Thread: Eating frequency

I think that's old science, though some still advocate it. You'll find some people here who eat 80% of thier daily calories within 3 hours of going to bed and others who strictly eat every three hours. I've heard more meals speeds it up too, don't really know if it's true or not.

Originally Posted by kyle64

I am eating 7 times a day starting at 8 am ending at 8:30 pm, I read somewhere that the more times we eat the faster our metabolism works. Is this a fact?

I believe thats a little OCD, 4-5 is a little more conveinient.

I agree, I am getting tired of eating so many times a day, I think I am gonna cut back to 5 times a day.

The meal frequency thing will be debated till the end of time. Many advocates along with scientific data on either side of the fence.

I personally think it's hogwash.

And who has the time to plan out 7 meals? It's a lifestyle nightmare.

At the end of the day, if you get your calories in you're set.

KY

Originally Posted by kyle64

I am eating 7 times a day starting at 8 am ending at 8:30 pm, I read somewhere that the more times we eat the faster our metabolism works. Is this a fact?

There is scant evidence in the literature to support meal frequency speeds metabolism. In general its more about convenience. The bottom line is calories/day.

Originally Posted by kyle64

I am eating 7 times a day starting at 8 am ending at 8:30 pm, I read somewhere that the more times we eat the faster our metabolism works. Is this a fact?

you're eating a ton of food there...are you supplementing too? and yes this is true your metabolism does become faster...i'd go buy some whey if i were you seems like you have alot of time on your hands. me myself i intake alot of calories but sometimes i just dont have it in me and seem to go to a failure point..i think i'm going to stay away from ponderosa for awhile

Originally Posted by MAC24/7

... and yes this is true your metabolism does become faster...

What are you basing this statement on? I would like to see the literature that backs this up.

Access : The relationship between meal frequency and body mass index in black and white adolescent girls: more is less : International Journal of Obesity

Metabolic effects of alterations in meal frequency... [Diabetes Care. 1997] - PubMed result

Influence of Meal Frequency on Body Weight, Plasma Metabolites, and Glucose and Cholesterol Metabolism in the Dog -- Romsos et al. 108 (2): 238 -- Journal of Nutrition

The last abstract was related to dogs. :| So, I can't state whether any of it applies to bodybuilders directly.

From the dog text:

"Young adult female beagles were fed one 2 hour meal per 48 hours or were pair-fed twice daily for 246 days. The canned diet contained 36, 40, and 24% of metabolizable energy from protein, fat and carbohydrate, respectively. Both groups of dogs lost approximately 200 g body weight during the first days and then maintained relatively constant body weight thereafter. Meal frequency did not influence body weight or body fat (estimated from body water). Intravenous and oral glucose tolerance tests were conducted. No differences in the ability of the two groups of dogs to clear glucose from the circulation were noted, provided both groups of dogs had been fed similar amounts of food prior to the test."

....Meal frequency did not influence body weight or body fat (estimated from body water)....

Thanks Curt James, more proof that there is no link between meal frequency and metabolic rate:

CONCLUSIONS: This longer-term study could not confirm the potential benefits of increased meal frequency suggested by comparable 4-week studies in type 2 diabetic individuals and acute experiments in individuals with diabetes. However, as there were no adverse effects of consuming nine meals per day, it would seem appropriate that meal frequency in those with type 2 diabetes should be left to personal choice, provided that energy balance is maintained.

I think meal frequency has more of an impact on absorbtion and/or assimilation of nutrients, and not so much on actual metabolic rate. In other words, by eating smaller meals more frequently, you are allowing your body to convert and distribute nutrients more efficiently...not necessarily speeding up the process.
Personally, I think that this is an argument without an absolute conclusion simply because each individual is physiologically different to some degree.

Eating more frequently is giving me a lot of energy it seems, I am far more energetic like this than I was on 3-4 meals a day. After thinking about it I want to continue on 6-7 meals a day, it seems to be working well for me.
I do own my business so I have more freedom to do what I want however I do not have a lot of time on my hands, I have a great wife who prepares a lot of the food for me!!

Like DaMayor implied, it comes down to what works best for the individual. It's certainly not going to hinder you by eating more often. It's nice to be free of the fear though. Especially when you're caught off guard and haven't eaten for 5 hours. In the old days, I would be stressing over that.

Agreed, you will find that most people eat more frequently as it's more satiating when cutting and more practical when bulking. However, in regard to the science there is no data in the literature that has been able to show any statistical significance in regard to changes in metabolic rates.

Meal Frequency and Mass Gains

Hello,

Before you rule out meal frequency as another exaggerated propaganda, let me quickly point out some important reasons why spread out meal is a must for quick weight loss:
· Small frequent meals increase our metabolism. We burn calories to digest, absorbed and utilized food.
· Frequent feeding prevent binges and craving and thus control calorie intake. Meal frequency also makes sense because it takes about 3 hours to digest meal and the body is ready for more calorie intake after that.
· When we follow 3-4 meals a day frequency we tend to eat more to satisfy our hunger. Here, we consume more calories than required, and excess calories are converted into body fats after utilizing what is needed. Eating smaller and frequent meals prevent excess calories intake and avoid storing body fats.


Thanks.

No one is ruling out eating frequency, we're just saying you don't have to be inprisioned by the idea that if you don't eat every 3 hours you will become catabolic. Folks who eat a calorie surplus may indeed require frequent eating, not because of the reasons you stated but simply to get the huge amount of food in. Believe me, it's not an easy thing to do. It requires almost constant eating to hit 4500 or more calories of clean food.
Those who are on a deficit or low carb diet, it's been shown that going hours or even a day without food are no more at a disadvantage than those who adhere to the 3 hour rule. I'd like to see some science on your statement of eating more frequent prevents cravings and binges. I think thats a load of crap. People seldom eat because of hunger. It's things like HFCS and other sugars that prevent the brain from receiving the "I'm full" signals. Bordom and habit are also reasons for cravings and binges, not meal frequency. I sometimes eat 3 times a day and never do I lose control of my caloric intake. My target macros are always met be it in 5 meals or 2. Doesn't really matter. Most people involved in fitness have developed the same dicipline with thier eating habits as they have with thier training. That discipline has little to do with how often we decide to eat IMO.

Aha! That's what I was gonna post, you beat me to it though

Lesser but larger meals is so much easier....

Originally Posted by Robert

Meal Frequency and Mass Gains

Originally Posted by rubika

Hello,

Before you rule out meal frequency as another exaggerated propaganda, let me quickly point out some important reasons why spread out meal is a must for quick weight loss:
· Small frequent meals increase our metabolism. We burn calories to digest, absorbed and utilized food.
Thanks.

Good Lord, will this nonsense ever stop.
EATING MORE FREQENTLY DOES NOT INCREASE METABOLISM.
Read the scientific literature in the links.
Eating more frequently is more satiating when cutting and more practical when bulking but beyond that it has no bearing on body weight what so ever.
Stressing out over missing a meal is more detrimental as stress is well established in the literature to have a significant impact on body fat and overall health. So do me a favor and stop stressing me out on this subject and just eat when it best suits your schedule. The bottom line is calories/day.

Originally Posted by kyoun1e

The meal frequency thing will be debated till the end of time. Many advocates along with scientific data on either side of the fence.

I personally think it's hogwash.

And who has the time to plan out 7 meals? It's a lifestyle nightmare.

At the end of the day, if you get your calories in you're set.

KY

I eat 5 to 6 meals a day, every 2 to 3 hours. It's like constantly keeping your fire stoked when you eat constantly throughout the day, with a steady supply of the nutrients your body needs. when you load up with a ton of calories at once a few times a day your body's gonna take longer to process it and you're probably gonna feel sluggish for a bit. I think timing is huge. for example if you eat the bulk of your calories later in the day and don't get enough during the morning hours after your body has fasted all night, what is your body gonna feed on? your muscle, that's what

Originally Posted by FMJ

I think that's old science, though some still advocate it. You'll find some people here who eat 80% of thier daily calories within 3 hours of going to bed and others who strictly eat every three hours. I've heard more meals speeds it up too, don't really know if it's true or not.

my big ass hero patrick...

Originally Posted by pitman

my big ass hero patrick...

Thanks sweetheart!

Originally Posted by rubika

Hello,

Before you rule out meal frequency as another exaggerated propaganda, let me quickly point out some important reasons why spread out meal is a must for quick weight loss:
· Small frequent meals increase our metabolism. We burn calories to digest, absorbed and utilized food.
· Frequent feeding prevent binges and craving and thus control calorie intake. Meal frequency also makes sense because it takes about 3 hours to digest meal and the body is ready for more calorie intake after that.
· When we follow 3-4 meals a day frequency we tend to eat more to satisfy our hunger. Here, we consume more calories than required, and excess calories are converted into body fats after utilizing what is needed. Eating smaller and frequent meals prevent excess calories intake and avoid storing body fats.
Thanks.

Nope...

Originally Posted by Smash

I eat 5 to 6 meals a day, every 2 to 3 hours. It's like constantly keeping your fire stoked when you eat constantly throughout the day, with a steady supply of the nutrients your body needs. when you load up with a ton of calories at once a few times a day your body's gonna take longer to process it and you're probably gonna feel sluggish for a bit. I think timing is huge. for example if you eat the bulk of your calories later in the day and don't get enough during the morning hours after your body has fasted all night, what is your body gonna feed on? your muscle, that's what

...and nope. In fact, there's nothing wrong with eating once a day at bedtime. Nothing wrong with eating more frequently either - if you prefer.

I do find Lyle's meal frequency article rather interesting - kinda flies in the face of conventional bodybuilder brainwashing.

BUILT

.......

Originally Posted by Smash

I eat 5 to 6 meals a day, every 2 to 3 hours. It's like constantly keeping your fire stoked when you eat constantly throughout the day, with a steady supply of the nutrients your body needs. when you load up with a ton of calories at once a few times a day your body's gonna take longer to process it and you're probably gonna feel sluggish for a bit. I think timing is huge. for example if you eat the bulk of your calories later in the day and don't get enough during the morning hours after your body has fasted all night, what is your body gonna feed on? your muscle, that's what

Leangains - Intermittent Fasting for Strength Training and Fat Loss

Take a look at Martin Berkhan's pic on the right about halfway down the page. This guy is Mr IF.

And it sure as hell doesn't look like his body is feeding on his muscle.

I'm telling ya, meal frequency is crap.

KY

Originally Posted by Built

Nope...



...and nope. In fact, there's nothing wrong with eating once a day at bedtime. Nothing wrong with eating more frequently either - if you prefer.

I do find Lyle's meal frequency article rather interesting - kinda flies in the face of conventional bodybuilder brainwashing.

Well then how about tomorrow you get up, eat nothing. go to the gym around noon, early afternoon, whenever you workout. workout intense, eat nothing. wait 6 or 7 hours and still eat nothing. then eat 3500-4000 calories and tell me how that works for ya. Extreme example, but I think you can see my point. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with eating less frequently but I personally prefer the 5-6 times a day and feel that it benefits me. I guess everyone's different.

Originally Posted by Smash

Well then how about tomorrow you get up, eat nothing. go to the gym around noon, early afternoon, whenever you workout. workout intense, eat nothing. wait 6 or 7 hours and still eat nothing. then eat 3500-4000 calories and tell me how that works for ya. Extreme example, but I think you can see my point. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with eating less frequently but I personally prefer the 5-6 times a day and feel that it benefits me. I guess everyone's different.

There's always one... You do realize those are her abs in the avatar?
Don't take this personally newbie.. but I'm going with Built on this one.
Maybe you should pick up a book on the subject that was written in this century?

Originally Posted by ectomorph141

Back when I bulked up I took the advice from the members on the board. I ate 6-7 times a day, ate 4,000-5,000 calories,300-350 grams protein and it worked. But it really depends on your bodytype. I am a hardgainer/ectomorph.
Is that your avatar pic?? If it is I would say you are doing something right. lol

Both ways work.. but what we're all trying to say here is, stop overcomplicating things. We've all followed the 6 meals a day rule at one point. And everyone knows it's a huge pain in the ass. I used to have to pack meals because a meal every three hours is the most inconvienient part of bodybuilding.
The point is.. you don't HAVE to do that. If you like doing it, go right ahead. Personally, I rather eat when easy to do so. If that means eating 3000 calories 2 hours before bed, so be it. At least I didn't have to lug around a bag of stuff and be shackled to the idea. Set yourself free man.

EDIT...Cleared up some confusion.
Thanks for letting me know that we dont really have to eat 6 times a day. I was under the impression we needed to do that. Listen to Built she knows what she is talking about for sure.