3 meals vs. 6 little meals a day

Focus on energy deficit regardless how you do it.

However, if you want to care about timings, consider getting protein intake in boluses throughout the day to preserve lean mass during your energy deficit.

Point two is SECONDARY to point one.

Get energy deficit first, thats the priority, doesnt hugely matter if you do 1, 2, 4, 6, 10 or 20 meals a day as long as your at an energy deficit.

I naturaly do 5 meals so I'm just trying to even out the calories and macros between them which is the hard part.

If your can get all of your calories in 3 meals then do it. The reason I, and others i know eat 5-6 meals is because it is really hard to shove 1,200 to 1,400 calories in one sitting of "clean" hahaha food. Do what you dig brother, you know your body better than anybody here.

I was wondering who has success in eating 3 meals a day vs. 6 little meals a day. I've been doing some research and they are "studies" that say you increase your metabolism by eating 6 little meals a day; then there are studies that say it doesn't matter.

Isn't it Calories IN vs. Calories OUT that matters!!

What's everybody doing 3 or 6?

I eat 2 meals a day. It really doesn't matter. If these meals are less than my TDEE, I'll lose weight. If more, I'll gain it.

Find an eating style that jives with your lifestyle and you'll stick with it and succeed.

Try to contort your lifestyle to some arbitrary eating style and you'll stick with it for 2 weeks tops.

No, it is not ALL about calories in/out. Anyone stating this is not up on their science. Calories do count but there are many other things that also count. Our bodies are very complex in how they use what we eat.

I Disagree. Saying it's only calories in/out is relevant, because whilst there is more complexity to it than that, the vast majority of users on MFP only need to worry about energy intake.

Elite athlete? Worry about macronutrients
Severely obese? Worry about macronutrients
Metabolic conditions? Worry about macronutrients
Severe energy deficit? Worry about macronutrients
Trying to 'bulk up'? Worry about protein intake and energy surplus
Trying to lose body fat? Maintain energy deficit and perhaps consider protein intake.

well... that leaves quite a bit of grey area no?

I eat 5-6 smaller meals daily. I have to have the full feeling. Once I start to feel hunger I make poor food choices. Smaller more frequent better for me.

For the average Joe/Jane, nutrient timing doesn't matter substantially. You aren't going to substantially "stoke the fires of your metabolism" by eating more frequently...like maybe a few calories. Really, for the average Joe it's more about adherence than anything else...if eating 6 times per day results in greater dietary adherence then you are winning

Nutrient timing is more important to fitness and training and becomes even more important if you are a competitive athlete...which is what a lot of these "studies" are done on, not the average Joe out there trying lose a little weight and improve their fitness.

I usually go with two real meals, breakfast is usually small enough it could pass as a snack at 80-130 calories. Then a snack about 3 most days and a graze period in the evening with several small things (I am actually trying to stop doing as much of that). Still watching my overall calories, though, maintaining that deficit and losing weight.

I generally do 3 meals and a couple snacks. I get hungry every 2-3 hours or so, it works for me.

Do what YOU can stick too.

I eat many small meals throughout the day because that's what works for me, not because I think it will speed up my metabolism.

It's personal preference. Meal timing has no effect on weight loss.

I eat 6 meals Monday through Friday to keep me from going insane at my desk... and I like to have a snack before my workouts.

I eat a big breakfast, small lunch, and moderate dinner on the weekends because... I want to.

Find what works for you. :drinker:

As one member has said, the 6 meals a day has been debunked. There is no benefit except when you are eating say 5000 + calories a day. It's hard to eat that much in 3 meals.

I do IF and I only eat on avg 2 meals a day. I might eat an apple in between on some days.

6 meals a day if it works for you sure, but as you said in your original post. Calories In and Out is one of the biggest factors.

I eat 3 meals and a snack.

I'd rather have the bigger meals because they make me feel full. I do not get super hungry in between meals. When I maintain, I will have 3 meals and 2 snacks. My 3 meals will be slightly bigger than now and there will be an extra snack. I think the 6 small meals sounds like a good idea in theory, but with work and school its hard to eat in that frequency.

It all matters with personal preference. I don't know about the whole metabolism thing, but some people might find that eating 6 times a day keeps them from getting hungry because they eat frequently. I find that eating the bigger meals and the feeling of fullness works for me.

It's up to you. Maybe experiment to see what you like?

I just eat whenever I'm hungry. I have my food diary set with 3 meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), midday snacks, and late snacks, but I'd say I probably eat 6-8 times a day on average. I snack a lot on things like carrots and mangos, so I wouldn't consider those meals, and if I were to count my full meals, I'd say I eat 2-3, but realistically I'm eating all throughout the day so I don't pay too much concern to a meal structure at all. It all depends on personal preference. I found even before coming on here, I never ate a lot in one sitting. I'm the kind of person who gets full quickly, but is hungry every hour. It was normal for me to eat part of my dinner, then keep going back to it every hour until it was done. Now I just give myself smaller portions, and snack on healthy choices or meal leftovers when I need to.