The Question—Should I Eat Three Meals a Day or Several?

Many of us do not function well eating three meals daily and have turned instead to eating several small meals to help us maintain our energy throughout the day. Primarily, small meals allow us to sustain our blood sugar levels, preventing the highs and lows often associated with eating three large meals.   Most small meal plans use a 5-6 meal strategy balancing amounts of protein, carbohydrates fats, and calories at each meal.

Because overeating is the most common problem encountered it is imperative that you keep a food journal to evaluate your success. Several online websites (www.myfitnessplan.com, livefitrevolution.org, www.dailyburn.com to name a few) can be used with any electronic device to help you record the food and quantity providing a breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and calories.  They can also provide you with sample menus to help you accomplish your goals.  Changing from three meals to 5-6 small meals takes time and effort and will take 2-3 months of daily efforts to evaluate the results – so be tenacious.

How many calories you consume and what percentage of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are included will vary greatly depending upon your basal metabolic rate (the number of calories you need just to survive) and your level of daily activity.  My next blog will help to explore these concepts and help you design your own food and exercise plan.

Dr. William Madosky

Like us on Facebook and you will be the first to know when other new blog posts are available or visit my blog for many great health and wellness tips!

Dr. Madosky