What is your meal frequency?

[ErickStevens]

Lots of ignorance going on up in here. Oh well, back on topic: Every 4-5 hours for me.

[ErickStevens]

BTW I'm a NASM CPT and while they advocate a 4-6 meal per day template, there's no mention of said meal frequency having any advantageous metabolic effects.

[MikeK46]

Eating is fun. I like to eat as often as possible, usually ends up being 8-9 times:

9AM - breakfast
11AM - snack
1PM - lunch
3PM - snack
5PM - preWO
8PM- postWO
10PM - dinner
11PM - snack
12AM - preBED

[MajorTwang]

Yes it does; It's been shown that by increasing your meal frequency you can speed up your metabolism.

No it hasn't.

It came from a theory (a perfectly reasonable & common sense one) that frequent eating convinces the body that food is plentiful, whilst infrequent eating makes the body think it's on famine alert.

This is one of those theories that made its way into mainstream science without any proper experimental verification. All they had were some experiments comparing the uptake of IV amino acids delivered in different amounts & frequencies, which was then extrapolated up to a real-world application.

This is what us traditional scientists describe as 'bad science'. But that didn't seem to bother nutritionists in the 1980's, who at the time were telling us that fat was bad for us, athletes didn't need any more protein than slobs & overweight people should eat more bread & potatoes.

When this theory was subjected to real-world testing - with people eating real food instead of injecting purified amino acids, it absolutely failed all the tests.

Some people do better on frequent meals, some on infrequent. As a population though, no significant difference.

Look at the number of people on the leangains / warrior diet protocol & finding it superior in gains, bf reduction & sheer convenience to the old 6 meals a day.

[Smoothieking1]

What horrible advice in this thread! If you want to look like a chicken, eat like a chicken. if you want to look like a bull, eat like a bull. Graze all day long. Your body needs excess nourishment in order to grow. Everyone who's ever told meI didn't need to eat so much, or didn't need all that protein, they all looked like skinned rabbits. Paul dillett, former olympia contender ate Big Macs during his first two years of training. Jay Cutler eats 5 pounds of meat & fish daily. You might sacrifice a little definition around your waist, but the point here is to bulk up. Oh, but don't listen to my advice, listen to the guys who are stuck at 150 and don't know why or don't care. Geez.

haha i love this post, if u wanna look like a chicken eat like a chicken etc. What if i wanna look an feel like a bull but have the bf percentage of a chicken...? haha riddle me this

[stratoo]

Two or three medals in a 4-6 hour window. Usually one small and one huge meal.

[MajorTwang]

I suppose that whilst I'm bickering about science, I should really be polite & answer the original question.

Mon - Thur
06:00 : Small amount of whey & coconut milk Pre WO
07:30 : Oats & whey with milk PWO
11:00 : Protein drink / eggs / sandwiches
14:30 : Tuna & avocado salad
19:00 : Whatever Mrs Twang cooks for dinner & a glass of wine.
Not being a bodybuilder, Mrs Twang doesn't always appreciate my need for protein - so if the meal is a bit low on protein or I'm still under ~175g for the day, I'll neck some milk or hard-boiled eggs (of which I always have a supply in the fridge)

Fri - Sun I go low carbs & follow more of an IF protocol. I tend to graze on nuts, seeds & protein drinks made with whey & coconut during the day, then have a very big meal in the evening.

This is working well for me at the moment, because I need to gain muscle, but I'm currently obliged to keep my bf low all the time, so the carb cycing works best. The IF is a bit of an experiment at present, but seems to be working well so far.

[jenmendez89]

Wow wayyy too much ridiculous broscience in here. Op I eat 4x a day.
At 7am
1pm
6pm
10pm
Roughly. Just eat whenever u want unless u have a specific feeding window.

[rhino1964]

Gradually increase meal frequency, making sure you get plenty of quality protein each time.

It's not easy.

As Cutler and others have said: Training is the easy part. It's nutrition that defeats most people.

[ErickStevens]

Gradually increase meal frequency, making sure you get plenty of quality protein each time.

It's not easy.

As Cutler and others have said: Training is the easy part. It's nutrition that defeats most people.

Do really believe you're winning the battle? It looks to me like nutrition is whipping your ass.

[JDkeystone]

OP y do u wait 4 hours before u eat breakfast? I'm so hungry when I wake up why wait like that? If you're intentionally waiting so you can time your meals, why not just eat a little less and have more meals?

same here; i'm starving when i get up in the morning and have to eat within about 30 minutes or i feel like my stomach is gonna start eating itself. i usually eat every 3-4 hours for the most part (either 5 smaller meals or 4 slightly larger ones) so that i never feel famished or stuffed at any given time of the day.

[MikeK46]

same here; i'm starving when i get up in the morning and have to eat within about 30 minutes or i feel like my stomach is gonna start eating itself. i usually eat every 3-4 hours for the most part (either 5 smaller meals or 4 slightly larger ones) so that i never feel famished or stuffed at any given time of the day.

I used to be starving in the morning. Now, I'm eating a ton before bed (usually ~1100-1200 calories in the last 2 hours before I go to sleep) and I'm fine when I wake up. I still eat a 400-500 cal breakfast within 15 minutes to wake me up though

[Reidy]

For those on IF, do you find that you can bulk adequeately on this diet, or is it more for cutting?

[johnmlodynia]

I eat constantly. This is yesterdays diet which I am trying to stick close to, still working on daily macros. I need to eat frequent small meals or else I am too full and cannot gain weight:
#1-730a-oats-380cals
#2-10a-2 scoop whey, 2 cup milk-540cals P=65g
#3-12p-5oz steak, 2oz rice-385cals P=35g
#3-snack-apple-100cals
#4-3p-5oz steak, 2oz rice-385 cals P=35g
#5-6p-5oz steak, 2oz rice-385cals P=35g
#6-oats-380cals, protein shake-540cals P=65g
Total cals: 3095 P/C/F = 235/-/-

[JDkeystone]

I used to be starving in the morning. Now, I'm eating a ton before bed (usually ~1100-1200 calories in the last 2 hours before I go to sleep) and I'm fine when I wake up. I still eat a 400-500 cal breakfast within 15 minutes to wake me up though

Thing is, I tried IF once before, and it didn't work too well for me (cuz I was so effin' hungry by the time my "feeding window" came, I always ended up eating more than I was supposed to, and going over my calories). Also (and this is prolly getting into more detail than necessary lol), but in order for me to stay "regular" during the week, I've learned I have to eat my final meal at least 12 hours before I'll be eating breakfast the next day (to ensure that I'll be able to, eh, "unload" on schedule before heading to the gym). Since I'm up by 6:30 and eating breakfast by 7:00-7:15, this means I need to have dinner by 7:15-7:30 the night before so that I can keep my bathroom schedule aligned, too. If I were to eat my last meal of the day any later than that, it would throw off my whole routine the next morning and having me running for the bathroom when I need to be doing other things. =/

[joelash302]

Thread is going exactly as expected, with replies by the following -

1) Those with less than impressive physiques claiming specific meal patterns matter, citing "common knowledge," their 1840's textbooks, or referencing cases out of context.

2) Those with more impressive and well developed physiques claiming personal preference and overall macros are the important matters.

[houndstoothgrin]

I tried the 6-7 meals a day strategy but it just wasn't working for me.

I basically eat a small breakfast (never been a big breakfast person).

Then I eat a nice lunch when I'm hungry and a nice dinner when I'm hungry. Night time is the worst so I try to time my meals as late as possible. If I need a snack I'll usually get some cottage cheese.

[Alaskan72]

5:30 am food
8:30 am shake
11:30 am food
2:00 pm shake
5:00 pm food
8:00 pm post work out shake.
10:00 pm shake

[MajorTwang]

Do really believe you're winning the battle? It looks to me like nutrition is whipping your ass.

Harsh



Funny, but harsh

[jenmendez89]

Thing is, I tried IF once before, and it didn't work too well for me (cuz I was so effin' hungry by the time my "feeding window" came, I always ended up eating more than I was supposed to, and going over my calories). Also (and this is prolly getting into more detail than necessary lol), but in order for me to stay "regular" during the week, I've learned I have to eat my final meal at least 12 hours before I'll be eating breakfast the next day (to ensure that I'll be able to, eh, "unload" on schedule before heading to the gym). Since I'm up by 6:30 and eating breakfast by 7:00-7:15, this means I need to have dinner by 7:15-7:30 the night before so that I can keep my bathroom schedule aligned, too. If I were to eat my last meal of the day any later than that, it would throw off my whole routine the next morning and having me running for the bathroom when I need to be doing other things. =/

Haha I can't do IF either =( As soon as I wake up, it's breakfast time which is 7am

[dustinh6719]

What horrible advice in this thread! If you want to look like a chicken, eat like a chicken. if you want to look like a bull, eat like a bull. Graze all day long. Your body needs excess nourishment in order to grow. Everyone who's ever told meI didn't need to eat so much, or didn't need all that protein, they all looked like skinned rabbits. Paul dillett, former olympia contender ate Big Macs during his first two years of training. Jay Cutler eats 5 pounds of meat & fish daily. You might sacrifice a little definition around your waist, but the point here is to bulk up. Oh, but don't listen to my advice, listen to the guys who are stuck at 150 and don't know why or don't care. Geez.

Judging by your profile pic I'd believe this statement... not in a good way though

[Nanok]

Usually eat two times a day in a 6-8 hour window. About 1000-1500 kcals in each meal depending on my cycling. 250-300 grams of protein on average.

[desslok]

At the end of every workout, I eat the weights.

Pics or it didn't happen.

[SuffolkPunch]

For those on IF, do you find that you can bulk adequeately on this diet, or is it more for cutting?

Easily.

I eat a large meal after lifting at noon. Another large meal with the family at around 5pm. In between I eat whenever I want and finish off at 8pm with a casein shake. I should eat cottage cheese here but the stuff makes me retch.

I make sure I get lots of fruit, veg + protein but otherwise do not 'eat clean'. I am only putting on about 1-2lbs a month but this suits me fine.

I have a low carb day every 4 days or so - eating 2200 cals and 100g carbs

[JohnBrowne]

5-8 meals per day spread out however they need to be

sometimes I'll only wait an hour between meals if I have to get extra calories in

[mynameisuntz]

I go about 16-18 hours without ingesting any calories and then I eat all my calories within 6-8 hours in 2 or 3 meals.

This. And I fckn love it.

[mynameisuntz]

What horrible advice in this thread! If you want to look like a chicken, eat like a chicken. if you want to look like a bull, eat like a bull. Graze all day long. Your body needs excess nourishment in order to grow. Everyone who's ever told meI didn't need to eat so much, or didn't need all that protein, they all looked like skinned rabbits. Paul dillett, former olympia contender ate Big Macs during his first two years of training. Jay Cutler eats 5 pounds of meat & fish daily. You might sacrifice a little definition around your waist, but the point here is to bulk up. Oh, but don't listen to my advice, listen to the guys who are stuck at 150 and don't know why or don't care. Geez.

Because everyone here wants to be 250 lbs. and 20% body fat? Got it, great advice rooted in fantastic logic.

[mynameisuntz]

Ughh... Countless textbooks I've read throughout my schooling.
Different nutrition and dieting courses.

Go take one and find out instead of Googling everything.

I suggest you look up "TEF" and learn how it's a dose-dependent boost in metabolism.

The net TEF from 6 meals and 3 meals is the same assuming calories/macros are the same.

So, you're wrong. Provide studies.

[lightsarefallin]

I average 5 food meals a day. Average breakdown:

Breakfast 8
snack 10:30
lunch 12:30
Training 2:30(pre+post shake)
Dinner 6:00
Snack 9:00

If I go to the gym in the morning I'll replace the first snack with the pre+post shakes and then eat the snack at 2:30

That's pretty much my routine. I try to eat every 2-3 hours.

[MajorTwang]

In all the debate between frequent meals & IF, I'm sure the dealbraker for each individual is how they cope with fasting, and how it affects their food intake control.

Feeding is one of the 4 Big F's - Feeding, Fighting, Fleeing & Fornicating. Cutting off our food supply brings out some quite primal urges, and IF practicioners tend to gorge fairly heavily when they break their 14-20hr fast.

People who hallucinate about pies if they go 4hrs without food will probably go completely spaz, eating everything in the refrigerator before popping the cat in the oven. Hunger messes with some people's heads too much, and if this is the case, your probably better off eating little & often.

One of the arguments in favour of IF is that intake control is less important on their protocol, because the body spends 8-12hrs without fuel, and this makes the muscles so insulin sensitive that they soak up much of the excess. This may be Broscience, but it sounds plausible, and the guys on leangains seem to eat quite freely, without the anally retentive calorie counting that we dend to get into when trying to construct 400 calorie meals