I'm sure you've heard about eating 5 to 6 meals per day.
Will an increased number of meals each day actually help you build muscle and burn fat?
Meal frequency and meal timing must be optimized so that you can feed your body the nutrients it needs.
You need to give your body those nutrients throughout the day to build muscle and burn fat.
The normal 3 meals per day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) just aren't going to cut it while you're using the WLC System.
Some of you probably skip breakfast and eat a large lunch and a huge dinner.
I've been there before. I got really fat eating that way. Some of you may not eat until dinner. Many people do this… if that's you, we're going to change that so you're body changes for the good.
Here's What I See Every Day That Is Really Sad
I watch people every day. I watch their eating habits. I watch what they eat. I know it's a small sample of people, but I watch the people I work with, my friends, and my family.
I ask people that are looking for advice what they are eating and when they are eating.
People eat horrible foods for breakfast or no breakfast at all. Then they get snacks from a snack machine throughout the day. They buy sodas to go along with their snacks. And then eat dinner from a fast food restaurant.
They get fat, have high blood pressure, other health problems, get out of breath walking up a set of stairs, and wonder what's going on.
Throughout the days, they are starving their bodies of vital nutrients and only harming themselves.
Not to mention — these people go without drinking water the entire day. Some people I know never drink water. They have to have coffee, sodas, sweet tea, fruit juices, alcohol, or something besides water.
No wonder so many of us have so many health problems. We are killing ourselves. We have got to fix this. And that's one of my main goals of this website and this program.
I want to help you live a healthy life. I want to help you be there for your family and friends when they need you. You've got to change the way you treat your body. And we're going to start by changing the way you eat.
You've got to do this for you and for everyone that loves you and needs you to be there for them — this is very important to your life.
As you read throughout WLC, I don't want you to ever think that you can't do something. Don't tell me that you can't eat 6 meals per day. Don't tell me that you can't eat healthy all the time because you can follow the WLC System exactly.
You can. And you need to — your life will get better.
Building muscle and burning fat not only helps you look much better, it helps your body be more efficient at everything that it does. Everyday tasks will be much easier on your body.
You don't want all of that extra flab to carry around each and every day. That simply adds undue stress to the body. We're going to get rid of that and build muscle to help make your life easier.
Feeding Your Body — Flood Your Body With Nutrients
If you feed your body healthy foods continuously throughout the day, your body is constantly working for you.
The body burns energy when digesting food and shuttles nutrients to your body, so you increase your metabolism and give yourself a much better chance to build muscle and burn fat by eating more frequently throughout the day.
You can take the same food intake and create two different meal plans. One meal plan has you eating the same amount of food over 3 meals throughout the day. The second meal plan has you eating 6 meals with that same amount of food. Which meal plan do you think is better for building muscle and burning fat?
The second meal plan will lead to more fat burning and/or muscle gains even though it's the exact same amount of food.
When you feed your body more often, your body is working more often, and you are providing your body with a constant supply of nutrients that it needs.
When you eat more often throughout the day, your metabolism is running crazy. Your body is constantly digesting food, shuttling nutrients, and simply working more often throughout the day. You are burning more calories simply by eating more often, and you're creating a healthier body.
With the proper planning and some tips and tricks that you'll learn, eating more frequently throughout the day is not a difficult task like some of you may believe. I know, I know. Many of you are very busy and just don't have the time. Well, I'm telling you right now that you do have the time.
Don't worry. You'll learn how to get a quick meal in later. Eating more frequently will become second nature to you before long.
Here Are the Benefits of Eating More Frequently Throughout the Day:
- More frequent vitamins and minerals throughout the day
- Promotes muscle gain and fat loss
- Better utilization of nutrients by the body
- Prevents muscle breakdown
- Smaller meals means less fat storage
- Increases your metabolism meaning you burn more calories
- Controls hunger between meals
- Higher energy levels throughout the day
- Supplies your body with constant source of protein
How Often Should You Eat Throughout The Day?
How many meals do you need each day? How often to eat each meal?
Protein cannot be stored by the body. Science has shown that amino acids are present in the blood stream for about 3 hours after a meal is eaten. So, you need to keep a continuous supply of amino acids in the blood stream throughout the day.
In order to do that, you need to eat a meal every 3 hours or so and that meal must contain a quality and complete source of protein.
You need to eat every 3 hours upon waking all the way up until you go to bed. I personally always have a meal with a quality, slow digesting protein before I go to bed every night. I want you to do the same unless you just can't eat before you go to bed for some reason.
Whey protein alone will not work before you go to bed…
Whey protein is a fast digesting protein and does not keep protein levels elevated for very long within the body. That's why it isn't recommended before you go to bed. You want a protein source that will be available to the body for much longer periods of time.
If you need to eat every 3 hours, how many meals per day is that for you? For most people, that's going to be about 6 meals per day. For example, let's say you wake up at 7 AM each day and go to bed at 11 PM each night…
Meal Timing Example
Meal 1 — 7:30 AM
Meal 2 — 10:30 AM
Meal 3 — 1:30 PM
Meal 4 — 4:30 PM
Meal 5 — 7:30 PM
Meal 6 — 10:30 PM
You can easily eat 6 meals per day. Some of you may even be able to get 7 meals in per day if you eat every 2.5 hours. Seven meals per day will give you slightly better results than 6 meals per day. 6 meals per day is the norm. You can experiment with anywhere from 5 to 7 meals if you like.
I do not, and I repeat, I do not recommend eating more frequently than once every 2.5 hours for regular meals throughout the day. I've tried that along with many others, and you're simply just piling food upon food into your stomach without letting your body fully digest the food.
You'll feel full all the time, and you'll get tired of eating. And that's definitely not what you're aiming for here.
One meal every 3 hours is the perfect compromise.
You will soon learn how to eat right before and after a weight lifting workout to maximize your muscle gains. Eating before and after a workout does not follow the one meal every 3 hours rule.
You will actually eat more often than once every 3 hours after your workouts. This is to maximize recovery and get the muscle building process started sooner.
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Paul says
atI understand all the positives that come with eating every 3 hours. But in my job, there is No Way I can eat every 3 hours.
Your blank statement where you say “Well, I’m telling you right now that you do have the time.” Is a bit condescending, and I am sorry, but it is not the truth.
My job is a 12 hour shift. I have time for a lunch, and for 2 breaks. I work in a Semi-conductor Fab. A ‘cleanroom’, where I have to work in a controlled environment, wearing a full cleanroom smock, with headgear and face mask, and booties covering my shoes.
So I can’t just run out every 3 hours for a break to eat. Sometimes I am only able to go out once, in my 12 hour shift! And as much as I hate it, I also try and limit my water intake, so I don’t have to go to the bathroom all the time. (there are water fountains in the cleanroom).
Since I work 12 hour shifts, I only have to work 3 days, then get 3 days off, then work 4 days, and get 4 days off. So on my weekends I can eat more often, but for basically half the week, I am stuck.
So now what? Have you got a plan to help me?
Thanks, Paul
Josh from WLC says
atHey Paul, your situation is definitely unique and the comment was not intended for people who really can’t eat once every 3 hours. I’ve just heard so many excuses over the years that I was a little forceful when writing that article.
You can definitely make the most of your situation…
For the 12 hour days, I would eat right before you go in and make sure you have whole foods in that meal with slow digesting protein and essential fats that will slow down digestion even further for you. Protein will be in your bloodstream for longer amounts of time by using this strategy. Not sure if you can take anything in the room with you (doubt it) but if so, I would take a casein protein shake with fish oil or flax oil added.
If you’re not allowed to bring anything in with you including bottles filled with liquid and there’s no way around it, I would try to go out of the room once per day and have a good meal with slow digesting protein, natural carbohydrates, and essential fats. A good variety of food during this meal would help.
And then I would have another meal immediately upon leaving work. Again, a good balanced meal filled with nutrients is what you need here.
For the other days in which you aren’t at work, I would follow the 5 to 6 meals per day protocol as discussed in the article. You might even add a 7th and eat a little more frequently to make up for the less frequent meals on the work days.
The increased frequency on the off days from work will help you catch up for those work days. You might be a little hungry during work days due to the increased frequency on the off days, but you’ll get accustomed to it.
And by all means, I would try my best to get a shake down in between meals during your work days if at all possible. If not, though, you’ll do great following the advice above. You can only do the best for your situation.
And again, I apologize for sounding condescending. I’ve always had the opportunity to eat once every 3 hours in my work environment. I’ve seen others complain about not being able to eat once every 3 hours but that was due to lack of committment and effort on their part. I am definitely not an expert on work environments, schedules, etc so I’m sure there are others out there like you who also do not have the opportunity to eat 5 to 6 meals per day. For that, I apologize.
Good luck to you and please let me know if I can help in any way.