Why is 6 Meals a Day Better?

Nutrition
168

[quote]JMoUCF87 wrote:
I suppose since someone resurrected this thread, I’ll go ahead and post an article by David Barr that challenges the notion that you must eat something every 3 hours.

pay special attention to the part about large meals & digestion time.

I don’t particularly think that dave is against eating 6 times a day. He is suggesting that arbitrarily decided meal frequency is not the best way to determine when you should eat. He is suggesting biofeedback would be more important for regulating when you should eat. I would happily concede the point to him because he is right. However, it is not an endorsement of eating 3 times a day. In fact, thats just as arbitrary as 6 meals a day. Though, i think if you cornered him and asked what he thought was best without resorting to this feedback mechanism and you would get told it depends on yours goals, your metabolism, right down to your food choices and what your days activity was. If you were sustaining yourself on whey isolates you might get told to eat more frequently.

Lets face it, meal frequency when determined by a good biofeedback method is going to be a lot better then any random number of meals. But who is measuring their body temperature every few hours? and there are caveats, even if you are following your body’s temperature you still may end up eating more, [quote] DB: Again, it all comes back to how the nutrients are being delivered from our gut, and not when we’re eating.[/quote]. Was your meal a fast or slow digesting meal? Was it “heavy”? But he seems to think eating more frequently is a good start. (see below).

I like the conclusion: [quote]If you’re like Mike, you’re probably eating more frequently around workouts, and having a slow digesting meal before bed. This is a great start, but clearly we need to eat more or less frequently depending on our goals. [/quote]

i think thats a resounding, “maybe, it depends!”. The classic scientific answer the any question you may ever ask.

169

[quote]McG78 wrote:
http://www.theiflife.com/2008/11/05/eating-more-meals-does-not-speed-up-your-metabolism/ [/quote]

There will always be convincing evidence for both parties.

170

[quote]JMoUCF87 wrote:

however, I will say that “do what works for you” is the most useless, stupid, unhelpful, and overused 5 words on these forums and it would be wonderful if it could somehow be banned from use.

how exactly does telling someone to “do what works for them” help them?

[/quote]

Just caught this. And, I’m glad I’m not the only one that has a problem with it.
The fact is that we as humans are not really that different from one another. What works for one person will usually in the vast majority work for someone else.

171

[quote]Beatnik wrote:
However, it is not an endorsement of eating 3 times a day. In fact, thats just as arbitrary as 6 meals a day.[/quote]

Nobody is endorsing any specific number of meals (except for a few “6x per day” Nazis).

My position is as follows: “Since there is little to no evidence to suggest that eating more or less frequently offers any benefits, the best advice is to stick with the meal pattern you are most accustomed to.”

in summary: whether you eat 3 times per day or 8 times per day, do whatever makes you happy and stop obsessing about it. it doesn’t make a difference either way.

172

[quote]JMoUCF87 wrote:
Beatnik wrote:
However, it is not an endorsement of eating 3 times a day. In fact, thats just as arbitrary as 6 meals a day.

Nobody is endorsing any specific number of meals (except for a few “6x per day” Nazis).

My position is as follows: “Since there is little to no evidence to suggest that eating more or less frequently offers any benefits, the best advice is to stick with the meal pattern you are most accustomed to.”

in summary: whether you eat 3 times per day or 8 times per day, do whatever makes you happy and stop obsessing about it. it doesn’t make a difference either way.[/quote]

Stop obsessing! “do whatever makes you happy”

Finally a useful phrase, not like “do what works”. You saved us JMoUCF87.

173

[quote]JMoUCF87 wrote:
Beatnik wrote:
However, it is not an endorsement of eating 3 times a day. In fact, thats just as arbitrary as 6 meals a day.

Nobody is endorsing any specific number of meals (except for a few “6x per day” Nazis).

My position is as follows: “Since there is little to no evidence to suggest that eating more or less frequently offers any benefits, the best advice is to stick with the meal pattern you are most accustomed to.”

in summary: whether you eat 3 times per day or 8 times per day, do whatever makes you happy and stop obsessing about it. it doesn’t make a difference either way.[/quote]

I’d hazard a guess that this is true for more than 80% of people in this forum.

174

[quote]JMoUCF87 wrote:
Beatnik wrote:
However, it is not an endorsement of eating 3 times a day. In fact, thats just as arbitrary as 6 meals a day.

Nobody is endorsing any specific number of meals (except for a few “6x per day” Nazis).

My position is as follows: “Since there is little to no evidence to suggest that eating more or less frequently offers any benefits, the best advice is to stick with the meal pattern you are most accustomed to.”

in summary: whether you eat 3 times per day or 8 times per day, do whatever makes you happy and stop obsessing about it. it doesn’t make a difference either way.[/quote]

Wow… Someone thinks rationally?

This is incredible.

175

No one should eat 6 times per day, except for a small nibble like a handful of almonds or a small piece of cheese. Eating all day shuts down your sympathetic nervous system, the active part of your nervous system.

You may get away with eating 6 times per day when you’re young, but this pattern invites diabetes, insulin resistance (your pancreas doesn’t like to be stimulated 6 times per day), and eventually cancer and heart disease. All to add some ‘bulk’?

Lift and do cardio whenever you can (all day is best but most people have to work) and eat a piece of cheese if you get hungry. Finally, at night, you can turn on your parasympathetic nervous system with an absolute binge (except for sugar). Once per day is plenty for your pancreas. Pig out.

176

[quote]McG78 wrote:
http://www.theiflife.com/2008/11/05/eating-more-meals-does-not-speed-up-your-metabolism/

[/quote]

From this link:

"So if you are looking for optimal fat loss you could also add in some Intermittent Fasting (IF) and you get the additional benefits of:

No decrease in metabolic rate (in fact there is a slight increase due to more SNS hormonal responses)
Increased release of FFAs (free fatty acids) to burn when you are not eating (aka fasting state)
Increased GH pulsing (which can preserve muscle and help release FFAs)
No more worrying about food all day
No more preparing/carrying around Tupperware containers
No need for protein powders or shakes (if your goal is weight loss, for people wanting more muscle you still may need additional protein depending on how much you can eat in the feeding window)
Increased mental clarity
having a life outside of food and the gym."

Humans are not meant to eat all day, like animals in the zoo. We are hunter/gatherers, who should nibble, then binge at night, when the hunt is finished.

177

[quote]Alan Aragon wrote:
JMoUCF87 wrote:
Beatnik wrote:
However, it is not an endorsement of eating 3 times a day. In fact, thats just as arbitrary as 6 meals a day.

Nobody is endorsing any specific number of meals (except for a few “6x per day” Nazis).

My position is as follows: “Since there is little to no evidence to suggest that eating more or less frequently offers any benefits, the best advice is to stick with the meal pattern you are most accustomed to.”

in summary: whether you eat 3 times per day or 8 times per day, do whatever makes you happy and stop obsessing about it. it doesn’t make a difference either way.

Wow… Someone thinks rationally?

This is incredible.

[/quote]

Yea, except he was just ragging on someone 2 pages back for saying “just do what works for you”.

Look this whole thread stinks of al shades like idiocy. Kid starts a post saying basically nothing. Eat 3 times if you want, eat six times if you want. Bla Bla Bla. Then just starts arguing with anyone who said they had better results eating 6 times per day, (or even just more than 3 if I recall). You say you aren’t opposed to 6 meals a day, yet you continually promote 3 meals a day. Obviously you got an agenda, Somehow people eating 6 times a day is seriously effecting your role in the universe and you won’t rest until the balance is returned to the force. You want evidence that 2 or 3 meals a day doesn’t work? Look at the obesity rate in the US, pretty much all accomplished on a 2 or 3 meal a day diet. Of course it’s not even remotely WHY those people are obese, but i’m just saying you can make any statictis say anything you want.

P.S. Thanks for giving us permission to finally do what we want, I have been waiting 29 years to realize this dream and now that you have said it I feel… scared?

V

178

[quote]Headhunter wrote:

You may get away with eating 6 times per day when you’re young, but this pattern invites diabetes, insulin resistance (your pancreas doesn’t like to be stimulated 6 times per day), and eventually cancer and heart disease. All to add some ‘bulk’?

[/quote]

you’re kidding right. Please oh please provide some point of reference or expert opinion at least on where you came up with this garbage.

179

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
Headhunter wrote:

You may get away with eating 6 times per day when you’re young, but this pattern invites diabetes, insulin resistance (your pancreas doesn’t like to be stimulated 6 times per day), and eventually cancer and heart disease. All to add some ‘bulk’?

you’re kidding right. Please oh please provide some point of reference or expert opinion at least on where you came up with this garbage.[/quote]

Here’s a start, with Tim Patterson.

Edit: Tim Patterson. My bad.

180

[quote]Vegita wrote:
Yea, except he was just ragging on someone 2 pages back for saying “just do what works for you”.[/quote]

except that what I said is NOT the same as those who say “Do what works for you” see if you can spot the difference:

Person A: “changing (X) does not effect (Y), so do what you feel like and stop crying about it.”

Person B: “doing (X) produces (Y) result in ME, but it might produce (Z) result in YOU. So just do what works for you, cuz everyone’s different dontcha know!!1”

See the difference? If not, please let me know and I’d be happy to dumb it down a shade.

[quote]Vegita wrote:
Then just starts arguing with anyone who said they had better results eating 6 times per day, (or even just more than 3 if I recall).[/quote]

My only beef was with those who INSISTED you MUST eat a certain number of meals (3,6,8 whatever) per day to get “optimal results”. These people are known as “nutrition nazis”.

[quote]Vegita wrote:
You say you aren’t opposed to 6 meals a day, yet you continually promote 3 meals a day. Obviously you got an agenda,[/quote]

Darn, you caught me. Nothing gets past you does it?

[quote]Vegita wrote:
P.S. Thanks for giving us permission to finally do what we want, I have been waiting 29 years to realize this dream and now that you have said it I feel… scared?
[/quote]

You’re welcome. While you’re at it, I give you permission to drop the cartoon character screen name. you’re almost 30 years old for gods sake. (Then again, I hear chicks totally go wild for middle aged Anime fanboys…)

181

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
Headhunter wrote:

You may get away with eating 6 times per day when you’re young, but this pattern invites diabetes, insulin resistance (your pancreas doesn’t like to be stimulated 6 times per day), and eventually cancer and heart disease. All to add some ‘bulk’?

you’re kidding right. Please oh please provide some point of reference or expert opinion at least on where you came up with this garbage.

Here’s a start, with TC.

[/quote]

sorry, the Warrior Diet doesn’t cut it, lol

182

ori hofmekler is a idiot. take this crap to the dragondoor forums where it belongs.

183

[quote]JMoUCF87 wrote:
Vegita wrote:
Yea, except he was just ragging on someone 2 pages back for saying “just do what works for you”.

except that what I said is NOT the same as those who say “Do what works for you” see if you can spot the difference:

Person A: “changing (X) does not effect (Y), so do what you feel like and stop crying about it.”

Person B: “doing (X) produces (Y) result in ME, but it might produce (Z) result in YOU. So just do what works for you, cuz everyone’s different dontcha know!!1”

See the difference? If not, please let me know and I’d be happy to dumb it down a shade.

Vegita wrote:
Then just starts arguing with anyone who said they had better results eating 6 times per day, (or even just more than 3 if I recall).

My only beef was with those who INSISTED you MUST eat a certain number of meals (3,6,8 whatever) per day to get “optimal results”. These people are known as “nutrition nazis”.

Vegita wrote:
You say you aren’t opposed to 6 meals a day, yet you continually promote 3 meals a day. Obviously you got an agenda,

Darn, you caught me. Nothing gets past you does it?

Vegita wrote:
P.S. Thanks for giving us permission to finally do what we want, I have been waiting 29 years to realize this dream and now that you have said it I feel… scared?

You’re welcome. While you’re at it, I give you permission to drop the cartoon character screen name. you’re almost 30 years old for gods sake. (Then again, I hear chicks totally go wild for middle aged Anime fanboys…)[/quote]

When I start taking advice from you on how to attract a female, god will cut my balls off for sure. Also please tell me you don’t really think people come to T-Nation and set up a sweet Avatar and screename to get chicks. Seriously? I have some advice for you though, Be yourself, thats what people like. If you like DBZ (me for instance) why hide it? You don’t like it I could give a shit about you. Now on the other hand, if you like shoving multiple penises into your body cavities (you for instance) then why hide it? You obviously hide the fact that you are crave big hairy dick and thats just not cool. Of course i’m not talkign about actually craving it, just the fact that you aren’t man enough to admit it.

Back to the origional topic, personal experience trumps all scientific studies. If you follow something new that worked in 90% of healthy adults but it doesn’t work for you, then guess what, it doesn’t work for you. I will hold firm on my origional thoughts that MOST people will benefit from eating more often than not, small balanced meals, tapering from higher carbs in AM to lower carbs in PM. As long as thier goals are body composition and health. You can claim people are being Nazi’s all you want, but in reality, All anyone can ever do is give a person a starting point. 6 meals a day is a great starting point for which an individual can adjust as he experiences and expiraments with his nutritional needs.

V

184

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
Headhunter wrote:

You may get away with eating 6 times per day when you’re young, but this pattern invites diabetes, insulin resistance (your pancreas doesn’t like to be stimulated 6 times per day), and eventually cancer and heart disease. All to add some ‘bulk’?

you’re kidding right. Please oh please provide some point of reference or expert opinion at least on where you came up with this garbage.

Here’s a start, with TC.

sorry, the Warrior Diet doesn’t cut it, lol
[/quote]

And here I found the article by TC, copied it for you, and handed it to you on a plate…and you didn’t even click on the link.

Paraphrasing the Bible…“None are so blind as are those who refuse to see.”

I’ve lost 40 pounds on that diet. My BP is so low I am off the meds and I can run 1.5 miles in just over 12 minutes, at age 54.

Oh wait, you’re ‘bulking’. My bad.

185

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
Headhunter wrote:

You may get away with eating 6 times per day when you’re young, but this pattern invites diabetes, insulin resistance (your pancreas doesn’t like to be stimulated 6 times per day), and eventually cancer and heart disease. All to add some ‘bulk’?

you’re kidding right. Please oh please provide some point of reference or expert opinion at least on where you came up with this garbage.

Here’s a start, with TC.

sorry, the Warrior Diet doesn’t cut it, lol

And here I found the article by TC, copied it for you, and handed it to you on a plate…and you didn’t even click on the link.

Paraphrasing the Bible…“None are so blind as are those who refuse to see.”

I’ve lost 40 pounds on that diet. My BP is so low I am off the meds and I can run 1.5 miles in just over 12 minutes, at age 54.

Oh wait, you’re ‘bulking’. My bad.
[/quote]

and I just mentioned the other day, my BP has never been lower, nor has my RHR.

186

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
Headhunter wrote:

You may get away with eating 6 times per day when you’re young, but this pattern invites diabetes, insulin resistance (your pancreas doesn’t like to be stimulated 6 times per day), and eventually cancer and heart disease. All to add some ‘bulk’?

you’re kidding right. Please oh please provide some point of reference or expert opinion at least on where you came up with this garbage.

Here’s a start, with TC.

sorry, the Warrior Diet doesn’t cut it, lol
[/quote]

i use this diet sometimes when i’m cutting.if you are someone who enjoys having a really big meal that takes a couple of hours its awsome, what other diet can you follow that allows you to eat a whole chicken, and thats just for a starter.

not quite so good when you are bulking though, need to add some extra calories during the undereating phase which kinda defeats the object.

187

[quote]Vegita wrote:
Back to the origional topic, personal experience trumps all scientific studies. If you follow something new that worked in 90% of healthy adults but it doesn’t work for you, then guess what, it doesn’t work for you. I will hold firm on my origional thoughts that MOST people will benefit from eating more often than not, small balanced meals, tapering from higher carbs in AM to lower carbs in PM. As long as thier goals are body composition and health. You can claim people are being Nazi’s all you want, but in reality, All anyone can ever do is give a person a starting point. 6 meals a day is a great starting point for which an individual can adjust as he experiences and expiraments with his nutritional needs.

V[/quote]

Sure, it’s a great starting point. But the reality is (in my OPINION) that the vast majority of people that read this thread (like the 5’10" 180lbs guy that disapproves of my “hardcoreness”) will not be able to notice a difference between the really well thought out diet you describe and a really well thought out diet that consists of 4 meals a day, or even 3, if they execute it well. There may be some mental benefit some get from feeling “truly optimal” and “locked in”, but I doubt it goes much beyond that for most (not all) people.