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Eating six times a day? Yeah right.

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CaptainTrips222
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16 May 2011, 2:17 am

I was told to eat six times a day, to keep my metabolic rate up. For one, it didn't work. For another, it leaves me hungry. I've found that eating once a day is working much better. Dig, anyone?



Wallourdes
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16 May 2011, 3:30 am

I keep it to twice to thrice a day.

Atleast breakfast and dinner.

six times a day is a bit much, unless you are in a survival situation and you it eat small bits six times a day.


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16 May 2011, 5:24 am

Wallourdes wrote:
I keep it to twice to thrice a day.

Atleast breakfast and dinner.

six times a day is a bit much, unless you are in a survival situation and you it eat small bits six times a day.


six small meals a day is beneficial for those who bodybuild and such as well.


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16 May 2011, 6:30 am

I've lost over 60 lbs eating anywhere from 3-4 meals a day and working out daily-bidaily (mostly cardio). Six is a bit hard if you don't wake up early or if you have things to do. Sure you could eat a quick protein bar or something of that sort, but it's really not the same as a nutritional meal. No matter how many meals you are eating make sure that what you are eating is good for you. This will go a long way. A little exercise can also good for increasing your metabolism. I did the same thing to gain 20 lbs, just increased my calories, and did bodyweight/freeweight exercises.


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kx250rider
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16 May 2011, 1:17 pm

Speaking from my own experience as well as much that I have read, the idea of more small meals spread evenly over the day is excellent, and should cause weight management to be easier and bulking up as well. I eat 5 meals/day, and I used to be overweight but not obese, and I used to skip meals or eat once a day. That clearly for me caused it to be much harder to be in shape. For the past 7 years or so, I've been on the 5 meals a day routine, and it's done wonders for me.

WITH THAT SAID, everyone is different, and what works for one may never work for the other. The theory is that our body has an instinct built in, to prevent starving to death. The way it works, is that if the body "thinks" there is limitless food available at all times, it will not need to store any nutrition as body fat. On the other hand, one meal a day, or skipping meals randomly, will put the body in a mode of "better store all I can get, as nobody knows when there will be a famine!! !". That would cause most anyone with normal metabolism, to get fat, and even to gain fat while not taking as much nourishment to build lean muscle or produce energy for the day.

Charles



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16 May 2011, 1:34 pm

kx250rider wrote:
Speaking from my own experience as well as much that I have read, the idea of more small meals spread evenly over the day is excellent, and should cause weight management to be easier and bulking up as well. I eat 5 meals/day, and I used to be overweight but not obese, and I used to skip meals or eat once a day. That clearly for me caused it to be much harder to be in shape. For the past 7 years or so, I've been on the 5 meals a day routine, and it's done wonders for me.

WITH THAT SAID, everyone is different, and what works for one may never work for the other. The theory is that our body has an instinct built in, to prevent starving to death. The way it works, is that if the body "thinks" there is limitless food available at all times, it will not need to store any nutrition as body fat. On the other hand, one meal a day, or skipping meals randomly, will put the body in a mode of "better store all I can get, as nobody knows when there will be a famine!! !". That would cause most anyone with normal metabolism, to get fat, and even to gain fat while not taking as much nourishment to build lean muscle or produce energy for the day.

Charles
That's right. Back in the days when we were still living in caves, we didn't have the convenience of going down to the nearest grocery store. We had to hunt for our food, so when you eat a big meal at once your body hoards fat as an adaptation to this.



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16 May 2011, 1:46 pm

While I have the same experience as kx250rider in the regard of more meals a day helped me reducing my weight, I am not sure if it made such a big impact, because there are too many factors involved. I started changing my diet and eating habits almost the same time I started doing sports on a daily basis. So I burned more energy over the day, ate smaller portions, and more importantly, I generally changed what I ate. dropping carbohydrates (except for breakfast, the brain just needs its dextrose to work) in favour of protein, and siginifanctly reducing the amount of fat. So it might be that eating four to five meals instead of two to three a day might have had an impact. From my perspective, it at least makes sense from physiological point of view: When you supply your body with enough nutrients over the day that you never become very hungry, your body might actually be more inclined to get rid of the fat, which serves as a deposit for harsh times. Sure you can starve yourself down by not eating anything, but I guess the most natural reaction to not getting enough food over a short period of time is not starting to burn fat, but actually holding on to your fat reserves and releasing as little as possible.



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16 May 2011, 2:46 pm

kx250rider wrote:
WITH THAT SAID, everyone is different, and what works for one may never work for the other. The theory is that our body has an instinct built in, to prevent starving to death. The way it works, is that if the body "thinks" there is limitless food available at all times, it will not need to store any nutrition as body fat. On the other hand, one meal a day, or skipping meals randomly, will put the body in a mode of "better store all I can get, as nobody knows when there will be a famine!! !".

Charles


I don't know what to tell you. It's the only thing that remotely helps is eating one meal a day. I eat other things like fruit and mixed carrots (a dish I made) but when I ate six tiny meals a day, it worked against me.



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17 May 2011, 5:49 am

I eat 5 or 6 times a day. I'm really prone to hypoglycemia.


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17 May 2011, 11:01 am

CaptainTrips222 wrote:
kx250rider wrote:
WITH THAT SAID, everyone is different, and what works for one may never work for the other. The theory is that our body has an instinct built in, to prevent starving to death. The way it works, is that if the body "thinks" there is limitless food available at all times, it will not need to store any nutrition as body fat. On the other hand, one meal a day, or skipping meals randomly, will put the body in a mode of "better store all I can get, as nobody knows when there will be a famine!! !".

Charles


I don't know what to tell you. It's the only thing that remotely helps is eating one meal a day. I eat other things like fruit and mixed carrots (a dish I made) but when I ate six tiny meals a day, it worked against me.
The idea isn't to eat 6 tiny meals, but 6 smaller meals. You're not supposed to eat less overall and leave yourself starving. Don't think of it as a "diet".



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17 May 2011, 1:02 pm

AceOfSpades wrote:
CaptainTrips222 wrote:
kx250rider wrote:
WITH THAT SAID, everyone is different, and what works for one may never work for the other. The theory is that our body has an instinct built in, to prevent starving to death. The way it works, is that if the body "thinks" there is limitless food available at all times, it will not need to store any nutrition as body fat. On the other hand, one meal a day, or skipping meals randomly, will put the body in a mode of "better store all I can get, as nobody knows when there will be a famine!! !".

Charles


I don't know what to tell you. It's the only thing that remotely helps is eating one meal a day. I eat other things like fruit and mixed carrots (a dish I made) but when I ate six tiny meals a day, it worked against me.
The idea isn't to eat 6 tiny meals, but 6 smaller meals. You're not supposed to eat less overall and leave yourself starving. Don't think of it as a "diet".


Let me clarify on the sizes of the 5 or 6 meals; it must be sufficient calories daily in order to nourish, or else indeed it will work against you, as your body will still total up at the end of the day and find the threat of starvation. It's a very precise balance of quantity, type of food, and timing, that will work. For some people that may be 6 medium size meals with lots of fibers and little protein; others 4 tiny meals with high protein and less fiber, etc. It depends on the individual.

Charles



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17 May 2011, 3:14 pm

kx250rider wrote:
AceOfSpades wrote:
CaptainTrips222 wrote:
kx250rider wrote:
WITH THAT SAID, everyone is different, and what works for one may never work for the other. The theory is that our body has an instinct built in, to prevent starving to death. The way it works, is that if the body "thinks" there is limitless food available at all times, it will not need to store any nutrition as body fat. On the other hand, one meal a day, or skipping meals randomly, will put the body in a mode of "better store all I can get, as nobody knows when there will be a famine!! !".

Charles


I don't know what to tell you. It's the only thing that remotely helps is eating one meal a day. I eat other things like fruit and mixed carrots (a dish I made) but when I ate six tiny meals a day, it worked against me.
The idea isn't to eat 6 tiny meals, but 6 smaller meals. You're not supposed to eat less overall and leave yourself starving. Don't think of it as a "diet".


Let me clarify on the sizes of the 5 or 6 meals; it must be sufficient calories daily in order to nourish, or else indeed it will work against you, as your body will still total up at the end of the day and find the threat of starvation. It's a very precise balance of quantity, type of food, and timing, that will work. For some people that may be 6 medium size meals with lots of fibers and little protein; others 4 tiny meals with high protein and less fiber, etc. It depends on the individual.

Charles
Yeah basically the fat hoarding is cuz we went longer periods of time between meals back when we had to hunt so both starving and stuffing yourself is going to set off the fat hoarding. Didn't know it 4 meals would also work out though, +1 for that.



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17 May 2011, 7:45 pm

AceOfSpades wrote:
CaptainTrips222 wrote:
kx250rider wrote:
WITH THAT SAID, everyone is different, and what works for one may never work for the other. The theory is that our body has an instinct built in, to prevent starving to death. The way it works, is that if the body "thinks" there is limitless food available at all times, it will not need to store any nutrition as body fat. On the other hand, one meal a day, or skipping meals randomly, will put the body in a mode of "better store all I can get, as nobody knows when there will be a famine!! !".

Charles


I don't know what to tell you. It's the only thing that remotely helps is eating one meal a day. I eat other things like fruit and mixed carrots (a dish I made) but when I ate six tiny meals a day, it worked against me.
The idea isn't to eat 6 tiny meals, but 6 smaller meals. You're not supposed to eat less overall and leave yourself starving. Don't think of it as a "diet".


I was following the proportions that Balleys gave me. And they ARE supposed to be small. Whether they're smaller or small, the point is, eating often didn't work. You think if I make the proportions bigger I'm gonna lose weight? I have a medical conditions the doctors don't understand yet.



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17 May 2011, 8:19 pm

CaptainTrips222 wrote:
AceOfSpades wrote:
CaptainTrips222 wrote:
kx250rider wrote:
WITH THAT SAID, everyone is different, and what works for one may never work for the other. The theory is that our body has an instinct built in, to prevent starving to death. The way it works, is that if the body "thinks" there is limitless food available at all times, it will not need to store any nutrition as body fat. On the other hand, one meal a day, or skipping meals randomly, will put the body in a mode of "better store all I can get, as nobody knows when there will be a famine!! !".

Charles


I don't know what to tell you. It's the only thing that remotely helps is eating one meal a day. I eat other things like fruit and mixed carrots (a dish I made) but when I ate six tiny meals a day, it worked against me.
The idea isn't to eat 6 tiny meals, but 6 smaller meals. You're not supposed to eat less overall and leave yourself starving. Don't think of it as a "diet".


I was following the proportions that Balleys gave me. And they ARE supposed to be small. Whether they're smaller or small, the point is, eating often didn't work. You think if I make the proportions bigger I'm gonna lose weight? I have a medical conditions the doctors don't understand yet.
How much protein, sodium, carbs, etc. are you getting in each of em? You wanna get a lot of protein in your system since they boost your metabolism and keep your hunger at bay. You also wanna take it easy on sodium which pop tends to have a lot of. I am drinking a Monster as I'm typing this :oops:.



CaptainTrips222
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17 May 2011, 9:19 pm

AceOfSpades wrote:
CaptainTrips222 wrote:
AceOfSpades wrote:
CaptainTrips222 wrote:
kx250rider wrote:
WITH THAT SAID, everyone is different, and what works for one may never work for the other. The theory is that our body has an instinct built in, to prevent starving to death. The way it works, is that if the body "thinks" there is limitless food available at all times, it will not need to store any nutrition as body fat. On the other hand, one meal a day, or skipping meals randomly, will put the body in a mode of "better store all I can get, as nobody knows when there will be a famine!! !".

Charles


I don't know what to tell you. It's the only thing that remotely helps is eating one meal a day. I eat other things like fruit and mixed carrots (a dish I made) but when I ate six tiny meals a day, it worked against me.
The idea isn't to eat 6 tiny meals, but 6 smaller meals. You're not supposed to eat less overall and leave yourself starving. Don't think of it as a "diet".


I was following the proportions that Balleys gave me. And they ARE supposed to be small. Whether they're smaller or small, the point is, eating often didn't work. You think if I make the proportions bigger I'm gonna lose weight? I have a medical conditions the doctors don't understand yet.
How much protein, sodium, carbs, etc. are you getting in each of em? You wanna get a lot of protein in your system since they boost your metabolism and keep your hunger at bay. You also wanna take it easy on sodium which pop tends to have a lot of. I am drinking a Monster as I'm typing this :oops:.


I don't drink soda, diet or otherwise. The last one I had was in October, and that was a Jolt energy drink. Stupid vending machine gave me one when I pushed the Diet Coke.



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17 May 2011, 9:59 pm

That's good. Is there a lot of protein intake in your meals as well as all the other essentials?