5-6 meals ... spread out??

[Premiere]

okay so i do 5-6 meals each with about 3 hr intervals ... neways i remember someone saying to spread out how many carbs, protein and fats u need over the 5-6 meals. well why is that?? why cant i just eat how ever many carbs in meal 1 and however many in meal 2 ... just as long as i get the needed amount? anyone get what i'm asking??

 

[bulletproof1]

consuming more carbs than your body can handle at 1 time easily can turn to fat. ideally you want to pyramind your carbs throughout the day, eating more carbs at meal 1 than any other, and eating the least amount, if any, at the last meal of the day.

 

[Emma-Leigh]

consuming more carbs than your body can handle at 1 time easily can turn to fat. ideally you want to pyramind your carbs throughout the day, eating more carbs at meal 1 than any other, and eating the least amount, if any, at the last meal of the day.

The amount of carbs you have to eat in one sitting in order to get significant amounts of de novo lipogenesis (to build fat) is HUGE (in the order of hundreds of grams!!!) and so it is really not a problem in every day dieting.

The main reasons why you want to spread your carbs out during the day, focusing your carbohydrates in around the morning and during the times when you are active is because

1. By giving your body fuel when it needs it it ensures you are working out to your maximal potential and therefore your workouts/training is more effective!

2. Smaller carb servings (of lower GI value) frequently help maintain your blood sugar levels at a lower, constant level - which is better for keeping hunger at bay, better for maintaining your energy levels and better for allowing fat loss to continue (no insulin/glucose spikes).

3. By eating carbohydrates earlier in the day you also get the benifits of putting energy into your body (so you can be active during the day) as well as taking advantage of the slightly better insulin sensitivity you have in the mornings AND you also decrease your cortisol levels (stress hormone) by giving your body carbs in the morning.

You should be spreading your protein over the day to give your body a good, constant stream of amino acids which will help in maintaining your blood glucose levels (keeps them more constant) and helps provide your muscles/organs with protein to build and repair tissues as they need them.

Proteins in every meal will also help to keep your hunger at bay (they have a higher satiety rating that carbs or fats) and will also increase the thermogenic effect of the meal (this means they increase the energy needed to digest each meal - which boosts your metabolism).

I consider fats as a 'slow fuel' and as something essential for health. For this reason I usually like eating them as a fuel source around times when I am less active and when I need a slower, more constant energy - like later in the day.

Also, by having some healthy, unsaturated fats in your later meals you will also decrease the rate at which your stomach empties, which will slow digestion of your foods and this will help in providing your muscles with a slow trickel of energy/protein for the evening.

 

[joey2005]

thanks emma. GOod reading for me.

 

[CowPimp]

Eating only protein is a bad idea. Your body will break it down too fast without carbs and fats to slow digestion. You'll be hungry an hour later if you only eat protein.

Eating only carbs isn't a bad idea per se, but the problem is if you eat too many carbs in one meal then the excess energy that can't be used to fill glycogen stores spills over into fat stores.

Eating only fat... Hmmm... Eating olive oil straight doesn't sound very appealing to me.

The point is your body needs all these nutrients all throughout the day. If you eat them all throughout the day then they are all available more often. If you eat it all at once, then it won't be useable later/earlier in the day.