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

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  • death2thepixies
    death2thepixies Posts: 6
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    Good point.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    I eat when I'm hungry, and stop I when I stop feeling hungry or hit my calorie goal, whichever comes first.

    Okay, at least that's most of the time . . .
  • MuseofSong
    MuseofSong Posts: 322 Member
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    I have seen so many infomercials (partway before I flip the channel) that talk about having litlte meals all day like you're constantly adding kindling to the fire and you burn fat faster with many meals. I understand the concept of it maintaining a stable blood sugar and that kind of stuff.

    But, it just will not and cannot work for some people. I have a job where I cannot eat when I want. I literally can't. It's not like it's a choice where I could just have a quick something. It's a non-option. I have to eat, if I want to eat at all, at the lunchtime I'm allotted and that's it. We might have snacks for late meetings, but that's after the regular work day is over.

    I'm sure there are many other people who have tight schedules, and the idea that you have to eat little meals all day long or your metabolism is starving and not burning fat is a defeating concept because it's something I could never do.

    Sometimes on the weekends, I sleep past breakfast time, or I wake up early and nap later, thereby sleeping through lunch time, did I just murder my metabolism because I did not wake up in time for tea and toast or an afternoon sandwich? Somehow, I do not think so.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    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.

    Stopped reading at this horse**it. Protein is nearly impossible to be stored as fat---
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/nutrient-intake-nutrient-storage-and-nutrient-oxidation.html
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/excess-protein-and-fat-storage-qa.html
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Holy broseph batman! There are some gems here.

    OP, not that you probably care as you started this thread over a year ago, however, any possible benefits of meal timing (and we are only talking possible and insignificant ones, if at all) is far, far outweighed by eating in a way that suits gym performance and adherence. There is no credible source that indicates a more than potentially insignificant benefit of meal frequency on metabolism directly.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
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    I eat 3 meals, sometimes a snack at night, like popcorn while watching TV. My job doesn't only gives me a 30 minute lunch break. So breakfast, lunch and dinner is all my schedule allows for.
  • Amadbro
    Amadbro Posts: 750 Member
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    This is a myth. I can tell you from EXPERIENCE. I use the Lean Gains/Intermittent fasting approach to diet and I can tell you meal frequency/timing is irrelevant. I generally eat twice a day. Once post workout lunch (about 1700 cals with about 317g carbs) and 2nd is dinner and around 1100 cals. I've done this through the entire 50 lbs I've lost in the last 6 months and have retained most of my lean body mass and strength in the gym. Eat when you want to. At the end of the day all that matters is calories in vs calories out.

    Surplus=weight gain
    deficit=weight loss
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    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.

    Stopped reading at this horse**it. Protein is nearly impossible to be stored as fat---
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/nutrient-intake-nutrient-storage-and-nutrient-oxidation.html
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/excess-protein-and-fat-storage-qa.html

    Plus:

    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/is-there-a-limit-to-how-much-protein-the-body-can-use-in-a-single-meal/


    and


    Venuto also has a good article as well.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I'm just not hungry every two or three hours. Thirsty, yes.

    In my opinion, you might just have a slow metabolism. So eat every 2-3 hours and your body's metabolism will speed up, unless you have thyroid problems or other conditions with at would prevent this. Do your research.

    If you are on my fitness pal the. It's safe to assume you are trying to eat better and lose weight? How long have you been doing it and what's your results?

    Not everyone is here to lose weight.

    And also, there are many people who evidence results - and I would bet a significant number of them do not eat every 2 - 3 hours.
  • jobrian1984
    jobrian1984 Posts: 19
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    Lee Labrada

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lee-labrada-12-week-lean-body-trainer-nutrition-overview.html

    Additional source

    Eat often. Berardi recommends eating every 2 to 3 hours. Each time you eat, you stimulate your metabolism for a short period of time, which means that the more often you eat, the more you’ll increase your metabolism. Eating every 2 to 3 hours feeds muscle and starves fat. By eating frequently, you reassure your body that you aren’t going to starve; that food will always be available. Skipping breakfast, eating only a sandwich for lunch, and pigging out at dinner, on the other hand, frightens your body into storing fat, just in case your next meal never comes. Research from Georgia State University shows that people who eat every 2 to 3 hours have less body fat and faster metabolisms than those who eat only 2 or 3 meals per day.

    Back to the Basics

    http://www.dietitiancassie.com/back-to-the-basics-nutrition-101/
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    So everyone that has had success not eating frequently is still doing it wrong? Even if their metabolism is fine, etc....they are still doing it wrong because there can only be ONE way to do this, right? Is that what you are saying? Because sure sounds like it. If it isn't and the people eating 2-3 meals a day versus hours is still doing what works best for them....then that still debunks what you are saying.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    IN for frightening my body into ignoring thermodynamics!!!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Lee Labrada

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lee-labrada-12-week-lean-body-trainer-nutrition-overview.html

    Additional source

    Eat often. Berardi recommends eating every 2 to 3 hours. Each time you eat, you stimulate your metabolism for a short period of time, which means that the more often you eat, the more you’ll increase your metabolism. Eating every 2 to 3 hours feeds muscle and starves fat. By eating frequently, you reassure your body that you aren’t going to starve; that food will always be available. Skipping breakfast, eating only a sandwich for lunch, and pigging out at dinner, on the other hand, frightens your body into storing fat, just in case your next meal never comes. Research from Georgia State University shows that people who eat every 2 to 3 hours have less body fat and faster metabolisms than those who eat only 2 or 3 meals per day.

    Back to the Basics

    http://www.dietitiancassie.com/back-to-the-basics-nutrition-101/

    That is evidence? Really?
  • jrutledge01
    jrutledge01 Posts: 213 Member
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    It is the illusion of a health benefit packaged for helpless morons.

    As one of those "helpless morons", I agree. A more steady-state blood sugar level keeps me at an "I'm satisfied, I only need to eat a little bit" level all day long. And when my blood sugar is low and I'm feeling dizzy and cranky because I haven't eaten anything in 12 hours, I'm helpless to resist my cravings and I make moronic food decisions.

    But as long as calories burned > calories eaten, you're good - whatever you as an individual find works for you. If you're the type of person who prefers to eat your daily allotment calories in a sitting and can manage not to eat anything else for 24 hours, then that's what you should do. If you can eat (your daily allotment)/20 calories an hour for 20 hours, that also works. And anything in between is fine.

    unless you're diabetic, i am pretty sure this is all in your head
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    IN for frightening my body into ignoring thermodynamics!!!

    You should also be in for using someone's meal plan from bb.com that incorporates supplements that bb.com sells, as evidence.
  • tiffysinc
    tiffysinc Posts: 13
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    I tend to get hungry ever few hours regardless of how much I eat (not kidding) so I usually try to eat smaller amounts more often to keep my myself from starving and subsequently going into Godzilla mode when I finally get near food.
  • jrutledge01
    jrutledge01 Posts: 213 Member
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    TinaLatina: do not read articles or take advice from noncredible sources. That article didn't even cite any research or analysis. It's just someone's personal opinion.

    Ironic post is ironic.

    i think you should look up the definition of irony. that post was not ironic ;)
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    IN for frightening my body into ignoring thermodynamics!!!

    You should also be in for using someone's meal plan from bb.com that incorporates supplements that bb.com sells, as evidence.

    cCdKgR1.jpg?1
  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
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    meal timing is irrelevant to body composition, eat as many or little times as you want it will not make a difference, personally I eat 3 meals a day in an 8 hour feeding window
  • Mrs_Bones
    Mrs_Bones Posts: 195 Member
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    Everybody is different!!! I eat three meals with one or two snacks depending on how hungry I am, because I like to try to spread my calories out over the day for energy. Some people do great with six mini-meals and others go way over in their calories that way and find they do better just eating three square meals. Try around and find what works best for you. So long as you're sticking to your calorie goals and having energy to get through the day, you'll be golden.

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