Eatting every 3 hours??

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  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
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    The thing is ...... what works for one person may not work for another ..... experiment & see for yourself ......

    (Personally, I eat like 6 times a day, small meals)

    Good luck !
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    Well, go ask another nutritionist. Get a second opinion.

    There are multiple studies done from what I recall, some studies have shown an improvement, others haven't. I personally do feel a big difference in my own metabolism when I eat small portions throughout the day. Other folks on this community who're in much better shape than I am say otherwise.

    Just listen to your own body
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    I have had a nutrionalist tell me that you should eat every 3 hours to keep your metabilism going. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks and space them every 3 hours. Do you guys agree or not? There are times I would rather save those 150 calories for my next meal rather than a snack.

    Get a new nutritionist cause that is a bunch of bull, holding cals and macros constant there will be no metabolic advantage to increased meal frequency.
    Your nutritionist is completely wrong and if you search, the topic has been beaten to death on this forum.
    Meal frequency is irrelevant to your metabolism. Eat whenever you want.
    Not SCIENTIFICALLY shown to increase metabolism.

    Look very carefully at the physique maintained by each man that posted this.

    Something to think about there.

    I eat 2x a day max (I still get all of my calories and macros in)...almost invariably in the evenings.

    *shrug*

    I do this (eat every 3 hours)...and I think my physique is not so shabby

    I agree completely...my point was it isn't necessary.
  • Mercenary1914
    Mercenary1914 Posts: 1,087 Member
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    try it and see if it works for you. I don't think it is necessary

    best comment here!

    I will add...that I personally eat every 2.5 to 3 hours...I do this to keep from over eating...and because I am hungry all the time..

    That's a completely different issue. Adherence/individual preferences are not what was being asked. She asked if meal frequency impacts metabolism - which is something that has been shown to proven false through various scientific studies.

    Did you read my comment.....Take a good look at the first statment..."try it and see if it works for you. I don't think it is necessary"

    I also don't think it's necessary....
    IT SAYS BEST COMMENT HERE....and I was quoted the whole thing...

    I just wanted to add why I personally do it..

    Have a nice day
  • StirFriedGiblets
    StirFriedGiblets Posts: 89
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    I have had a nutrionalist tell me that you should eat every 3 hours to keep your metabilism going. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks and space them every 3 hours. Do you guys agree or not? There are times I would rather save those 150 calories for my next meal rather than a snack.

    We actually covered this at college last week. You are NOT SUPPOSED TO EAT FREQUENTLY if you are wanting to lose fat because this maintains high insulin levels.

    Insulin is used to help convert glucose (sugar) in the blood into glycogen molecules which are stored in other body cells. A continuous high level of insulin, repeatedly, is BAD because it means that FAT CAN'T BE BROKEN DOWN.

    The other hormone from this antagonistic pair is glucagon, also secreted by the pancreas, when blood sugar (blood glucose) levels are low. This hormone initiates the break down the glycogen into glucose which is then released by the body cells into the blood, BUT it can't function while insulin is present.

    If you constantly eat often then you are not giving your body time to break down the glycogen stored as you have a constant supply glucose and insulin trying to convert glucose in storage molecules. When your body is in short supply of glucose then glucagon causes glycogen (sugar storage molecule) to break down, if these glycogen levels are in short supply then FAT is BURNT as an ALTERNATIVE.

    I hope I've explained this in an understandable way. If anyone has any questions about it just ask and I'll try to help answer them, this is not opinion, it is science. You should leave around about 4 hours between each meal

    I just copied and pasta-d this from a previous post I wrote. If some other person with a scientific background has been told differently please tell me so I can learn more.
  • lilojoke
    lilojoke Posts: 427 Member
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    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
  • jjblogs
    jjblogs Posts: 327 Member
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    It DOES work for me. Give it a shot. Everyone is different...we lose weight in different ways obviously.
  • Mercenary1914
    Mercenary1914 Posts: 1,087 Member
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    I have had a nutrionalist tell me that you should eat every 3 hours to keep your metabilism going. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks and space them every 3 hours. Do you guys agree or not? There are times I would rather save those 150 calories for my next meal rather than a snack.

    Get a new nutritionist cause that is a bunch of bull, holding cals and macros constant there will be no metabolic advantage to increased meal frequency.
    Your nutritionist is completely wrong and if you search, the topic has been beaten to death on this forum.
    Meal frequency is irrelevant to your metabolism. Eat whenever you want.
    Not SCIENTIFICALLY shown to increase metabolism.

    Look very carefully at the physique maintained by each man that posted this.

    Something to think about there.

    I eat 2x a day max (I still get all of my calories and macros in)...almost invariably in the evenings.

    *shrug*

    I do this (eat every 3 hours)...and I think my physique is not so shabby

    I agree completely...my point was it isn't necessary.

    I agree
  • verapamil
    verapamil Posts: 94
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    I've recently started eating every 3 hours but mine was more because I think I'm slightly hypoglycemic. After about 3 1/2 hours my hands would be so shaky I could barely work (I work with needles and other sterile things in a clean room-- shaky hands are not helpful). It seems to have helped me lose a little bit so far but I've also upped my calories, started c25k and my "snacks" at work are protein shakes since they're fast and easy. For some people it might not work, but I definately feel better when I'm not listening to my stomach growl.

    Edit-- For me it is also helping me learn when I actually am hungry. If I know I just had something 30 minutes ago, then I know the feeling in my stomach is not hunger and it's just my brain craving more (unneeded) food).
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
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    While these is no metabolic advantage to eating every 3 hours, it does keep some people from overeating at later meals.

    I enjoy eating multiple times throughout the day, but I'm not expecting my metabolism to be increased in doing so.

    ^This.

    I eat every 3 hours (approx) and that way I'm never "Hungry". I don't over eat, I don't stuff my face, I eat what my body needs.
  • Cr357
    Cr357 Posts: 238
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    Meal frequency is purely personal preference. But don't believe that there is a Golden Rule about it. Your body doesn't require evenly spaced meals to lose weight or function properly. "Personal Preference" does not equal Scientific Facts though.
    well said ^^^^
  • sexycheesemonkey
    sexycheesemonkey Posts: 196 Member
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    Eat when you are hungry...scheduled eating is a bad thing in my opinion. The problem with eating when you're not hungry is that it is becomes difficult to stop. Once you started eating without hunger how can you register when you are full or if it is satisfying your body? You can’t rank your hunger and fullness on the hunger scale because you started eating without hunger to begin with. Usually at that point you just eat until you are stuffed, or until there is no more food or whatever the case may be. Always ask yourself "Am I hungry?" and really try to think about it, if the answer is yes, try to figure out how hungry you are, then go from there. If the answer is no, then try occupying your time with something constructive!
  • Mercenary1914
    Mercenary1914 Posts: 1,087 Member
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    Meal frequency is purely personal preference. But don't believe that there is a Golden Rule about it. Your body doesn't require evenly spaced meals to lose weight or function properly. "Personal Preference" does not equal Scientific Facts though.
    well said ^^^^

    WORD!
  • thepanttherlady
    thepanttherlady Posts: 258 Member
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    I eat about every 2-3 hours but only because I get hungry in between meals. Eating like this during the week keeps me from wanting to eat more.

    I eat breakfast around 8-is, then a snack between 10-11. Lunch is around 1 then another snack around 4 then dinner when I get home (usually 7 or so).
  • myak623
    myak623 Posts: 616 Member
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    I have had a nutrionalist tell me that you should eat every 3 hours to keep your metabilism going. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks and space them every 3 hours. Do you guys agree or not? There are times I would rather save those 150 calories for my next meal rather than a snack.

    We actually covered this at college last week. You are NOT SUPPOSED TO EAT FREQUENTLY if you are wanting to lose fat because this maintains high insulin levels.

    Insulin is used to help convert glucose (sugar) in the blood into glycogen molecules which are stored in other body cells. A continuous high level of insulin, repeatedly, is BAD because it means that FAT CAN'T BE BROKEN DOWN.

    The other hormone from this antagonistic pair is glucagon, also secreted by the pancreas, when blood sugar (blood glucose) levels are low. This hormone initiates the break down the glycogen into glucose which is then released by the body cells into the blood, BUT it can't function while insulin is present.

    If you constantly eat often then you are not giving your body time to break down the glycogen stored as you have a constant supply glucose and insulin trying to convert glucose in storage molecules. When your body is in short supply of glucose then glucagon causes glycogen (sugar storage molecule) to break down, if these glycogen levels are in short supply then FAT is BURNT as an ALTERNATIVE.

    I hope I've explained this in an understandable way. If anyone has any questions about it just ask and I'll try to help answer them, this is not opinion, it is science. You should leave around about 4 hours between each meal

    I just copied and pasta-d this from a previous post I wrote. If some other person with a scientific background has been told differently please tell me so I can learn more.

    I believe you are referring to this graph. While there is validity to what you are saying, it really doesn't matter as much when you are eating at a constant caloric deficit to TDEE.

    Lipolysis-Lipogenesis1.png
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    It DOES work for me. Give it a shot. Everyone is different...we lose weight in different ways obviously.

    Actually everyone loses weight exactly the same way, through a calorie deficit.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
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    Look very carefully at the physique maintained by each man that posted this.

    Physical appearance determines your knowledge of human nutrition and physiology? I had no idea.
  • missikay1970
    missikay1970 Posts: 588 Member
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    i eat every 3 hours, starting at 6:30 a.m. and repeating every 3 hours until 9:30 p.m. for a total of 6 "meals" per day. i have to do this or i feel weak and like i'm going to faint. my dr told me this was the best way to keep my blood sugar level. he didn't say anything about metabolism, but i have PCOS and was close to being diagnosed with diabetes. i have dropped 40 lbs. and have made my blood sugar levels back to normal.

    my meal might consist of a protein shake and piece of cheese. or it might be a full-blown meal with meat, veggies & salad. each one is different depending on how hungry i am, how much i've worked-out for the day, and how much energy i need. one days when i "rest" i will eat far less, although still within my schedule. i can now almost tell time by my body, i will "know" it's time to eat, and sure enough, it's 12:30! (or 3:30, etc.)

    i personally don't think it's a "requirement" so if you dont' want to do it, that would be fine. save your snack calories for a meal if you prefer. but for me, it works!
  • Mercenary1914
    Mercenary1914 Posts: 1,087 Member
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    Look very carefully at the physique maintained by each man that posted this.

    Physical appearance determines your knowledge of human nutrition and physiology? I had no idea.

    :laugh:
  • kazzari
    kazzari Posts: 473 Member
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    It is really an individual thing. It makes no difference if you eat three meals or six as far as losing weight goes. But some people have an easier time sticking with it if they eat more frequently, or may be less apt to feel very hungry. It is more about what helps you with your compliance than anything.

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