3 meals a day or 6 small meals? Does it really make a difference?

Some studies in the past have found small benefits to eating smaller meals throughout the day. But often the studies have involved "extremes" like comparing 3 meals to a dozen or more "snacks". Many have thought that 6 small meals would be more realistic, but to my surprise, aside from the "theory" that a small meal every 2 to 2 1/2 hours would keep insulin levels more "even". It is a theory that I've thought to be sound,

Now here comes a study in the British Journal of Nutrition involving groups of overweight men and women who were randomly picked and assigned to very strict low calorie diets and followed for 8 weeks.

Each group at the same calories. One ate 3 meals a day. The other ate six.

Both groups lost significant amounts of weight.

There was no difference between them in fat loss.

Both had similar challenges in appetite control (with surveys they were given to fill out).

The key hormones that trigger hunger, or make us feel "full" on blood tests were shown to be NO DIFFERENT in either group.

And it turns out this is not the only study with these findings!

In other words, it made no difference whether it was 3 or 6 meals, according to this study. Neither had more or less of an impact upon metabolism.

The researchers then suggested that the added element of exercise could make the difference in terms of the above changes being enhanced.



If you ask me:

I had experienced the 3 meals in the past and it worked for me to an extent. This study hit it right on the nail because I don’t believe in the “One Size Fits All Diet”. However, I do think everyone has a different metabolism. Exercise did play a role in this study. As a certified fitness nutrition specialist, I would definitely recommend more than 3 meals a day, just because when including activities and exercise together, may cause craving and eventually screwing up your meal design.

Over 1/3 of Fitness Related Injuries occur on the... TREADMILL!

An analysis of federal statistics demonstrates that TREADMILLS are the cause of more than 1/3 of injuries that send people who exercise to the hospital!

Overall, about 50,000 people a year end up in emergency rooms due to a mishap with exercise equipment, the commission estimates.

The Commission collected information from 100 hospitals in the country. Treadmill injuries were number one by far, followed by jumping rope, free weights being dropped on fingers and toes.

Although not an exercise, previous studies found that slips and falls because of wet floors in the locker room were also high on the list of injuries occurring in Gyms.

These sources are from “Dr. Jack Barnathan”

Did you know that regular exercise can play a key role in reducing your risk of medical problems!!!

• Allergies. Exercise is one of the body’s most efficient ways to control nasal congestion (and the accompanying discomfort of restricted nasal blood flow).
• Angina. Regular aerobic exercise dilates vessels, increasing blood flow____ thereby improving the body’s ability to extract oxygen from the bloodstream.
• Anxiety. Exercise triggers the release of mood-altering chemicals in the brain.
• Arthritis. By forcing a skeletal joint to move, exercise induces the manufacture of synovial fluid, helps to distribute it over the cartilage and forces it to circulate throughout the joint space.
• Back Pain. Exercise helps to both strengthen the abdominal muscles and the lower back extensor muscles and stretch the hamstring muscles.
• Bursitis and Tendonitis. Exercise can strengthen the tendons _____enabling them to handle greater loads without being injured.
• Cancer. Exercise helps maintain ideal bodyweight and helps keep body fat to a minimum.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Exercise helps build up the muscles in the wrists and forearms__ thereby reducing the stress on arms, elbows and hands.
• Cholesterol. Exercise helps to raise HDL (the “good” cholesterol) levels in the blood and lower LDL (the undesirable lipoprotein) levels.
• Constipation. Exercise helps strengthen the abdominal muscles, thereby making it easier to pass a stool.
• Depression. Exercise helps speed metabolism and deliver more oxygen to the brain; the improved level of circulation in the brain tends to enhance your mood.
• Diabetes. Exercise helps lower excess blood sugar levels, strengthen muscles and heart improve circulation, and reduce stress.
• Fatigue. Exercise can help alleviate the fatigue-causing effects of stress, poor circulation and blood oxygenation, bad posture, and breathing habits.
• Glaucoma. Exercise helps relieve intraocular hypertension __ the pressure buildup on the eyeball that heralds the onset of glaucoma.
• Headaches. Exercise helps force the brain to secrete more of the body’s opiate-like, pain-dampening chemicals (e.g., endorphins and enkephalins).
• High Blood Pressure. Exercise reduces the level of stress-related chemicals in the bloodstream that constrict arteries and veins, increase the release of endorphins, raises the level of HDL in the bloodstream, lowers resting heart rate (over time), improves the responsiveness of blood vessels (over time), and helps reduce blood pressure through bodyweight maintenance.
• Insomnia. Exercise helps reduce muscular tension and stress.
• Intermittent Claudication. Exercise helps improve peripheral circulation and increases pain tolerance.
• Knee Problems. Exercise helps strengthen the structures attendant to the knee__ muscles, tendons and ligaments__ thereby facilitating the ability of the knee to withstand stress.
• Lung Disease. Exercise helps strengthen the muscles associated with breathing and helps boost the oxygen level in the blood.
• Memory Problems. Exercise helps to improve cognitive ability by increasing the blood and oxygen flow to the brain.
• Menstrual Problems and PMS. Exercise helps to control the hormonal imbalances often associated with PMS by increasing the release of beta-endorphins.
• Osteoporosis. Exercise promotes bone density __ thereby lowering an individual’s risk of suffering a bone fracture.
• Overweight Problems. Exercise is an appetite suppressant. It also increases metabolic rate, burns fat, increases lean muscle mass and improves self-esteem.
• Varicose Veins. Exercise can help control the level of discomfort caused by existing varicose veins and help prevent getting any additional varicose veins.