Eating More Makes You Wanna Eat More: Why Multiple Meals Suck…
Casey…
“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people.”
When a valued trainer of mine asks me “why,” I take heed. Maybe they know the answer, maybe they don’t. Maybe they are looking to convince themselves, maybe they are looking to build confidence to help give the right information to another. Either way, when I was asked “why don’t we eat every two hours anymore?,” I figured I would answer here….calmly.
First, go purchase the latest addition of Muscle Fitness. The current is labeled, “The Ab Issue”. Well, big surprise it’s either the “Ab”, “Chest”, “Bicep”, or “Ass” issue as apparently theses are the only body parts we care for…where the hell is the “Small Intestine,” or “Pituitary” issue…I guess T&A looks better on a cover than glands, or bowels?
Anyway, after you have that expensive, recycled toilet paper. That readers digest that repeats the same shit every year. Realize that everything in it…is a sales pitch. Admittedly, when any compensation is changing hands there could always be motivation for leading others astray, and that attitude could make for a good pair of skeptical glasses we should have on all the time…I forgot mine for a long time. When I put them back on things got a lot clearer.
More Meals Means More Gas On The Fire…Blah Blah Blah:
Yup, I was right on the front lines of this argument just a few short years ago. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s what all the funny pages said to do, what all the professionals did, and after I tried it, it worked.
As far as getting lean was concerned it seemed rather logical at the time – “small meals all day like a grazing cow and somehow you stoke your metabolic fire more, and lean out faster.” “Eat less, and the fire goes out.”
Now the only reason multiple meals works is because two simple rules are followed with it; You are still eating less than what you’re burning, and you’re still not eating shit food. But just because it works doesn’t make it the best way, or easiest, or healthiest. In fact, multiple meals makes you a slave to the clock and tupperware, and if you’re already neurotic…watch out.
Once You Pop The Cork:
Multiple meals doesn’t make the fire burn hotter, it makes the fire hungrier for more wood. If you have followed our “Never Eat Breakfast Brigade” as you should, you will notice that you are never really hungry…until you eat that first meal. You can imagine now why multiple meals are necessary when you start gunning down calories as soon as you open your eyes. Especially if even a little of those calories are carbs which just serves to riddle you with hunger all day
Do you really think restaurants come up with their menus on a whim. If your ass starts your day with some big piece of cake called a muffin and juicy bullshit, you’ve essentially primed the pump to guarantee you will run to some other purveyor of food wonderment in the next couple of hours….hopefully right back to the first joint since they started the cascade.
Oh, and this is for you, “but I eat Healthy” people slamming oatmeal and eating fruit with your extra lean turkey sausage on the side. YOU’RE WORSE THAN THE PEOPLE EATING FRUIT LOOPS. At least they don’t try to make candy look like food.
If your first meal of the day was full of fat (nuts, coconut) and had a side of protein (meat). If you waited until after noon to eat it. If it was void of carbs. You would be a slave to food no longer.
More Meals Means More Stored; Less Meals Means More Burned:
Remember, insulin is released every time we eat. Much more so with carbs, and sugar, but with everything to some degree. You may also remember me posting that you’re pretty much incapable of burning fat when insulin is hanging around. So the more insulin from anything, especially carbs, the more fat you store. Thus, the fatter you are.
Yes, the magazines and commercials would have you believe otherwise. I mean what would they have to gain beside millions of dollars? There has to be a consumer for the 4000/cal a day produced per American. There has to be profit.
But there doesn’t have to be stupidity. It took me a long time to fly in the face of everyone else, but I learned a lot, and just because something works doesn’t mean it’s the best. Not only is the “multiple meal” approach harder to stick with and harder on producing the results the majority want, but it’s just not as good for us.
Eating more meals throws gas on the fire making it harder to burn the fatty wood below. Eating as few meals as possible makes fat the only thing left to burn, and damn does it burn hot.
Strength:
Bench Press
1,1,1,1,1
For Score:
“Lynne”
Max-Body Weight Bench Press
Max-Pull-up
5 Rounds
Post weight moved and movement numbers separate.
Hello PCF!
I’m a regular/new reader of the blog and love the articles and the programming. My question after reading this post is – is it better to just eat when I’m hungry regardless if it’s 3-4 times a day or 5-6 times. Also, what about just pounding a bunch of water? I sometimes to that as well. I’ve always heard the “keep the fire stoked” method, but am very intrigued by this post. Thanks for all the great FREE information on health and fitness!!!
John Noel – I have that shirt. Great taste, buddy!
Consider this a CF classified ad. Who would be willing (and able) to be at PCF tomorrow around 3:15 PM-ish to spot my max bench? I’d really like to do the max as well as the wod and can’t do an actual class due to work and skills classes at night (which you all should be attending *hint hint*). If anyone’s free, I’d appreciate it.
Steve
Thanks for the kind words, glad you dig it…
Its much more about what your eating, not how many times…plug the lin below into your browser, it explains PCF’s nutritional hierarchy very well…as far as eating when your hungry, most folks ingesting 60-70% fat in the ketogenic paleo diet we rxd don’t get near as hungry, so eating at a coupled designated times like the link shows may at least give you somewhere to start…then we can always adjust later…
http://gopractice.typepad.com/practicecrossfit/2011/01/new-food-plan-works-on-even-the-most-stubborn-eaters.html
105# bp
7/32, 6/20, 5/15, 6/15, 7/17
Lynne total: 31/99 @ 85# bp
105 bp
Lynne 14/41 m at 95#
120bp
Lynne = 41 pullups/24 bench @ 100lb
JB I think you missed something. Its the question you always ask me when I say “Dude what should I eat?” Your question back is always “What are you trying to do?”
Are you trying to loose fat, gain muscle, both or maintain. For me I need the extra meals to get enough calories.
I agree just because a restaurant has breakfast lunch and dinner does not mean you need 3 meals a day. Maybe 6 works for you or your body and run efficiently on 2.
Good post bro, keep us guessing. Do what works for you. There is no single blue print that can build your castle.
125PR 4/17,4/15,4/12,4/14,5/15@95# TOTAL=21/73
Good point sammy…..
Some folks tryin to gain real muscle not fat covered weight may legitimatly not be able to eat enough in two meals…some folks need the xtra feeding just to keep up…
The sin ia reading the magizines or other bs and just doing it cause others do….if u fail to experiment u just fail….
regionals wods for individuals and teams posted….holy shit
185# PR/ BP
46@ 155#
No Pull-ups
Thanks for the help JB
Wow Heather, you are right, yikes! I didn’t even realize it was 6 wods. Regardless of how hard it looks you all are as ready as anyone! Can’t wait to cheer you on!
315bp
101 c2b pull
44bp
245# max
21 bp 62 c2b
Thanks for the help Tyler I needed the c2b work.
@215 bodyweight.
Hell yeah Bonnie! I so wish Bradley Nowell didn’t meet and early demise.
I totally agree with this post. Back when I was eating carbs after the first meal I would eat of the day I would have to eat every three to four hours and if not I would start to feel a little weird and jittery. Now I wake up at 830ish. Eat a meal of ground turkey/almonds/cashews/coconut oil at noon. I go all day and even Wod before I eat the same meal again at 930-10pm. I feel great eating like this and have been sheding fat and gaining muscle at the same time. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to be healthier. If you have seen me I am living proof of the results of eating like this!
115, 25/36 dnf
Bench Press for the first time:
115 lbs PR
Did Pull Up skills—getting there…
Got 33 BP for WOD @ 85 lbs
110 bench press-pr
28bp/68pull ups-did close grip bench press during wod @ 95#
225 bench
84 pullups
30? bench @ 175.
oh yeah…I waited till the last class to see what I had to beat right Sammy:)…
95# PR bench press
45 bp @ 75#
45 pull-ups
Cindy, nice work on your first bench!!! You are a strong girlie!!
cindy…i’ve been here 3yrs and my max bench is 125. you’re blowin me away, dude. rested today but you’ve motivated me to get that bench max in tomorrow.
JN…keep inspirin’. amazing.
dawn…great improvement on your pullups in just the time you worked today! now you’ve got it.
mccormick…the “one foot rising” thing ya got goin on as you approach the top of a rep is video-worthy. how the hell do i correct THAT?! good to see you back on that foot.
colleen…nice job pushin yourself on bench reps each round.
155
14/102
Grt job scott! So close to beating you. Nxt time.
I know how you roll JB. Just like King who beat Tyler by two reps. I know he could have done more. Lol!!!!!
235lbs bench max
29 reps @175lbs
61 pull ups
200 lbs pr
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