Small meals or big ones?
Diet is an important part of any fitness program, everyone knows that. But the debate is, as usual, on the details. For example, is it better to eat three large meals, restraining yourself the rest of the day, or are smaller meals, with healthy snacks, the way to go?
Many say that they see a great benefit eating 6 small meals, at around 3 hours interval, instead of the traditional breakfast, lunch and supper. To be within your calorie requirement, these meals will obviously need to be smaller, such as 200 calories per meal. But is it better for you? Like many things, it depends.
It's based on your Base Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is how fast you process calories. A study published in 2009 in the British Journal of Nutrition shows that typically, doing the 6-meals strategy doesn't help to lose weight.
Still, many people still claim that small meals are better, but there is a lack of studies showing much proof to any such claim. Trainers typically stick with what they see works best, and keep their clients on the diet that works best for them.
In the end, no single answer is right for everyone in this case.