Ok, So I was once told that eating more small meals is better for your metabolism. Is this true? The shift that I work and hours I'm awake make doing this a pain in the ass.
Would eating say a 400 cal Breakfast, 600 Cal Lunch, 700 Cal Dinner and 2 140 cal snacks be ok for my metabolism? Thats 1980 Calories which is actually close to what I probably should be eating/day (Im eating well under that atm trying to eat a bunch of small meals). How often should I space out the meals under a normal 16 hour day? Ex: 0:00 Wake up, 1:00 Breakfast, 6:00 Lunch, 9:00 snack, 12:00 Dinner, 14:00 Snack, 16:00 bed?
My understanding is that it doesn't actually affect your metabolism (at least not to a noticable degree) - however, eating small meals more often can keep you from reaching that starving-willing-to-eat-anything-as-long-as-i t's-food point, where you end up too much of typically bad things. So it is more of a personal choice, just like the "don't eat after 8pm" - that just keeps you from evening snacking - the calories don't count different after 8 - they just keep counting.
Unfortunately i must disagree with the two replies above me. it is incredibly relavent when you eat and how often. after an average of 3-31/2 hours of not eating your body automitcally goes into a mini starvation mode. no matter how large the meal you had last. its almost like the pushing of a button. now a day should look like this for the average person working an 8 hour day. it doesnt take much to keep your bodies fat burning potential on all day, when that switch turns off the fat you burn is cut by up to 50 percent until you eat again.
breakfast - 7 o clock (meal size depends on your calorie intake requirments.
9-10 100 calorie snack (ex apple, oarnge slice of whole wheat bread)
12-1 lunch
3-4 100 calorie snack
6-7 dinner
right before bed you should have a mini meal high in protein and fiber especially if you are an athlete like i am. great examples include a serving of whey protein powder in water or milk, a tablespoon of almond butter, a serving of non fat cottage cheese. along side a piece of whole wheat bread for convenient fiber.
in simpler terms, eat 5-6 times a day every 2-3 hours 4 hour max. and for your main meals remember to eat at least 2 portions of vegetables 1-2 portions of protein and 1 serving of carbs along with a LARGE GLASS OF WATER. if you follow this you will be full up until those 3 hours. you wont actually feel hunger pains until the 4th hour or at least i dont but try not to let yourself get hungry at all. thats your body telling you it is using stores of muscle and needed energy.
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