It is not always possible to trust the feeling of hunger, after all, many times they can be the result of anxiety or even boredom, so, knowing this, how should we schedule our meals? 

Although this is a simple subject, several professionals have different understandings about the theme and the main lines of reasoning about the amount of ideal meals defend quite opposite lines, such as having several meals a day (sometimes up to 8) or doing long intermittent fasting, which can be great for weight loss. 

Finally, we know that in the midst of so much information available on the internet, it is sometimes a little difficult to understand which is the best option to adopt, and thinking about that, we prepared this complete content! Read on and check it out: 

After all, how many meals should I eat per day? 

Although most of the common diets recommend a minimum of six meals a day, which are breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and supper, it is difficult to reconcile all these breaks during a busy day at work, even more so if you focus on a good quality of sleep, which is also fundamental for your health and results. 

The thing is that if you think about sleeping a full eight hours every day, the six meals that should be taken will end up having to be managed every three hours, which for many people is quite difficult, but luckily this routine is not always necessary! 

The thing is that even with all the strength that the idea of multiple daily meals has, the macro and micronutrients you eat throughout the day are much more important than your schedule, which means that it is much more interesting to be careful about what you eat, than when you eat it. 

So, answering the question in the topic about how many meals you should eat, it all depends! 

Many people manage their macro- and micronutrients more easily when divided into several smaller meals, while others prefer to eat more and feel less hungry by dividing their nutritional goals into fewer meals per day. 

So, the ideal is to test and observe how your body behaves. 

What is the relationship between gaining or losing weight and the number of daily meals?

Another curious point regarding the ideal number of meals per day is that many people believe that eating more times during the day will make you gain weight, while eating less will make you lose weight, but again, this is not so! 

What happens is that there is a false belief that simply eating is what makes you gain weight, while in fact, it is the management of daily calories that will be the definitive factor when it comes to gaining or losing weight.

So, keep in mind that you can spend practically all day eating, but if the food you eat is low in calories and the physical activities you do consume more calories than you take in, your process will certainly result in weight loss. 

On the other hand, if you only have one meal, but at the end of the daily calorie count, you have consumed more calories than you have consumed, you will be putting on weight. 

Finally, there are some well known points in the fitness world about the subject, and thinking about your possible doubts, we have separated two extra topics just to deal with the most common questions. 

Does going without eating for a long time prevent weight loss? 

Many people believe that skipping some meals can cause the organism to go into “Starvation Mode”, which would prevent the weight loss progress, but in practice, what happens is that, most of the times, people adopt very radical diets, which by themselves have a “limit” for weight loss, and when the results start to appear, it is natural that they start to get slower.

In other words, if your progress is “frozen”, it does not mean that you need more meals during the day. Instead, try to increase the rhythm of your workouts, adjust your diet, or simply be patient, after all, there are no miracles! 

Is skipping breakfast really such a bad idea?

You have certainly heard many different ideas about breakfast, but the main point is that there is no scientific consensus about the importance of this first meal of the day. Therefore, it is best to adapt your preferences to a healthy lifestyle. 

Conclusion

As you have seen in this content, much more important than the amount of daily meals you eat, are the macro and micronutrients you eat, and of course, how much you exercise and rest. 

Count on Sooro Renner, nutrition that generates results.