It is better to eat 5-6 small meals or 3 bigger meals a day?
Asked by stephaniedudley on Jul 28, 2009
in Weight Loss
I've recently read the Leptin diet, and while I understand the science behind it, I can't figure out which eating advise to take. The 'No Snacks Between Meals' as prescribed by the Leptin diet is completely contradictory to everything I've read in fitness magazines and health books. Is it better to snack and keep the insulin levels in the body regular in order to stimulate the metabolism, or am I shutting down my body's natural fat burning mode prematurely by snacking in between meals? I have been at my current body weight and fat percentage for years - all after two full term pregancies and changing my workout routines and diet here and there to keep my system "guessing". I'm beginning to wonder if the last 5 to 8 pounds or 5% body fat that I can't seem to lose stick around because I'm playing havoc on my body's natural process of burning triglycerides by snacking. Can you clarify these opposing eating lifestyles?
Answer
There is no clear evidence that eating mini-meals stimulates the metabolism. When your health is good, your the body doesn’t care if you eat three, four, five, or six times a day. If you are young and active, your weight is in the normal range, and you do not have a hormonal condition, then there is no reason to think that your tissues are insensitive to leptin (leptin resistant) or to insulin (insulin resistant). A three-meal-a-day pattern makes sense in terms of convenience and the natural flux of hunger and fullness, but some people prefer to eat six meals a day to 'crowd out' feelings of hunger or to be in sync with other beliefs whether or not they are true.
So you can keep track of what you eat - which enables you to analyze your foods and receive the following:
- Health Score of your overall diet
- Warning when you approach your daily calorie limit
- Overview of the good and bad nutrients
