How many meals you have per day?

[Bluto]

(even a proteinshake counts as a meal) 

[candidizzle]

never less than 5...never more than about 8-9

[MCWAY]

Seven (3 solid, 4 liquid).

[powerpack]

3 solid
3 liquid

[webcake]

6-8, nearly all are solid, besides immediately after training.

[ngm21084]

7 total 4 shakes and 3 meals...

[Rimbaud]

3-6...depending on the day.

[Bluto]

I have 7 myself

[G.R.H.]

usually just 3. sometimes only 2, and sometimes 4. 

[ngm21084]

is that not including shakes?? how do you get by with only 2 meals a day?

[busyB]

Like Greg Kovacs, I have an IV in my arm all night when I sleep, delivering nutrients so I can reach 10,000 calories a day 

No really, about 6-8.

[SF1900]

6

3 solid meals and 3 shakes. If I can fit in a seventh meal, its part solid/part shake.

[AVBG]

3 in total.

[The Squadfather]

workout days 4 solid and one post workout liquid, non workout days just 4 solid.

[ngm21084]

workout days 4 solid and one post workout liquid, non workout days just 4 solid.

hey man how much protein and carbs do you consume in one day? or do you count?

[kukacomone]

Workout days 7 (4 solid 3 liquid), non workout days 6 (4 solid 2 liquid).

[Necrosis]

4 shakes is super excessive. jesus, are you using milk with these shakes, thats an awful lot of protein. maybe during dieting but why not spend the money on some other little things that might give benefit, like sleep aids, or stress reducers etc? might bring about better gains.

[El Guapo]

workout days 4 solid and one post workout liquid, non workout days just 4 solid.

layne norton style

[candidizzle]

how can you have just 4 meals(or less)..? are you only awake for 12 hours a day?

[jr]

how can you have just 4 meals(or less)..? are you only awake for 12 hours a day?

Make each meal larger.

Studies generally show that meal frequency doesn't have that much of an impact on body composition assuming that calories and macronutrients are the same at the end of the day.

This 6 plus meals per day concept was probably created by magazines to sell more supplements such as protein powders and meal replacements.

Maybe this doesn't apply to people who use drugs which can vastly increase protein synthesis or metabolism over normal.

[mass 04]

usually 5,sometimes 6 counting shakes.

[candidizzle]

Make each meal larger.

Studies generally show that meal frequency doesn't have that much of an impact on body composition assuming that calories and macronutrients are the same at the end of the day.

This 6 plus meals per day concept was probably created by magazines to sell more supplements such as protein powders and meal replacements.

Maybe this doesn't apply to people who use drugs which can vastly increase protein synthesis or metabolism over normal.

if your not eating every three hours your not growing at an optimal rate.

[jr]

if your not eating every three hours your not growing at an optimal rate.

Maybe, maybe not as there are many variables. It's hard to know what's optimal for each person as everyone is different. The only way to find out for yourself is to try various methods, as well as keeping in mind the various scientific studies findings on these matters. I personally don't have the time/patience to prepare so many meals, for possibly a small benefit.


Here's a study that shows 3 meals per day resulted in greater lean body mass gains versus 6 meals:
(I'm guessing that there are probably condradicting studies??)

THE EFFECT OF MEAL FREQUENCY ON BODY
COMPOSITION DURING 12-WEEKS OF STRENGTH
TRAINING
Hansen Øyvind1, Fostervold Mathisen Therese2, Raastad
Truls 2
(Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo1,
Norwegian School of Sport Sciences2, Norway)

Human trials on the effect of meal frequency on body composition
are scarce. Short-term studies show increased
rate of protein synthesis immediately after intake of amino
acids [1], and frequent meals are shown to aid in the
preservation of lean body mass when dieting [2]. Consequently
it could be hypothesised that in response to
strength training, more frequent meals will give larger muscle
mass accumulation and lower fat mass (FM) than fewer
meals. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects
of 3 vs. 6 meals per day on changes in body composition
in young men and women performing strength training
over 12 weeks.
Men (n=33) and women (n=15) aged 21 to 35 with at least
one year of previous strength training experience were randomly
assigned to either a 6 meals a day group or a 3
meals a day group. The prescribed total dietary intake in
both groups was equal and calculated to give a positive
energy balance of approximately 1200 KJ/day, a protein intake
of 1.5-1.7 g/kg/day and a carbohydrate intake of 5-7
g/kg/day. During the training period the dietary intake was
controlled by repeated 24-hours recalls. All participants
performed the same strength training program, training four
times per week, giving each muscle group one heavy session
and one light session per week. In the heavy sessions,
training intensity varied between 10 and 3 RM sets, and 3-
6 sets were performed in each exercise. Determination of
body composition was performed with DEXA at the beginning
of and immediately after the training period.
A total of 16 men and 11 women completed the project.
. After multiple regression analysis the 3 meal group had
a significant greater gain in lean body mass (LBM) than
the 6 meal group when adjusted for gender and energy intake
(p=0.04), when adjusted for gender and protein intake
(p=0.03), and when adjusted for gender, protein intake,
carbohydrate intake and fat intake* (p=0.01). (*: Fat intake
in g/kg body weight/day showed significance on LBM,
p=0.03). No significant differences in regional changes in
LBM were observed, although there was a tendency towards
a greater gain in the three meal group. There were
no significant differences in change in fat mass (FM) between
the groups, but a tendency towards a greater gain in
the three meal group, 7.33% (-5.23, 19.90), p=0.24. The
three meal group had a 2.87%(0.62, 5.12) larger weight
gain than the six meal group, p=0.01. The participants had
a 2.31% (0.83, 3.79), gain in bone mineral density of the
spine during the twelve weeks of strength training, p<0.01,
but there were no differences between the groups.
In this study, three meals per day resulted in larger muscle
gain from strength training than six meals per day over
a period of twelve weeks. The reason why 3 meals a day
was superior to 6 meals a day in this study needs further
investigation. More long-term studies are needed to determine
the optimal meal frequency for gain in LBM from
strength training.
References:
[1]. Rennie, MJ., Bohe, J., Wolfe, RR. Latency, duration
and dose response relationships of amino acid effects on
human muscle protein synthesis. J Nutr 132(10):3225S-
7S, 2002.
[2]. Iwao, S., Mori, K., Sato, Y. Effects of meal frequency
on body composition during weight control in boxers. Scan
J Med Sci Sports 6:265-272, 1996
Keywords: Strength Training, Body Composition, Nutrition

[The Squadfather]

if your not eating every three hours your not growing at an optimal rate.

why are you so small then if you do it? not flaming here just being honest, consuming 7-8 meals per day like you say you do you should be huge and ripped, right?

[The Squadfather]

hey man how much protein and carbs do you consume in one day? or do you count?

i consume 80 grams of protein in each of my 4 meals on non workout days and 70 in each of my 5 meals on workout days, so that comes to 320 grams/day on non workout days and 350 on workout days, carbs are always fairly moderate at 250-300 per day.