How many meals a day?

beezerphd
beezerphd Posts: 136 Member
edited October 7 in Food and Nutrition
I'm wondering how many meals a day I should be eating?

I'm looking to tone up and put on some muscle, but I don't want to be huge.

I'm currently eating 3 meals a day along with a Protein Shake once a day aswell.

I've noticed that some people say they have 6 meals a day. What is the benefit to this and would it be something I should be looking to do?

I'm 5ft 11 and weight 13 stone/189lb approx.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Friends definitely welcomed.

Replies

  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
    I don't think 6 meals a day is necessary - all that matters is your overall intake. You could eat one meal, three meals, eight meals, whatever. If you're looking to gain muscle, you'll need to be eating more than your bodies maintenance level - as in, eating in a caloric surplus.
  • Mandys_Getting_Fit
    Mandys_Getting_Fit Posts: 70 Member
    I graze throughout the day. It usually works out to be about 6 smaller meals.
  • michiganderrdh
    michiganderrdh Posts: 151 Member
    i also graze throughout the day. breakfast - Protein shake , snack - almonds/fruit, lunch - salad/protein/fruit, dinner - protein/veg

    What are you doing for workouts?
  • jillica
    jillica Posts: 554 Member
    You gotta do what works for you so try out what others swear by to see what is successful for you.

    I've been trying the 6 small meals now for almost 2 weeks and I feel GREAT! On Day 10 or so, I actually woke up in the morning and my first thought was NOT about what i would eat (big deal for me!). Then, when it came to the end of that day I was at 1200 calories and I actually felt satisfied (not starving like I'd felt before) and then the same thing was true for Day 11. Tomorrow is day 12! Good luck - I think it may also depend on what type of food you are eating.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I'm wondering how many meals a day I should be eating?

    as many as you'd like, it's a personal preference
    I'm looking to tone up and put on some muscle, but I don't want to be huge.

    please don't use the phrase "tone up" esp as a guy. lift heavy and eat in a surplus to put on muscle
    I've noticed that some people say they have 6 meals a day. What is the benefit to this and would it be something I should be looking to do?

    There is no metabolic advantage to increased meal frequency, the only benefits are that it's possible some people find it keeps them better satiated to eat smaller more frequent meals and that some people do not like or cannot not eat larger meals


    I personally eat 2-3 meals a day
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    i eat 3 meals, one or two snacks, and one protein shake ..
  • robinogue
    robinogue Posts: 1,117 Member
    I eat 3 good meals per day, then I have a few snacks in between if I'm still hungry.
  • beezerphd
    beezerphd Posts: 136 Member
    Haha ok I'm looking to gain muscle. Finding it hard to eat surplus at the moment for some reason. What sort of calorific goal am I looking to consume on a daily basis? My daily calories on this is set to 1540, which I'm not actually meeting at the moment and I think that it's still a low goal for a male.

    I do around 45 minutes of cardio and about an hour of weights doing 3 sets of about 15 reps then moving up a weight and lowering the amount of reps depending on the body part I'm working out.

    I'd love some friends on here to give me some advice and encouragment.
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
    Eat boatloads of protein, worry less about cardio, and lift heavy stuff. Your calorie goal is less than mine and I'm a GIRL. EAT!!!!!
  • michiganderrdh
    michiganderrdh Posts: 151 Member
    I'm wondering how many meals a day I should be eating?

    as many as you'd like, it's a personal preference
    I'm looking to tone up and put on some muscle, but I don't want to be huge.

    please don't use the phrase "tone up" esp as a guy. lift heavy and eat in a surplus to put on muscle
    I've noticed that some people say they have 6 meals a day. What is the benefit to this and would it be something I should be looking to do?

    There is no metabolic advantage to increased meal frequency, the only benefits are that it's possible some people find it keeps them better satiated to eat smaller more frequent meals and that some people do not like or cannot not eat larger meals


    I personally eat 2-3 meals a day

    Personally, I actually am much more satisfied eating often. Ditto - depends on the person. Obviously, there is no one-size-fits-all.

    I also up my cals on the days I workout hard (cal cycling). It keeps me energized and going. Side note: I do have hypoglycemic tendencies so eating protein often helps me.

    Also: women LOVE MUSCLE. :P
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
    Eat boatloads of protein, worry less about cardio, and lift heavy stuff. Your calorie goal is less than mine and I'm a GIRL. EAT!!!!!

    :D Yes

    Eat over your maintenance level, MFP allows you to set your goal to 'gain weight' - so long as you're doing the right things with weight lifting you should gain muscle. I am not sure how much you need to eat over to gain muscle I think it might vary, just fiddle and see what works.

    oh and regarding eating enough - try this ;)
    All-Natural-Peanut-Butter-1.jpg

    Or this...

    Avocado.jpg
  • jamja
    jamja Posts: 190
    i average 6 small meals a day
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    I'm wondering how many meals a day I should be eating?

    I'm looking to tone up and put on some muscle, but I don't want to be huge.

    I'm currently eating 3 meals a day along with a Protein Shake once a day aswell.

    I've noticed that some people say they have 6 meals a day. What is the benefit to this and would it be something I should be looking to do?

    I'm 5ft 11 and weight 13 stone/189lb approx.

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Friends definitely welcomed.
    I eat 6 meals per day for a total of around 3000 calories daily.

    LOVE IT!
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
    Bellisle F et. al. Meal frequency and energy balance. Br J Nutr. (1997) 77 (Suppl 1):S57-70.

    http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=/BJN/BJN77_S1/S0007114597000093a.pdf&code=bc2adb44f85542dc2cf84720c13bb8d5

    Or you can read an abridged version and an excellent synopsis here:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html

    In short, as Lyle clearly points out in the article..

    If eating more frequently makes it easier to control/reduce calories, it will help you to lose weight/fat.
    If eating more frequently makes it harder to control/reduce calories, or makes you eat more, you will gain weight.
    If eating less frequently makes it harder for you to control/reduce calories (because you get hungry and binge), it will hurt your efforts to lose weight/fat.
    If eating less frequently makes it easier for you to control/reduce calories (for any number of reasons), then that will help your efforts to lose weight/fat
This discussion has been closed.

Categories