contrary to what i heard.......

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Aps123
Aps123 Posts: 71 Member
so i "like" jillian michaels on facebook and she posted this to her status yesterday and thought it was the absolute opposite of what ive always heard.....anyhow just thought id share. i will continue with small meals all day but it was just surprising to see such a fitness "expert" say something different then what other "experts" say.


Smart Tip - Eat 4 times a day every 4 hours to maintain your energy level, stabilize blood sugar & optimize health. This should look as follows: Breakfast, Lunch, Snack, Dinner. Do NOT eat every two hours, snack often or graze throughout the day. Contrary to to popular belief, eating often does NOT "rev metabolism". It actually inhibits fat metabolism & elevates insulin levels.

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  • piccolarj
    piccolarj Posts: 488 Member
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    I actually heard the same thing on the radio today. Said they did a study and found that eating 3 meals a day was better than eating 5-6 small meals especially if you want to lose weight. I think I'll stick to my 5 times a day as it has worked so far.
  • katschi
    katschi Posts: 689 Member
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    Good Lord, it's hard to keep up.

    Whatever did the human race do to survive without all these studies?
  • aristel
    aristel Posts: 110
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    I lost 75 lbs in 8 months eating 6 times a day. My blood sugar level is better than ever, in fact I´m no longer medicated and a feel wonderful...
  • audjrey
    audjrey Posts: 360 Member
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    I still stick to the notion that every human body is uniquely different and needs to follow it's own set of guidelines. Sometimes that might entail using a little of this and a little of that from each thing the 'experts' say and sometimes following the 'experts' advice exactly might work to a 'T'.

    By the way, I absolutely hate - and yes I mean truly hate - the word "expert". Personally, I don't subscribe to the notion that anyone is an expert. They are simply more educated and may or may not have a little or a lot more experience. However, in my opinion, although I realize no one is asking, expert sounds too perfect and personally I don't believe anyone is perfect. Nor do I believe any one person has all the answers. That's why I merely "note" what experts say. Overall, I think my body knows best.
  • dlaplume2
    dlaplume2 Posts: 1,658 Member
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    I think it depends on what you are eating all the time. I heard the problem people have with eating so often is they are not sure what a snack actually counts as. A snack wrap at Mcd's doesn't count really as a snack.

    If you keep track of your calories and your snack isn't a meal, you should be good to go.

    I make my snacks like 200 cal and my meals like 400 cal. seems to work for me so far.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    Ahh... it's all about the insulin, right?

    Insulin levels really don't have too much to do with how often you eat. Rather, they have to do with WHAT you eat. If you eat sugars or carbs, you will secrete insulin. The key is to eat good carbs (beans, whole grains, fresh fruit) that break down slowly. The sugar will be absorbed more slowly and you won't get the same kind of an insulin spike that you get drinking a coke or eating chips.

    The funny thing about insulin is this... the more quickly the food raises your blood sugar, the more insulin is secreted. So, if you consume a bunch of bag of chips, your insulin will spike. The sugar will quickly be turned into fat (unless you are doing something that requires quick energy) and as this conversion occurs, your blood sugar plummets. This causes a new sensation of hunger and voila, suddenly you feel the need to eat again - even though your body may not actually require additional fuel. (If you do this enough, you may develop insulin resistance or diabetes).

    There are benefits to eating frequently, but if it isn't working for you try something different. Ultimately, the only way to burn fat is to use more energy than you consume. Unfortunately, doing is harder than knowing.

    Best of luck!
  • rjohnson3452
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    Eating 5x a day never worked for me so it's good to see an expert weighing in on this. I have a tendency to turn those 5 meals into "large" meals.
  • Aps123
    Aps123 Posts: 71 Member
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    i will definately stick with my small meals throughout the day because it works for me so im not starving. just thought id share.
  • poisongirl6485
    poisongirl6485 Posts: 1,487 Member
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    I'm glad to hear this because I Just can't do the eat small things every 2 hours or whatever. Just isn't how I'm wired. I'm much happier having 3 meals and the occasional snack than small snacks all day.

    As far as insulin levels, there is some things to suggest that the longer insulin levels are kept low, the more fat is burned (ie Fast-5 lifestyle that my dad has lost 60 lbs on).
  • Tzavush
    Tzavush Posts: 389 Member
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    For a healthy individual without issues with insulin already, eating the way Jillian Michaels is suggesting MAY be beneficial.
    Those with diabetes or insulin issues, especially those who are taking insulin to control blood sugars should follow the advice of their dietician or health care professional. Most will recommend the frequent small snacks because this can assist in maintaining blood sugars and preventing a LOW.
    There is NOT ONE CORRECT way to do anything. Every person is different or we'd all look the same.
    What helps one person in their weight loss journey may be detrimental to another, thats why there are so many different "diets" that people swear are the best thing since low cal - high fibre - sliced bread.

    I say do what works for you as an individual and if you find that what you are doing isn't working for you, switch it up.
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Good Lord, it's hard to keep up.

    Whatever did the human race do to survive without all these studies?

    I love it!!! There are way too many "studies" and we may not know how diligent the study organizers were so who to trust??
  • Cella30
    Cella30 Posts: 539 Member
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    I saw that too. Unfortunately I'm hypoglycemic and my Dr. told me I need to eat every 2-3 hours to keep my blood sugar normal. It was hard to do at first because I'm not a morning eater, but I've found I have much more energy throughout the day. I can focus better and I just feel better.

    Everyone's built different but I'm going to stick to what works for me. Sorry Jillian, I still :heart: ya tho! :smile:
  • Aylilth
    Aylilth Posts: 125
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    Good Lord, it's hard to keep up.

    Whatever did the human race do to survive without all these studies?

    haha love it!!!!


    But for me I will listen to how I feel on the day
  • wanttogetskinny
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    I don't pay attention to things like this because I'm a Type 1 diabetic, so my insulin levels only go up when I give myself insulin. Often when I snack it's on low-carb or no-carb foods......so no insulin needed. If non-diabetics did this, the same thing would happen - their bodies wouldn't produce insulin. Just because you eat doesn't mean you make insulin. It depends on WHAT you eat!