Meal Frequency - How Often Should I Eat ?

This has been a long debated question. There are so many factors that will affect the number of meals you choose to eat. Time constraints, age, gender, metabolism, even waking hours, or whether you want to lose weight or gain muscle. However there are some general guidelines to eating strategies that are considered 'nutritional laws'. These generalisations can be applied to any goal whether it be muscle gain or fat loss. What appears to be more specific to which goal you are trying to accomplish, is the number of calories per meal and the macro nutrient distribution of those calories.

The biggest reason why people fail when it comes to dieting for weight loss is that they just get too hungry. Diets that severely restrict your calories will always backfire, and in most cases the weight that was lost is gained back, often with interest. However, restricting calories to create a caloric deficit is a fundamental principle of weight loss. Weight loss cannot occur in a caloric surplus. So the question to answer is how do you restrict your calories without being constantly hungry ? And the answer, eat more often but less overall calories.

This strategy has many benefits, the biggest one being that it will control your hunger. Remember this is the #1 reason why most people fail. Secondly if you have constructed your meals correctly around a lean protein, a starchy carbohydrate, and a fibrous slow burning carbohydrate, your insulin levels will be steady throughout the day. This is also a fundamental law of weight loss, keeping insulin levels constant.

Weight gain occurs in the presence of excess calories especially fats, (which are most easily stored as body fat due to the structure of the fat molecule) and carbohydrates, (which are converted to glycogen in the blood and transported via insulin into the cell). Once the cells glycogen levels have been filled, insulin transports the excess to additional storage units in the liver and the bodies adipose tissue cells (as body fat). This is why insulin is sometimes referred to as the fat hormone. Eating small frequent meals provides a steady stream of energy to the body without overstimulating the release of insulin.

So how often should you eat? The generally accepted rule is to eat every 2 1/2 - 3 hours. If you are sleeping 8 hours a night, then you have 16 waking hours during the day. Dividing up these hours by this rule will give you an average of 5 - 6 small meals. This is a great meal frequency for any goal, and should be the standard for general eating habits. The optimum number of meals for a woman is 5, and for men 6.

Where does this rule come from? If you are eating right, your meal will have all 4 macro nutrients. Proteins, carbohydrates, natural fats, and water. The body can store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen, and fat. It can also store fats in the form of fat, but it cannot store protein in the form of protein or amino acids. When we consume protein, it is broken down into polypeptides and then further into amino acids, the basic building blocks of life. These amino acids are then reconstructed into whatever protein forms are required by the body whether it be for hair or nail growth, skin regeneration, muscle repair, and many other inter cellular functions. The excess amino acids can be broken down further via specialized pathways, and converted into energy if necessary, but typically the excess is stored as body fat. Protein plays a vital role in the health and well being of the body, but because it cannot be stored in the form of amino acids, these proteins must be supplied regularly throughout the day through diet. It can take anywhere from 1 - 3 hours for the body to break down proteins (depending on the form of the protein) into their usable amino acid form. This is where the 2 1/2 - 3 hour rule comes from.

Benefits Of The 3 Hour Rule

1. Insulin levels remain steady throughout the day
2. Blood sugar levels remain steady preventing energy crashes
3. Curbs excessive hunger
4. Provides constant supply of essential amino acids
5. Prevents overeating especially late in the day

Following the 3 hour rule is a big step in the right direction.