5-6 meal a day diet?

C14N

I've been lurking around the internet and gone through the stickies and it seems that it is basically unanimously agreed that 5 or 6 smaller meals a day is better than the traditional 3 meal setup that I've had going on all my life.

I decided to try and switch over to doing this but I completely hit a block when I started and realised I don't have the faintest idea how to go about it. I just don't know how much I should eat, what I should be getting, when to get it etc. I don't even really know what I should be getting for breakfast if I'm perfectly honest (been eating a bowl of cereal and nothing more up to now).

I don't expect anyone to think out a whole diet for me or anything but a few suggestions to give me a rough idea would be really helpful if anyone else eats like this.

Just to give some background info: I'm nineteen, 5'7" in height, weighing 62kg/137lb. I've been going to the gym every second day trying to build muscle for about 3 months (would go every day but I've been told the rest days are important). From what I've looked up it seems I need to be getting around 140g of protein a day for this and I'm willing to add in a few whey/casein shakes to bring the figure up.


Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Mellor

C14N wrote: »

I've been lurking around the internet and gone through the stickies and it seems that it is basically unanimously agreed that 5 or 6 smaller meals a day is better than the traditional 3 meal setup that I've had going on all my life.

No it isn't. It's suggested my some people, and then repeated by lots without understanding.
In reality, 3 meals or 6 meals doesn't significantly make a difference. The total foods matters.

Just to give some background info: I'm nineteen, 5'7" in height, weighing 62kg/137lb. I've been going to the gym every second day trying to build muscle for about 3 months (would go every day but I've been told the rest days are important). From what I've looked up it seems I need to be getting around 140g of protein a day for this and I'm willing to add in a few whey/casein shakes to bring the figure up.

140g plus of protein a day, and lots of food - say 2500 calories or more.
If adding an extra meal or two makes hitting those numbers easier go for it. If sticking to 3 meals and eating larger portions works for you, then do that.

jendafer1

I'd actually be interested in doing something like this myself, as I found that it usually doesnt matter how much I eat at a certain meal, I am always hungry 2-3 hours later anyway. I even wake up sometimes in the middle of the night hungry... and wake up starving in the morning. Pretty certain its not normal...! Anyway, for me a real barrier is work. I dont think the boss would appreciate me taking 3 lunch-breaks during one day!

Hanley

No metabolic advantage to eating more frequently. Helps with diet adherence so you don't get too hungry, experience massive blood glucose fluctuations and binge as a result.

re: protein - eat at least 1g/lb of bodyweight, 1.5x would be better

re: kcals - bodyweight in lb x16 as a starting poitn

C14N

Mellor wrote: »

140g plus of protein a day, and lots of food - say 2500 calories or more.
If adding an extra meal or two makes hitting those numbers easier go for it. If sticking to 3 meals and eating larger portions works for you, then do that.

Thanks for the recommendations, I'm making a meal plan around them now. I think it would be easier with 5 meals, I just don't usually have enough appetite to eat that much in 3.

Hanley wrote: »

No metabolic advantage to eating more frequently. Helps with diet adherence so you don't get too hungry, experience massive blood glucose fluctuations and binge as a result.

re: protein - eat at least 1g/lb of bodyweight, 1.5x would be better

re: kcals - bodyweight in lb x16 as a starting poitn

What do you mean as a starting portion? Does that mean to get that much as a minimum?