How many meals should you eat each day to lose weight?

Metabolic rate is the number of calories your body burns over a certain period of time.

The idea that eating more frequent, smaller meals increases metabolic rate is an ongoing myth.

It is true that digesting a meal slightly raises the metabolism and this phenomenon is known as the thermic effect of food. However, it is the total amount of food consumed that determines the amount of energy expended during digestion.

Eating 3 meals of 800 calories will result in the same thermogenic effect as eating 6 meals of 400 calories. There is literally no difference.

Multiple studies have compared eating lots of smaller meals versus larger meals and concluded that there was no significant effect on metabolic rate or the total amount of fat lost).

Summary Eating more frequently does not increase your overall metabolic rate, or the number of calories you burn throughout the day.

Does eating more frequently balance blood sugar levels and reduce cravings?

One argument I see often is that people should eat a lot to balance blood sugar levels.

It is believed that eating large meals leads to a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar, while eating smaller, more frequent meals should stabilize blood sugar levels throughout the day.

This, however, is not supported by science. Studies show that people who eat fewer and larger meals have lower blood sugar levels, on average (3).

They may have larger spikes in blood sugar, but generally their levels are much lower. This is especially important for people with blood sugar problems because high blood sugar can cause all sorts of problems.

Eating less frequently has also been shown to improve satiety and reduce hunger compared to more frequent meals

When it comes to blood sugar control, breakfast seems to play a role, too. Studies show that eating the largest meal of the day in the morning, or early in the day, reduces average daily blood sugar levels

Summary Fewer and larger meals lower average blood sugar levels per day. Getting the most calories in the morning and eating less in the afternoon and evening also seems to lower average blood sugar levels.

To eat breakfast, or not to eat breakfast “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day…” Or is it? Conventional wisdom is that breakfast is a necessity, and that it kick-starts your metabolism for the day and helps you lose weight. What’s more, observational studies show consistently found that those who skip breakfast are more likely to be obese than people who eat breakfast). But the relationship does not equal causation. This data does not prove that breakfast helps you lose weight, only that eating breakfast is associated with a reduced risk of obesity. This is likely because breakfast leavers tend to be less health conscious in general, and may choose to eat cake at work and then eat a large meal in a restaurant McDonald’s for lunch. Everyone “knows” that breakfast is good for you, so people with generally healthy habits are likely to eat breakfast. However, there is no evidence that breakfast “starts” your metabolism and makes you lose weight. However, it may Eating breakfast benefits certain aspects of health. The body’s glycemic control appears to be better in the morning. Therefore, eating a high-calorie breakfast results in lower average blood sugar levels per day than eating a high-calorie dinner (5Trusted Source). Also, One study in people with type 2 diabetes found that fasting until noon raises blood sugar levels after lunch and dinner. These effects are mediated by the body clock, also known as circadian rhythm, but more is needed. Studies before scientists can understand how it works. People with diabetes who are concerned about their blood sugar levels should consider eating a healthy breakfast. But as general advice: If you’re not hungry in the morning, skip breakfast. Just make sure you eat healthy for the rest of the day.

Summary There is no evidence that skipping breakfast is harmful for healthy people. However, people with diabetes should consider eating a healthy breakfast or getting the most calories early in the day.

Skipping meals from time to time has health benefits

Intermittent fasting is a trendy topic in nutrition these days.

This means that you strategically abstain from eating at certain times, such as skipping breakfast and lunch each day or doing two 24-hour fasts each week.

According to conventional wisdom, this approach puts you into “hunger mode” and causes you to lose precious muscle mass.

But this is not the case.

Studies of short-term fasting suggest that metabolic rate may actually increase initially. Only after a long fast does it come down).

Additionally, studies in both humans and animals indicate that intermittent fasting has various health benefits, including

Improved insulin sensitivity, lower glucose, lower insulin and various other benefits

Intermittent fasting also induces a cellular cleaning process called autophagy, in which the body’s cells clear waste that builds up in cells and contributes to aging and disease.)

Summary Skipping meals every now and then helps you lose weight and may improve your blood sugar control over time.

There are no health benefits to eating often. It does not increase the number of calories burned or help you lose weight.

Eating too often also does not improve blood sugar control. If anything, eating fewer meals is healthier.

It seems quite clear that the myth of frequent small meals is just a myth.

The bottom line: You eat less. However, it may not work that way.

A study from the University of Ottawa found that on a reduced-calorie diet, there was no weight loss advantage to splitting calories between six meals instead of three.

A second study found that switching from three daily meals to six meals does not increase calorie burn or fat loss. In fact, researchers concluded that eating six meals a day made people want to eat more.

A review of the research did not reach any conclusions about whether meal frequency helps or harms weight loss.

So if the number of meals you eat doesn’t make a difference with weight loss, what does?

“Calories”. Your best bet is to cut back on your daily calories, no matter how many times you cut them. If you want to eat more often, you can, as long as you keep calories in check. The upside to more than 3 meals a day, although eating many meals may not increase your metabolism or make you burn fat, experts say. It may help in other ways. The longer you wait between meals, the hungrier you are, and the more likely you are to eat more.

“After about 3 hours without food, your blood sugar starts to drop, after 4 hours, your body has already digested what you sent out earlier.” Once you cross the 5 hour mark, your blood sugar starts to drop, and you pick up what you can to refuel. Very important After 7-8 hours of sleeping without food, you need energy to get it moving, .

about the author

nutritionist Shaimaa Ali

is a-freelance journalist specializing in health and fitness as well as nutritionist certified from mansoura university on Egypt

for Medical information i recommended National Institutes of Health Most of My blog source by it