how often do you eat?

[nolotil]

Your stomach isn't built to digest +1000 kcal at once. You don't need any science for that, just listening to your gastrointestinal tract 'says' enough.

that is also wrong. the body has no problems digesting 1000+ calories AND utilizing the calories.

[WillGrant]

not true. many small meals dont stoke metabolism compared to fewer and larger meals. science clearly shows this.

personally i weigh 124kg and eat 3-4 meals per day

How big is your waist? how high is your bf ? do you use PED's?

[just_a_pilgrim]

you dont need to eat every 3 hours..you simply have made your body used to it....you could get un-used to it in a few days if you wanted too.

and the clean vs junk food discussion is kinda silly...and i seen no reason to seperate cleans vs junk food as long as you don't go to any extremes. 

Well if i need a certain amount of calories each day what's better, eating them spread out or eating more at once? Spread out is much better.

Separating clean and junk is better for me, i've tried many different things and if i eat 5 good meals and 1 junk in there when i really start getting hungrey, i soak up the junk meal and keep going. I just digest clean food so fast that after a few meals in a row of clean food i start getting hungrey and eating more clean food in any form (as i have tried many times in order not to have to eat junk) just makes me fatter and bloated.

[wavelength]

LOL I rest my case..considering "most" of those studys are totaly outdated coupled with the fact how many are directed toward people like us here on GB wanting to be in shape with lower bf to higher muscle ratio or improved strentgh and performence , even the average jo wanting to lose a bit of BF and retain muscle would totaly fall over on a rubbish diet like the ones in the above studys.
Again science should be taken as a GUIDE only as it does not transfer over to real worlds results a large percent of the time.

Studies don't get obsolete just because of age. Can you produce more recent studies invalidating the ones I posted?

Transfered into the "real world", anybody can easily get ripped by just reducing calories, eating enough protein, and working out.

[nolotil]

How big is your waist? how high is your bf ? do you use PED's?

don't make into a drug issue as i know many others who eat the way i do and have no problems...who use no drugs

my advice is that you get some basic knowledge about nutrition and human physiology.

big meals dont make you fat. a too large caloric surplus makes you fat.

you dont need to eat every 3 hours because if you eat a meal consisting of for example 50g of protein of meat it will take longer than 3 hours to break it down. there is much more but i cant explain it all here.

[wavelength]

don't make into a drug issue as i know many others who eat the way i do and have no problems...who use no drugs

my advice is that you get some basic knowledge about nutrition and human physiology.

big meals dont make you fat. a too large caloric surplus makes you fat.

you dont need to eat every 3 hours because if you eat a meal consisting of for example 50g of protein of meat it will take longer than 3 hours to break it down. there is much more but i cant explain it all here.

do you have an educational background in nutrition?

[wes]

A few good reasons why more frequent meals are better:

1.-Helps to keep blood sugar levels stable.

2.-A couple of huge meals will stretch the stomach......frequent smaller meals will help to keep a smaller waist.

3.-Two to three huge meals sounds great,but digestive overload comes into play and you do not, and will not, assimilate anywhere near as much nutrients and macros as you would by eating more frquent  smaller meals.

You can eat as much as you can but assimilation is what counts!!

4.-Helps to keep the metabolic rate higher.

5.-Better for digestion and most importantly assimilation.

[2ND COMING]

every 4 hours or so. 3-4 meals

for me, it keeps water retention lower than eating every 2 hrs and 5-6 meals. Muscles are harder, gains are the same.

[Julio Ceasar]

don't make into a drug issue as i know many others who eat the way i do and have no problems...who use no drugs

my advice is that you get some basic knowledge about nutrition and human physiology.

big meals dont make you fat. a too large caloric surplus makes you fat.

you dont need to eat every 3 hours because if you eat a meal consisting of for example 50g of protein of meat it will take longer than 3 hours to break it down. there is much more but i cant explain it all here.

Sound like we are on the same page in the book!

[nolotil]

Well if i need a certain amount of calories each day what's better, eating them spread out or eating more at once? Spread out is much better.

Separating clean and junk is better for me, i've tried many different things and if i eat 5 good meals and 1 junk in there when i really start getting hungrey, i soak up the junk meal and keep going. I just digest clean food so fast that after a few meals in a row of clean food i start getting hungrey and eating more clean food in any form (as i have tried many times in order not to have to eat junk) just makes me fatter and bloated.

dude...bottom line is the amount of calories you eat...im not saying all calories are equal but you need to update your knowledge. also i dont know how you define junk vs clean food...but eating chicken and rice 6 times per day is misguided and you are just doing things more complicated than they need to bee.

as for spreading out meals you do realize larger meals take a longer time to digest? so its not like you will have an empty stomach because you dont eat every other hour?

[nolotil]

do you have an educational background in nutrition?

no but i read a shitload about it so i know what im talking about..but im not talented enough to explain it all in a few posts. and im not just making this up..there is science to back up everything i say.

[wavelength]

no but i read a shitload about it so i know what im talking about..but im not talented enough to explain it all in a few posts. and im not just making this up..there is science to back up everything i say.

you don't have to convince me obviously

[uberman09]

the body adapts to the way you eat ...and will always automatically -if you have no digestive illness/anomaly of course- get the best/most of it .

[nolotil]

A few good reasons why more frequent meals are better:

1.-Helps to keep blood sugar levels stable.

2.-A couple of huge meals will stretch the stomach......frequent smaller meals will help to keep a smaller waist.

3.-Two to three huge meals sounds great,but digestive overload comes into play and you do not, and will not, assimilate anywhere near as much nutrients and macros as you would by eating more frquent  smaller meals.

You can eat as much as you can but assimilation is what counts!!

4.-Helps to keep the metabolic rate higher.

5.-Better for digestion and most importantly assimilation.

that is so wrong that i dont know where to begin...thats like knowledge from the 80s. i dont mean to sound like an ass but you need to upgrade your information bank.

only thing you are abit correct about is point 1...AND it will be a non issue for healthy people.

[just_a_pilgrim]

dude...bottom line is the amount of calories you eat...im not saying all calories are equal but you need to update your knowledge. also i dont know how you define junk vs clean food...but eating chicken and rice 6 times per day is misguided and you are just doing things more complicated than they need to bee.

as for spreading out meals you do realize larger meals take a longer time to digest? so its not like you will have an empty stomach because you dont eat every other hour?

Actually i eat a wide variety of foods, including vegtables in most meals except the last+junk meal.

Larger meals do take longer to digest, i can't see the benefit of having all that food in your stomach at once.

The reasons were posted above for smaller meals, all i can say is if you find larger meals work for you, go for it. If you are training hard and eating 4 meals consistently every day you probably won't be holding much fat.

[Mr Nobody]

All math = take more calories you gain, less you lose. The frequency is up for argument

[dr.chimps]

just one more mint

A wafer, Monsieur.

[wavelength]

The frequency is up for argument

not really when it comes to body composition

[IrishMuscle84]

every 2-3 hours, around 6 meals a day

same here...

[WillGrant]

don't make into a drug issue as i know many others who eat the way i do and have no problems...who use no drugs

my advice is that you get some basic knowledge about nutrition and human physiology.

big meals dont make you fat. a too large caloric surplus makes you fat.

you dont need to eat every 3 hours because if you eat a meal consisting of for example 50g of protein of meat it will take longer than 3 hours to break it down. there is much more but i cant explain it all here.

No , you are using yourself as an example so if you are using PED's it changes the whole equation.
How big is your waist and what is your bf% if you are fat then yes you are taking in to many calories it doesnt matter if its 3 or 6 meals , but I bet if you lowered those 3 meals a day to get leaner you would get better results through feeding every few hours.

Knowledge huh? Im currently in study in both those feilds you mention to learn more , so far for athletic performence or people wanting to get "in shape" the smaller more frequent meals is recomended. Its a worldwide certification meaning I can use it anywhere in the world.

For BB purposes do you really think 2-3 large meals a day is better than smaller more frequent?

for a start you will need 1.5- 2.2 of protein per pd of bodyweight, for someone that is over 250pd like you thats over 500grms of protein a day , in 3 meals?  maybe more  

[Julio Ceasar]

A few good reasons why more frequent meals are better:

1.-Helps to keep blood sugar levels stable.

2.-A couple of huge meals will stretch the stomach......frequent smaller meals will help to keep a smaller waist.

3.-Two to three huge meals sounds great,but digestive overload comes into play and you do not, and will not, assimilate anywhere near as much nutrients and macros as you would by eating more frquent  smaller meals.

You can eat as much as you can but assimilation is what counts!!

4.-Helps to keep the metabolic rate higher.

5.-Better for digestion and most importantly assimilation.

Brutal example of someone that just read and listen to anything he see in magazines or newspaper. (no homo)  

Example 1. How can a stretched stomach give u a bigger waist. Its just like a balloon that stretch when u fill it and go back when its empty.

Exampel 2. Blood sugar levels are just bullshit. Fill your stomach to 100% with one meal and u will have energy at least for 6 houers. When u start feeling the hunger again just eat. No more sciences than that needed.

If media would start to write that one big meal per day is the best thing, people would soon go out and tell each other, this new thing feel much better bla bla.....people are so stupid. God made it that way, otherwise there would be chaos in the world if everybody was a leader and not a follower.  

[nolotil]

Actually i eat a wide variety of foods, including vegtables in most meals except the last+junk meal.

Larger meals do take longer to digest, i can't see the benefit of having all that food in your stomach at once.

The reasons were posted above for smaller meals, all i can say is if you find larger meals work for you, go for it. If you are training hard and eating 4 meals consistently every day you probably won't be holding much fat.

ok man i give up...i see i cant convince you. 

[wes]

My post comes from personal experience as far as my bodys response goes........been eating 5-6 meals or more per day for decades,not just reading about it or looking at studies where no bodybuilders are even involved.

[wavelength]

My post comes from personal experience as far as my bodys response goes........been eating 5-6 meals or more per day for decades,not just reading about it or looking at studies where no bodybuilders are even involved.

Have you ever tried 2-3 meals, keeping all other variables the same?

[uberman09]

the body adapts to the way you eat ...and will always automatically get the best/most of it -if you have no digestive illness/anomaly of course-.

QFT.