On August 05 2011 10:43 RANDOMCL wrote:Show nested quote +On August 05 2011 04:03 Knap4life wrote:
You should eat 4-6 meals a day every 3-4 hours If you are referring to the "eating more increases your metabolism" stuff -- that is a myth. Metabolism increases based on calorie and macronutrient intake. If you eat the same amount over the course of 3 meals as you do 6, your metabolism will be affected the same. You gave a lot of sound advice, but I felt the need to point out this small flaw. It is a common myth that somehow still persists to this day, and I understand why some people believe it, but it isn't true. EDIT: Just to point out, I'm not saying that it is BAD to eat that often, but rather, that it simply isn't accurate to say that eating more speeds up your metabolism. Evolution (and facts) say otherwise: Here is a quick article about it (with 50 or so references at the bottom): http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/nutrition/logic-does-not-apply-part-1-meal-frequency/
I don't think it causes a faster metabolism, but I think it is more healthy. If you eat several smaller meals throughout the day, you won't have a period where you take in a lot of food and stretch out the stomach(unless the stomach enlargement is a myth as well) which means you are getting full with less food and are less likely to gorge on a meal. I've been eating 6 meals a day for my entire life and I have an extremely difficult time polishing off even half a plate at your typical restaurant, even if I haven't eaten the entire day. A 5 year old with me shoveled down his full size plate and then finished half of mine one time, i seriously believe he stretched out his stomach.
On topic, great job so far! you are entering the most difficult part of the diet, most people stop after 1 month and lose interest because they aren't getting results fast enough, you have to keep going, let nothing stop you.
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On August 05 2011 11:18 phant wrote:Show nested quote +On August 05 2011 10:43 RANDOMCL wrote:On August 05 2011 04:03 Knap4life wrote:
You should eat 4-6 meals a day every 3-4 hours If you are referring to the "eating more increases your metabolism" stuff -- that is a myth. Metabolism increases based on calorie and macronutrient intake. If you eat the same amount over the course of 3 meals as you do 6, your metabolism will be affected the same. You gave a lot of sound advice, but I felt the need to point out this small flaw. It is a common myth that somehow still persists to this day, and I understand why some people believe it, but it isn't true. EDIT: Just to point out, I'm not saying that it is BAD to eat that often, but rather, that it simply isn't accurate to say that eating more speeds up your metabolism. Evolution (and facts) say otherwise: Here is a quick article about it (with 50 or so references at the bottom): http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/nutrition/logic-does-not-apply-part-1-meal-frequency/ I don't think it causes a faster metabolism, but I think it is more healthy. If you eat several smaller meals throughout the day, you won't have a period where you take in a lot of food and stretch out the stomach(unless the stomach enlargement is a myth as well) which means you are getting full with less food and are less likely to gorge on a meal.
I don't think "healthy" is the right word, honestly. You'll be just as healthy from eating three meals a day as you will six. I use the term "healthy" in reference to the health of your body, not how you momentarily feel. If you are eating "good" foods, you won't feel any more or less sluggish from either. Stomach stretching does exist, but in a much more minor capacity than most think.
I don't think people attempting to get into better shape will be placing a massive amount of food in front of themselves. They will be planning meals, know (at least roughly) how many calories everything they consume has in it, etc.
The primary benefits of eating more meals are mental, for the most part. As you said, your stomach will fill slightly faster, and you will be more mentally aware of when you are full. However, I feel the benefits to be more negative than positive in the long run.
1) You are more likely to miss 1 of 6 or 2 of 6 meals a day when your schedule does not allow for it. There are some days when you simply can't eat that many a day without putting other parts of your life on the backburner. Of course, I feel health is more important than your career and such, but regardless of personal feelings, a person is more likely to miss 1 out of 6 meals than they are 1 out of 2 a day, simply due to technical reasons.
2) You will think about food more often if the ritual takes place 6 times a day than 2-3. You are planning meals, eating, and moving on 6 times a day instead of 2-3, and as someone who was once severely overweight, I find that the more you think about food, the more likely you are to eat.
Again, from a health standpoint, there isn't much difference. From a mental standpoint, it is very personal and variable.
To close:
I think a person with the perfect mental fortitude would benefit from eating 6 meals a day. However, especially for those attempting to lose weight, I feel it will hinder them.
It all comes down to the person.
I just find that most people recommending 6 meals a day are doing so based on metabolism myths, so I wanted to nip that in the bud ahead of time, and I apologize if it came off the wrong way.
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EPT
