Smaller frequent meals for maintenance

[MarcusG]

Is smaller and more frequent meals better than 3 normal ones during maintenance or just abit above (say not more than 400cal above)?

[TheCrownedOne]

Of course. Eating more frequently while retaining a predetermined caloric range is always better than leaving great time between meals.

[MarcusG]

I know its its a bb mantra. I myself have always tried to break meals up whenever I can but I'm wondering if there is any real rationale for this especially for 'normal' people who don't have a ton of muscle and need to be eating constantly.

[kwyckemynd00]

To stay lean, is usually the case. Eating less frequently slows down your body's metabolism. Therefore, you're more likely to get fat and probably aren't as efficient in utilizing the foods you do eat.

[MarcusG]

But how many calories are actually expended from the increased metabolism?. Perhaps another way to phrase the question is whether more frequent meals are worth the effort in an already fit person at 7-8% bf.

[kwyckemynd00]

Well...you can always find out.

[lifted]

Maybe, who knows. I wish I could do it this way, but I have to eat so damn much ED that there's just no way possible I could get all my food in with just 3 meals. I'd be puking all the time. I still puke sometimes, and when I'm bulking I've even been known to gather up the puke and take it down again...lol...I'm being serious...food is damn expensive.

[ryuage]

To stay lean, is usually the case. Eating less frequently slows down your body's metabolism. Therefore, you're more likely to get fat and probably aren't as efficient in utilizing the foods you do eat.

and you have proof of this?

[kwyckemynd00]

and you have proof of this?

Normally I would feel obliged to pull out research of eating frequently being better for your metabolism, but its info that's just "everywhere" Fine...I'll do it anyway, and I'll do it AM.com style with pubmed....lol:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...455&query_hl=3

Beneficial metabolic effects of regular meal frequency on dietary thermogenesis, insulin sensitivity, and fasting lipid profiles in healthy obese women.

Farshchi HR, Taylor MA, Macdonald IA.

Centre for Integrated Systems Biology and Medicine, Institute of Clinical Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, UK. mbxhrf@nottingham.ac.uk

BACKGROUND: Although a regular meal pattern is recommended for obese people, its effects on energy metabolism have not been examined. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether a regular meal frequency affects energy intake (EI), energy expenditure, or circulating insulin, glucose, and lipid concentrations in healthy obese women. DESIGN: Ten women [x +/- SD body mass index (in kg/m(2)): 37.1 +/- 4.8] participated in a randomized crossover trial. In phase 1 (14 d), the subjects consumed their normal diet on 6 occasions/d (regular meal pattern) or followed a variable meal frequency (3-9 meals/d, irregular meal pattern). In phase 2 (14 d), the subjects followed the alternative pattern. At the start and end of each phase, a test meal was fed, and blood glucose, lipid, and insulin concentrations were determined before and for 3 h after (glucose and insulin only) the test meal. Subjects recorded their food intake on 3 d during each phase. The thermogenic response to the test meal was ascertained by indirect calorimetry. RESULTS: Regular eating was associated with lower EI (P < 0.01), greater postprandial thermogenesis (P < 0.01), and lower fasting total (4.16 compared with 4.30 mmol/L; P < 0.01) and LDL (2.46 compared with 2.60 mmol/L; P < 0.02) cholesterol. Fasting glucose and insulin values were not affected by meal pattern, but peak insulin concentrations and area under the curve of insulin responses to the test meal were lower after the regular than after the irregular meal pattern (P < 0.01 and 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION: Regular eating has beneficial effects on fasting lipid and postprandial insulin profiles and thermogenesis.

Publication Types:

• Clinical Trial
• Randomized Controlled Trial

PMID: 15640455 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[CROWLER]

Actually this would be a good test.

I suggest for 3 months you eat 2 meals a day and keep a log it would DEFINITELY be interesting.



CROWLER

[kwyckemynd00]

Actually this would be a good test.

I suggest for 3 months you eat 2 meals a day and keep a log it would DEFINITELY be interesting.



CROWLER

I said he could try....but I dunno if he wants to chance it

[MarcusG]

kwyckemynd00,
The study uses obese women as subjects. Thus their bmr (and whatever else) might be somewhat screwed up. Then the study did not measure meal frequency but rather regular vs variable meal times.
CROWLER,
I wasn't interested in the effects of 1 or 2 meals a day which is purposely disruptive.

Is it a case of diminishing returns so a fairly average diet of 3meals +1snackmeal makes little difference from a 6meal plan?

[ryuage]

my point exactly, the study proves nothing and doesnt relate to the person in question, not to mention metabolism/thermogenesis will act according to the size of the meal so whats the difference in getting 2% increase in 2 300 calorie meals versus a 4% in one 600 calorie meal. Plus he never said hed eat 1 or 2 big meals a day...

[CROWLER]

kwyckemynd00,
The study uses obese women as subjects. Thus their bmr (and whatever else) might be somewhat screwed up. Then the study did not measure meal frequency but rather regular vs variable meal times.
CROWLER,
I wasn't interested in the effects of 1 or 2 meals a day which is purposely disruptive.

Is it a case of diminishing returns so a fairly average diet of 3meals +1snackmeal makes little difference from a 6meal plan?

Well seeing as how people react differently to different menus I guess there is only one way to find out.

I for one would be interested if you decide to do this and post a log.


CROWLER

[kwyckemynd00]

kwyckemynd00,
The study uses obese women as subjects. Thus their bmr (and whatever else) might be somewhat screwed up. Then the study did not measure meal frequency but rather regular vs variable meal times.
CROWLER,
I wasn't interested in the effects of 1 or 2 meals a day which is purposely disruptive.

Is it a case of diminishing returns so a fairly average diet of 3meals +1snackmeal makes little difference from a 6meal plan?

Why would they do a study on thermogenisis on someone who "isn't" overweight????

The point was simply to find out whether or not eating more frequent meals is better for keepin' the damn fat off, and it is

Again, just try it out and see where you end up. Everything may be just fine and you'd get to take it easy for a bit. Sounds good enough to me.

If you're waiting for someone to say "no it doesn't make a difference" its probably not going to happen But for YOU it may not make a difference.

[DieTrying]

A lot of the studies on frequent meals come out with a conclusion that has just as much of a psychological aspect as physiological...meaning most people that eat smaller meals want to eat smaller meals.

In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, one group of overweight men was given five small meals, then was free to choose a sixth meal. A second group ate a single meal containing the same number of calories as the total of the other group's first five meals, then later had a free-choice second meal. The six-meal men ate 27 percent less food at their last meal than the two-meal men did at their second.

[MarcusG]

Why would they do a study on thermogenisis on someone who "isn't" overweight????

The point was simply to find out whether or not eating more frequent meals is better for keepin' the damn fat off, and it is
.......

That doesn't improve the relevance of the study.

And actually from the abstract, the obese women who followed an irregular eating pattern consumed up to 9 meals a day, more often than the regular eating subjects

From my experience, I had unexpectedly good gains from eating 3 regular big meals a day w/o any protein shakes for a month.

[kwyckemynd00]

CONCLUSION: Regular eating has beneficial effects on fasting lipid and postprandial insulin profiles and thermogenesis.

You asked a question and I posted a study with this result. LOL.

Here...here ya go...."It doesn't matter how you eat. Just eat however you want and it'll work just as well."

[MarcusG]

CONCLUSION: Regular eating has beneficial effects on fasting lipid and postprandial insulin profiles and thermogenesis.

You asked a question and I posted a study with this result. LOL.

Here...here ya go...."It doesn't matter how you eat. Just eat however you want and it'll work just as well."

Don't take it the wrong way, I appreciate the effort.

But try to understand that the objective of study is about regular eating times and not about more frequent smaller meals. LOL

[Mach .78]

Maybe, who knows. I wish I could do it this way, but I have to eat so damn much ED that there's just no way possible I could get all my food in with just 3 meals. I'd be puking all the time. I still puke sometimes, and when I'm bulking I've even been known to gather up the puke and take it down again...lol...I'm being serious...food is damn expensive.

You are being serious about what, gathering up the puke and taking it down again? I dare you to post pics. Yea, I'm the sick bastard who wants to see this.