Sunday, January 11, 2009

Do You Know The 6 Meals A Day Myth?

By Caleb Lee

Do you certainly have to eat 6-8 small meals to keep your metabolic rate rise so you melt fat all day and keep a constant stream of nutrients flowing to sculpt lean muscle?

If you've been around the fitness scene for any amount of time, or have read any diet books or articles, you would think the answer to this one is an easy yes " but the truth is

The 6-8 meals a day Advice Is A Cock-and-Bull Story!

The advice is based on studies made around the thermic effect of food (TEF). You see, every time you eat, your body uses approximately 10% of those calories (total) to supply strength just to digest the food...

When this was discovered, people misconstrued the research by saying the more you eat (frequency) the more calories you'll burn all day but then this was a slip since the math doesn't work out.

* Six pint-sized meals of 300 calories (6-300) = 1800 calories total.

* Every single meal you burn 10% of calories = 30 calories burned with every 300 cal meal

* Total cals burned by reason of TEF = 180

Therefore weigh that to a normal diet of 3 heavy meals:

* 3 Heavy Meals of 600 calories (3-600) = 1800 calories total.

* Each meal you burn 10% of calories = 60 calories burned with each 600 cal meal

* Total cals burned as a result of TEF = 180

So you see, if the calories are the same, it doesn't matter how you break them up " you're still burning the same amount of calories and affecting your metabolism the exact same way no matter how often you eat.

Will Eating More On A Regular Basis Result In More Lean Muscle Gain?

The brief answer is certainly not. Eating protein continually in point of fact initiates your body not to make it as much. Eating more total calories WILL bring about building additional muscle but the meal frequency has barely to do with it.

More crucial for lean muscle gain is the timing of your meals, particularly the post workout meal needs to be excellent to make a big thing that you're getting superior nutrients into your body when it needs them the most.

Will Eating Fewer Meals Lead To Muscle Loss?

Lots of guys who lift weights believe (and I used to) that not eating 6-8 meals per day will put your body into a catabolic state. Which means because you're not eating a lot of food and keeping the levels of amino acids in your blood high your body will use your muscle tissue as fat.

This is not true either nevertheless not to the degree that you've heard. Because even though you just eat one heavy meal per day, it can take up to 12 hours to digest" increasingly releasing amino acids into your bloodstream the whole time.

When Should You Eat 6-8 Meals

So as to achieve a LOT of weight " you need to boost your calorie intake to gain weight and put on muscle, thus if you're an extra-large guy and you have to eat 5,000 calories a day to put on mass it might be easier on your stomach and digestive system to consume 5,000 calories broken up into a set of lesser meals.

If youre utilizing a lot of energy " If you're an advanced athlete who burns a ton of energy like Michael Phelps who eats up to 12,000 calories per DAY and eats like an elephant. Similarly guys in the military in boot camp regularly eat as much as possible when they get the chance but still result in losing weight

If you love it - A number of people may possibly feel more satisfied 6-8 eating lesser meals each day grazing for their food intake. I'm not one of those people but more power to you if you are.

I believe being aware of this will surely help you feel improved in your search for better fitness, I know I believed this cock-and-bull story for a LONG time because nearly each and every one suggests it.

What Do I Do For Myself?

I put into practice occasional fasting. And I HAVE A THING ABOUT it. I vary between a warrior diet style eating schedule (when I'm sustaining my weight) and the lean gains eating style when I'm focusing on increasing muscle mass. - 16004

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