fat eating one to 3 meals a day with lots of time NOT eating in between....Trainers??!!! jeeezzzzz
  • RunEatLift
    RunEatLift Posts: 68
    good god, how do you find the time to prepare and eat 8 meals per day? that would drive me crazy.
    don't buy into the whole 'eating small meals speeds up your metabolism' - if that were true then why is intermittent fasting so popular?
  • Runtly89
    Runtly89 Posts: 15 Member
    Guys, whoa, hang on. A "meal" could consist of a handful of nuts for crying out loud. Maybe I should have said 6-8 smaller meals throughout the day and it would've been better understood. All I was asking was for ideas on high protein foods that are low in carbs and sugars. It's a very common, widely used diet. High protein, high veggies, low sugars, carbs in the morning and then limited throughout the day. My metabolism is at 90mph in the first place, I have always grazed throughout the day verses 1 big meal, which kills your metabolism.
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    Why stop at 8? Go for 20.
  • Runtly89
    Runtly89 Posts: 15 Member
    Eating one meal a day can toss your body into starvation mode which is NOT what I'm interested in doing. Eating 6-8 small meals (call them snacks if you want) is much better for me.
  • jlg502
    jlg502 Posts: 1
    8 small meals/snacks a day is fine. My best friend has a trainer and he had her do the same thing and she is has lost 95 lbs in 11 months and feels great. Some things she eats is cottage cheese, tuna packs, almonds, broccoli, turkey burgers, lean chicken, sweat potatoes, green beans, sugar free jello as a fun snack. Good luck. After her success I have started the same thing
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,098 Member
    Guys, whoa, hang on. A "meal" could consist of a handful of nuts for crying out loud.

    A handful of nuts does not equal "15.6g [protein]/meal, plus two cups of veggies/meal," unless you consider 2 oz. of nuts to be a "handful" -- plus you'd be getting more carb grams than protein grams, and you said you were supposed to be maxing out at 25 g of carbs (other than the veggies, if I understand you).
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    Can you maintain this for the rest of your life? If yes, then try it. If no, then no.
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    8 small meals throughout the day is much better than 3 big meals a day-- boosts the metabolism. It's okay if I eat double the protein for one meal and skip it for the next, but it's best to even it out.
    No, no it doesn't. Quite the contrary. Short fasts (12-72 hours) increase metabolic rate. I eat one meal a day right after I lift and have gained a considerable amount of muscle and have lost enough fat that I'm considered underweight.
    I would love to see the peer-reviewed studies that provide evidence for either of these claims' actual effectiveness.
  • JenTracey
    JenTracey Posts: 15 Member
    I am currently doing a similar diet. I have 1 scoop of Raw brand rice organic protein in the morning with 1 cup of almond milk, 1/2 cup f frozen mixed berries, 2 tablespoons of Flax Seed in the blender. snack to increase protien I have plain greek yogurt with veggies (i have found many recipes for spicing up the plain yogurt) chicken, salmon, Boars Head Turkey as it has no preservative, ground turkey. Look for clean eating on Pintrest. I found lots of good recipes there. I travel with my job so I have to leave prepared to snack all day. Good Luck!
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    It doesn't matter how often you eat. Purely personal preference. I generally eat three meals and three snacks because that works for me. Snacks often consist of a banana, piece of string cheese, boiled egg, ounce of almonds, etc. But I always save room for my snack size York Peppermint Patty at the very end of the day.
  • jayjay12345654321
    jayjay12345654321 Posts: 653 Member
    That is a lot of meals in one day. It would be difficult to keep it varied. I'd suggest fixing what should be a normal meal and just eating half of it, then 2 hours later, eating the other half.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Why stop at 8? Go for 20.

    wimp. Continuous feeding by tube is where it's at ;-)

    4 or 5 of the 8 could be a quick protein shake with some cream or nut butter added.

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