Being in the midst of the Big Meal Challenge has brought up a lot of questions of some people about meal timing. I thought we could take today to set the record straight on just how many times a day you should be eating and how we evolved to thinking of multiple meals as the only given option.
If you go back, way back into the history of man they guided by a very simple eating style which was “Food, OMG food, eat it!” Hmmm, I guess that isn’t so different after all. However, the huge difference was their cry for food was out of extreme hunger and to survive longer in life and movement. Our cry is at the smell of the decked out long lines of trays filled with chicken wings, pizza, and warm brownies topped with ice cream. This is no longer America I am speaking about, this is any developed and economic flourishing country. If we desire we can eat all day long, from wake to sleep, food is there for the taking and all we have to do is control our dietary habit of how much of it we eat.
At a point researchers, based on mostly EPI based studies, and a few various controlled studies, decided that people who ate multiple meals a day were in better health condition than those who, claimed, to eat 1-2 times a day a skipped breakfast. Let us now take a peak into how the science that governs our lives works…
*insert dream waving lines*
Doc with survey: So how many times a day do you eat?
Fat person who is unhealthy: Usually just eat dinner, sometimes a snack during the day.
Doc with survey: So you don’t normally consume breakfast?
Fat person who is unhealthy: No, I am not usually hungry.
Let’s note for a moment that the reason, usually, those who are largely overweight aren’t hungry in the morning is because they were going to town the night before.
Doc with survey: So how many times a day do you eat?
Skinny person with recycled tree print purse: Few times a day I pick foods from my garden, maybe I will have a light breakfast with some fruit or nuts. A night a larger meal with some wine.
Doc with survey: Well aren’t you the perfect human, did you know we hate you all?
Skinny person with recycled tree print bag: Yes, yes I do. I think you need some B12 for that.
Now it may appear that I am severely “type casting” but that is the point. If you think that your dietary guidelines came out of something a lot more deeper and prolific than that, then think again. The majority of you are eating based upon nothing more than a magazine quiz at a doctors office that you always lie on.
The truth is that meal timing is a very personal and individual based thing. Some say it could be heritage based. For example, if you have heritage of a more coast residing great grandpa then you might be, by genetics, more accustom to eating multiple meals as it was more readily available to you. Those living by the shore where fishing and imports flourished had more varieties and frequency of foods. However, if you were deep inland, it is not as if there were grocery stores all around. It could be days before the next kill, bread press, or delivery of the few foods that could travel came through, particularly in the winter time. For you it wasn’t even just one meal a day, it could be a one meal every three.
This isn’t to say that this was recommended but, the Greeks were certainly doing well in the power dominating category, however others proclaimed the classic phrase of “Hunger is the best sauce.” Fast forward again and our revolutions are televised and they are supported in hand with “Chester Chettah.” Someone had to save us, enter in diet and fitness authors of the 80’s. Not until the 80’s did a harsh look come in to the basis of meal timing. Sure it was in the underground before then but at the peak of bodybuilding, gyms for fun, and jazzercize people started looking at the cherry picked benefits of multiple meals in a day. People started noticing that the bellies were growing and their had to be a reason. The answer, and still seems to be today, was Sugar. Sugar highs, sugar lows, and sugar woes. What was the solution given to a nation of growing bellies and sugar crashes?
Eat more, and more often.
To be truthful this concept isn’t all bad, nor is it all good. As always with any dietary strategy nothing is ever that cut and dry nor does it fit with everyone. The problem is that we, as a people, don’t like the following words…
Maybe
Depends
Possibly
Likely
Unclear
Without Certainty
Could Be
We as a people need leadership and answers that are absolutes. We like black and white as it gives us a comfort and a place to rest our worries. The truth is that when it comes to meal timing there is only one absolute to how often we should eat.
Grab a snack to hold you over for tomorrow where you are going to find out…
- What meal frequency eating type you are.
- How many meals you should be having in a day/week.
- What time of day is best to eat for you.
- The tell-tale signs of when what you are doing is wrong.
- How to best test the theories that have set the course of healthy eating as we know it.
OOOh, what a tease!
Good post today and I can’t wait to see what’s coming tomorrow!
Ok, One Big Mealers–how are you doing so far?
Sinead – HUNGRY!
I am the fat person who didn’t eat breakfast, never bothered with lunch and started to eat around 5PM or so… and ate way too much. The typecase is SO accurate there, sigh!
Eating more frequently has worked pretty well for me, I don’t get as starved and keep calories under control better. Approaching the 40 pounds gone point!
Excellent post Leigh. You impress me time and time again with your approach to things. You never get that same bs stuff here. The boring eat 5-6 meals a day or the new trend of fasting stuff is starting to get on my nerves. There is always a middle ground and you are always there to let us know what is up.
Question: How many times do you eat in a day? How do you train? I know you do but I don’t ever see you talk about it very much. Would love to hear it.
Also, you didn’t talk enough on the last Fitcast, I was sad
.
Hey everyone,
So far, so good with the one meal. I made it through the weekend without any slip-ups. Usually, I work my butt off all week and destroy it on the weekend. I even went to the Buffalo Bills game yesterday and restrained from BEER!!!
You have go to try the meatloaf recipe that Leigh posted…unbelievable!!
I really like the idea of making my entire days meal all at once. I help ease the temptation and actually gives me MORE time to spend with my family.
I too was one of the fat people that didn’t eat breakfast, but it wasn’t the fact that I ate twice a day, it was that I ate a large Pizza and twenty chicken wings…
WTG Cynthia, 40 lbs. is AWESOME!!!
I can’t wait until tomorrow’s post…
“Life’s battles don’t always go to the strongest or fastest man, but sooner or later the man who wins is the fellow who thinks he can.”
~Steve “Pre” Prefontaine
I can’t wait til tommorrow to read! (but I say that everyday in anticipation of Leigh’s next latest and greatest nuggets of wisdom!) Excellent blog as usual. I wonder if it has anything to do with that horrible insulin as to how often we should eat?! Oh well, I’ll just have to wait until tommorrow! Leigh = meanie teasemeister!!
Interesting topic Leigh – I’m interested to see what tomorrow brings… When I was fat, I never ate breakfast. Now, I always have breakfast, but I still struggle with feeling much hungrier (or just more bored?) at night than during the morning/daytime. My response is to let myself eat more at night (tracking meals from 5pm through 5pm instead of breakfast through dinner) and that seems to help keep my overall calories where they need to be. But I also wonder if I’m really doing the best thing eating more calories after 5-7pm than any other time of day… I guess you’ll give your opinion on that tomorrow!
Lindsay, can you add some protein powder to the OBM somehow to get more protein in? Maybe that would help with the hungry, too.
Cynthia, what’s going on with your feet? Have you told us? Do you have arthritis or something? Is there any way that you could get a high stool for times when you’re in the kitchen cooking? Good for you for coming up on the 40 lb mark–that’s awesome! I’ve got arthritis, too, so I know that you have to be really careful with it. Leigh told me once that my goal was not to piss off my body, and I’ve kept that advice in the back of my mind ever since. It’s made a real difference for me.
Greg, I’m always confused by the eat a bunch of small meals vs. eat once a day crowd, too. I always figured that it varied from person to person and that you needed to pick what was best for you.
Jim, great job! Glad the weekend went good for you!
Missy, I’m with you–checking in often in anticipation.
Bytsi, that makes sense to me!
For me frequent eating works well and I do need to have a proper breakfast, lunch dinner, etc.
This might not be the case for everyone though. It basically is an interesting thing about Mediterranean customs – people do not eat as much during the day but they go for dinner/supper around 9pm to 11pm and they really eat a substantial meal, and they are the thinnest people in Europe.
I wonder – is it the heat that helps them go through the day without eating, or is it the gene pool that they have…
I’ve been eating small frequent meals since I was a kid, even though my parents only ate basically three meals a day. I’ve never been able to eat much food at one sitting, so that way has always worked best for me. I definitely don’t think it’s the only way it can be done, though!
[...] Breaking the Dogma of Meal Timing [...]
Sinead-You have to love a good cliffhanger
Lindsay-Ha sorry!
Cynthia-Certainly something to be said about it, just wonder what I am going to say about it…;)
Greg-Thanks a lot for those words. I will make sure to give a little more away in the future. Not in a kinky way though.
Jim-That takes some serious will power my friend and thanks for cheering people on so much. You have great spirit.
Missy-Tomorrow I actually give the map to the fountain of youth. Stay tuned.
Bysti-You raise some good points as always, I assure you I am going to address this issue.
Sinead-You are such a great cheerleader for everyone, it is really appreciated. All that and trying to keep to people happy and healthy at the same time…you deserve the DA Bomb award!
I would like to note that I am never that cheesy and that was done out of pure love.
Matt-Excellent point about temperature and hunger levels. There has been study of this (temperature and eating patterns) but not for some time, I would love to see it done again even more so now with climate changes in certain areas.
At the same time the south is fat and hot so I wonder the success of the theory
Krispy-I was personally a kid of stuff and puff myself.
I try not to go more than 5 hours without having something to eat whether it’s a small snack or a meal. And I’ve always eaten breakfast. Too bad it wasn’t enough to keep me from getting fat… He he. I don’t always eat 3 meals a day it may be two meals and one or two snacks. I’ve just found that it works better for me. I have diabetes so part of that is just habit as I was diagnosed back in the old school days where everything was much more regimented.
Diana
Sinead, Leigh… I think I mentioned it, but I have plantar fasciitis in both feet. It is primarily in my arches, not my heels though. The basics are that I can’t stay on my feet very long at a time or my arches become inflamed and painful so that I cannot stand or walk. And it can take quite a bit of time to get them calmed down if I aggravate them. I am going to have to ice really aggressively and use Aleve after Saturday. Standing and cooking so long on Saturday was just way too much. I don’t think a high stool (which I don’t have anyway) would work, because then I’d be straining my back to lean over the counter or stove. Sitting at the kitchen table to chop veggies doesn’t work either, because that’s hard on the tendinitis in my arms.
The foot doctor doesn’t want me walking more than about 10-15 minutes at a time. My primary exercise is supposed to be in the pool (Which is closed for the next THREE WEEKS!) and I normally do high level water aerobics, some swimming (what my bad shoulder will tolerate) and some walking/jogging laps, but I can also walk a little (about a half mile before I am limping) or do exercise bike. Exercise bike is somewhat troublesome, because my right foot goes numb if I go longer than 20 minutes, sometimes it will not make it that far. I did a half mile walking today and 16 minutes of exercise bike.
I am also allowed to do my Nordic Track, but I have to set a towel under the back end so that it is level and not inclined. I can manage about 15 minutes at at time right now.
I am not supposed to do leg press or squats or lunges, but I have found I can get away with a little of that each week if I only do bodyweight and do not try to add weight via dumbbells. It helps if I use my TRX trainer for assistance in balance. I am not supposed to walk up inclines and am supposed to avoid stairs, but there is the difficulty that we live on a steep hill, and I have to either walk up the sloping sidewalk or go in through the garage and go up the stairs… but that’s only when going out on errands.
Anyway, I’m still feeling it from Saturday and I won’t cripple myself just to fix all my meals at once. Sunday really sucked! Normally I can fix a meal fast, within 15-20 minutes (5 minutes for a protein smoothie) and that’s OK. That amount of time I can be on my feet. Sometimes I can even do a double batch of something in that time frame.
BTW… it may not be an entirely bad thing to have the pool closed… I get a rest for my bad shoulder from swimming. And, on restricted calories, the heavy duty session of water aerobics plus either swimming or water jogging would’ve made for some tough days fighting hunger. Not to worry I shouldn’t think with my mini bouts of exercise. I have gotten in 45 minutes of cardio today, just not all at once. I did Nordic Track at home first thing in the morning, then when I was at the gym, walked and did bike there.
I did counter pushups also and cable rows. I tried the assisted pullup machine again, but that may be bothering my bad shoulder, so I’m not sure if I can do that. That’s my only hope for chinups/pullups though. And as hubby happened to be off and at the gym with me, for fun I tried to bench press the Olympic bar with him spotting me. I haven’t tried that in a long while, and couldn’t do it without someone holding and steadying the bar for me and even then, only managed two reps. I managed 4 reps on my own today, getting the bar off the rack and back on MYSELF!
Matt, that’s an interesting thought. I’d say that it has to do with what they’re eating, too.
Leigh, awww…thanks! I AM that cheesy, especially now, so thanks. That means a lot to me!
Re: South and fat…note that you can probably get just about anything fried in the South. I’d say that’s the fat problem.
Cynthia, wow, that’s a challenge. I think you’re right–listen to your body and know your limits. It’s great that you can get some exercise, but it sounds like you are making good choices by trying to limit the demands on your body. I don’t know if I have any good ideas for you, but if there’s anything I can do, just shout, ok?
Gee, thanks Leigh! “Stuff and puff”? LOL For some reason, that reminds me of H.R. Pufnstuff!
Thanks Sinead!
I did a challenge last year and I pushed my body too hard and everything backfired in the end. My feet got too bad, my shoulder as well, and I ended by getting terribly depressed and just STOPPING eating healthy for like 2-3 months… gained back some 10-12 pounds. No point to going there again. If not doing my cooking all at once means I am kicked out of this challenge on the official level, so be it.
My days are a mix of alternately sitting and doing things on my feet for brief periods. After working out, I usually need a good long period to rest and sit. But I have a cool robotic sweeper (iRobot Dirt Dog) that helps take care of the hair and cat litter on my hardwood floors, LOL! He’s working right now as I type.
Hey Cynthia, I don’t know if you have ever done so but I highly, highly recommend heading over to the JP fitness injury section to get a little advice on your recovery in more detail. Julie Keen is a great help and works with various people online (if available). Not to say you have to hire out but perhaps you can throw out some questions to some people that have the time to get into the nitty gritty with you.
For some quick info here are a few points to note…
1-Get good footwear or even custom arch support
2-Might seem like a “duh” but decrease excess weight as much as possible.
3-Decrease concurrent standing or same pattern function/increase mobility work and movement
4-Roll, Roll, Roll. Foam roll the calfs, tennis ball roll (gently) the arch of your foot. Check out Mike Robertson free download of SMR work that is at his site. You can find a link in the blog roll.
In short you need to take care of yourself. Lose fat more through diet and less through movement right now. Running yourself too hard for too long is going to keep you more hurt, overweight, underjoyed, and just downright frustrated.
2 cents. Keep us updated!
This will make me sound like the lazy fat guy, (Yeah, well, thats true!) Does anyone else get hungry/ munchies while watching TV? This is my worst! What is up with that? I if I sit and read that doesn’t happen? What’s the connection between television and my craving for Junk?
Steve, it’s probably just boredom because watching TV isn’t particularly stimulating for the mind, while reading and researching stuff is.
I’m 40 now and I find I can’t eat 6 meals a day anymore, I just don’t feel like it.
I’ve dropped to 3-4 now, depending how I feel on the day. It really is an individual thing, especially when you take age into consideration. A 70 year old might be satisfied with 2-3 meals a day, depending on how active they are.
[...] yesterdays post “Breaking the Dogma of Meal Timing” I touched on the brief history behind meal timing. Before I jump into helping you determine what [...]
“For some quick info here are a few points to note…
1-Get good footwear or even custom arch support
2-Might seem like a “duh” but decrease excess weight as much as possible.
3-Decrease concurrent standing or same pattern function/increase mobility work and movement
4-Roll, Roll, Roll. Foam roll the calfs, tennis ball roll (gently) the arch of your foot. Check out Mike Robertson free download of SMR work that is at his site. You can find a link in the blog roll.”
Thanks Leigh!
The footwear I wear has had arch support added and modified by the foot doctor. He also approved the slippers I wear, which have also been modified with some additional arch support. So I think I am OK there. The weight loss, well, that’s what I’m working on. I’ve had some setbacks, just because I either irritate something in my body and get depressed because I can’t move as much or because I am not making progress like I was at first, before the foot thing developed. I’m trying to get myself to not backslide… I’ve done it twice in the past 12 months, to the tune of 10-12 pounds each time. But currently, I feel on a roll. And no more road trips this year to get my feet irritated, once I calm them down again.
I do a lot of rolling on my arches, but I didn’t think to try the calves. I bought a foam roller a while back, but I have to admit, I have been intimidated about using it. It is probably time to investigate it more.
>A 70 year old might be satisfied with 2-3 meals a day, depending on how active they are
1. It would be so great if every one would sign their name at end of their post. This is a funky thread, w/out photos like JP Fitness has, and to be more personal and to get to know our great group for these 30 days, let’s sign either our name or nickname… Some posts have the name to the left and some don’t…
2. I began eating 5-6 SMALL meals 4 years ago when I began Body for Life and it has changed my hunger level. I’m 62 now. I eat about 20 gm protein, lots of vegies, and a fist sized amount of unprocessed carb at each meal and I’m quite satisfied during most days (though I’m hungry right now!… I think my OBM is too heavy on the carb and not enough bulk of vegie, but also coming down from a refeed of 2100-2600 cal, now at 1350 I’m hungry)… So I don’t think age has anything to do with it. But the size of each meal is important… 3 larger meals, 1 huge meal, 6 smaller meals… Leigh, tell us what you’ve found!
- Etana
The white comments have signatures, the blue boxes do not have signatures… Is that what’s going on?
Etana
Cynthia, I’ll totally second the recommendation to go ask Julie for some advice. She gave me some excellent advice to rehab my knee after NROL4W and it made a huge difference!
Steve, I totally do! It’s partially habit, but it’s also because you see commercials for yummy stuff, too. The whole mindless aspect of it has been studied and there’s TONS of evidence for why no one should EVER eat in front of the TV. Check out Mindless Eating (here: http://www.amazon.com/Mindless-Eating-More-Than-Think/dp/0553384481/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224648355&sr=8-1). It’s a fascinating read and it can definitely help you reshape some habits to help you get control of your eating.
Etana, if you’re hungry with your OBM, can you try increasing your protein a bit more and see if it helps? When I’m heavier on protein, I seem to be satisfied longer and less hungry.
I don’t see signatures anywhere, by the way.
Hey Steve–I answered your question about the activity multipier and the deficit on another comments thread, but you add in the activity multiplier before you take the deficit (just in case you don’t check that thread again).
[...] breaking the dogma of meal timing (and a quiz), a simple food test, Leigh’s diet distractions, Mike parses MSN (I think my eyes [...]
Thank you Sinead!
Okay. Day 4 and I have had an epiphany. First things first
Leigh P: I am sorry. I am one of those “Calorie counting doesnt apply to me” guys. “I don’t need that, I have a good handle on how much I eat.” I don’t, or at least didn’t.
Leigh gave 2 rules:
1) Only eat from the Big meal bowl
2) When bowl is empty, you are done.
I like it, Simple straight forward.
My Epiphany is “Wow, I get up to go to that bowl alot!” Or think about going to the bowl, Or would really like something other than what is in the bowl. I am a Glutton! I have been fat for over 20 years. But I guess I really never thought of “How”. It’s me! It is not society, mom, dad, childhood, work. It is MY fault. I have logically known that, just never “owned it” before.
Sorry to ramble!
Steve – great thoughts! I totally hear you on owning it and not wanting to be a calorie counter… right there with you on that! Thing is, it’s been pretty amazing to me to discover just how many calories I was eating compared to what I estimated I was eating. I started (for the umpteenth time LOL) trying to lose weight back in January 2007 just by “eating less and moving more” and that worked great for me, without the really close scrutiny of/attention to calories, but now that I’ve got just 20ish pounds to go, I’ve found that it’s not quite so simple. Following Leigh’s plan is working, so if I have to count calories, I’ll do it.
Cynthia – I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis back in 2006, and it was a loooong road to recovery. Mine was only in one foot thankfully, and it was the heel that was the issue, but I can completely relate to the pain and discomfort. As a teacher, I had no choice but to be on my feet most of the day. My treatment included cortisone shots, orthotics, custom orthotics, an ankle brace with built in customized orthotic…. my doctor was ready to prescribe surgery if things didn’t improve. Luckily, it did improve, and now I’m without orthotics completely a year later. My doctor told me that the single best thing I did was to lose weight. I hope that you are able to find some relief….
Sinead – Dude. You already know how awesome I think you are!:) I love the fact that you can’t participate in the challenge yet are so supportive of everyone here. You’re just the best…. and I loved Leigh’s cheesy award for you!
Oops… Etana, I forgot to put my name at the bottom of that post. Sorry! Just checking… do you still want people to do that even if our name is what we’re using as a username anyway?
~ Lori
Lori, you know I love ya!
Steve, I was like you say, too…I didn’t want to have to count calories all the time and track, etc., but I saw the results (like you have). That’s another reason why I think this OBM idea is great. At least you only have to think about it once a day–how freeing!
Keep up the great work!
sinead
Hey Lori!
I had the plantar fasciitis some years back, only in the heels that time. And it took a long, long time to recover. At least I had a job where I sat. And my boss let me soak my heels in ice water as often as I needed to. (Concrete floor). I gained a lot of weight during that time though.
I know losing the weight will help, that’s why I’m getting desparate to get some more pounds off.