Interesting article I found about meal timing- What are your opinions?

[Italiantank26]

Article implies that eating frequently throughout the day may not be as beneficial as we thought. That our organs have peak efficiency periods where most of our digestion occurs. Dissapointed that this article does not go into more depth about when these peak efficiency periods took place and the structure of their experiment used to receive these results.

http://www.ihafs.org/2012/05/its-not...e-study-finds/

[AlwaysTryin]

Who said eating frequently is beneficial?? Studies over the past few years show it makes no difference

[urbanlamb]

This news for me, since joining this website, I've heard a lot about it. I know for me, as someone with a LOT of weight to lose, that the six small meals a day seems to be working well. For others though, who are not struggling with obesity and are at the point where they're already looking great, mayhap this has some merit?
I'm definitely looking into it more and studying it more over the next couple of weeks. There's a couple of threads and stickies hanging around on the forum about this topic.

[Spanishdream]

This news for me, since joining this website, I've heard a lot about it. I know for me, as someone with a LOT of weight to lose, that the six small meals a day seems to be working well. For others though, who are not struggling with obesity and are at the point where they're already looking great, mayhap this has some merit?
I'm definitely looking into it more and studying it more over the next couple of weeks. There's a couple of threads and stickies hanging around on the forum about this topic.

It's proven that meal timing is irrelevant. You could eat all your calories 20 minutes before you go to bed and it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to body composition.

Personal preference also comes in to it. Eating 4-6 meals is perfectly fine but when you're eventually consuming 1700 calories a day or less, it's ridiculous to try to spread that over several meals. When cutting I prefer to eat late at night and fast for the day, mostly having a single large meal. My progress pictures, and many others are proof in the pudding.

[Italiantank26]

I don't think this article debates on how the frequency/portions in which your calories are consumed throughout the day affect our overall weight loss/gain, but rather argues that when consuming calories, our bodies are more efficient at processing/metabolizing them due to our organs functioning at their peak efficiency. And that we should schedule our eating habits around this period. Which led to me make my statement, I wished that the article providing more documentation on their research, how they concluded their results, and the methods used, because the notion that our body has peak and trough periods of metabolizing our food, seems radical to me.

It's proven that meal timing is irrelevant. You could eat all your calories 20 minutes before you go to bed and it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to body composition.

Personal preference also comes in to it. Eating 4-6 meals is perfectly fine but when you're eventually consuming 1700 calories a day or less, it's ridiculous to try to spread that over several meals. When cutting I prefer to eat late at night and fast for the day, mostly having a single large meal. My progress pictures, and many others are proof in the pudding.

[ultra99]

Interesting. As all of you concluded, it's debatable. I always knew the amount of calories consumed/day is the same whether in 1 or 6 meals. But the theory was more divided meals = higher metabolism and fat burning.

[Tommy W.]

With 40 years of diet and training under my belt I'm here to tell you that it makes no difference. 6 meals or 2.
I now just do IF with an 8 hour window and like it the best and will probably always eat this way now. I like where my body is at this point and I have no need to go on a cal surplus. If I did I'd still eat the same just more.

[ultra99]

With 40 years of diet and training under my belt I'm here to tell you that it makes no difference. 6 meals or 2.
I now just do IF with an 8 hour window and like it the best and will probably always eat this way now. I like where my body is at this point and I have no need to go on a cal surplus. If I did I'd still eat the same just more.

Thanks for your expertise!!

[tonedeff42]

You need to visit the nutrition section. In regards to body composition, there is no debate, nutrition timing is irrelevant. Before you flame, please notice I said "in regards to body composition".

[urbanlamb]

It's proven that meal timing is irrelevant. You could eat all your calories 20 minutes before you go to bed and it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to body composition.

Personal preference also comes in to it. Eating 4-6 meals is perfectly fine but when you're eventually consuming 1700 calories a day or less, it's ridiculous to try to spread that over several meals. When cutting I prefer to eat late at night and fast for the day, mostly having a single large meal. My progress pictures, and many others are proof in the pudding.

Thanks for the info, personally though, I'll stick to what I'm doing(2 whey shakes, 2 snacks of 200 calories each and two 400 calorie meals). I'm curious...by ingesting the majority of your calories in one meal, how are you pysically capable of ensuring you get enough iron/calcium/etc...? Getting the macros in is a piece of cake, I'm sure, but as a woman I'm always looking at my calcium and iron levels to ensure they're where they should be. I can't pysically eat all that in one meal, even at my weight! *lol*

[ThousandEyes]

I'll stick to what I'm doing(2 whey shakes, 2 snacks of 200 calories each and two 400 calorie meals).

ewwww how can you not be hungry all the time?

I'm curious...by ingesting the majority of your calories in one meal, how are you pysically capable of ensuring you get enough iron/calcium/etc...?

I don't see how it changes anything If you eat the foods spread out or at the same time the values of micros aren't going to change.

[urbanlamb]

ewwww how can you not be hungry all the time?



I don't see how it changes anything If you eat the foods spread out or at the same time the values of micros aren't going to change.

It works out to be about 1500 calories a day, and I'm not hungry all the time because I eat at regular intervals! I find as I'm getting healthier, I really don't like eating a large meal because it makes me sluggish and tired with not much energy.
Thanks for sharing this article Italiantank26...I too am really curious to know more in depth information, as I agree that there are certain times during the day when we are more apt to process our meals in a more effecient manner.