This is key to ensuring I don't binge late at night. Planning smaller meals and snacks makes it easier for me to stick to a cleaner and overall healthier more functional nutrition regimen. I used to be of the 3 meals a day camp, when I started eating 5 meals a day I found it made a huge difference in my portions and my choices.
How Often Should I Eat?
How Often Should I Eat? Let’s face
it, since the dawn of man the rule for consumption of food was simply
to eat to survive. Well our modern society and lifestyle has changed and
flipped that simple process.
Obesity rates continue to grow and will be affecting more than
two-thirds of Americans in the next 5-10 years, according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. So you can see the simple rule has
flipped and it appears that humans survive so they can eat.
Through the years we have seen nutrition and diet science, and
programs change their design about what foods best suit our needs as a
society, but you don’t hear about when to eat. The question that seem to
arise most often is
“How Often Should I Eat?”
The most popular approach to the question of
How Often Should I Eat
for general health and weight maintenance has been to spread calories
throughout the day by consuming 5-6 smaller meals. The concept of doing
this method is that you are most likely to feel less hungry at any
particular time, and in turn you will not be apt to over indulge or eat
in excess.
A study found in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics, shows data on this approach. It states that people who were
of their ideal weight and able to maintain their weight reported eating
more often than individuals who were overweight and obese.
How Often Should I Eat?
The overall hypothesis is eat small meals and snacks spread out every
3- 3 ½ hours from the time of breakfast. This proves to keep you
sustained which avoids greater levels of hunger, and will limit
overeating. Therefore control of caloric intake and, ultimately control
of body weight.
Though we know that eating throughout the day with 5-6 smaller meals
can benefit for weight maintenance, how does is measure up for weight
loss.
According to a study done by Circadian Biologist Ph.D. Amandine
Chaix, consuming meals 5-6 times throughout the day can aid in weight
loss, but it needs to be meals that are healthy and portioned
appropriately. It was found that if the foods were high-fat, sugar or
highly processed that the individuals still became obese. The complete
findings found that those fed in the 9-12 hour window with 5-6 smaller
meals that were portioned and low in processed, high fat, and high sugar
were leaner. “So, already being obese and switching to time-restricted
feeding with healthier foods and portions, does create weight loss. That
is powerful.” Chaix said.
The research of meal timing shows further benefits in addition to
those who want to lose weight and maintain their weight, especially as
it relates to the consumption of protein.
When spreading the protein consumption throughout the day in smaller
doses the body is able to assimilate and use the protein for greater
gains and recovery of the muscle tissue. This can help maintain muscle
loss during weight loss, and through the aging process.
How Often Should I Eat?
The answer is 5-6 smaller meals per day. Spaced out
every 3-3 ½ hours after the consumption of breakfast. Though you must
also keep in mind that for weight loss and maintenance the number of
calories at each meal and throughout the day still plays a very large
role in this process.
If you are
trying to lose weight, you need to
consume smaller meals spread throughout the day, create a calorie
deficit through portioned meals, and exercising appropriately 5-6 times
per week. If you need assistance in implementing a meal plan and
exercise regimen that will keep you eating throughout the day and
exercising appropriately,
Beachbody’s 21 Day Fix combines all of this in one package and you get a FREE Coach to help keep you on track and motivated.
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