Has 5-6 small meals a day worked for anyone ?

[Chief]

So I want to lose weight.

All I'm hearing nowadays is do 5-6 small healthy lean meals a day.

Has this worked for anyone, can anyone offer advice, what to do , what not to do if Ur on that diet, and also, what constitutes a small meal , maybe someone can give me an example of what they eat on this plan

[SequSpur]

get off your ass and run. that will help you.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I'm down to 403 lbs from 415. I only eat 5 or 6 meals a day. It works!



:tu

[DannyT]

greg is that you?

[Chief]

I'm down to 403 lbs from 415. I only eat 5 or 6 meals a day. It works!



:tu

wow, is that with exercise or just by the meal adjustment

what's a typical 5-6 small meal day for u

[SequSpur]

I'm down to 403 lbs from 415. I only eat 5 or 6 meals a day. It works!

:tu

You need more than a diet.

[MoSpur]

It worked for me. I lost like 40-45lbs. I ate like a yogurt and a cup of cereal in the morning. Then in the mid morning, I would eat a string cheese and fruit. Around lunch time, I would eat a salad, a lean cuisine, maybe a small vegetable side, and a healthy snack. Then around mid afternoon, I would eat a fruit again and a small snack like crackers with cheese or something like that. After that it was dinner.

[Chief]

It worked for me. I lost like 40-45lbs. I ate like a yogurt and a cup of cereal in the morning. Then in the mid morning, I would eat a string cheese and fruit. Around lunch time, I would eat a salad, a lean cuisine, maybe a small vegetable side, and a healthy snack. Then around mid afternoon, I would eat a fruit again and a small snack like crackers with cheese or something like that. After that it was dinner.

nicee, congratz

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

wow, is that with exercise or just by the meal adjustment

what's a typical 5-6 small meal day for u


The multiple small meal thing really does work. I do high protein, lower carb meals and space them about 2 to 3 hours apart. Avoid processed foods for the most part and you'll be fine...nothing fried or battered. Whole grains for your carbs, and/or fruits and vegetables. Avoid sauces, dips, dressings.

When I get super busy I tend to fall off the wagon a bit, and lately I've been extremely busy, but the key is to not beat yourself up too much when you have a bad day/week because you'll likely end up abandoning the program as a result.

The other key is to get into the gym. I try to go 5 days a week and get at least 3 days of cardio work in per week and lift on three days (with a combined cardio/lifting day thrown in somewhere).

I don't try to be a body builder, just a decently in shape 40 year old. I'm really 6'2" and about 200 lbs. which isn't too bad. When I try to be a serious weight lifter I've gotten up over 215, but it's harder for me to dunk when I'm at 215. :downspin: Most of the time I am around 10-12% body fat (like right now), but I've been down below 7% in the last few years...again when I'm trying to be a 'serious' athlete.

[florige]

wow, is that with exercise or just by the meal adjustment

what's a typical 5-6 small meal day for u



Meh maybe. I never tried that before. You have to gradually change your diet if you want to lose some pounds. Don't try to just up and start eating salads and baked chicken all of the sudden because that will drive you nuts. Just gradually get yourself away from all the fastfood, chips, SODAS, Sweets, and all that other sugary stuff and deep fried stuff. I remember I used to think just because I didn't eat red meat I could substitute fried chicken and fried fish for that and still lose weight. I probably would had been better off eating a grilled steak or burger. But like I said, don't try to come off of all the bad stuff you eat all at once, just gradually limit your fast food intake, and up your exercise and cardio. You will see it come off. It's a shame that more people don't know that. They think that just because they go to the gym they can eat whatever. I see guys/gals there who have been coming faithfully like me and look the same way they have looked from when I first saw them. Find something that is healthy in the stores that you like. I know they have these kickass protein buffalo wings in the store that I shop at that taste damn near like real chicken. But really, the more cardio the better.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Oh....Myoplex is your friend if you are busy and want to stick to the 6 meal deal.

[Chief]

The multiple small meal thing really does work. I do high protein, lower carb meals and space them about 2 to 3 hours apart. Avoid processed foods for the most part and you'll be fine...nothing fried or battered. Whole grains for your carbs, and/or fruits and vegetables. Avoid sauces, dips, dressings.

When I get super busy I tend to fall off the wagon a bit, and lately I've been extremely busy, but the key is to not beat yourself up too much when you have a bad day/week because you'll likely end up abandoning the program as a result.

The other key is to get into the gym. I try to go 5 days a week and get at least 3 days of cardio work in per week and lift on three days (with a combined cardio/lifting day thrown in somewhere).

I don't try to be a body builder, just a decently in shape 40 year old. I'm really 6'2" and about 200 lbs. which isn't too bad. When I try to be a serious weight lifter I've gotten up over 215, but it's harder for me to dunk when I'm at 215. :downspin: Most of the time I am around 10-12% body fat (like right now), but I've been down below 7% in the last few years...again when I'm trying to be a 'serious' athlete.

what's ur typical meal plan

im trying to get an idea of what are some 5-6 small meals

[florige]

The multiple small meal thing really does work. I do high protein, lower carb meals and space them about 2 to 3 hours apart. Avoid processed foods for the most part and you'll be fine...nothing fried or battered. Whole grains for your carbs, and/or fruits and vegetables. Avoid sauces, dips, dressings.

When I get super busy I tend to fall off the wagon a bit, and lately I've been extremely busy, but the key is to not beat yourself up too much when you have a bad day/week because you'll likely end up abandoning the program as a result.

The other key is to get into the gym. I try to go 5 days a week and get at least 3 days of cardio work in per week and lift on three days (with a combined cardio/lifting day thrown in somewhere).

I don't try to be a body builder, just a decently in shape 40 year old. I'm really 6'2" and about 200 lbs. which isn't too bad. When I try to be a serious weight lifter I've gotten up over 215, but it's harder for me to dunk when I'm at 215. :downspin: Most of the time I am around 10-12% body fat (like right now), but I've been down below 7% in the last few years...again when I'm trying to be a 'serious' athlete.




What do you bench?

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

What do you bench?

free weights usually

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

what's ur typical meal plan

im trying to get an idea of what are some 5-6 small meals


A chicken breast and rice would work as a meal. A myoplex shake. A ten ounce lean steak and a baked potato (not loaded up). <-- although Mrs. Chopper says the baked potato carbs aren't the best.

[Dex]

The idea is to still consume your average calorie goal, but to do so in 5/6 small-meals or snacks as opposed to three big meals. Not only does this raise your metabolism by keeping your stomach constantly burning calories throughout the day, but it also helps in diet situations because you still feel like you are constantly eating and it helps curb the craving to snack.

The average diet for an American is apparently 2000 calories, but that obviously varies for every single person and is usually a goal for just maintaining weight.

http://www.thedailyplate.com/

That's a good site that can give you a decent idea of what your caloric intake should be to maintain your current weight, as well as lose weight. It also has a badass food calculator that can give you an idea of what you're really eating throughout the day.

It's hard to give a list of 4-5 meals to get you through every day. Just take your total calorie goal for the day, divide it by 5, and then try to plan your meals around that as much as possible.

[boutons_]

"All I'm hearing nowadays is do 5-6 small healthy lean meals a day."

I just read a study from Aus that said women who ate a large breakfast 1000+ calories, then smaller meals, lost more weight than women who ate equal-sized meals. That confirms my own experience, losing 50+ pounds twice. Weight loss/maintenance starts with breakfast.

[1Parker1]

I think Weight loss/maintenance starts with exercise, not changing your eating habbits.

It's easier to change your eating habbits once you start exercising regularly. You'll find that you don't have the same cravings that you normally do and that you actually WANT to eat healthier. It's a lot harder to do it the other way I think, change your eating habbit AND learn to exercise regularly on top of that.

It doesn't matter if you eat 5 or 6 small meals or 3 big meals with 1 snack between each or whatever else. As long as you burn more calories while exercising daily, the weight will come off.

Of course it always helps avoiding McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell and other fast food places. :lol

Good Luck!!

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I think Weight loss/maintenance starts with exercise, not changing your eating habbits.

It's easier to change your eating habbits once you start exercising regularly. You'll find that you don't have the same cravings that you normally do and that you actually WANT to eat healthier. It's a lot harder to do it the other way I think, change your eating habbit AND learn to exercise regularly on top of that

I actually did the change the way I eat thing first, then started working out, it worked great (plus I got to see that not eating crap like fast food could do a lot of good in and of itself).

Go 5-6 meals a day, cut out fast food, get about 6-8 glasses of water a day, and start working out and the pounds will come off in no time.

[boutons_]

"Weight loss/maintenance starts with exercise"

Completely incorrect, a pervasive myth.

People often fail to lose weight because they have been fed the myth that exercise is necessary for weight loss, but they hate exercising. For many people, exercise is a huge, but totally false obstacle. Other people hate gyms, and don't want to spend the time and money on gym membership/commute.

You can achieve excellent health, prevent disease, drop all excess weight, and maintain leanness through nutrition alone.

You can exercise like fiend, but keep eating the amount of the same crap, and your health and weight will be very difficult to change.

If you want to lose weight, fix your nutrition

If you want to get fit, exercise.

[ShoogarBear]

I think Weight loss/maintenance starts with exercise, not changing your eating habbits.


When you're young, perhaps. Although that's still not true for everyone.

But you get into your late 30s and 40s, diet starts to matter for almost everyone. Why do you think so many people develop type 2 diabetes around then?

I weighed 140-145 lbs no matter what or how much I ate until I hit about 37. Now, I don't have to go on a diet, but it takes five days/week of exercising and limiting the junk food to stay around 155.

[CuckingFunt]

For weight loss, I think the healthy and lean part is the key -- if you're not currently maintaining a healthy diet, cutting out high fat/high calorie/high sugar foods is going to be beneficial no matter how often you're eating. The main idea behind eating smaller meals/snacks throughout the day is that it speeds up your metabolism, which helps your body process foods and convert them to energy more efficiently.

Eating small meals throughout the day definitely does work to speed up your metabolism, however, which I've found to be a good thing no matter how fit you may or may not be. I've done it ever since I was a dancer (not because I needed to speed up my metabolism, but because it was already so fast that I needed as much energy as possible to get through practice) and can definitely feel a difference in energy/stamina on the days that I don't. Obviously, five to six greasy hamburgers per day isn't going to do much toward either dropping weight OR increasing energy, but having a couple of balanced and healthy meals and several healthy snacks throughout the day is how my body is happiest.

The other thing that's important to maintaining a faster metabolism is not counting on physical signs of hunger to let you know when you need to eat. If you're getting to that cranky/tired/stomach growling state, that's your metabolism starting to slow down. My worst eating habit is that I sometimes get too busy to deal with cooking/food, and when I do that it just kills my energy.



EDIT: Also, I'm not a nutritionist, so this could all be completely wrong. I'm just going by my own experience.

[whottt]

I weighed about the same up until I was 28, then I got married and put on a bunch of weight. I got divorced and lost all the weight...

The only time I've haven't subsisted on a diet entirely of fastfood, was when I was married.


I actually ate healthy when I was married...

Not only that but every one in my family has a weight problem that came at about 35 or so, but me...I mean every person in my family except for my niece who is 20, all married.


I've noticed that this is the case with most of my friends as well...most of them gained weight once they got married. Maybe not immediately, but eventually. I know one girl that's never been married and she still looks like she's 25 or so...hasn't gained a pound, she's 43, and she's a had a kid too.


I definitely think something changes with marriage for a great deal of people...


I have a couple of theories...

1. People let themselves go once they get married. They aren't as active. Probably in a lot of cases, they are more calm and that calm plays a part in slowing their metabolism.

2. People eat more once they get married. Instead of just eating when they themselves are hungry, they also eat when their spouse is hungry.


Those are the happy marriages...

3. I think it's been proven that there is a stress hormone called cortisol that can cause weight gain...I imagien for at least some people they start producing more cortisol once they get married.





I don't have a doubt that every one of us knows someone that is married and has put on weight since they got married...


My question:

Does anyone know anyone that lost weight once they got married?

I don't mean a concentrated effort and focusing their entire life on losing weight...I mean just lost it, naturally, the same way people gain it?



I'm not anti-marriage btw, but I do think it has a lot to do with a great deal of people gaining weight.





That said...I'm getting to the point now where I feel like shit half the time after I eat from eating so much junk food, even though I don't gain weight. So I want to start eating healthy just for the sake of feeling better. Not only that but my hair is starting to get thin and lol I think it has a lot to do with junk food..I mean I actually can feel my hair falling out after I eat at Taco Bell or Taco Cabana...


Plus I read somewhere that in Japan and China prior to WWII there was virtually no hair loss and that since adopting a more westernized diet they have developed baldness patterns on par with the Western Countries...I've heard of similar trends about Native Africans VS African Americans as well.

[CuckingFunt]

My question:

Does anyone know anyone that lost weight once they got married?

My cousin's husband.

He wasn't heavy at all when they got married, but was a little soft in the tummy, and trimmed down considerably running and going to the gym with my cousin. He was very active before they got married, and my cousin has never forced him to work out with her, but she's a gym rat and when they got hitched it became something they did together.

[boutons_]

"Eating small meals throughout the day definitely does work to speed up your metabolism"

link? sounds like bullshit. Basal/resting metabolism is pretty much immovable.

The "grazing" approach vs 3 meals hasn't been proven to make any difference. The advantage of grazing is that snackers and comfort-fooders are right at home with it. Gotta have something in their mouths every couple hours or less.

As I said above, studies have shown the intake distribution that makes a real difference is front-loading the day with a big breakfast. What that breakfast should be is a another topic.

Total caloric intake vs basal caloric burn is the fundamental ratio. Run a daily caloric deficit, and anybody will lose weight. WITHOUT exercise. It's easier, even painless if you drop the carbs and wean your body of the carb/sugar addiction. Without the carbs, the hunger and cravings are much reduced.

[NorCal510]

get off your ass and run. that will help you.

half of losing weight is your workouts... run run run. google "hiit" for advanced fat burning.

the other half is diet. take a look at your diet and see how much processed foods and sugary/fat items you eat. start eating right and you will see the diff.

go to www.bodybuilding.com and they have a fat losing section. trust me, just by reading off of that site will help. once i started to read what they had to say, i realized that i could change myself... and 1 year later i see tremendous results!

[CuckingFunt]

link? sounds like bullshit. Basal/resting metabolism is pretty much immovable.

I don't have a link, which is why I qualified my statements with the fact that it was based only on my own personal experience and not on any scientific or nutritional knowledge.

[mrsmaalox]

Metabolism can really only be sped up by increasing one's muscle mass--- and that is accomplished through anaerobic exercises like weight lifting.

[boutons_]

"Metabolism can really only be sped up by increasing one's muscle mass"

another myth, but I can't find the study now. The study showed that adding, say, 20 pounds of muscle required only well under 100 calories/day to feed it (not exercise it). ie, a slice of bread.

So forget the metabolism angle. It's just another "medical" excuse to hide behind. "I'm fat and can't lose weight because my genetic metabolism is low. If I could only speed up my metabolism ..." (you can't).

[florige]

I weighed about the same up until I was 28, then I got married and put on a bunch of weight. I got divorced and lost all the weight...

The only time I've haven't subsisted on a diet entirely of fastfood, was when I was married.


I actually ate healthy when I was married...

Not only that but every one in my family has a weight problem that came at about 35 or so, but me...I mean every person in my family except for my niece who is 20, all married.


I've noticed that this is the case with most of my friends as well...most of them gained weight once they got married. Maybe not immediately, but eventually. I know one girl that's never been married and she still looks like she's 25 or so...hasn't gained a pound, she's 43, and she's a had a kid too.


I definitely think something changes with marriage for a great deal of people...


I have a couple of theories...

1. People let themselves go once they get married. They aren't as active. Probably in a lot of cases, they are more calm and that calm plays a part in slowing their metabolism.

2. People eat more once they get married. Instead of just eating when they themselves are hungry, they also eat when their spouse is hungry.


Those are the happy marriages...

3. I think it's been proven that there is a stress hormone called cortisol that can cause weight gain...I imagien for at least some people they start producing more cortisol once they get married.





I don't have a doubt that every one of us knows someone that is married and has put on weight since they got married...


My question:

Does anyone know anyone that lost weight once they got married?

I don't mean a concentrated effort and focusing their entire life on losing weight...I mean just lost it, naturally, the same way people gain it?



I'm not anti-marriage btw, but I do think it has a lot to do with a great deal of people gaining weight.








That said...I'm getting to the point now where I feel like shit half the time after I eat from eating so much junk food, even though I don't gain weight. So I want to start eating healthy just for the sake of feeling better. Not only that but my hair is starting to get thin and lol I think it has a lot to do with junk food..I mean I actually can feel my hair falling out after I eat at Taco Bell or Taco Cabana...


Plus I read somewhere that in Japan and China prior to WWII there was virtually no hair loss and that since adopting a more westernized diet they have developed baldness patterns on par with the Western Countries...I've heard of similar trends about Native Africans VS African Americans as well.




My brother has lost tons of weight. But he runs marathons alot though. But he blew up when he first got married.

[mrsmaalox]

"Metabolism can really only be sped up by increasing one's muscle mass"

another myth, but I can't find the study now. The study showed that adding, say, 20 pounds of muscle required only well under 100 calories/day to feed it (not exercise it). ie, a slice of bread.

So forget the metabolism angle. It's just another "medical" excuse to hide behind. "I'm fat and can't lose weight because my genetic metabolism is low. If I could only speed up my metabolism ..." (you can't).
These links may not be the kind of documentation you want, but this is how it was explained to me by my physician a few years ago when I needed to lose baby weight. I am a nurse, so I have a pretty good understanding of physiology, and it all makes sense to me. You're right about "genetic metabolism" being a myth--but for a lot of people, esp. women, the tyroid impedes metabolism and prevents weight loss, so there is some truth to the claim of "glandular" issues.

http://www.tbfinc.com/metabolism.htm

http://www.fitnessattitudes.com/metabolism.html

[boutons_]

"You should always eat healthy snacks between meals. The idea is to eat frequently to prevent hunger pangs, and to keep your energy levels consistent which in turn will increase and speed up your metabolism."

What bullshit. Show me some primary, un-self-promoting SCIENTIFIC work, not some muscle-head website, that says RMR/basal metabolism can be affected.

"Increase metabolism by eating several smaller meals per day. The idea is to never let yourself get hungry."

what bullshit. A well-nourished person can go hours between meals without cravings and hunger. Watch-My-Muscles/I'm-so-Vain is obviously talking about fatties who eat junk food, high-calorie-density carbs, sugar, soft-drinks, all of which destabilize the glucose (aka "energy level"). Low glucose drives the craving and hunger.

"The addition of muscle mass on an individual will cause an increase in the number of calories that are utilized at rest."

... true, but it's a tiny difference. Lacking testosterone at men's levels, women cannot put on significant muscle mass (they may bulk up atrophied muscles to genetic level, but above that, for women, it's really hard work with heavy weight for little gain (other than strength), so no significant increase in RMR/basal metabolism.

"So many people try to lose weight on their own and unfortunately suffer the consequences by negatively altering their metabolism, thyroid, and hormonal function."

... scare-mongering, to sell his stuff. "You're all a bunch of dependent, ignorant life-cripples who need me. Send money!" :lol

The site http://www.fitnessattitudes.com/metabolism.html is too girly silly to merit response. :) Any site whose text has broken formatting can't be taken seriously.

Their advice is, for WEIGHT-LOSS? : increase your metabolism (caloric burn rate) BY EATING MORE. Got it, eat more, lose weight! WTF?

That's as stupid as people exercising to lose weight but snack a couple 100 calories before exercise just in case they run out of calories and "hit the (glycogen) wall" in their little workouts. :lol

So, you eat 200 calories of the recommended "healthy snack". Yes, your body will increase its metabolism to process the 200 calories, but your body won't burn 300 calories digesting 200, or else we'd all be dead of starvation.

So the 200 pre-workout snack calorie are actually a net 150+ EXTRA calories that you must burn off in your workout, 30 minutes' work?, before your workout even starts to burn your pre-snack store of calories.

[travis2]

You are forgetting the fat-storage process.

If your body is "trained" to expect nourishment at shorter, regular intervals, it doesn't have the tendency to store fat.

Even going with the standard 3 meals is probably OK as far as that goes...as long as you actually eat them.

The problems arise when you start skipping meals. Then the body starts storing fat like crazy to get through those periods.

The person who mentioned that diet and weight management starts with breakfast was correct. You don't need a 1000-calorie breakfast...but you need to eat something.

[BRHornet45]

eat less, move around. problem solved son.

[1Parker1]

When you're young, perhaps. Although that's still not true for everyone.

But you get into your late 30s and 40s, diet starts to matter for almost everyone. Why do you think so many people develop type 2 diabetes around then?

I weighed 140-145 lbs no matter what or how much I ate until I hit about 37. Now, I don't have to go on a diet, but it takes five days/week of exercising and limiting the junk food to stay around 155.


Well, as I mentioned, obviously staying away from bad foods like "McD's, Burger King, etc" needs to happen. But for me at least, when I exercise, it mentally spurs me to just eat better. You're probably right that after a certain age, changing ur diet is very important; I keep trying to explain this to my parents. But at the same time changing your diet is a very hard thing to do, especially for people with weight problems. That's why I was just saying it's easier to start exercising first and getting your body movement going and letting that push you towards eating better.

[angel_luv]

I have found that reducing stress aids greatly in my ability to lose weight.
For me keeping stress down is as important as exercise and controlling calorie intake. Or maybe it is that I can only maintain that proper habits if I limit the stress.

When I don't worry about my weight tends to be when I lose the most of it.

[boutons_]

I have found that reducing stress aids greatly in my ability to lose weight.

... Or maybe it is that I can only maintain that proper habits if I limit the stress.

Stress = anxiety = discomfort.

"comfort food" = eating high-calorie-density crap or over-eating, attempting to cover the discomfort rather than feeding the body. The discomfort makes the bad choice, rather than you making the good choice. No pain, then you're "free" to make the good choice.

[angel_luv]

Stress = anxiety = discomfort.

"comfort food" = eating high-calorie-density crap or over-eating, attempting to cover the discomfort rather than feeding the body. The discomfort makes the bad choice, rather than you making the good choice. No pain, then you're "free" to make the good choice.

That makes sense. Thanks.

[gameFACE]

I lost some tonnage a few years ago doing 5-6 meals a day. I was already snacking so I just had to rearrange them in a more disciplined way. I cut out excessive sugars, fats and starches (lot's of diabetes in my family). But what really made the difference was exercising regularly. You don't have to be a gym rat but get in a decent workout.

I gained weight in my first marriage. Then I lost the added extra. Now in my new marriage i'm conscious about keeping off the extra pounds. So far so good. I watch it during the week but on weekends i'll splurge on a badass steak or some good mole enchiladas.

I'm back on 3 meals a day but I do separate my fruit so it digests separately from my veggies and snack in the afternoon. I mostly swim for exercise these days. Good luck!

[Chief]

"Eating small meals throughout the day definitely does work to speed up your metabolism"

link? sounds like bullshit. Basal/resting metabolism is pretty much immovable.

The "grazing" approach vs 3 meals hasn't been proven to make any difference. The advantage of grazing is that snackers and comfort-fooders are right at home with it. Gotta have something in their mouths every couple hours or less.

As I said above, studies have shown the intake distribution that makes a real difference is front-loading the day with a big breakfast. What that breakfast should be is a another topic.

Total caloric intake vs basal caloric burn is the fundamental ratio. Run a daily caloric deficit, and anybody will lose weight. WITHOUT exercise. It's easier, even painless if you drop the carbs and wean your body of the carb/sugar addiction. Without the carbs, the hunger and cravings are much reduced.

I think they are both good plans, 5-6 small meals, and eating a big breakfast.

as for providing links, just google it, too many to list.