One of the main reasons this diet, or rather “way of eating,” can be successful is because the longer you wait in between meals, the hungrier you get, which means you are more likely to overeat. If you eat more frequently throughout the day, your body is constantly refueling instead of getting more fuel less frequently. It is better this way so that your body can use the nutrients from foods more wisely.
Will eating multiple small meals a day help with weight loss?
No! Losing weight really comes down to what and how much you eat, not how much and when you eat. Sure, it’s important not to eat right before you go to bed, but it doesn’t really matter when throughout the day.
If you are interested in losing weight, don’t resort to fasting or fad diets because they tend to not work. Try reducing portion sizes, filling your plate with mostly vegetables, then lean protein, whole grains, and fruits. Yes, everybody needs carbs but be careful with how you get those carbs. Try low-fat yogurt or cheese, quinoa, oats, bananas and other fruits, sweet potatoes, black beans, and/or whole grains.
A different perspective...
Eating more frequently can prevent you from having a low blood pressure. After about 3 hours without food, your blood sugar begins to drop and after about 5 hours, it starts to drop even more. If you sleep more than 5 hours a night, which you most definitely should be doing, then when you wake up, your blood sugar will be extremely low. This is ANOTHER reason why breakfast is the most important meal of the day! (check out my other blog posts for more info on breakfast!)
Why can low blood sugar be so bad?
Low blood sugar is bad for multiple reasons… it can cause headaches, mood changes, loss of energy, difficulty concentrating, and more! This is just one of the reasons why eating regularly, and healthily, is important, now you just have to know how (keep reading)!
So… how can I prevent having low blood sugar?
Simple answer! Eat within every four hours. It doesn’t have to be a meal or even a mini meal, just a healthy snack. You want to keep portion sizes on the lower side and keep carbs down. Try to have vegetables, fruit, fiber, or lean protein. You could also have healthy fats, such as avocado, or whole grains to fill you up.
Now that we have blood sugar covered, can eating more frequently speed up metabolism?
Not necessarily, although eating more small meals a day can boost your energy because you are frequently giving yourself fuel, it won’t boost your overall metabolism. Your body gets a metabolic boost when digesting food because of the nutrients it absorbs, not because of the timing of eating. Therefore, as long as you are putting nutritious food into your body, your metabolism should be in check! (check out my other blog posts for more info on metabolism!)
You do not need to eat multiple small meals a day to be @happi.healthy but...
Eating multiple small meals a day instead of three bigger meals will give you more energy and may help you get through the day, but it will NOT boost your metabolism or help you lose weight. If you choose to take that route, it will definitely taking some getting used to because you won’t be able to get that “ohmygosh, I’m so full” feeling, which technically, is a lot better for your health anyways.
Don’t worry about what to order when you go out to eat because there are always other options. A better (and cheaper) idea could also be to order a regular meal and have leftovers!
One of the main ideas with eating multiple small meals a day are the portion sizes and the types of foods you eat. If you’re not mindful, all of the benefits of this “way of eating” will fly out the door, but this is pretty much the rule across the board.
Therefore, eating multiple small meals a day may work for you if you tend to have a lower blood sugar, are extremely active, or just get really hungry! If you don’t want to change your ways, an alternative is to eat healthier foods with slightly smaller portions at the regular meal times and then carry healthy snacks with you for throughout the day - this is what I recommend!
Turns out, this is ~partially~ just another one of those diet fads, “happi” snacking!