6 meals a day, insulin stability, speeds up metabolism(myths

registers · May 2011

Another bubble buster, a lot of people have been getting upset with my bubble busting. It's due to the fact, they have a strong belief in what they read/heard and they believe it to be the word of god without even considering it. I have been there, so I understand.

Any theory you come across, has to be approached with an open mind. If you don't do so, you will block out information that can be beneficial to you in the future. Common theory is, eating 6 meals a day will improve your metabolism, and stabilize your blood sugar.

Law of the thermodynamics states that energy can't be created or destroyed. This means energy in = energy out. That simple. If you eat 2000 calories in 1 meal, or if you eat it 100 calories in 20 meals. Your metabolism will behave the same. Since i am on this, I might as well clear the fog of "eating before bed is a bad idea, it turns in to fat" if you burn 3500 calories a day, and you eat 2000 calories in the morning, you still burn 3500 calories. If you eat the 2000 calories IN YOUR SLEEP you still burn 3500 calories. Thinking other wise violates the law of thermodynamics. Yes I do agree that eating a lot before bed can upset your stomach and make it hard to sleep. That doesn't change the laws of thermodynamics.

Since we busted the 6 meals a day theory of speeding up metabolism. Now the insulin. I always believed that eating 6 meals a day, creates fluctuations in blood sugar, that it doesn't stabilize it. Someone mentioned it stables out blood sugar in another topic(on this forum). I said "when you eat, your blood sugar goes up, then it starts to decline, then when you eat again, it goes back up, then goes back down, then you eat again, and it goes back up." Does this look like stability??? NOPE. Evidence of this??? A women made a post on one of my topics. She would take her blood sugar reading after every meal, and she would, eat more meals and less meals, over a few days. She verified, your insulin was constantly raising and falling.

Starvation mode, haha... this caused a lot of drama on another post. Common theory is "if you don't eat enough calories your metabolism slows down and you store fat..." Think about gastric bypass... People eating from 500-1000 calories a day. Wouldn't this make them fat??!?!?!? Results state other wise.

amandavictoria80 · May 2011

This just makes me want to try starving myself instead of going through all this hell.

registers · May 2011

This just makes me want to try starving myself instead of going through all this hell.

I understand your frustrations. Just do what works for you despite what other says. I want to say, it's about "calories in vs calories out" That's most of the picture, but not all of it. Just eat right, and exercise, and you should be fine, no big deal. Don't make it hard for yourself. If you're not getting the results you want, just try something else. Keep on changing your approach till you get the results you want. There is 1 thing that makes people fat, it's insulin. What causes a raise in insulin? too many calories, or too many carbs. You can play with those, tweak them till you get the results you want.

hsk11270 · May 2011

This just makes me want to try starving myself instead of going through all this hell.

yep

darling_nickie · May 2011

From a woman's perspective--eating before bed--I weigh myself first thing in the a.m. and so if I ate just before I went to sleep I tend to weigh more than if I ate several hours before bed and gave my body the time to digest my dinner. Eating several meals vs a few big ones imo seems like a healthier way to go because then you are less likely to feel hungry throughout the day...and this has been my experience. I've saved up calories in order to splurge on a meal out but man I am I killing myself throughout the day up until I eat and then because I am so hungry I tend to eat more than I should. So again imo I would think that several meals a day would help curb cravings and the tendancy to overeat. Furthermore on that I tend to eat carbs before a workout and protein after because carbs burn off more quickly for the workout and then the protein afterwards helps repair the muscles I've worked and gives me a slower energy burn until my next meal. So I have no idea how they affect blood sugar and whatnot but it seems to work for most people who do it...also...on the topic of starvation...I went on an 800 calorie diet in high school and lost a ton of weight however my body suffered fatigue and muscle loss because of it and as soon as I began eating "normal" all the weight piled right back on in a matter of months. People who have a gastric bipass generally have large amounts of weight to lose and huge stores of fat and I would guess that any drastic reduction in their caloric intake would result in weight loss however it's not healthy for anyone to remain on a diet with a calorie intake below what their base metobolic rate is...it just seems like a disaster waiting to happen. And people who have gastric bipass generally are learning portion control and when they reach maintenance will be eating more than 500 calories a day. No one can live on that forever. Again this is MY opinion and I am not challenging the validity of what you've studied but its funny how some of these "myths" have created many happier and healthier people

McKayMachina · May 2011

Law of the thermodynamics states that energy can't be created or destroyed. This means energy in = energy out.

That would be true if the body didn't store energy in the form of fat. It's not just disappearing.

You have a lot of ideas that challenge the status quo. However, sometimes information is commonly accepted, not out of ignorance, but because it's true. I know what I feel like when I eat once or twice a day versus three, four, five times a day. This might not happen to you but I get shaky (visibly) and weak. My head feels muddy and sometimes I become so unstable that I start to become nauseous and feel like I'm going to black out unless I lay down immediately.

That has happened since I was thirteen (and at a healthy, athletic weight for my height and age). Multiple doctors have told me I can't wait so long to eat due to plummeting blood sugar. All my personal, empirical data says they're right.

I agree that it's good to keep an open mind. I agree that blindly accepting theory is not the best way to gather information. However, it's also true that there's an exhaustive base of existing academia from which we can draw data. We don't have to start fresh all the time. A lot of the accepted theories hold up.

I think you're getting a lot of resistance from other MFPs because you accuse us of being ignorant. Just know that isn't always the case.

Cheers, friend.

hsk11270 · May 2011

Gotta say that I do agree with you .....there is a lot of hype out there over metabolism and how to eat. It confuses things....but then again there is always confusing, contradicting things and opinions coming out of the medical industry. We should all just try to be sensible and approach things from a healthy nutrition standpoint and make our bodies work hard through exercise which we really need anyway

Teemo · May 2011

Your 'starvation mode' post caused a lot of drama because you're preaching dangerous and ill-informed opinion as scientific fact.

bcattoes · May 2011

Eating 6 meals a day can stabilize your insulin if you are eating the right things. So can eating 3 meals a day, again if you are eating the right things. I've never heard that eating 6 meals a day speeds up the metabolism but I have read and believe that some people can lose weight better by eating 5-6 meals a day. But some do better eating 3 larger meals. It really just depends on the person. Some people like to eat often and some people like to eat big meals.

Eat enough healthy food so that you are not hungry (then stop) and exercise regularly. That's really all anyone needs to do to be thin and healthy.

registers · May 2011

Your 'starvation mode' post caused a lot of drama because you're preaching dangerous and ill-informed opinion as scientific fact.

What makes it dangerous and ill informed? I did go back and post about scientific facts. Throughout time, many scientific facts have been discarded insight of new information. Just stating a scientific fact. haha My theories are a hybrid of Ori Hofmekler's theories, and the top nutritional information in the body building community. I have seen the results, personally and in other people. I don't need scientific facts, to tell me they're invalid, you can't argue with results. Not once have i said, it's scientific facts, what I have stated. Nor did I say it's not. People just jumped to conclusions. My approach is completely logical.

registers · May 2011

Law of the thermodynamics states that energy can't be created or destroyed. This means energy in = energy out.

That would be true if the body didn't store energy in the form of fat. It's not just disappearing.

You have a lot of ideas that challenge the status quo. However, sometimes information is commonly accepted, not out of ignorance, but because it's true. I know what I feel like when I eat once or twice a day versus three, four, five times a day. This might not happen to you but I get shaky (visibly) and weak. My head feels muddy and sometimes I become so unstable that I start to become nauseous and feel like I'm going to black out unless I lay down immediately.

That has happened since I was thirteen (and at a healthy, athletic weight for my height and age). Multiple doctors have told me I can't wait so long to eat due to plummeting blood sugar. All my personal, empirical data says they're right.

I agree that it's good to keep an open mind. I agree that blindly accepting theory is not the best way to gather information. However, it's also true that there's an exhaustive base of existing academia from which we can draw data. We don't have to start fresh all the time. A lot of the accepted theories hold up.

I think you're getting a lot of resistance from other MFPs because you accuse us of being ignorant. Just know that isn't always the case.

Cheers, friend.

mckay, I know you're a smart girl. I never stated other wise. I didn't know you had those issues, with your eating. About how you felt when you eaten less frequently.

Teemo · May 2011

You've essentially set up a strawman argument: "people think starvation mode = body storing fat from low calories, lol, people are dumb" and ignore:

1. It's difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a nutritionally-balanced or healthy diet on minimal calories. (Let's say 1200 for women and 1600 for men).

2. The body DOES adjust its RMR in response to prolonged periods of caloric deficits.

3. People might say they want to lose "weight" but they really mean "lose fat" while maintaining lean mass, which is, again, difficult if not impossible, to do on an extreme caloric deficit.

Starvation mode, haha... this caused a lot of drama on another post. Common theory is "if you don't eat enough calories your metabolism slows down and you store fat..." Think about gastric bypass... People eating from 500-1000 calories a day. Wouldn't this make them fat??!?!?!? Results state other wise.

That's not the "common theory". You can obviously eat 500-1,000 calories per day -- which, btw, is NOT the recommended diet for post-gastric-bypass patients either but I'll accept your number for the purposes of this argument -- but it's not healthy.

You can probably FUNCTION on 400-500 calories per day as well. And no, the 'starvation mode' obviously won't make you store fat. You'll look like a prisoner of war ... they certainly are NOT fat! And that's the goal everyone on this site is aiming for, right? To be emaciated and unhealthy? You might lose most of your hair, and you'll struggle to walk up and down stairs and get out of bed in the morning, but you won't be fat.

Melinda1987 · May 2011

Let's see here... Should I take my information from the Doctors & licensed nutritionists that I've had many, many meetings with over my lifetime? Or should I take it from a guy who's read a few books? Hmmm... silly me - going with the pro's. And oddly enough - IT WORKS!

Teemo · May 2011

What makes it dangerous and ill informed?

Dangerous for the reasons I stated above. Ill-informed because you've created theories based on your own 'experiences' and are now posting your experiences as if they trump established studies.

I did go back and post about scientific facts. Throughout time, many scientific facts have been discarded insight of new information. Just stating a scientific fact. haha My theories are a hybrid of Ori Hofmekler's theories, and the top nutritional information in the body building community.

Ori Hofmekler doesn't recommend or advise that you eat fewer than 1,200 calories. The Warrior Diet, in fact, counsels the exact opposite. And while bodybuilders and the bodybuilding community aren't researchers or scientists, I defy you to name a single one who says eating fewer than 1,200 calories is fine.

A typical cutting diet for a bodybuilder consists of 2,000-3,000 calories. They may dip under 1,200 briefly, but no bodybuilder maintains that for a prolonged period of time. Again, because it's dangerous to do so.

I have seen the results, personally and in other people. I don't need scientific facts, to tell me they're invalid, you can't argue with results. Not once have i said, it's scientific facts, what I have stated. Nor did I say it's not. People just jumped to conclusions. My approach is completely logical.

Yes, completely logical.

4theking · May 2011

I agree with everything but starvation mode. Common knowledge that your body adapts and slows it's metabolic rate during a prolonged caloric deficit.

MMAsac · May 2011

Yeah your article here, is pure BS. I hope no one takes this serious. Who are you to put out information that is not true.

darling_nickie · May 2011

Let's see here... Should I take my information from the Doctors & licensed nutritionists that I've had many, many meetings with over my lifetime? Or should I take it from a guy who's read a few books? Hmmm... silly me - going with the pro's. And oddly enough - IT WORKS!

haha! love it!!

Teemo · May 2011

I agree with everything but starvation mode. Common knowledge that your body adapts and slows it's metabolic rate during a prolonged caloric deficit.

I also agree that meal-timing is meaningless.

registers · May 2011

Let's see here... Should I take my information from the Doctors & licensed nutritionists that I've had many, many meetings with over my lifetime? Or should I take it from a guy who's read a few books? Hmmm... silly me - going with the pro's. And oddly enough - IT WORKS!

haha! love it!!

Is this a way of saying, "i won't think for myself, and do what other people tell me to do?" Or "I never tried any of this so it doesn't work," ?!?!

registers · May 2011

Yeah your article here, is pure BS. I hope no one takes this serious. Who are you to put out information that is not true.

WHat makes it untrue??? lets hear this...

registers · May 2011

I agree with everything but starvation mode. Common knowledge that your body adapts and slows it's metabolic rate during a prolonged caloric deficit.

I never said that wasn't true.

FearAnLoathing · May 2011

Let's see here... Should I take my information from the Doctors & licensed nutritionists that I've had many, many meetings with over my lifetime? Or should I take it from a guy who's read a few books? Hmmm... silly me - going with the pro's. And oddly enough - IT WORKS!

Funny I said the same thing once and was told my drs and nutritionist were wrong since it didnt go along with what all the" experts" on this site said I should be doing:laugh:

registers · May 2011

What makes it dangerous and ill informed?

Dangerous for the reasons I stated above. Ill-informed because you've created theories based on your own 'experiences' and are now posting your experiences as if they trump established studies.

I did go back and post about scientific facts. Throughout time, many scientific facts have been discarded insight of new information. Just stating a scientific fact. haha My theories are a hybrid of Ori Hofmekler's theories, and the top nutritional information in the body building community.

Ori Hofmekler doesn't recommend or advise that you eat fewer than 1,200 calories. The Warrior Diet, in fact, counsels the exact opposite. And while bodybuilders and the bodybuilding community aren't researchers or scientists, I defy you to name a single one who says eating fewer than 1,200 calories is fine.

A typical cutting diet for a bodybuilder consists of 2,000-3,000 calories. They may dip under 1,200 briefly, but no bodybuilder maintains that for a prolonged period of time. Again, because it's dangerous to do so.

I have seen the results, personally and in other people. I don't need scientific facts, to tell me they're invalid, you can't argue with results. Not once have i said, it's scientific facts, what I have stated. Nor did I say it's not. People just jumped to conclusions. My approach is completely logical.

Yes, completely logical.

When have i recommended to go under 1200 calories a day? There are many scientific studies that support what I have said. On the other hand, you haven't posted any scientific studies that counter what I have said. The gastric bypass view, was an example.

FrenchMob · May 2011

What makes it dangerous and ill informed?

Dangerous for the reasons I stated above. Ill-informed because you've created theories based on your own 'experiences' and are now posting your experiences as if they trump established studies.

I did go back and post about scientific facts. Throughout time, many scientific facts have been discarded insight of new information. Just stating a scientific fact. haha My theories are a hybrid of Ori Hofmekler's theories, and the top nutritional information in the body building community.

Ori Hofmekler doesn't recommend or advise that you eat fewer than 1,200 calories. The Warrior Diet, in fact, counsels the exact opposite. And while bodybuilders and the bodybuilding community aren't researchers or scientists, I defy you to name a single one who says eating fewer than 1,200 calories is fine.

A typical cutting diet for a bodybuilder consists of 2,000-3,000 calories. They may dip under 1,200 briefly, but no bodybuilder maintains that for a prolonged period of time. Again, because it's dangerous to do so.

I have seen the results, personally and in other people. I don't need scientific facts, to tell me they're invalid, you can't argue with results. Not once have i said, it's scientific facts, what I have stated. Nor did I say it's not. People just jumped to conclusions. My approach is completely logical.

Yes, completely logical.

Thanks Teemo, couldn't have said it better myself.

registers · May 2011

Yeah your article here, is pure BS. I hope no one takes this serious. Who are you to put out information that is not true.

Who are you to post it's not true?

registers · May 2011

6 meals a day myth, foxnews...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,543801,00.html

Courtney post, on metabolic shut down... she speaks from "EXPERIENCE"
http://1gastricbypasssurgery.com/lap-bandgastric-bypass-surgery-how-do-they-avoid-starvation-mode/

freerange · May 2011

Let's see here... Should I take my information from the Doctors & licensed nutritionists that I've had many, many meetings with over my lifetime? Or should I take it from a guy who's read a few books? Hmmm... silly me - going with the pro's. And oddly enough - IT WORKS!

haha! love it!!

Is this a way of saying, "i won't think for myself, and do what other people tell me to do?" Or "I never tried any of this so it doesn't work," ?!?!

Actually I think she was saying she would take the advice of someone she trust over a $#@& college student that thinks he knows everything, but with every post shows he knows little.

Teemo · May 2011

When have i recommended to go under 1200 calories a day?

Uh...

You: "Think about gastric bypass... People eating from 500-1000 calories a day. Wouldn't this make them fat??!?!?!? Results state other wise."

There are many scientific studies that support what I have said. On the other hand, you haven't posted any scientific studies that counter what I have said.

I believe the studies were posted in response to your original starvation mode thread. And for the record: people aren't getting "upset" because you're shattering our worldview with your revolutionary ideas. People are getting upset because you're essentially saying to go ahead and eat minimal calories. Because it's fine -- according to you -- since starvation mode is a myth.

Courtney post, on metabolic shut down... she speaks from "EXPERIENCE"
http://1gastricbypasssurgery.com/lap-bandgastric-bypass-surgery-how-do-they-avoid-starvation-mode/

lol, thanks for the laugh.

Lastly, I'll note that I've been reading books on space and quantum theory since I was in my early teens. I would, however, never qualify that as decades of education in the field.

ilsie99 · May 2011

I'm still blown away that you can eat 3000 calories in one sitting, as you said in the other starvation mode thread. What did you eat? Deep fried jellybean casserole?

Barneystinson · May 2011

Also not all caloric intake has the same ability or propensity to be stored in the body. It's an overall excess at a greater span of time that creates storage.

Which really goes back to the simple - don't consume more than you can use.

There isn't a magic number of meals you must consume in a day. There's not a magic formula for all about blood sugar stabilization. That's pretty dependent on an individual, their insulin production, etc.

I will say from personal experience I've tested the "stabilization" theory over the course of a day by taking my blood sugar (no, I'm not a diabetic, just a numbers nut) with the standard Bayer monitor, at an interval of hourly testings after meals and once first in the morning before eating to get number for fasted state. Fasted - 62, Average 73 postprandial. So from that demonstration, I determined my own consumption of 3 meals per day was not harmful and I was maintaining an absolutely normal blood sugar level throught states of fast / feed during the day. I also consume meals on a daily basis that do not contain enough sugar or simple carbohydrate to spike my blood sugar to abnormal levels (i.e. test 1 hour postprandial consumtpion of cake gives over 140 BG reading for me).

If you are remaining within normal levels eating more frequently, that's fine. However using it as an argument that it's a superior meal timing mechanism is not necessarily the case.

ashley0616 · May 2011

These are the types of posts that need to be moderated. People who consider themselves experts because they have been eating since they were born and exercising since they were 12 are DANGEROUS. There are plenty of people on this site, and in the world, who aren't as smart or as motivated as some to look for their own information. They see a post like this online, on a site that they trust and go to for guidance, and they think you are right because you use big words and "scientific research." You are trying damned hard to make yourself sound credible to fool others and it is sad and pathetic.

Everyone is not the same. Many people are hypoglycemic (do you know what that big word means?) and have to eat at regular intervals to keep their sugars stable. Many are diabetic and have to eat at regular intervals to keep their sugars stable. Many are insulin resistant or have metabolic syndrome and have to eat certain foods at certain times to keep their bodies healthy. Many people do go into starvation mode and have to eat more to feed their body and lose weight. You do not have divine knowledge of nutrition, medicine, health, and diet because you have been a body builder, you are a certified personal trainer, nor because you have been reading about nutrition since you were 13. You are an ignorant man who touts himself as otherwise to make himself feel important. You can say "oh, think for yourself! You are just being a sheep!" all day long, but really you are saying "oh, think like I do! You are a sheep to the wrong way of thought! You should be listening to ME and no one else!" How is that better?

Back the heck off. If you truly want people to think for themselves, allow them to. Don't go spouting this garbage all over the internet because you think you know best. That is what blogging is for. Post that you have written a new blog without stating what it is about or your personal bias, see if anyone reads it, see if you get any responses, and leave it at that. If people want to look to you for advise or another opinion, that's up to them. But this post is just ridiculous.

6 meals a day, insulin stability, speeds up metabolism(myths

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