Growing up I always heard about eating 3 meals a day which seemed obvious. But as I grew older and more involved with diabetes education, fitness and nutrition in general, 5 meals a day became the “best” way to eat. But is it really better?
The short answer is: maybe. Here’s why:
Our energy levels, cravings and hunger are controlled by hormones, one of which is insulin. Whenever we eat, we get a spike in our blood sugar, which then causes the release of insulin. Of course, if you have diabetes, you may need to give yourself insulin injections in order to mimic what the body does naturally.
This is spike in blood sugar gives us energy but as our blood sugar level starts to decrease, so does our energy level. This explains why so many of us need that 3pm coffee or candy bar to get us through the afternoon.
We can prevent the spikes and drops in blood sugar by eating more frequently, either by grazing all day long or eating small snacks between meals. By small, I mean something that is 100-200 calories, like an apple. But eating every 3 hours or so, also means that your “big” meals cannot be very big or else you will end up consuming too many calories for the day. So frequent small meals is a great strategy if your energy levels tend to fluctuate a lot through out the day.
However, if you are trying to lose weight/fat, then eating 5 small meals a day may not be the best thing.
We know that that the body uses sugar as it’s energy source, but once that sugar has been used up, the body will start using fat as its source for energy. So if we are keeping a fairly constant blood sugar level by frequently eating, then the body never needs to burn fat for its energy. In this case, eating only 3 meals a day might be better option.
The challenge with eating only 3 meals a day is that many of us get hungry between meals. It is willpower that will prevent us from snacking because given the choice, if you are hungry, you will eat. If you don’t eat a snack, then at your next meal, you are more likely to overeat. Usually the overeating occurs because you scarf down your food because you are so hungry. Then, you don’t stop when you should because the message hasn’t had a chance to get to your brain that you are full. Has this ever happened to you?
So what are you suppose to do if you are trying to lose weight/fat? Eat 3 meals a day? 5 meals? It seems like it’s impossible based on the body’s physiology, yet it can be done.
But how? The key thing to remember is that if you want to make a change that will last for years and years, then you need lots of patience and you need to become a food detective. What does that mean? It means that you need to figure out if eating 3 meals or 5 meals works better for you. You will also need to figure out what you foods work for you…. does alot of protein and little carbs and fat work best? Maybe more carbs and protein and just a little fat is better. This is where paying attention to the details of your hunger, energy and cravings (and having lots of patience) becomes critical.
It may seem like a lot of work, and in the beginning, it does require a commitment to be a detective to find the clues; there are a lot of trials and errors, but once you find your diet “formula” it will be sustainable.
Here is how you can be a food detective: 
For 3 days, eat the exact same thing every day, at the same time. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat and how you are feeling with your hunger, energy and cravings. After the three days, look back at what you wrote down and make some adjustments. Here is an example:
Day 1-3
6 am Breakfast: Bowl of cereal with milk and coffee
11:30 am Lunch: Feeling: very hungry. Ate a large Salad with grilled chicken, assortment of vegetables and oil and vinegar dressing
3:30 pm Snack: Feeling: tired and sluggish. Ate a protein bar and apple
7 pm Dinner: Feeling: a little hungry. Ate grilled Salmon over 2 cups of pasta with pesto and a side of green beans.
Make adjustments made for Days 4-6:
6 am Breakfast: Veggie omlet and coffee
11:30 am Lunch: Feeling: a little hungry, but tired. Ate a large Salad with grilled chicken, assortment of vegetables and oil and vinegar dressing and 10 bites of rice salad
3:30 pm Snack: Feeling: ok (not hungry, energy ok, no cravings). Ate nothing
7 pm Dinner: Feeling: STARVING! Ate grilled Salmon over 3 cups of pasta with pesto and a side of green beans.
After Day 6, make adjustments again and continue until you have found YOUR diet formula. Focus on how much protein, starchy and non starchy carbs and fat that you are eating.
This is a process! As with any process, it takes time. I know that if weight loss is your goal, being patient is hard. We all want to see results immediately. But if you take the time to go through the process and become a food detective, you will find that your diet formula is sustainable.