Is meal frequency overrated when trying to shape up?

[sstype]

Common wisdom says that in order to gain muscle mass, you must eat 5-6 small meals a day. How many people, besides dedicated bodybuilders, actually have the time and energy to make sure they are eating every 3 hours? I mean if you look at prison inmates, they are freaking huge and eat only 3 square meals of industrial prepared food. I understand that more meals will increase metabolism, but my metabolism is pretty steady. As long as i dont eat fatty foods i dont gain fat.

I could easily manage four moderate portioned meals a day with one of the meals being a MRP shake. In addition I have whey protein isolate for after my evening boxing routine and/or strength training workout. I would also supplement with flaxseed oil and multivitamins.

I honestly feel this is just more reasonable and practical for my lifestyle. I don't want to be freakishly huge like 250 lbs a body builder, just a nice solid proportioned muscled body with low body fat.

What are your opinions?

 

[Fitch]

Common wisdom says that in order to gain muscle mass, you must eat 5-6 small meals a day. How many people, besides dedicated bodybuilders, actually have the time and energy to make sure they are eating every 3 hours? I mean if you look at prison inmates, they are freaking huge and eat only 3 square meals of industrial prepared food. I understand that more meals will increase metabolism, but my metabolism is pretty steady. As long as i dont eat fatty foods i dont gain fat.

I could easily manage four moderate portioned meals a day with one of the meals being a MRP shake. In addition I have whey protein isolate for after my evening boxing routine and/or strength training workout. I would also supplement with flaxseed oil and multivitamins.

I honestly feel this is just more reasonable and practical for my lifestyle. I don't want to be freakishly huge like 250 lbs a body builder, just a nice solid proportioned muscled body with low body fat.

What are your opinions?

You need to eat to intake x amount of carbs/protein/cals daily to make gains. It takes a long time to get "freakishly huge," and that's not contributed to the eating habits; in other words, you won't get freakishly huge BECAUSE you eat 5-6 meals a day.

 

[reyalp]

This is one of the areas I'm lacking in knowledge-wise, but IMO the whole concept of eating 5-6 times a day has more to do with a positive nitrogen balance and insulin response than anything else.

Also, don't confuse yourself. They're not 5-6 small meals. They're often large meals.

If I bulked at 1000kcal over maintenance, that'd be 4000kcal a day I'd be consuming. Assuming a 50% protein split, at 3 meals that's 167g of protein I have to consume three times a day!

How much would I have to eat to get 167g of protein?
Some sample items providing ~167g of protein:
19oz of Chicken Breast
24oz of Turkey
19oz of Top Round Steak
48 Egg Whites
6 cans of tuna
24oz of Salmon


This isn't even getting into carbohydrate intake!

One of the things you do lean towards when you're bulking is more nutrient-dense foods. Protein shakes, juices, etc etc.
When you're cutting, you'll be eating lots of lean protein sources and tons of green veggies, as they are more thermogenic than dense nutrient sources.

Edit: I don't know where I was going with that, I'm just going to STFU now.

 

[Warboss Alex]

This is one of the areas I'm lacking in knowledge-wise, but IMO the whole concept of eating 5-6 times a day has more to do with a positive nitrogen balance and insulin response than anything else.

Also, don't confuse yourself. They're not 5-6 small meals. They're often VERY large meals.

Your knowledge is not lacking at all; those two factors you mentioned are the main reasons smaller, more frequent feedings are preferred. Plus it's easier on the digestive system to process less calories at a time, which makes assimilation of nutrients more efficient, and it doesn't give the metabolism time to slow down between meals etc (plenty more reasons if I think about them)

And hey, I don't find it hard to throw down a 20oz sirloin but that's me ..

I honestly feel this is just more reasonable and practical for my lifestyle. I don't want to be freakishly huge like 250 lbs a body builder, just a nice solid proportioned muscled body with low body fat.

okay, first if you find it's more practical and works for you then go for it, you don't HAVE to eat 5-6 meals, it's just it's preferred for the reasons reyalp mentioned.

and seriously, if anyone else calls 250lb guys freaks then I'm gonna start calling anyone sub-200lb freakishly skinny. you don't call that 250lb fattie a freak do you? no, you just call him fat. so let's have no more of this freak stuff.

 

[sstype]

fine ill rephrase, I dont want to be unnaturally big. My frame is low-meso so 185-195 lbs at less than 10% body fat is my ideal range.

 

[Warboss Alex]

fine ill rephrase, I dont want to be unnaturally big. My frame is low-meso so 185-195 lbs at less than 10% body fat is my ideal range.

*ignores 'unnaturally big' comment*

so you just wanna lose some fat then? makes even more sense to have smaller, more frequent meals bro, you'll keep the furnace stoked that way.

 

[sstype]

rephrasing again unnaturally big for my frame. im not tryin to offend you here lol.

its just hard for me to maintain a consistency with 5 meals a day. 4 meals a day i have been able to manage before. Right now i am slacking because i have done nothing but studying my ass off for my summer chemistry course. I need to prioritize my schedule.

Once I get back in the groove of things I will continue trimming up to 8% body fat. I have been fairly successful at lowering my body fat from 15 to 12 percent by an hour of aerobic/anaerobic boxing four times a week. Im still strength training twice a week so muscular development has been pretty solid. Once I get to 8% I will focus more on strength training. I don't like cutting and bulking. An all around tone and strengthen regiment motivates me better.

 

[Warboss Alex]

rephrasing again unnaturally big for my frame. im not tryin to offend you here lol.

its just hard for me to maintain a consistency with 5 meals a day. 4 meals a day i have been able to manage before. Right now i am slacking because i have done nothing but studying my ass off for my summer chemistry course. I need to prioritize my schedule.

Once I get back in the groove of things I will continue trimming up to 8% body fat. I have been fairly successful at lowering my body fat from 15 to 12 percent by an hour of aerobic/anaerobic boxing four times a week. Im still strength training twice a week so muscular development has been pretty solid. Once I get to 8% I will focus more on strength training. I don't like cutting and bulking. An all around tone and strengthen regiment motivates me better.

seems you're doing fine as you are mate, only change it when it stops working.. remember you can make a huge protein drink with fats (oil, eggs, peanut butter) and drink half mid-morning and half mid-afternoon - that's two extra 'feedings'.

 

[sstype]

thanx man! could you PM me the ingredients for that shake. Better if that adds an extra meal a day.

 

[Warboss Alex]

4 scoops whey (chocolate is good in this combo)
4 eggs
tablespoon peanut butter
water to desired thickness

I'm estimating you'll get like 60-70g of protein and 20g of healthy fat per serving (assuming two servings). you may wanna tone it down to fit your needs.

 

[sstype]

You bring up an interesting point...the NUMBER ONE FACTOR in building muscle is hard work...

We've all heard how a person can get ANYTHING in prison, but somehow I don't see people smuggling steroids or Creatine. How would he smuggle in a big old canister of protein powder? LOL

I assume that the food given to prisoners is nuritionally balanced, though probably not as appetizing or nutrient-rich as what you and I get to eat. Also, prisoners may not be getting "maximal gains" from an ideal diet, but they do have a lot of free time, and working out is often the high point of their day. Give a man 5 years of nothing more enjoyable than lifting weights, and he'll come out a lot bigger.

The school lunches in public schools are the basically the same that they serve in prisons. And yes they do have to abide by nutritional guidelines. Maybe an inmate can obtain steroids, I don't know. But yea not only are they bigger but they could beat the shyt out of a bodybuilder any day of the week

 

[Skilla_Staz]

How many people, besides dedicated bodybuilders, actually have the time and energy to make sure they are eating every 3 hours?

I do. I only weigh 150-155lbs and have just started getting into doing things the right way. I eat every 2-3 hours, as long as I don't fall asleep during the day. In the past week or so I've gained about 3lbs of steady weight, and on any given moment my weight fluctuates between 152-158. First thing this morning I weight 154. This meal plan is actually helping me out tremendously.

I mean if you look at prison inmates, they are freaking huge and eat only 3 square meals of industrial prepared food.

For every freakishly big inmate you show me, I'll show you 5 more that are normal, if not smaller than normal. The "freakishly big" inmates you speak of, probably have their gym priveleges and work out on a regular basis. They were probably large coming into prison, and stay large. If you notice, many of those "freakishly big" inmates aren't shredded, or incredibly lean. Many of the stereotypical "prison boys" are relatively chunky.

 

[mrRuckus]

I just started putting some whey and oats into shakes. It's very quick to drink if you blend it.

I tried this yesterday.
1/2 cup oats
1.5 scoops whey
About 2 teaspoons of plain yogurt
Fruit punch flavoring (i have flavorless whey)
4 brocolli heads
a couple pieces of peppers
glass of water

Leave out the vegetables Never again! But the day before without the vegetables i had it as my post-postworkout meal along with a chicken breast (not in the shake!) and it was good and went down fast. Adding some raw egg whites wouldn't really change the taste of the shake either I don't think. The yolks probably would and maybe not a good idea to have all the fat from a yolk along with oat carbs but it's up to you. What I like most about blending stuff up is how i can just chug it and be on with my life. I don't really like eating oatmeal straight from a bowl because it's difficult to eat.

--

Since i mentioned raw eggs... They say raw egg whites decrease the amount of biotin in your system... but egg yolks have biotin so if you keep the yolks and have the whole egg is that enough biotin to counteract what the avidin in the whites destroys?

 

[Warboss Alex]

Since i mentioned raw eggs... They say raw egg whites decrease the amount of biotin in your system... but egg yolks have biotin so if you keep the yolks and have the whole egg is that enough biotin to counteract what the avidin in the whites destroys?

biotin supplements are dirt cheap if, after eating eggs for a while, you have a problem or deficiency. I can't think of anyone I know who has though.

 

[Melvin]

rephrasing again unnaturally big for my frame. im not tryin to offend you here lol.

its just hard for me to maintain a consistency with 5 meals a day. 4 meals a day i have been able to manage before. Right now i am slacking because i have done nothing but studying my ass off for my summer chemistry course. I need to prioritize my schedule.

Once I get back in the groove of things I will continue trimming up to 8% body fat. I have been fairly successful at lowering my body fat from 15 to 12 percent by an hour of aerobic/anaerobic boxing four times a week. Im still strength training twice a week so muscular development has been pretty solid. Once I get to 8% I will focus more on strength training. I don't like cutting and bulking. An all around tone and strengthen regiment motivates me better.

No excuse that you shouldn't be able to hit AT LEAST 5 meals per day. I've taken advanced Chem courses in the Summer before and never found it a problem to eat 5 - 6 meals per day. The thing is when you study, your mind needs breaks. Usually anything over an hour or an hour and a half straight of studying is overkill. You need to give yourself breaks in there or the info is not being grasped properly.

Get on a study/eat plan. This is what I did and I had no problem getting A's in my classes and still having time to work out and eat.

I studied for an hour on. Gave myself a 30 minute break to do whatever I wanted (watched t.v., played video games, internet, phone calls, etc.) Went back to studying for an hour. Took my 30 minute break and I ate a meal at this break. Then after eating, went back to studying and so on. This keeps me eating every 2-3 hours and also keeps my studies prioritized. During one of those breaks, do your cardio/weights, go back to studying for an hour. Etc. etc. etc. Pretty easy to do once you get into the schedule.

 

[Sammo]

I work at a sports supplements store and we actually have a contract with the prison closest to us, we deliver a **** load of supps out there

 

[Brian20o2]

I go to school and I am able to have 6 meals a day no prob. Im on a diet, but basicaly I eat around 6 when I wake up, around 9 during class break, noon for lunch, 3 when I get home, 6 for supper, and 9 right befor bed.

Its not that hard when you look at it like that. I just throw some whey powder into a water bottle and fill it with water at school for my 9 o'clock meal. The worst that happenes is I get some funny looks.

Eating 6 meals isnt hard. It might be if they were each 1000 calories, But then your matabolism will speed up and you'll be hungry every few hours ever after that.

 

[djbr]

I bought 2 sport water bottles (those with the thing you pull and put yo mouth there... I don't know the friggin' name of it in English) and I put protein powder in it. Much just like Brian20o2 do... I eat a fruit (like banana, damn I love bananas) with it and it's ok.

After eating 6 meals/day for a while you'll be hungry as hell for EACH of it... it's great!

 

[RedPill]

I bought 2 sport water bottles (those with the thing you pull and put yo mouth there... I don't know the friggin' name of it in English) and I put protein powder in it. Much just like Brian20o2 do... I eat a fruit (like banana, damn I love bananas) with it and it's ok.

After eating 6 meals/day for a while you'll be hungry as hell for EACH of it... it's great!

There is no word for it. Sport water bottles is correct.

This is a good topic, as I think for many (myself included) this is the hardest part of making gains. To the poster who said it's easy you eat between classes, I WISH my life were that simple again, lol. If I'm getting 6 quality meals in a day it usually means I didn't do a whole lot. I'm usually good for 4-5, but am always striving for 6. Because of this my meals tend to be bigger than I'd like. With my business, all the impromptu meetings and activities that come up really make a consistent eating schedule difficult. It's one of my summer goals to find as many remedies to this as possible. It might mean staying up late grilling chicken and steak, and chopping them into bite-size pieces so they can be consumed in the car wherever I'm at. Boiling eggs and making shakes isn't a bad idea either. Right now I'm on ebay looking for an A/C adapter to my small thermo-electric car cooler so it can go in and out of places with my food. Ridiculous perhaps, but whatever has to be done.

 

[typical]

You mean them push top sipper bottles ???