Do I have to eat six small meals a day?

Eat when you're hungry, stay within your calories, you'll lose weight. it doesn't matter whether you eat 6 times a day or only once. Just find what works for you.

In order to build muscle mass after resistance training, and to prevent its loss when you are in a calorie deficit, your body needs a continuous supply of amino acids in the blood stream (from protein consumption). Amino acids aren't stored for later use, and your body can't really use more than about 30 grams every 2-3 hours, so that's one of the reasons for the multiple small, high protein meals.

The other benefit of many small meals is to avoid big swings in your energy balance. It's entirely possible to be in energy balance for the day (calories in = calories burned) but because of the timing of your meals and exercise, spend most of your day either in a calorie deficit or calorie surplus. The former tends to make you loss muscle mass, and the latter tends to make you build fat deposits.

Actual science, not bro science.

I hear 12 meals a day is better.

In order to build muscle mass after resistance training, and to prevent its loss when you are in a calorie deficit, your body needs a continuous supply of amino acids in the blood stream (from protein consumption). Amino acids aren't stored for later use, and your body can't really use more than about 30 grams every 2-3 hours, so that's one of the reasons for the multiple small, high protein meals.

The other benefit of many small meals is to avoid big swings in your energy balance. It's entirely possible to be in energy balance for the day (calories in = calories burned) but because of the timing of your meals and exercise, spend most of your day either in a calorie deficit or calorie surplus. The former tends to make you loss muscle mass, and the latter tends to make you build fat deposits.

Actual science, not bro science.

Thank you!

B.S., but enjoy the silliness

I used to eat 3 meals a day like most people but my nutritionist recommended 6 small meals to keep blood sugar levels relatively stable throughout the day and provide the muscles with protein. I definitely lost weight last time I did this but I'm not sure if it's because of this or if is just because of the deficit alone.

Benefits (I found): -much less inclined to binge because when I ate every 3 hours I never let myself get too hungry
-Much easier to stop eating when I was done my food because I knew I would get to eat again in 3 more hours
-Less cravings

Cons: -Very inconvenient
-Awkward in social situations... I began planning my life around meals and it sort of took over.

You definitely train your body to be hungry every 3 hours if you eat every 3 hours though, I'll tell you that much!

In order to build muscle mass after resistance training, and to prevent its loss when you are in a calorie deficit, your body needs a continuous supply of amino acids in the blood stream (from protein consumption). Amino acids aren't stored for later use, and your body can't really use more than about 30 grams every 2-3 hours, so that's one of the reasons for the multiple small, high protein meals.

The other benefit of many small meals is to avoid big swings in your energy balance. It's entirely possible to be in energy balance for the day (calories in = calories burned) but because of the timing of your meals and exercise, spend most of your day either in a calorie deficit or calorie surplus. The former tends to make you loss muscle mass, and the latter tends to make you build fat deposits.

Actual science, not bro science.

Can you explain how the guys in the link below have such nice bodies by eating only twice a day? Maybe they're not human?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzfsaXsV-T4

No science (or bro-science) here, just some educated cogitation regarding 6 "small meals" a day for competitive lifting/body building.

The term "small" is relative. A 180-200lb man doing heavy training for competitive lifting/bod building probably consumes about 2800-3400 calories a day. 6 "small" meals of 466-566 calories may be easier for some to consume than consuming 1000+ calories at one sitting. 3 times a day.

Just my thoughts.

In order to build muscle mass after resistance training, and to prevent its loss when you are in a calorie deficit, your body needs a continuous supply of amino acids in the blood stream (from protein consumption). Amino acids aren't stored for later use, and your body can't really use more than about 30 grams every 2-3 hours, so that's one of the reasons for the multiple small, high protein meals.

The other benefit of many small meals is to avoid big swings in your energy balance. It's entirely possible to be in energy balance for the day (calories in = calories burned) but because of the timing of your meals and exercise, spend most of your day either in a calorie deficit or calorie surplus. The former tends to make you loss muscle mass, and the latter tends to make you build fat deposits.

Actual science, not bro science.

Cite plz? I call bullsh1t

In order to build muscle mass after resistance training, and to prevent its loss when you are in a calorie deficit, your body needs a continuous supply of amino acids in the blood stream (from protein consumption). Amino acids aren't stored for later use, and your body can't really use more than about 30 grams every 2-3 hours, so that's one of the reasons for the multiple small, high protein meals.

The other benefit of many small meals is to avoid big swings in your energy balance. It's entirely possible to be in energy balance for the day (calories in = calories burned) but because of the timing of your meals and exercise, spend most of your day either in a calorie deficit or calorie surplus. The former tends to make you loss muscle mass, and the latter tends to make you build fat deposits.

Actual science, not bro science.

Haha. Actual science? Really? Please direct me to just ONE study supporting this.