3 Meals v.s. 5 or more meals, convert me!

[Uthinkso]

I plan to start a cutting program the first of the year. I want to lose a total of 50lbs, which I know it will be hard but I WILL do it.

I have been getting great advice from this board about which suplements to take, and which not to. I have also been getting a lot of information in regareds to diet and how to change that.

The part I don't really subscribe to is the eating every 3 hours thing. I am an engine builder by trade, so it isn't practical for me to stop and eat a meal every three hours or so. I could easily eat a granola bar or a fruit of some kind, but I couldn't stop for a salad with a can of Tuna or anything like that.

Secondly, what is the purpose behind the multiple small meals as opposed to 3 medium sized meals. From everything I have read here, I think the idea is to keep the metabolism constantly working. Like a fire for example you don't want to throw too big of a log in there and smother the flame, you want to supply just enough to keep the fire burning. If that is even close to making sense, then all of my reading did some good.

So am I completely off base here, in the ball park, or right on the money???

 

[Mudge]

Efficiency.

I'd love to give an engine example using AF ratio or something at WOT, but I dont know how well that would carry over.

So, to the fireplace explanation. If you have a 5 cubic foot bundle of wood and a small fireplace, throwing it on the fire all at once will choke the fire somewhat and cause a very inneficient burn. To burn the wood and get the most BTU of heat out of it with the least ashes, you need efficient burning which means of course oxygen that can get to the fire etc

So smaller, more frequent meals keep the metabolism going AND allow for more efficent food utilization, meaning less fat storage more stable energy levels. There might even be something out there to link such bad eating habits to diabetes, larger meals at night before bed are already linked (appropriately or not) to heart disease.

 

[aggies1ut]

If you have time for a granola bar or a piece of fruit, then you have enough time to drink a protein shake.

 

[Premo55]

Ultimate convenience diet:
Protein BLEND (whey/casein/soy/egg white/milk protein isolate) for protein source
Natural peanut butter for monounsaturated/saturated fats
Fish oil caps for polyunsaturated fats
Psyllium husk or Fiber One or Metamucil for fiber
Some form of greens pill to derive benefits of veggies without actually eating them
Universal Animal Pak multi-vitamin and mineral pills
Dry old-fashioned oats or oat bran for carbohydrates
Water

There you go, with those ingredients you can have meals with no cooking required and maximum convenience.

As for eating 5 or 6 meals a day, I feel it is absolutely necessary for anyone, sedentary or active, by keeping meals smaller you stablise blood sugar levels, maximise nutrient uptake and absorption, and minimise fat gain by eradicating overfeeding and subsequent nutrient spillage into fat tissue. It keeps the metabolism at full gear and enhances the possibility of lipolysis and fat mobilisation. There are days where I will eat up to 8 meals a day, depending on how long I stay up for.

Peace.

 

[Power Rabbit]

mudges example was great... after 3 hours or so your body goes into starvation mode and tryes to conserve....when u get around to getting food...its gonna sit in starve mode for abit and try to move that food to fat

 

[Arnold]

Time is not an issue, you can eat a quality protein bar or a protein shake.

Here is an analogy: to keep a fire burning you constantly add a little bit of wood, if you threw a bunch of wood on the fire all at once you would smother the fire. Apply that to your metabolism.

Also, you want to keep your body in a positive nitrogen balance, which is done by consuming protein every 3 hours.

 

[Arnold]

Originally posted by Power Rabbit
mudges example was great... after 3 hours or so your body goes into starvation mode and tryes to conserve....when u get around to getting food...its gonna sit in starve mode for abit and try to move that food to fat

your body does not go into "starvation mode" after 3 hours.

 

[Power Rabbit]

Originally posted by Prince
your body does not go into "starvation mode" after 3 hours.

really??? I allways thought that was why I ate alot? Is it sheerly due to the fact that we cant take in but so much protien in a sitting?

 

[Arnold]

starvation mode is when you under feed your body and it has to slow down metabolic processes to survive, which is not going to happen in a few hours.

 

[Power Rabbit]

whoops

 

[Uthinkso]

Originally posted by Premo55
Ultimate convenience diet:
Protein BLEND (whey/casein/soy/egg white/milk protein isolate) for protein source
Natural peanut butter for monounsaturated/saturated fats
Fish oil caps for polyunsaturated fats
Psyllium husk or Fiber One or Metamucil for fiber
Some form of greens pill to derive benefits of veggies without actually eating them
Universal Animal Pak multi-vitamin and mineral pills
Dry old-fashioned oats or oat bran for carbohydrates
Water

There you go, with those ingredients you can have meals with no cooking required and maximum convenience.

.

Ok I have heard of a few of those things there. Just to clarify, you were saying that each of those combo could be considered a good meal, correct??

I can't see how just eating spons of peanut buter is a good thing either, and the rest of those foods I have no clue what they are. Will have to look those up.

I greatly appreciate th advise though. I hpe it doesn't sound like I am criticizing your post.

 

[Arnold]

adding natural peanut butter (not skippy) to a meal like a protein shake is a great source of fat, mostly polys & monos.

 

[Mudge]

Last time I saw Jay Cutlers diet he was eating 18 times a day. NPC heavyweight I saw was eating 12 times a day, on a bulk over 700g protein.

How about comparing it to fuel atomization Old crappy drip carburator versus fuel injection.

 

[plouffe]

Originally posted by Mudge
Efficiency.

I'd love to give an engine example using AF ratio or something at WOT, but I dont know how well that would carry over.

So, to the fireplace explanation. If you have a 5 cubic foot bundle of wood and a small fireplace, throwing it on the fire all at once will choke the fire somewhat and cause a very inneficient burn. To burn the wood and get the most BTU of heat out of it with the least ashes, you need efficient burning which means of course oxygen that can get to the fire etc

So smaller, more frequent meals keep the metabolism going AND allow for more efficent food utilization, meaning less fat storage more stable energy levels. There might even be something out there to link such bad eating habits to diabetes, larger meals at night before bed are already linked (appropriately or not) to heart disease.

Damn Mudge, never thought of it that way.. that's a pretty good/easy way to explain it.

 

[Mudge]

Fireplace or BBQ grill works

Nutrure the fire, dont choke it. Especially on a bulk, imagine trying to get 1500 calories every meal I would feel bloated all day long. Positive nitrogen retention also requires continual protein uptake, not occasional and sporadic.

 

[Uthinkso]

Good info fela, making a believer outof me here. I'm just a little thrown by that list of foods that was dropped above.

Some of those crazy foods I have never even heard of, nor would I know where to get thhem.

 

[tjwes]

Most of the foods he listed ,while OK ,are supplements not whole foods.Just eat 5-6 times a day with a balanced meal pla.Protein at every meal!It`s a start anyway,as you get to know more you can improve upon it.

 

[Premo55]

^^ He just said that he has no time to make whole foods, which is why I listed that diet. Obviously whole foods are 20000% better.

Peace.