Reader J recently e-mailed me a very interesting question and one that’s huge in the fitness world right now:
“I have recently decided to step away from all I know and love – – 5-6 small meals per day. Fire up that metabolism! Keep the blood sugar regular! etc, etc. I am instead trying out the No S diet(aka the Grandma Diet) which is No sweets, No seconds, No snacks, except on days that start with S and Special events. Keep in mind that when I use the word “diet” I don’t mean it as a temporary thing. I only adopt eating habits that I want to maintain.
Seems drastic, but I’m a binge eater. You wrote a post about us quite awhile back – – that is me. I’ve been struggling with it for awhile and really feel like I’ve made progress. Someone I talked to who is also a binge eater has found that the No S way of eating has saved her emotional life. The thing with binge eaters (or me, at least) is every time I eat, it’s hard to want to stop. So, limit the times I eat per day, and there’s no gray area. I don’t know. It’s only been a week so far and I’ll see how it goes, but one thing that makes me leery about it is worrying that I’m killing my metabolism.
So….here is the question you’ve been waiting for…is there any solid evidence that eating 5-6 times per day is better for your metabolism and fat burning than eating 3 meals a day?”
My short answer to J: Will you kill your metabolism by eating 3 squares a day? Oh heck to the no!! (It might even do exactly the opposite.) And also, huge fist bumps for making such progress with your binge eating!
My long answer to J: (Can I ever write a post in 600 words or less on here? Magic 8 ball says… not likely. Sigh)
Myth #1 You have to eat every few hours or risk killing your metabolism.
Busted: The studies that showed an increased metabolism due to multiple small meals were a) few and b) showed only a very small increase. While the “thermogenic effect” – i.e. the increased output of energy your body uses to burn food – is real, it’s so slight as to be inconsequential in most practical situations. Unless you are a pro athlete, bodybuilder or fitness model it’s unlikely that this will make much difference to you. In addition, other studies on intermittent fasting have showed that prolonged periods without eating can be excellent for your metabolism because it allows for better hormone regulation of leptin and gherlin, among other benefits. Lastly, all the research has shown that it’s way more important what you eat than when you eat it.
Caveat: If you are happily eating 5-6 small meals a day and loving it then by all means continue! I’m just trying to reassure you that if you don’t like eating- or logistically can’t eat- that often, you’ll still be just fine. Over the past nearly 2 years of Intuitive Eating I’ve found that when I’m really listening to my hunger I eat about 3 meals a day. Sometimes with a snack at about 4 p.m. And sometimes I don’t eat breakfast because I’m not hungry when I wake up. My metabolism’s fine and I’m happier because I’m not obsessing over meal timing. But not everyone is me, so find what works best for you!
Myth #2: A high metabolism is the best health goal.
Busted: Every time I see an article or hear someone talking about having a furnace for a metabolism, I cringe a little bit. While our metabolism is vital to regulating our bodies and health (note: you can’t “kill” your metabolism, unless you really mean dead in which case carry on), higher is not necessarily better. Upside to an ultra-fast metabolism: you can eat whatever you want and not gain weight. Downside to an ultra-fast metabolism: you die younger. Yes you read that correctly. Like a race car that runs at top speed or a fire that burns hot and fast, people with faster metabolisms show signs of cellular aging faster than people with more, ahem, efficient metabolisms. (Although to be accurate, this fact is ameliorated by moderate exercise and healthy eating.) Scientists think this is a major reason why women, other factors being held equal, so often outlive men. We have less muscle (expensive to maintain in metabolic terms) and have slower metabolisms (lower operating costs) and are therefore more efficient at getting the most out of our resources. That said, I know that sitting back watching a thin friend wolf down half a chocolate cake sucks no matter how many times you (grouchily) say to yourself “Well at least my body is more efficient!”
Caveat: If you have a naturally high metabolism, I’m not telling you to freak out. You were born that way and you should embrace your race car! I’m just trying to say there are a wide range of healthy metabolisms that people are born with and we’re taught that fast = good and slow = bad when the reality is much more nuanced. This is especially important to me because so many diet pills are marketed with the tag “increase your metabolism!” or “burn fat 400% faster!” or whatever when in truth they ought to be saying “Die sooner!” or “Get old 400% faster!” A slow metabolism isn’t necessarily bad (except for medical cases like hypothyroidism which obviously needs to be treated by a doctor) but diet pills are.
Myth #3 Your blood sugar should stay at the same level all the time.
Busted: Our bodies were designed to have our sugar levels fluctuate over the course of any given day. This idea that we have to eat every hour to keep our blood sugar consistent is silly. When you sleep your blood sugar drops precipitously and you aren’t harmed by that. Of course low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood sugar (diabetes) are real health problems and need to be taken seriously and treated but I don’t think that most people who complain of “low blood sugar” have hypoglycemia in the clinical sense. We’re going for moderation here. In fact, not eating in the case of fasting, rather than giving your body dangerously low blood sugar actually seems to increase your insulin sensitivity (a good thing) and make you less susceptible to wild swings.
Caveat: Again, I think you should eat however makes you feel healthiest. Some people feel best having small snacks throughout the day. But if you are eating purely because you are trying to keep your blood sugar levels “even”, that’s a losing (and pointless) battle. True story: I have a bodybuilder friend who was so concerned about this he bought an at-home blood-sugar testing kit and pricked his finger every waking hour for several weeks. He learned that it’s really hard to put band-aids on the tips of your fingers. Ok, he also learned that his blood sugar went up and down quite a bit and he was still fine. If you are still worried about your blood sugar, a doctor can test you for diabetes and hypoglycemia and give you the appropriate treatment.
Bottom Line: My metabolism is on the slower end of normal. I know this for a fact because I’ve had it tested multiple times. At first I was all depressed about my “flaw” but now I’ve learned to just tell people I’m the ultimate in efficiency and I’ll be dancing ’till I’m 100! Back when I first started this blog, I wrote a post all breathless about something that was supposed to turbo-charge my metabolism and Reader Andrew (long gone by now, I think) said he wasn’t interested in it. When I asked why he wouldn’t want a faster metabolism he said “Why would I want to fix something that’s not broken?” Amen, Andrew. Eat healthfully, exercise happily and don’t breathe asbestos.
What kind of metabolism do you have? Any other metabolic myths you’d like to bust? Anyone want to correct any of my above assertions? (I’ll be surprised if I wrote this whole post and didn’t get at least one thing wrong. User error!)
Biggest Caveat of All: I am NOT A DOCTOR. I’m not a health professional of any sort (unless you count me keeping several mental health practitioners in business and then yes, I’m totally a pro). I’m not trying to give advice but rather present you with the studies I’ve read over the past few years and my personal thoughts so that you can make your own best decisions!
Okay Charlotte, I have one for you- and it’s a real question, I’m not just trying to be gross. If you POOP a lot, does that mean you have a fast metabolism?? That is a rumor I heard… and I guess it makes sense??? I don’t know??? I just know if I eat, I have to go. (I know I am not pooping what I just ate. I know it takes several hours to get through your to your intestines and stuff!)
Your question isn’t strange but I think you are on to something. My hubby has an excellent metabolism and he will poop sometimes 3 times in a day so it may be related.
My IQ rises every time I read your blog!
Hmmm.
Perhaps it will rise faster if I read it five times a day?
I never got into eating five small meals a day…although fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds swears by it…but like you said…”Unless you are a pro athlete, bodybuilder or fitness model it’s unlikely that this will make much difference to you.”
And I do not have anybody to look that pretty for anyway.
I have eaten extra small meals when I spontaneously erupt in a fifteen mile run…but I will run…walk through a mall (not sit down – walk) run…walk through another mall…grab something like boiled eggs, a banana and some chocolate milk…run back.
And…
…I am already old…so I know I do not have the kind of metabolism that makes you die younger!
Best advice ever: ” Eat healthfully, exercise happily and don’t breathe asbestos.”
Sums it all up!
No one’s going to get anywhere keeping old habits like eating extra on weekends and “special occasions.” Our society makes every day a special occasion — it’s always someone’s birthday at the office, our kid aced a test, someone’s dropping over to visit. And if you’re a binge eater, keeping any trigger foods in your diet (even “occasionally” — please define “occasionally” — is it one Snickers bar a week? One each day on Saturday and Sunday because it’s an “S”? One every afternoon at 4PM because you need a pick-me-up?) is never a good idea because a binge eater can NEVER stop at “just one bite” or even “just one Snickers bar.” This is another immature approach that makes people think they “need” or “deserve” or “can get away with” junk food, recreational eating, and overeating as long as they’re “good” Monday through Friday, except those things like the office donuts on Friday morning and the catered lunch meeting and the Thirsty Thursday night at the bar or the day your boss yells at you for Susie’s mistake and the only thing that will fix it is a big ice cream from the place on the corner on your way home. This is another false “have your cake and eat it too” plan that will not work for weight loss or for HEALTH.
Michele: Sounds like you’re reading your own problems and rationalizations into J’s quote.
Her approach is very reasonable and you’re jumping all over her. Knock it off!
It seems like this person excels at writing inflammatory comments Naomi/Dragonmama. Not sure if they are a troll, or if it’s someone who is sincerely this uptight about food…but either way the posts are uncalled for. This comment section is one of the few on the interwebs where people are respectful and rational and Michele has a knack for commenting irrationally and disrespectfully. I second Naomi’s comment: knock it off. Be respectful, please. Snarling like a rabid dog and jumping to illogical conclusions does not really attract people to your viewpoint, unless that’s what you want (which is what I suspect).
I always assumed rightly or wrongly you can eat anything you want, when you want as long as you reduce the amount you eat. In other words smaller portions. I don’t believe binge eating on particular days does you any good. But hey that’s my opinion for what it’s worth.
this post is such an eye-opener. thanks for letting us learn a lot of things about metabolism. more power to your blog and may you continue sharing comprehensive fitness and health articles!
Eeek, I gotta say that I haven’t even read all the stuff about metabolism yet because your reader’s question stopped me from going any further. I suffered from binge eating for years and years and I, too, tried the No S diet. For one, weekends always turned into binges. That may not happen to your reader, but what I really want to tell this person is that binge eating is fueled by any kind of dieting, period. The No S diet is a diet. It’s got rules. If you break them you’re setting yourself up for a binge. I know it’s hard to give all of this stuff up, all the rules, all the ways to keep ourselves in line, but I’m telling you (the reader) that the the only thing I ever tried that worked, that stopped me from binge eating, was GIVING UP DIETING COMPLETELY. With that you also have to address body image issues, because you’re trying to control your eating to try to control your body. At least, that was the case with me and everyone else I’ve seen with this issue. Instead, check out Health At Every Size (R) and Google the crap out of “giving up diets.” It is not easy, but I swear to you, it’s so much better to be free from the crap then constantly obsessing and worrying over whether you’re going to binge or not, and when you can next eat, etc. I beg you! Please just check that other stuff out.
Everything works differently for different bodies, and even the same bodies under different conditions. Example, I’m practically a vegetarian without effort over the summer when it’s hot and I’m in the throes of triathlon training, but right now when it’s cold and I’m run focused and doing a lot of speedwork? You can pry that smoked pork loin away from my cold dead hands. I think it’s about being mindful of what you NEED at the time (not just what you WANT) and doing your best to give it to yourself (and sometimes that even means a break from holding yourself to stupid high healthy eating standards and indulging for a small period of time).
I’ve also found for me calories = weight loss/gain/maintenance, diet quality = how I feel on a daily basis, in general. I’m convinced my body would find a way to maintain it’s weight on only carrots if I had no other option and an unlimited supply, heh (but I’d be orange and have GREAT EYESIGHT, wouldn’t that be cool?)
What do you think about these guys like Matt Stone, Danny Roddy, Ray Peat etc who are preaching about high metabolism and that it´s the key to every health problem there is out there? According to them it is a slow metabolism that will make you die younger.
I have been over exercising and dealing with a disordered eating for 20 years(but I am in a much better place now) and am now worried about my slow metabolism. Maybe I shouldn’t worry so much?
I’ve actually heard the opposite that a faster metabolism can wear out your body faster and accelerate the aging process. Essentially, your metabolism is how much your body operates and how fast, so supposedly a slower metabolism is like anything else you use relatively little where as a fast metabolism is like a car that accumulates high milage much faster. Just my thoughts.
Interesting fact: I recently increased my resting metabolic rate from 1400 to 1600 per day. Same test conditions, two tests each time. No, I did not gain weight (as of course an increase in mass brings about an increase in RMR, barring medical conditions). And actually, at my present weight, 1600 is substantially HIGHER than my RMR is supposed to be! (I should note that I am already lean and not overweight, but in my sport I have to stay at the low end of the scale).
I thought I had a slow metabolism… turns out that I had just been dieting hard at below BMR (so, 1200-1400) and also, this is key, low-carb, for far too long. When I did eat over my BMR it was extra protein–effectively pointless.
So I saw a sports RD because I was so frustrated to be eating so little and still be 7 lbs or so above race weight, and she said ‘I can’t help you lose weight right now. You need to slowly increase calories so you can start from a decent place first.’ It took a few months, but I decreased protein (What? Decrease protein to a reasonable .8g/lb instead of massive bodybuilder numbers? The blasphemy!), increased fats moderately, and increased carbs a LOT. I went from eating 1400, to 1600, to 1700-1800… then up to 2200. Zero weight gain. I’m now losing weight on 1600-1800 per day and I don’t feel that crazy exhausted hunger that I used to. Carb increase seems key to this refeeding process, btw.
But just for what it’s worth, that’s how it worked for me.
Overcoming Binge Eating by Christopher Fairburn was amazingly helpful to me (there also actual studies showing this book in particular and methods work). And really, since I finished the program, I am in a much better place about myself and my diet.
I can so relate to the original question. I’m a binge eater and the 5 small meals just makes me really miserable and out of control. I have 3 meals with breakfast being much bigger than any other meal. I get nauseated if I eat right after I get out of bed so I go to the gym on an empty stomach and workout and then have my meal. My lunch and dinner are almost snack size. This works great 5 days a week. I try to continue through the weekend but it is difficult as the schedule is disrupted. I do well on weekends about 2/3 of the time. That is where I have to set up a plan for success.
I’ve long fallen for these myths myself, But I’ve learned about them over the years. I’m still a bit of a grazer when it comes to eating though, not for any metabolic reasons just that’s what makes me feel better. It helps me keep a higher energy level which is far more important than metabolism and unlike metabolism one’s energy level is much more influential towards health and wellness and it can change very quickly.
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I’ve got a fast metabolism and I think it is mostly great. My weight just wants to stay the same (though it has gone up a few pounds after having my last two babies). My husband and I joke though that we would be the first to die in a famine. I turn into a beast when I am hungry. It can also be a pain cause I am gluten-intolerant and often have to abstain from what everyone else is eating… I also wake up most night with my tummy growling. So it can be a pain eating enough and feeling like I live off of cheese sticks and produce.