Hi guys, Kris from Custom Fitness here, your Amarillo personal trainer. Today we’re going to be talking about how often you should be eating. If you have any questions about today’s blog, then please give us a call at (806)-322-3188
So, I had a client come in the other day that was just really confused. They had been over a lot of different nutrition programs and was told to eat several different times a day, or three times a day, or intermittent fasting, and they weren’t sure which way to go.
Now as always, at Custom Fitness we customize the plan to you and your needs. There are definitely some specific reasons why you would or wouldn’t want to eat any of those ways, and there are a million different ways to eat out there. So what should you be doing?
Let’s start with the foundations first. So the general rule of thumb is to eat three times a day. Whenever you’re eating three times a day, if you feel like you’re good and not having any moments where you feel like you’re starving, then you’re probably great. But if you are feeling like you’re hungry throughout the day in between those meals, then adding a bit more to each meal can benefit you.
When you’re eating three times a day, your goal is to make it as even as possible. If you’re going to have five hours between breakfast and lunch, then have five hours between lunch and dinner. A lot of people have four hours between breakfast and lunch, and six to eight hours between lunch and dinner, and they can’t figure out why they’re hungry at night. So if you’re that extended out, then a snack might be a good thing to throw in there. But if you can eat a little more evenly, then adding in a little more to your plate and making sure you’re more in balance will actually help you quite a bit.
So why do some recommend five times a day? Well we do as well, but it depends on the person, and it depends on what you’ve been going through. If you are constantly grazing throughout the day, then maybe splitting it down to five specific times will make it better for you to start with. If you are used to eating very small meals two to three times a day, then eating small meals a little more often will eventually help you to start to crave those nutrients and bring the food back in the body the right way.
So where does intermittent fasting fall into all of this? Well that’s kind of the big thing lately. Intermittent fasting and the Keto diet are two of the hot topics here.
Intermittent fasting is great for most men. And I say most because there are a lot of situations where that is not the best fit. But for most men it’s a great thing.
For women, typically the research shows us that it will actually start to diminish the efficiency of our hormone systems. Now, when we think about hormones, a lot of times people just think about estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. There are a lot of hormones at work in your body and it’s a fragile system. If you start messing with the system there, it can really throw off your metabolism, sleep, and your body as a whole. So you want to make sure that the body is functioning correctly. For females, research is showing that intermittent fasting isn’t the best bet. For males it can be. But again, you really have to figure out what is the best way for you. Just following a protocol that you found online might work, but it’s highly likely that it won’t.
So what about people with diabetes or other conditions like that? Which way should they eat? Well, typically a doctor would recommend that they eat three times a day. What that does is lower their insulin value, and it allows their body to come back to a kind of rest.
It takes food about thirteen to fourteen hours to get through the digestive tract. If you’re continuously eating every couple of hours, that can be good for certain situations. However, it can raise that insulin a little too much, and you end up with higher blood sugar values at the wrong time. So I doubt that eating that kind of way can be beneficial.
So if you’re looking for the best way to lose weight, first of all it’s consistency in everything that you do. Consistency in exercise, nutrition, and in the habits that you’re building. So you want to make sure that you’re eating evenly throughout the day, and that you’re choosing wholesome, healthy foods for yourself. So try to stay away from the processed stuff and go towards natural foods. Keep on this route and with consistency, you will find success.
So, if you’re wanting the accountability and help with creating an action plan to see results, or are wanting to someone to help create a workout plan to push you to your greatest potential, then that’s what we’re here for. We have an entire team of dedicated professionals to help you with your health and fitness goals. We also focus on nutrition to ensure that you are set up for success. Through consistent training, coaching, and support, we can help you reach the health and fitness goals that you set out to achieve.
And today from 10AM to noon, we are having our Custom Fitness open house. So that is Saturday, January 27th from 10AM to noon. We would love for you to stop by and see what the studio is about. We’ll be having membership specials, prizes, tips and tricks for healthy cooking, and much more.
To get your consultation set up or for more information on our open house, give us a call at 806-322-3188 or email us at info@customfitness.biz At Custom Fitness, we are YOUR personal trainers in Amarillo, Texas. Have a great day.