Eating every 2-3 hours a MYTH!??? WTH!

It doesn't f*cking matter. Your body will always obey the laws of physics (thermodynamics specifically) when it comes to calories.

The idea that eating small meals every few hours "boosts your metabolism" is the part that's a myth. What isn't a myth is that it helps keep some people from feeling hungry because they always have at least some food in their bodies. For those people, it can keep portion sizes down just because they aren't as hungry.

If you find yourself starving between meals and ending up eating a lot more than your calorie allowance because you're just so hungry, try eating more frequently. It's not an inherently better or worse system, just one that works for some people.

Not a myth if there is evidence based research. Myths cannot be proven through research. Facts with visible results aren't myth!! Do your research!

The idea that eating small meals every few hours "boosts your metabolism" is the part that's a myth. What isn't a myth is that it helps keep some people from feeling hungry because they always have at least some food in their bodies. For those people, it can keep portion sizes down just because they aren't as hungry.

If you find yourself starving between meals and ending up eating a lot more than your calorie allowance because you're just so hungry, try eating more frequently. It's not an inherently better or worse system, just one that works for some people.

Not a myth if there is evidence based research. Myths cannot be proven through research. Facts with visible results aren't myth!! Do your research!

It's not ironic, because I can back up what I say.

Jim Stoppani, PhD-Jim Stoppani received his doctorate in exercise physiology with a minor in biochemistry from the University of Connecticut. Following graduation, he served as a postdoctoral research fellow in the prestigious John B. Pierce Laboratory and Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology at Yale University School of Medicine, where he investigated the effects of exercise and diet on gene regulation in muscle tissue.

Science proves that


1. Eat 6 smaller meals per day, not 2-3 feasts

This will ensure that you supply your body with the nutrients necessary to build muscle and burn fat.

Bonus: Your resting metabolic rate increases. It will also prevent your body from kicking into “starvation” mode, which can happen when too much time elapses between meals.

If this happens, your body will start burning muscle for energy and increasing your body fat stores, as well as slowing down your metabolism. This is the exact opposite of what you want to happen.

Don’t be one of those people that complain about their situation but never does anything to improve it. Don’t become “happy” with the status quo of being miserable. Now take action on your knowledge!
(Dr Jim Soppani)"

The idea that eating small meals every few hours "boosts your metabolism" is the part that's a myth. What isn't a myth is that it helps keep some people from feeling hungry because they always have at least some food in their bodies. For those people, it can keep portion sizes down just because they aren't as hungry.

If you find yourself starving between meals and ending up eating a lot more than your calorie allowance because you're just so hungry, try eating more frequently. It's not an inherently better or worse system, just one that works for some people.

Not a myth if there is evidence based research. Myths cannot be proven through research. Facts with visible results aren't myth!! Do your research!

6 small meals a day is bull****

Hello from Chicago. I think you should go easy. We all work differently. Just because "6 small meals" doesn't work for YOU DOES NOT mean it is not a good plan for others. You understand what I mean, I hope.

I had these same questions so I did some investigation and I've summarized what I found, below. If anyone wants links to the source documents or studies, send me a PM and I can provide them. So...in no particular order, what I've learned in support of eating multiple smaller meals a day:

1) Protein utilization - You cannot utilize more than ~30 grams of protein per meal for anabolic purposes. Protein consumed in excess of this amount is either used for its caloric value (not optimal because protein is a "dirty" fuel), or will be stored as fat. Individuals with protein needs in excess of 90 grams/day, and who only eat 3 meals/day run the risk of being in a continual protein deficit. The body will react to this by catabolizing lean body mass.

2) Excess thermogenesis of multiple meals - This is not a myth. It has been demonstrated that single, large meals are more efficiently processed than are multiple, smaller meals of equivalent caloric value. Another way of saying this is that it takes more calories to process multiple small meals. The difference in the caloric requirements is not trivial, and does effectively raise the metabolic rate of the individual eating multiple meals.

3) Fat storage - Larger, less frequent meals produce a greater insulin response, which results in increased fat storage.

4) Reduced time spent in energy deficit - This is related to the first point listed, but is slightly different. Consider that at any given time your body has a specific requirement for energy. It is less when you are at rest and more when you are exercising. Similarly, at any given time your body is receiving a certain amount of energy through nutrition. This level is high immediately following a meal and will taper off over time. Studies have shown that the less time spent during the day in energy deficit (and the avoidance of large deficits), the lower the amount of muscle catabolism the body will employ. Consider an extreme example of this: A person exercises hard in the morning, and eats one meal a day in the evening. Even if that meal is sufficient to cover the individual's daily caloric requirements, they will have spent most of the day in an energy deficit, catabolizing lean muscle mass, and they will spend most of the evening in a large caloric surplus, with a high insulin response, laying down fat. Think of this as reverse body recomposition. Now consider a person on the opposite end of the spectrum. They eat 5 small meals a day and they time their largest meals to be before and after their exercise period. This person can support both muscle growth and fat reduction. Ignoring that the frequent eater will have burned more calories as a result of the frequent meals, in these two example the two individuals will have engaged in the same amount of exercise and eating the same amount of calories per day, but by managing the amount of time during the day spent in extreme surplus or deficit, they will experience very different outcomes.

The slide below illustrates this. Eating Pattern 1 shows a person eating multiple small meals a day. Eating Pattern 2 shows a person eating three large meals a day. Eating Patter 3 shows a person eating one large meal in the evening. It's important to note that all three end the day at the 0 line, meaning that they all exactly covered their calorie requirements. However, each of them spent all of the minutes and hours during the day at various levels of caloric surplus or deficit. Studies suggest that Eating Pattern 1 is optimal for avoiding fat creation and muscle catabolism.


Anyway...that's what I've found, so that's my story and I'm sticking to it! :laugh:

I'm interested in the resources you've used to conclude this. You may want to post it in the thread so we can all discuss it, rather than via PMs.