Weight Loss Myth 3 of 14 from Runner’s World Magazine

Hello all once again,

This is the third installment of the article I have been reading in the April 2010 issue of Runner’s World Magazine. So far the first two myths covered the topics of those wonderful diets that cut out a specific nutrient like carbs or fat and exercising in the fat burning zone.

So today’s myth is another good one that I will have to keep an open mind too, because it is another topic that I followed during my weight loss. So let us see…

The Myth – Mini-Meals are better than three hearty ones.

From the article -

Many dieters believe eating several small meals a day is a guaranteed way to quash hunger. But scientists have not turned up substantial evidence that eating frequency really matters, according to a review of research by scientists at Newcastle University and Griffith University in Australia. In fact, a 2009 study with more than 10,000 subjects reported that between-meal nibbler were 69% percent more likely to pack on pounds over five years. Frequent noshing only works if you choose nutritious foods and control portion sizes. After all, it’s not hard to turn six small meals into six large ones. Again, it all comes back to calories. “You can eat three times a day or 10, as long as you have the same caloric intake that will induce weight loss,”  says Gidus. Still runners need snacks. Eating something small prerun followed by a postrun snack or meal can improve performance and recovery, says Gidus. If you run at Lunch, nibble on some dried fruit or yogurt before heading out, and eat a mix of carbs and protein afterward, like a turkey sandwich. For the rest of the day, Gidus recommends turning into your hunger to tell you when to grab a fork and knife.

Jim’s comments -

Well I tend to agree on most of what is said, but again my life experience tends to disagree on some. I agree to just to eat is wrong, eating every three to four hours while I am awake did wonders for me. I guess what I mean is I trained my body to look for food every three to four hours. If it doesn’t get food I get hungry, cranking and find it hard to focus. That does not mean I go grab the chips, ice cream or doughnuts, but I look towards something better and filling. It could be as simple as an apple, PB sandwich or even left overs from the night before if I am hungry enough. Keeping myself fed prevented me from going all out when I was hungry.

Now that I said that there is a fine line that you always battle. Because it is all about calories in and calories out and this is an always moving line. As in the previous myth discussed if you can turn up the heat on your workout it is easier to buy into the more small meals a day. So if your workouts are short, the meals better be snacks, if your are training for an Ironman you end up eating like a family of four during the day.

So do I agree with the findings? Well they are solid findings, but each person is different so there is not one easy answer. It all comes down to two issues for me.

1. Calories in and calories out always wins in these type of discussions, which they covered.
2. Smart decisions also covered in the article. When hungry choose wisely. When driving by the drive through, do you really need it or it may have been better to bring along an apple or a peeled orange during your drive.

Until next time, your Fitness Buddy