Multiple Small Meals Or 3 Big Meals Throughout The Day? Which One Is Best For Weight Loss?

When it comes to weight loss, diet plays a much bigger role than you may think. Many people think that they can eat whatever food they like and however much they like. The thought that comes in most of our mind is: “I’ll burn it off while working out anyway”. But this thought process is sorely mistaken, remember, you eat more calories than your body burns during workout, according to Mayo Clinic, your body digests only about 10% of the food it consumes as nutrients. Does that mean you should stop eating or barely eat to lose weight? No, because those calories are important for your body to function and stay alive. Keeping this in mind, let's move on to how many times you should eat. This is a debate that is brought up every time there is a conversation relating to weight loss.

While many people strongly believe that you should snack between your meals to help you curb cravings and keep you away from junk, others believe you should eat big hearty meals so you just don’t feel hungry right before its time for the next meal. These 3 meals are breakfast, lunch and dinner. The reason why some people believe in snacking for health is because the time frame between which you should have these 3 meals is too long, and so it leaves a lot of time for your body to process the food as well as rest.

Weight Loss And Meal Frequency: Is More Better Or Less?

For people who are trying to lose weight, these gaps can be very difficult to hold back. Some even believe that the longer they wait the more their chances of consuming something unhealthy increase and hinder their healthy eating habits. It’s not just a few people who believe this, but small healthy snacks between your meals is supported by science. Researchers have been looking at new studies and saying that eating smaller meals more often might actually be better for us. This change in thinking could mean that more and more people are trying out new ways of eating. They're moving away from the old three-meal plan and trying to eat little bits of food throughout the day instead.

Many people believe that eating small meals helps with weight loss, but research doesn't always agree. One such study published in the Author Manuscript 2015, compared people eating three big meals to those eating six small meals. The study found no real difference in how much weight they lost. In fact, some people who ate small meals said they felt hungrier. Other studies found that eating less often, having a big breakfast, and avoiding snacks might actually be better for keeping weight off. Linda Van Horn, Ph.D., a registered dietitian spoke to American Heart Association and explained snacking should be off the table for those who wish to lose weight, "Excess calorie intake, whether spread out over the day or consumed at one meal, will still contribute to weight gain." So, the idea that eating small meals helps with weight loss is still being debated.

If Improved Metabolism Means Better Weight Loss, Does Eating More Help Metabolism?

A lot of people think that eating small meals every few hours can speed up your metabolism. Metabolism is how your body turns food into energy. While it's true that your body burns calories when it digests food, in a study published by British Journal of Nutrition 1997, suggest that eating more often doesn't necessarily make your metabolism any faster than eating fewer, bigger meals. The Author Manuscript 2015 study even found that eating fewer, bigger meals might actually burn more calories. So, the idea that eating often speeds up your metabolism isn't fully supported by science.

Everyone's body works differently and there is not one fit for all answer to the same! With all the research and studies done on the matter, it is best to figure out what method works the best for you with a dietician and healthcare professional.

Scientists haven't found strong proof that one way of eating is better than the other. Many studies have problems, like not having a clear definition of what a "meal" or "snack" is. This makes it hard to compare the results. But the good news is that both eating patterns can be healthy if you focus on eating good foods. So, whether you eat three big meals or several small ones, the important thing is to eat healthy foods.