Fitness and Health - One Day at a Time

Five or Six Small Meals a Day Diet

Have you ever thought to your self: Why should you I eat even more meals than I am eating now? Why would a five or six small meals a day diet work? Most people think that eating less often will bring the results that they are looking for. In fact you might actually be gaining weight and losing muscle if you are either starving yourself or are only eating two or three large meals a day. By following the five or six small meals a day diet and exercising properly you should see better results than starving your self or over eating.

Every ones metabolism is different but if you eat only two or three large meals a day then you are not making your metabolism work as hard as it should. You might feel tired and you might just spend the time in between the two or three large meals snacking. If you are always hungry and shy away from eating when you should you are probably not helping out your body. Instead of burning fat, by not eating enough during the day your body is actually storing fat and eating away at your stored protein. Along with this your body will not have the energy it needs. So when you make it to the gym you don’t really feel like exercising or you end up only workout for a short time.

Following the five or six small meals a day diet and combining this with the proper exercise which could include a cardio workout, a lower body workout, and an upper body workout should help you to maintain a healthy body.

So instead of eating two large meals a day or starving yourself think about following the five or six small meals a day. Spread these meals out and use portion control. Each meal should consist of at least one portion of protein, one portion of carbohydrates, and a small portion of fat. Each portion should be no larger than your heart (Your heart being about the same size as your hand making a fist). Spreading your meals out will keep your metabolism working. It will not overload it like when you only eat two or three meals a day. You will have energy to spare, unlike when you starve yourself.

How can I get in that many meals in one day you might be asking? Well when following the five or six small meals a day diet I originally had the same question. This would either cost a lot of money to eat out, or it would take forever to prepare these meals. Well if you have to eat out follow the post I wrote about Eating Healthy a Fast Food Nutrition Guide. Or take one or two days during the week and cook all your meals. That way whenever you are hungry you have a meal already made. If you don’t like to cook, look for healthy TV dinners by Healthy Choice or Smart Ones. If this is still to slow look into Meal Replacement Shakes and Bars. These can be great time savers and they are the cheapest alternative.

posted by Oshburg @ Friday, April 07, 2006