How Many Meals in a Day Should You Eat?

You may have heard that you need to eat 4-5 meals a day from someone. That someone also may have noted that doing so will make your metabolism faster and ultimately lead you to lose weight quicker.

However, how much truth is there actually to that claim?

Where did that claim even come from?

Let’s explore.

Does Meal Frequency Matter?

The amount of meals in a day you have does not matter

The meal frequency theory came from the thought of making sure your blood sugar levels don’t get too high or too low and that will help you lose weight! The theory also stated that if you eat 4-5 meals in a day, every 2-3 hours, you’ll begin to speed up your metabolism and lose body fat. Furthermore, this theory indicated that cutting out carbs is the best way to lose weight because you want to keep your insulin levels from getting spiked up.

This theory, wherever it came from, is BS.

It does not matter how many meals you have in a day because you don’t lose weight/body fat based on blood sugar, you lose it by creating a calorie deficit!

You simply cannot lose weight if you are not burning more calories then you have coming in. It does not matter if you eat low, medium, or high carb because you can only lose weight if you are in a negative energy balance.

Anyone who claims otherwise is trying to reach into your pockets and sell you something that will be worded fancy and make an outrageous weight loss claim. Do not be fooled.

The best diet is the one you can stick to forever and does not feel like a burden on you.

If the diet feels like a burden, well you will fall off the wagon like a bandwagon fan.

When does meal frequency matter?

lose weight successfully by eating in a calorie deficit

However, there is one big exception when it comes to meal timing and that is for protein. To maximize lean muscle building, it is best that you spread your intake out throughout your day.

Studies suggest that this approach will allow you to see results sooner than not distributing your intake.

Furthermore, by doing this you will be able to stay fuller for longer periods because protein is extremely filling when you consume it.

only time you should spread your meals in a day is for protein

Conclusion

All in all, how many meals in a day you consume does not matter. It will not speed up your metabolism, nor will it make you see results faster.

Having said that, the only time it matters is for protein. Evenly spread out protein meals will allow you to put on more lean muscle and see results faster! However, do not try to be perfect with your distribution. Just try to get as close as possible. if your distribution is off by 5-15 grams that is okay.