This Is Why Meal Frequency Doesn't Actually Matter

7/12/2016

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Have you ever been told you need to eat six meals per day if you want to improve body composition?

"Eat smaller, more frequent meals if you want to lose body fat"

"The more frequently you eat, the faster your metabolism"

Have you ever heard somebody say this? Chances are, at one stage or another, we've recommended it to a friend or family member.

This is why meal frequency doesn't actually matter.

Confused About What's Right Or Wrong?

I don't blame you. The more you tend to read, the more confused you become. Especially when it comes to weight loss.

Unfortunately, a lot of media, trainers, brands and the so called "instagram experts" preach advice that's either completely untrue, disproved by science or it's merely a common belief they're simply passing on from what somebody told them. Most of the time, it's all of the above.

Don't worry, there are experts out there who put science to the test to help bust these common misconceptions! Meal frequency isn't as complicated as you may think.

Let's briefly look at a recent study about meal frequency.....

A 2015 meta-analysis by Brad Jon Schoenfeld, Alan Albert Aragon, and James W. Krieger reviewed the common 'meal frequency' belief and showed the data relating to the suggestion that there was a relationship between the number of meals consumed and improvements in body composition were largely attributed to the results of a single study ONLY.

The analysis also suggested that because adherence is a primary factor, the number of daily meals consumed should come down to PERSONAL CHOICE if your goal is to improve your body composition.

"In the model with meal frequency as a categorical predictor, there were no significant differences in body mass change among the 1–2 meals, 3–4 meals, and 5+ meals groups" [1]

What Does This Mean For You?

Essentially, it means you don't HAVE to consume four, five or even six meals per day when trying to improve body composition. It means you won't increase your metabolism any more so by consuming six small meals per day as opposed to three. It means if you can only consume three meals per day because of your work, you'll still get a result.

It benefits YOU because it means you can structure your eating to suit YOU and YOUR lifestyle which is a huge bonus when trying to lose body fat. What matters most is your overall daily caloric intake and a sensible macronutrient balance.

Here's how we helped Mitch do EXACTLY this..

Still confused or have further questions? Drop a question below or lets have a skype call. Click the apply button below to get in touch.

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Aidan D'Arcy - Personal Trainer in Frenchs Forest

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References:
[1] - http://m.nutritionreviews.oxfordjournals.org/content/73/2/69.full#

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