How do you work + eat 6 times?

[-Aaron-]

Hmm, I'd think eating smaller meals would equate to a higher percentage of the food digested. -- I personally can't eat much, maybe around 600-700 cals a meal. So I have to just eat more frequently to get the cals in. So having 3 1,200 cal meals vs 6 600 cal meals makes no / marginal difference?

alka8

Well, think about it this way... You if you take in 1200 calories, think of the time to digest it. It would take two 600 calorie meals to compensate for the digestion of that 1200 calories meal. Will some be stored as fat in the 1200 calorie meal, depends if your overall deficit is met, if it's not, it will be burned throughout the say and you'll still lose weight.

[alka8]

Well, think about it this way... You if you take in 1200 calories, think of the time to digest it. It would take two 600 calorie meals to compensate for the digestion of that 1200 calories meal. Will some be stored as fat in the 1200 calorie meal, depends if your overall deficit is met, if it's not, it will be burned throughout the say and you'll still lose weight.

I'm trying to gain weight homie! Look at my pic, I'm 140 lbs. Anyways, I see what you're sayin. When my stomach gets big enough to eat bigger meals, I'll probably shorten the meals from 6 --> 3 out of convenience.

Thanks,
alka8

*edit* you have given out too much repz in the last 24 hours...

[MattyH7688]

how do you guys even eat 3 times a day

i am starving every 2 hours

[-Aaron-]

I'm trying to gain weight homie! Look at my pic, I'm 140 lbs. Anyways, I see what you're sayin. When my stomach gets big enough to eat bigger meals, I'll probably shorten the meals from 6 --> 3 out of convenience.

Thanks,
alka8

*edit* you have given out too much repz in the last 24 hours...

Thanks though, I don't need reps.

There are other advantages of eat frequently over three large meals, it's just metabolism isn't one of them.

how do you guys even eat 3 times a day

i am starving every 2 hours

Oh I eat about 6-7 meals a day, I just do it because I like satiety and I'm bulking.

[stsmurf]

how do you guys even eat 3 times a day

i am starving every 2 hours

yeah no doubt, especially during a cut.

[Tussmann57]

Hmm, I'd think eating smaller meals would equate to a higher percentage of the food digested. -- I personally can't eat much, maybe around 600-700 cals a meal. So I have to just eat more frequently to get the cals in. So having 3 1,200 cal meals vs 6 600 cal meals makes no / marginal difference?

alka8

your body digests whatever you put in it. I eat 2 huge meals a day and love it.

[Saturnal]

Nothing says you have to eat 6 times during the day. Many people here do fine on 2-3 meals a day (look up matthor...I'm pretty sure he only eats 2-3 times a day). I think it's more important that you maintain a consistent eating pattern day-to-day. The actual frequency of the meals doesn't really matter imo.

Personally, I do eat 6-7 times per day, but it's just what I prefer. I feel less hungry, less bloated after meals, and I seem to have more consistent energy during the day. I don't think it heavily affects fat loss or muscle gain though. Nutrient timing surrounding your workouts is important, but otherwise...not so much. At least not in my experience anyway.

[yzrider400f]

i believe layne has some research that shows it can be more beneficial to eat less frequently (like 4 times a day) with slightly bigger meals. something about protein synthesis being more active after being spiked and going up and down rather than staying relatively constant.

something i may incorporate into this coming offseason

[-Aaron-]

i believe layne has some research that shows it can be more beneficial to eat less frequently (like 4 times a day) with slightly bigger meals. something about protein synthesis being more active after being spiked and going up and down rather than staying relatively constant.

something i may incorporate into this coming offseason

Yep, or is currently researching right now.

It also keeps fat gains down in the offseason.

[Rifter]

correct me if im wrong, but making a shake before hand will degrade the protein by letting it just sit in there, especially for a long duration of hours. I think it would be best for you to just store some milk/water in a fridge at work and just make it up while your @ work.

Really??? Can anyone confirm this?

[-Aaron-]

Really??? Can anyone confirm this?

Yeah, he's wrong.

[Bioteknik]

rofl lmao.

doesnt look like you eat skinny bones

Some of us weren't blessed with the genetics of a large frame.

[beerbaron105]

You don't need to eat 6 times a day

161lbs

jus' sayin

[-Aaron-]

161lbs

jus' sayin

What does height, weight, and an avatar of an overall cool person to talk to have to do with meal frequency?

Jus Sayin

[Fuerza_M]

I just eat 4-5 times and use protein shakes or protein bars at work

[alka8]

Cool, I'm really glad I read this thread. Heck, maybe I'll eat 100-30cal meals a day

Really??? Can anyone confirm this?

I have read that ... if you don't keep it refrigerated it will break down. But refrigerated... nothing can touch it. Just seems like common sense to me, as milk is whey (and casein) and well, you know what happens there!

alka8

[BlueFenix13S]

161lbs

jus' sayin

What does height, weight, and an avatar of an overall cool person to talk to have to do with meal frequency?

Jus Sayin

^^^^

Thank you Aaron.

Since Aaron brought up the fact that Layne doesn't eat 6 times a day, should I pull his height and weight up? Not to mention his contest record? No, there is no point. Tussman eats twice a day, he has a solid build. Body stats have absolutely nothing to do with meal frequency.

Calories are calories, it doesn't matter when or how you eat them.

[hooked4life]

Ugh - god I'm going to have to agree with Aaron!

"I personally can't eat much, maybe around 600-700 cals a meal. So I have to just eat more frequently to get the cals in." This .... right here... is by far and away the largest reason to eat lots of meals.

The you all might be scientists, but I'm a historian. The old school bodybuilders that started getting into more than '3 square meals a day' did so because it was easier for them to get in all the massive cals they needed. All this crap about digesting more and all that. Total nonsense. I mean, most of human history has seen people laboring HARD all day with a huge breakfast and a big ol' dinner. You think an Egyptian bricklayer's body, working 10 hours in the blazing sun, just decided not to metabolize more than ~500 cals from his big meals? It just doesn't make sense.

[BlueFenix13S]

You think an Egyptian bricklayer's body, working 10 hours in the blazing sun, just decided not to metabolize more than ~500 cals from his big meals? It just doesn't make sense.

AGREED! Thank you.

Like I've said many times, what do you think it is like for military? 3 MRE's a day while in the field. We can't stop in the middle of a training exercise and say "Excuse me, sir, but it's been 3 hours since chow, I need to eat my chicken and rice." When I was at basic, we got 3 squares a day, no pre-workout meals, no PWO shakes, no pre-bed casein, just plain ol water after PT.

[jgrycko]

You need to figure out what works for your schedule. I work retail loss prevention and operations. So my schedule is all over the place. I work my meals around what i do in a typical week. It takes a while to figure out what works best for you but you get it down after a few trials and errors. My days starts as early as 5 or 7.
Before i leave the house, i'll have a bannana a glas of h2o with my vitamins. (small black coffee on the way to work)
Once at work, Mini Bagel, Yogurt and an orange or an apple.
2-3 hrs later, Whole grain sandwich with turkey or peanut butter, carrots or grean beans, and soy crisps
2-3 hrs later, Half sandwich, piece of fruit and a HB Egg.
2-3 hrs later, 11oz Muscle Milk and 1 Trioplex peanut butter cookie.
Work out
2-3 Hrs later, Chicken or Fish, Steamed white rice with veggies.
Lite snack before bed.

[Razorfever]

I really wonder why the two time Mr. Olympia, 300+ pounds off season, Jay Cutler eats 8-10 times a day. I also wonder why the 8 time Mr. Olympia, 320 pounds offseason, Ronnie Coleman eats 6 times a day. Please don't say juice.
I guess they know what they do...at least it's working.

[The Solution]

Yeah, he's wrong.

in10city has a study on mixing a shake beforehand, i suggest you read it aaron. I dont know how long it is, but its not reccomended especially overnight and carrying until the next day.

im not 100% sure but i know there is some disadvantage to it.

[lovinliftin]

Hmm, I'd think eating smaller meals would equate to a higher percentage of the food digested. -- I personally can't eat much, maybe around 600-700 cals a meal. So I have to just eat more frequently to get the cals in. So having 3 1,200 cal meals vs 6 600 cal meals makes no / marginal difference?

alka8

Of course it does. Eating a lot of meals is not only to keep metabolism high. It is also to provide a constant supply of
1-protein to fight catabalism and aid in anabolism
2-carbs to keeps glycogen stores high. Important for strentgh and stored egergy
3-vits and mins to help digestion and absorption
also
4-depending on your size and body, we can only absorb so many calories at a time. Any extra are stored as fat!! Even too much protein and complex carbs!!!
5-you are satisfied, not stuffed from fitting all your cals into three meals.

Your body is very adaptive, eating only a few squares a day tells your body to hold onto its nutrients because it learns that feedings are spaced more, that means less protein absorption, and your body will maintain higher cholesterol and blood sugar levels along with the storing of more fat in regard to not knowing when the next meal is going to be. However, many small meals lets your body learn to readily use those nutrients to build and maintain a positive nitrogen balance from frequent protein servings and to use those extra lipids and carbs as energy instead of storing them in planning for a drought. Anyone who can get away with 3 meals a day and still grow quality muscle mass is just blessed with great genetics. PERIOD.

[Rodzilla]

if I see the metabolism thing one more time I'm leaving and never coming back (boo-hoo right?)

anyway, this whole keep a constant stream of aminos, or the even dumber sounding keep feeding your muscles protein, it ****.

Say the former is what you really want, the latter as well since they are the same thing. Does everyone realize how long it takes to fully digest protein? Aminos are being released for several hours, so if you want to eat protein every 3, whatever..but you don't have to.

Next, this might not even be the best way to do it. There could be something to be said for ingesting a bolus of protein rather than keeping this constantly fed pattern.

[lovinliftin]

wrong!!!! All proteins are digested and absorbed at different time intervals

ex. Whey is in your muscle within 30 to 45 mins. of ingestion, and eggs, soy, casein, all take 2, 3, and even 4 hours.

[MattyH7688]

wrong!!!! All proteins are digested and absorbed at different time intervals

ex. Whey is in your muscle within 30 to 45 mins. of ingestion, and eggs, soy, casein, all take 2, 3, and even 4 hours.

digestion is greatly altered by fat and fiber intake

[Maestro]

I mean given the working day is usually 8 hours, and the fact that most bosses will not let you eat 3 times during your workday, how do you eat 6 times? Do you eat once during the workday and squeeze in the rest to before/after?

By law, you are required:

2hrs of work

10min break

2hrs of work

30min or 1hr lunch

2hrs break

home.

if you're not getting that, you can file a complaint to HR. During those breaks you can eat.

[lovinliftin]

very true, but not necessarily effects on the speed of protein.

[-Aaron-]

if I see the metabolism thing one more time I'm leaving and never coming back (boo-hoo right?)

anyway, this whole keep a constant stream of aminos, or the even dumber sounding keep feeding your muscles protein, it ****.

Say the former is what you really want, the latter as well since they are the same thing. Does everyone realize how long it takes to fully digest protein? Aminos are being released for several hours, so if you want to eat protein every 3, whatever..but you don't have to.

Next, this might not even be the best way to do it. There could be something to be said for ingesting a bolus of protein rather than keeping this constantly fed pattern.

Layne, is that you!?

110% agree, if that's worth anything.

[hooked4life]

I really wonder why the two time Mr. Olympia, 300+ pounds off season, Jay Cutler eats 8-10 times a day. I also wonder why the 8 time Mr. Olympia, 320 pounds offseason, Ronnie Coleman eats 6 times a day. Please don't say juice.
I guess they know what they do...at least it's working.

DErrrr r.... cause' eatin 6-8k cals in 3 meals would suck? Derrrrrr?