November 07, 2008
Eat More to Lose
By Cynthia Sass
Many athletes I work with are trying to pack on pounds of muscle, but others need to shed body fat and lean down. If you’re in the latter group, cutting back on your intake makes sense, but just be sure not to skip meals. That pattern can actually work against you. Losing weight (the right kind of weight anyway) isn’t just about eating fewer calories – meal timing is also key.
Let’s say you eat the right number of calories, but you cram them all into one sitting late at night. That’s like trying to drive your car on empty all day then filling the gas tank after it’s parked in the garage. The difference is your car will stall without fuel, whereas your body must keep going. To compensate for not being fed, your body can conserve energy (i.e. burn fewer calories) and dip into its back-up reserves, namely muscle, which can be converted into blood sugar to keep your brain and working cells fueled.
This survival mode is how humans have adapted throughout time but it can cause a lot of problems for us today. First, going all day without eating means the jobs nutrients do don’t get done, because the workers (namely carbs, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants) don’t show up for work. Ideally, your body prefers a steady stream of nutrients through the day. And “grazing” (eating smaller more frequent meals) can also help you feel fuller and burn more fat.
Now a new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition compared two groups. Both were given the same calorie intake but the first group received just two meals per day (breakfast and dinner, 8.5 hours apart) while the second ate three (breakfast, lunch and dinner, spaced 4 hours apart). The triple meal group felt more satisfied over a 24 hour period and increased their fat burning, particularly at night.
I generally recommend eating about every 4 hours (say breakfast at 9 am, lunch at 1 pm, dinner at 5 pm and a snack at 9 pm) and I find that consistency is key for regulating both your weight and energy level. In my experience, going several hours without eating then sitting down to one big meal at night pattern is a recipe for gaining body fat, not for losing it.
If you’ve been in that pattern, try to gradually shift your intake earlier. You can start by adding a small snack in the afternoon, then one in the late morning…. Within a few weeks you should find yourself hungrier during the day, less hungry at night, more energized all the time and over time, lighter and leaner.