Doctors and nutrition enthusiasts alike preach that six small meals a day will keep your metabolism moving and help you to accomplish your weight loss goals, but a new study has found quite the opposite is true. An article published on the Bloomberg website, Two Large Meals a Day Tops Six Mini-Meals for Weight Loss claims that two larger meals yield greater results when it comes to weight loss. The study, sponsored by the Czech Republic’s Ministry of Health, measured 54 patients’ liver fat content and insulin levels over the course of 12 weeks. The reason that nutritionists used to believe that six meals a day would benefit weight loss was because it kept you full longer, but what if eating fewer meals could have the same effect?
According to this study, patients ate two meals: breakfast and lunch consisting of the same amount of calories someone eating six meals a day would consume. Breakfast was eaten between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., while lunch was eaten between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. The patients who ate fewer meals lost 1.23 points in body mass index (BMI), while those eating 6 meals a day lost only 0.82 points. BMI, the measure of body fat based on height and weight, helps to categorize whether people are obese or not. Choosing these two meals for optimum weight loss is ideal because fat deposition is larger in the afternoon and after the evening meals, according to a researcher at the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in the Czech Republic. It is more likely that someone who eats breakfast will metabolize those calories faster versus waiting later in the day to eat. This study still reiterates that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, and should be the largest.
This study grabbed America’s attention and was presented at the American Diabetes Association meeting in Chicago. Over a third of U.S. adults are considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Type 2 diabetes, among other health concerns, is a growing issue that stems from obesity.
So what should we believe? Should we all start eating two large meals a day? While the study does show that two large meals a day decreased the body fat more than six small meals, it depends on the person. This may not necessarily mean everyone in America should forgo dinner, but instead provide us with a few key takeaways:
- Eat a large breakfast. This still holds true regardless of the study. It’s true that fat deposition increases in the afternoon, and eating breakfast will keep your metabolism going throughout the day.
- Eat a small(er) dinner. Throughout the day, you want to slowly decrease the size of your meals. This doesn’t mean eat an apple for dinner. Still keep your protein and your carbs, but just eat a smaller portion!
Staying up to date on the latest health studies doesn’t hurt, but don’t think you need to adopt every single one of them. Always take away what you can and fit what you need to into your schedule. Consulting with your doctor on how many calories you should take in and when you should eat is important before beginning any new diet regimen.
Do you think eating only 2 meals a day can be healthy?
I only eat two meals a day and I feel far better doing this than eating three + meals. I used to eat breakfast but an hour or two later I would feel extremely tired and bloated – And don’t think I was eating crappy food, I was eating butternut squash and eggs. Since quitting that routine, and eating breakfast/lunch around 11 or 12, I feel so much better – Lighter on my feet and focused! 🙂
I highly recommend people try two meals – however, everyone functions differently so this approach may not work for everyone.
Contrary to much evidence in the diet & fitness world, I find I’m less hungry throughout the day and more alert when I skip breakfast and have a light dinner. I know I’m better with fewer meals, especially in the summer when dinner can be a single piece of fruit. And when I eat only 1-2 meals, I eat far fewer calories than if I’d had 3-4 meals.
Maybe its an individual thing?