Nutritionists preach it, your doctor probably preaches - I preached it myself at one stage. It's one of the most commonly spouted bunch of blarney in the health and fitness industry today. What is it? Eat 5-6 small meals a day to a healthier lifestyle. It's not the end all and be all of healthy nutrition - not by a long shot...
There is no 'magic time' in the morning that our body must get foods in. It's nonsense pure and simple.
Following on from this we're going to discuss meal frequency. Now for years I have followed and admittedly (holding my hands up here) recommended that people eat 5-6 small meals a day to not only lose weight but to also to maintain a healthy lifestyle, ignite the metabolic fire and keep hunger at bay.
Well that too is a load of bull crap. There is no magic solution in eating 5-6 small meals a day. Truth be told - it's actually more of a burden than a blessing (especially for students). Eating frequent meals doesn't control hunger anymore than larger infrequent meals do. Here are three myths you should know about meal frequency.
Myth 1: Frequent meals throughout the day keep cravings and hunger at bay.
Eating 5 or 6 small meals a day doesn't do anything differently than 3 regular meals or even 2 meals do. All it really does is train your body to get hungry at frequent intervals throughout the day. Again studies with very unrealistic parameters have been used to substantiate claims on the benefits of small frequent meals. In these studies the composition and macronutrient (proteins, fats and carbs) make up of the meals were highly suspect.
On top of that frequent eating means very small portion sizes. For example, let's say that our TDEE or Total Daily Energy Expenditure is 2000 calories. TDEE is basically the total daily amount of calories you need to maintain your weight. Now are having meals of roughly 330 calories each going to fill you up or do you think 2-3 meals of 700-1000 calories would do a better job? As long as you get your required amount - that's all that matters.
Myth 2: Frequent meals boost your metabolism
Eating smaller more frequent meals doesn't' boost your metabolism any more than 2-3 regular meals does. Studies that promote this myth always refer back to the effect foods have on our bodies. The TEF or Thermic effect of food boils down to this: when we eat our metabolic rate increases and our bodies require energy to break down the foods we eat. This would suggest frequent meals are better, however, one thing often left out from the studies done on TEF is that it is directly proportional to the amount of calories consumed in the meals - i.e. larger meals are better than smaller more frequent ones. This is especially true when you are looking to lose a stone or more.
Myth 3: Frequent meals are the best way to lose a stone
Meal frequency like everything else comes down to the individual - frequent eating is only one method - it's not the only way to lose a stone. Take me for example I ate six small meals a day - found myself always being hungry and if I wasn't eating I was cooking or prepping or thinking about eating or cooking or prepping. I had very little time for anything else. So I now I have 2 sometimes 3 gargantuan meals a day - never get hungry, always feel full after my meals and have more time to be productive. Oh and my breakfast is NOT first thing in the morning...
Honestly do you have time to prepare and carry around 6 small meals with you everyday? If you do, chances are you're not getting a whole lot else done in the day right? This is especially true in college - you're way too busy to be lugging around lunch boxes or stopping into the canteen every 2 hours to get a bite to eat right? You should be any whoJ. In college keep your nutrition as simple as possible - having 3 substantial meals makes a lot more sense than 5-6 itty bitty meals that won't fill you up and leave your stomach grumbling - not good for you and not good for the people sitting beside you in lectures.
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There is no 'magic time' in the morning that our body must get foods in. It's nonsense pure and simple.
Following on from this we're going to discuss meal frequency. Now for years I have followed and admittedly (holding my hands up here) recommended that people eat 5-6 small meals a day to not only lose weight but to also to maintain a healthy lifestyle, ignite the metabolic fire and keep hunger at bay.
Well that too is a load of bull crap. There is no magic solution in eating 5-6 small meals a day. Truth be told - it's actually more of a burden than a blessing (especially for students). Eating frequent meals doesn't control hunger anymore than larger infrequent meals do. Here are three myths you should know about meal frequency.
Myth 1: Frequent meals throughout the day keep cravings and hunger at bay.
Eating 5 or 6 small meals a day doesn't do anything differently than 3 regular meals or even 2 meals do. All it really does is train your body to get hungry at frequent intervals throughout the day. Again studies with very unrealistic parameters have been used to substantiate claims on the benefits of small frequent meals. In these studies the composition and macronutrient (proteins, fats and carbs) make up of the meals were highly suspect.
On top of that frequent eating means very small portion sizes. For example, let's say that our TDEE or Total Daily Energy Expenditure is 2000 calories. TDEE is basically the total daily amount of calories you need to maintain your weight. Now are having meals of roughly 330 calories each going to fill you up or do you think 2-3 meals of 700-1000 calories would do a better job? As long as you get your required amount - that's all that matters.
Myth 2: Frequent meals boost your metabolism
Eating smaller more frequent meals doesn't' boost your metabolism any more than 2-3 regular meals does. Studies that promote this myth always refer back to the effect foods have on our bodies. The TEF or Thermic effect of food boils down to this: when we eat our metabolic rate increases and our bodies require energy to break down the foods we eat. This would suggest frequent meals are better, however, one thing often left out from the studies done on TEF is that it is directly proportional to the amount of calories consumed in the meals - i.e. larger meals are better than smaller more frequent ones. This is especially true when you are looking to lose a stone or more.
Myth 3: Frequent meals are the best way to lose a stone
Meal frequency like everything else comes down to the individual - frequent eating is only one method - it's not the only way to lose a stone. Take me for example I ate six small meals a day - found myself always being hungry and if I wasn't eating I was cooking or prepping or thinking about eating or cooking or prepping. I had very little time for anything else. So I now I have 2 sometimes 3 gargantuan meals a day - never get hungry, always feel full after my meals and have more time to be productive. Oh and my breakfast is NOT first thing in the morning...
Honestly do you have time to prepare and carry around 6 small meals with you everyday? If you do, chances are you're not getting a whole lot else done in the day right? This is especially true in college - you're way too busy to be lugging around lunch boxes or stopping into the canteen every 2 hours to get a bite to eat right? You should be any whoJ. In college keep your nutrition as simple as possible - having 3 substantial meals makes a lot more sense than 5-6 itty bitty meals that won't fill you up and leave your stomach grumbling - not good for you and not good for the people sitting beside you in lectures.
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