Weight Loss

Hi! I had nearly 100 lbs to lose, and have been losing very slowly, so I decided to see a Nutritionist for advice. I've averaged 1 lb. a week or less ever since the 2nd month here, doing all I'm supposed to do- including heavy weights and walking, etc.

This is a laboriously copied hand-out that was given to me by this professional Nutritionist/Dietitian/RN as an aid to help me lose better with my slow loss rate. She was very happy with my current loss-rate, as very healthy and likely to be more successful over time, as it caused me to learn new habits for a longer period of time vs. a fast loss that might not teach me how to maintain or sustain my losses. Her experience was that slow was more lasting, which is what I want! However, she understood my desire to try to lose a healthy 2 lbs. a week if I could, while I still have about 65 lbs. to go. I understand slowing down as I lose... but not so soon, lol!!!

This is copied word-for-word from her, not me, so please don't take offense at her strong feelings! I seriously wanted help, and paid for it as a sacrifice at this time for my resources, and I wanted to share the advice I received with anyone else who is frustrated like I was. I added a few thoughts, and marked them with (*...) so it is clear, I hope, that it is me at those points.

I may have a slow metabolism and/or a low-acting thyroid, she agreed, but understood that I couldn't afford testing at this time. As long as I am still losing, she said I'm fine. Also, as my metabolism is probably slow-as proven by over 6 months of low loss rates- I'm not burning as many calories as the burn rate tools here say for me, so my true deficit is guess-work. She wants me to get a heart rate monitor to help me with this. As long as I'm not losing over 2 lbs. a week and eating 1200 calories or more daily, I won't be in danger of starvation mode- which was a major reason for my visiting her. That really troubled me- and hindered me from increasing the cardio she has now said I should increase. As CC has taught me so much already, cardio was the only real change she could tell me to make! Now I can, without fearing a over-sized deficit or starvation mode, as long as I am sensible, of course!!!

CC got GOOD GRADES!!!!

I don't know if this will fit in the text allowance, yet, so I'll see what happens when I try to post it!!!

Here is the 4 pages, 3 hours of typing, labor-of-love!

Burn Fat Faster!

ONE or TWO meals a day is a disaster. If you haven't been eating at least three times a day, you are causing serious damage to your metabolism.

True, calories count. But the amazing thing about eating frequently is that IT MAKES YOU BURN MORE CALORIES! Five or six meals a day accelerates your body's natural rate of burning.

If skipping meals is the cardinal sin of fat burning and muscle building nutrition, then skipping breakfast is a capital crime suited for the death penalty! And yet "everybody" is doing it! When I analyze nutrition programs for my clients, one of the most common errors I see is skipping breakfast or eating it late, around 10:00 a.m. or even later. "I don't have time" is usually the excuse justifying this unforgivable blunder. ( She's REALLY TOUGH on this, isn't she!!!) Let's take a close look at the devastating impact this lack of planning and discipline has on your fat loss efforts:

If you're still not convinced yet that eating six times a day is worth the effort, then this ought to hammer the point home for you: Here are the seven reasons why frequent meals of the proper quantity and quality will turn your body into a turbo-charged fat burning machine!

1. Frequent eating speeds up your metabolism due to the thermic effect of food.
2. Frequent meals prevent binges and control cravings.
3. Frequent meals help maintain high energy levels by regulating blood sugar and insulin levels.
4. Frequent meals are ANABOLIC: They help promote muscle growth by regulating insulin levels and providing a steady flow of amino acids into muscle cells. (*This may be why she said I could grow muscle, and encouraged me to maintain my heavy weight lifting efforts!, though I'm in a calorie deficit- but, I do believe it can't be much muscle growth?)
5. Frequent meals are ANTI-CATABOLIC: they help promote muscle growth by preventing muscle breakdown (you stay in positive nitrogen balance).
6. Frequent eating promotes better utilization of nutrients.
7. Eating smaller meals more frequently reduces fat storage through portion control.

* whew! I'm NOT a typist, lol! *

The perfect meal size

Ok, so now you know all the reasons why you must never skip meals and why you must eat small meals every three hours. The next question is, "What is the definition of a small meal?" Well, if you've done your calorie calculations already then this is very easy to figure out.

On average, the optimal intake to lose fat is about 2400-2500 calories per day for men and 1500-1600 for women. (* I was recommended 1200 here at CC and by the Nutritionist, as I am 45 and small framed, usually sedentary, so she said adjust these figures to 1200 calories for me, and agreed with my 1350 +/- on my gym days. Adjust as you need to for your own calorie level.) Naturally if you are a serious athlete or bodybuilder with high activity levels, these calories will be higher. To get your ideal calorie intake per meal is easy; simply divide your total daily calories by the number of meals you are aiming for (preferably five or six).

Men:

Average optimal caloric intake for fat loss=2400

Desired number of meals=5 or 6

Target calorie intake per meal=400 to 800 calories per meal

Women:

Average optimal caloric intake for fat loss=1500

Desired number of meals=5

Target caloric intake per meal=300 calories per meal

(* She loved my mid-morning Fiber One cereal mixed with 7 raw 'chunked' almonds and a Tbsp. of dried fruit for about the ideal 150 calories snack. With my 1200 calorie level, 150 for a snack is what she recommended for me.)

As you can see, these are fairly small meals. Now let's take a look at the calorie contents of some sample meals you might encounter while eating out:

• Big Mac and large fries=980 calories
• Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast=1100 calories
• Porterhouse steak, steak-house size portion (one pound)=1150 calories
• Spaghetti with tomato sauce, restaurant serving a93 1/2 cups)=850 calories
• Medium movie theater popcorn with butter=1100 (*Wow!)
• Chinese/Kung Pau chicken with rice (1 order)=1620 calories (*Wow!!!)

The problem is obvious: Most people are over-eating, big-time! (And these examples aren't even including drinks or desserts.) An average restaurant meal, whether we're talking steak, breakfast, Italian, Chinese, or fast food, can easily top 1000 calories. An average sized meal for fat loss is 300 calories for women and 400 calories for men, based on five or six meals per day, respectively. Even if you have a large frame and you're highly active, the upper end of the calorie range for fat loss is usually around 400 for women and 550 for men. Your objective is to never, ever eat huge meals- not even on a "cheat day." It's permissible to enjoy cheat foods occasionally in small amounts, but NEVER binge or stuff yourself-EVER! Always spread out those calories! (* Wanna eat the whole cake??? I guess you need to freeze it and take at least a week/month/year? One small piece at a time...lol!!! She's SERIOUS!!!)

>>> Taper your calories: Make breakfast your largest meal and dinner your smallest.

Although these "average" caloric amounts were divided evenly in each meal, there's one small adjustment that can increase your fat loss even further; it's called "calorie tapering." There's an old saying, "Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and dinner like a pauper." This arrangement of meals from largest to smallest is wise advice. The typical eating pattern of the average American is; no breakfast or skimpy breakfast like a bagel or doughnut, then a big lunch, usually fast food or cafeteria food, concluding with a huge dinner and a late night snack. (* ouch!)

>>> Start eating early in the day and eat your last meal at least two or three hours before bedtime.

Ideally, you should begin eating early (6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. or earlier), so you can fit in five or six meals and your last meal falls two to three hours prior to going to sleep. If you sleep in and miss your first meal, or wait until late morning or early afternoon to start eating, you're leaving a gaping hole between meals. This gap can be 16-20 hours long if you haven't eaten since six or seven the night before. This sends you into starvation mode and causes an incredibly catabolic (muscle-wasting) state. Yes, this means you must become a morning person if you're not one already. (* pitiful wail!!! I'm a 'Night-owl!!!') Brian Tracy, one of the world's leading experts on personal achievement said, "In my studies of successful people over the years, I have never found any highly successful person who was a late riser." Get up early and start eating early! (* snif! )

So, with our slight adjustment for a smaller evening meal and a larger first meal, our sample day might look like this:

Men/2400 calories/six meals:

• Meal 1: 500
• Meal 2: 400
• Meal 3: 400
• Meal 4: 400
• Meal 5: 400
• Meal 6: 300

Women/1500 calories/5 meals:

• Meal 1: 375
• Meal 2: 300
• Meal 3: 300
• Meal 4: 300
• Meal 5: 225

* Me/1200 calories/5-6 meals:

• Meal 1: 300
• Meal 2: 150
• Meal 3: 300
• Meal 4: 150
• Meal 5: 300 or split into a meal and a snack=300
• Meal 6: 150 for gym days, protein shake

>>>Maintain a consistent eating pattern seven days a week

Consistency is the hallmark of all people who successfully lose body fat and keep it off. Because most people work on a regular schedule Monday through ?Friday, it's often easier to follow the meal frequency guidelines on the weekdays. On weekends, it's tempting to sleep in, miss meals or fall off your regular schedule.

>>> How snacking fits into the fat loss-eating plan

Most people's snacks of choice are refined carbohydrates and fatty foods such as crackers, cookies, candy, muffins, potato chips and pretzels. This is largely because "carbo snacks" are so readily available (it's not like you can grab a chicken breast or Salmon steak at the checkout counter of a convenience store!) Eating "carb snacks" by themselves is not a good idea. On the fat loss-eating plan, usually you won't want snacks because you'll be eating meals so often that hunger and cravings between meals will be a thing of the past. If you make healthy choices and stay within your calorie limits, snacks are perfectly acceptable if you want them. Some of the best snacks include fruit, raw vegetables (carrots, celery, cauliflower, etc.), nuts and seeds (in small quantities) non-fat or low-fat cottage cheese and non-fat or low-fat sugar free yogurt.

>>> Transition gradually into five or six meals a day if you find frequent eating difficult.

If you find it too difficult to eat five or six meals a day right from the start, you may need to use a transitional period. If you've only been eating two or three times a day, there's a simple way to get started on the habit of frequent eating: Continue to eat your three full meals per day, properly combined with a lean protein and a complex carbohydrate. Then simply add two or three snacks; one in between each full meal.

Transitional menu plans

Men/2400 calories/six meals

• Meal 1: 575 (breakfast)
• Meal 2: 225 (snack)
• Meal 3: 500 (lunch)
• Meal 4: 450 (mid aftern. meal)
• Meal 5: 425 (dinner)
• Meal 6: 225 (evening snack)

Women/1500 calories/5 meals

• Meal 1: 400 (breakfast)
• Meal 2: 175 (mid morning snack)
• Meal 3: 400 (lunch)
• Meal 4: 175 (mid aftern. snack)
• Meal 5: 350 (dinner)

(* adjust to your own calorie level!)

A "snack" such as a piece of fruit, is only 60-110 calories, and does not by itself constitute a full meal by the standards of this program(it's not a full "meal" without protein). However, it does get you into the habit of eating frequently, and that would be a start. (Snacks such as non-fat cottage cheese or non-fat yourt with a scoop of protein powder would provide more calories and a solid serving of protein). As you get accustomed to eating more often, you can progress to four full meals and finally to the more effective habit of eating five or six meals, each containing a lean protein and a complex carbohydrate.

FAT BURNING AND FITNESS TIPS

• Increase aerobic activity (cardio) for at least 30-45 minutes, 5-7 days a week! Increase your intensity in spurts during your work-out for even more fat burning powder.
• Watch less T.V. and do less of other hobbies that require you to sit on your behind, especially if you have a desk job. (* Lol!!! Typing this has taken me over 2 hours now!)
• Use metabolism-stimulating exercise such as weight training exercises that utilize large muscle groups like the back and legs. High rep compound leg exercises (squats, lunges, leg presses, etc.) are particularly effective for this purpose.
• Restrict refined carbohydrates (i.e. white bread, white rice, sugar, chips, cookies, cake, etc.), and eat more whole grain products. (i.e. whole grain bread, brown rice, oatmeal, barley, whole wheat pasta, and other whole grain products. Kashi makes good whole grain cereals, granola bars, and other whole grain products).
• Be consistent and persistent. You must be very consistent and diligent in eating and exercise habits 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Going on and off diet and exercise programs will never work for you to achieve your goals. Make it become a part of your lifestyle. Even if it takes you longer to lose weight than others, stick with it. Remember, patience is a virtue that you must cultivate!

I hope this helps!!! I'm working for a Happy, Healthy New Year!!! Wooo Hooo!!! Love CC!!!!

Sincerely, 2beittybitty

Edited: Tried to fix goofs and spelling, lol!

zarella, I agree that eating several meals may be a good strategy for some.  But it provides no advantages other than satiety control.  It does not boast metabolism and it does not preserve muscle.  The body is very efficient in breaking down food into usable components and distributing them.  The body does not need a constant flow of nutrients throughout the day.  If you need to eat constantly throughout the day to maintain satiety control, than do it, but it does not provide any metabolic advantages over those who eat three meals - or even two meals a day.  I could argue that your body is less likely to burn fat because of the constant stream of fresh calories six meals a day provides.  Obesity results from an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure.  Eating more frequently does not increase energy expenditure - activity does.

Thanks for the information, I've lost 19 pounds so far...but seem to have come to a pretty lengthy plateau. I've upped my workout time, and that has actually caused me to up my calories. I was eating 1200...now I eat between 1350 and 1500. I was just void of the energy I needed to get through the day with fewer calories. I appreciate the information from the nutritionist. I found the information on "refined carb snacks" especially helpful.

Sincerely,

busylady

Thank you! This was extremely helpful. It is much easier to start a new "diet" plan if you have specific guidelines.

Thanks for the information my trainer has been telling me the same thing for about a month i thought he was crazy guess i'll go to the gym tomorrow and let him know i'll give it a try. . lol he'll be happy

The only way I found to eat 5-6 small meals into the day, is to make one lunch and I eat it in two sittings and then I have done the same with my dinner.  But this has actually worked better in my lifestyle... both my job and feeding my kids have me up and moving around a lot so that I can't really sit and eat my meal anyway.

I feel the same as everyone else... thank you so much for your generosity with taking the time and sharing all the valuable information that you received from your visit with the nutritionist.  Starting tomorrow, I am getting back into the routine to lose the four pounds I still have on from the holiday season.  I will be putting all this information to use!

Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your tips.  I am at the maintaining stage  of my life and  enjoy my small size and extra energy but everyday I still  count calories and exercise.    Your tips help me stay focused and true to my good health.   It is so easy when a person has reached her goal to say oh a little brownie won't hurt or I deserve this ice cream for being so good.  Ha.  It doesn't even taste good after eating it and then I feel awful for wasting precious calories on junk.  Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you and I know you will reach your healty goal.  Judie

Thanks for the encouragement, rain132!

I just want to thank everybody for their nice comments, they've Inspired and helped me with my own determination to do my best and be a little more patient, lol! I finished 2007 still being a "Night-owl," but I had a good excuse as I just wanted to watch all the fireworks my neighbors were sending up, all around the big hayfield behind my home! It was a great view for FREE, lol! Sooo, now I'm ready and determined to try to be good and follow these guidelines closely for this new year, so I can be as close as I possible to where I want to be by this time next year...!

I'd like to wish everybody a:

HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!!

Gonna' be GREAT in 2008!!!!!

Original Post by strikez:

Interesting info, but your nutritionist was feeding you a bunch of diet myths.    The thermic effect of food (TEF) is about 10% of your calorie intake.  So if you eat all your calories in one meal or six it makes no difference.  

If eating several small meals works for you, than keep doing it.  Obesity results from an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure.  Eating more frequently will not increase your energy expenditure, but it will increase your caloric intake.

Sorry, but your information is incomplete and misleading.  Thermic effect was only one of several items noted.  It is not the be-all, end-all reason for eating several small meals per day, and the OP didn't imply that at all.  So yeah, eating all your calories in one meal or six may not make a difference for thermic effect, but it DOES make a difference, particularly in blood sugar regulation/insulin production, which has a HUGE effect on appetite/food cravings/bingeing, and therefore on weight control.

Eating more frequently will NOT increase your caloric intake if you do it the way the nutritionist suggested, which is to take your daily allotment of calories (let's say 1500 for me, for example) and instead of eating three 500 claorie meals, eat five 300 calorie meals.

You should have read the OP more carefully before you made your post.  Your information is WRONG and more dangerous than the "diet myths" this medical professional is supposedly touting.  Granted, not everything works the same for every individual, but the information in the OP is overall good and solid.

Thanks for taking the time to share this helpful information.

Original Post by stellajo:

Sorry, but your information is incomplete and misleading.  Thermic effect was only one of several items noted.  It is not the be-all, end-all reason for eating several small meals per day, and the OP didn't imply that at all.  So yeah, eating all your calories in one meal or six may not make a difference for thermic effect, but it DOES make a difference, particularly in blood sugar regulation/insulin production, which has a HUGE effect on appetite/food cravings/bingeing, and therefore on weight control.

Eating more frequently will NOT increase your caloric intake if you do it the way the nutritionist suggested, which is to take your daily allotment of calories (let's say 1500 for me, for example) and instead of eating three 500 claorie meals, eat five 300 calorie meals.

You should have read the OP more carefully before you made your post.  Your information is WRONG and more dangerous than the "diet myths" this medical professional is supposedly touting.  Granted, not everything works the same for every individual, but the information in the OP is overall good and solid.

I read the OP carefully, and found a fault in the logic.  I noted a few times that spreading out meals does aid in satiety control - but it does not give a metabolic advantage.  You are correct about insulin - Eating several meals causes insulin to be released several times during the day.  During the first three hours after a meal, insulin is in charge of storing the calories from the food we have eaten. During this time we are not in 'fat-burning mode'. Even low-calorie snacks stimulate insulin release.  

Look up positive nitrogen balance - then tell me what eating frequent meals has to do with consuming more nitrogen than is excreted. 

The OP is full of myths - but so is most diet information. 

The premise of the OP:

"But the amazing thing about eating frequently is that IT MAKES YOU BURN MORE CALORIES! Five or six meals a day accelerates your body's natural rate of burning. "

That is not true.  As I said in numerous replies.  Consumption does NOT increase energy expenditure - activity does. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to copy this lengthy report to help others. It's the best end of the year present I received, and from a total stranger. That's very precious.

Strikez, when you are - like I was - eating 3 apples a day and gaining, no matter how much exercise you do (I was cycling one hour a day at 25 mph), you'll understand it's not all a matter of what comes in and what goes out. Your body is not a machine. It's alive and wants to survive, in spite of what you do to it. If you spend hours without feeding it, it will get into the habit of working on a shoestring budget and of storing EVERY single calorie you can't use immediately. So you eat 1500 calories in one meal a day and it will store most of these, burning your muscle mass - NOT your stored fat - at the end of the starvation period... 

After years of frustration, I am now eating six 300 calories meals a day and have lost 8 pounds in the past 2 months, without upping my exercise log. That beats the 3 apples a day, believe me. Now, keep on telling us it's not possible and I'll think about it while munching on my next meal.

Happy New Year everyone! 

 

Original Post by schaufel:

Strikez, when you are - like I was - eating 3 apples a day and gaining, no matter how much exercise you do (I was cycling one hour a day at 25 mph), you'll understand it's not all a matter of what comes in and what goes out. Your body is not a machine. It's alive and wants to survive, in spite of what you do to it. If you spend hours without feeding it, it will get into the habit of working on a shoestring budget and of storing EVERY single calorie you can't use immediately. So you eat 1500 calories in one meal a day and it will store most of these, burning your muscle mass - NOT your stored fat - at the end of the starvation period... 

After years of frustration, I am now eating six 300 calories meals a day and have lost 8 pounds in the past 2 months, without upping my exercise log. That beats the 3 apples a day, believe me. Now, keep on telling us it's not possible and I'll think about it while munching on my next meal.

 

It is dangerous to perpetuate the thought that consumption plays a major role in energy expenditure.   Consumption plays a vital role in providing nutrients, energy and fluids.  A healthy balanced diet is essential and important in weight loss. 

How does eating three apples a day equate to eating three sensible meals?  I challenge anybody to eat only three apples a day - and gain weight.   Claiming it happened is exactly why myths like this exist. 

Of course the human body is not a machine, but it cannot add mass without a surplus of calories.  Consumption does NOT increase energy expenditure, activity does.

This is my last post in this thread, if you have any questions or comments, please send me an email. 

Thanks for the information, this is my first day using this tool and I really appreciate your sharing freely.  I am truly greatful and looking forward to losing weight sensibly.

This information is actually taken directly from a book called "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" by Tom Venuto.

I suggest anyone wanting to loose weight should read the whole thing!

Starsedge, I was right with you.  I knew this info looked familar.  Good to go by though.

Really????

I got it as a hand-out from my Nutritionist, connected to the Wesley Medical Center, as part of their 'Health and Wellness Center.' (It is one of our 2 local hospitals, and it shares part of the large parking area with the Wellness Center.) If she agreed with and used his book, I'd like to know. It would re-enforce the good reports I've heard about that book!

I'd love to buy it, but I simply can't at this time. I'd love knowing I was given part of it to benefit from it while I can't buy it. However, the info is basic and effective if we use it all properly- I'm doing better on the "Night-Owl' problem! I believe it was taught in the training these professionals use- because it is sound and works. Some 'Reasons Why' may be disproved tomorrow- but it is working, regardless of the real reasons why.  

Maybe they'll figure out all the answers eventually, but I'd rather do what works now, rather than wait and see if they do! Lol!!!

I really wish I could read that whole book!!!

   

Original Post by strikez:

I totally agree with finding what works for you and sharing with others.  Spreading out calories is not a bad thing, but it is not a better thing.  If it helps you control cravings that is one thing, but it does not enhance metabolism, especially the thermic effect of food (TEF).  It is still a matter of calories in vs calories out.  I am 47 so I understand a slowing metabolism, but activity dictates burn, not the consumption of food.

I think you are harping on the reference to TEF in her original post. While it's true that eating once or six times a day has zero effect on TEF, it's not a change in TEF that makes eating more often result in more weightloss.

The biggest reason eating more often produces more weigh loss is because as the sugar level of the blood gets higher, the body naturally produces insulin to bring the level back down. The higher the blood sugar level is the, more insulin the body produces. A meal of 700-800 calories will produce a higher blood sugar level which naturally results in a higher production of insulin. Insulin's job is to reduce the blood sugar level by pulling the energy from the sugar in the blood and storing it as fat. The more insulin there is, the faster this is accomplished. The result is that two to three hours after you've eaten, insulin has done it's job. The blood sugar level is back to normal. Regardless of whether you've eaten 300 calories or 800 calories, two to three hours later insulin is done doing it's job.

But the person who has eaten the 700-800 caloris is in a different position than the person who ate the 300-400 calories. Both have been brought back down to the same energy level, which is the moment where the body begins realizing it needs more energy. The person who only eats 2-3 times a day won't be eating for at least a few more hours. So until that person eats again the body has to get all of the calories it needs from fat storage, which is the same location insulin just stored the energy it took from the blood just minutes earlier. Mathmatically, this is a wash. A calorie is a calorie, and TEF hasn't changed. In fact it might as well be a calorie that you just ate three hours ago in lieu of a calorie that's been stored as fat for a long time. But since the body is now getting all of its energy from fat for the next few hours thanks to insulin regulating the blood sugar level, the body begins to slow its metabolism down. Not exactly a full starvation mode, but the beginning stages pretty much.

The 300-400 calorie eater however, is ready to eat another 300-400 calories. Eating 300-400 calories every few hours works because that's pretty much how long insulin takes to work. No matter how many calories you eat your body will produce enough insulin to break it down in about 2 to 3 hours. At that point if the body has to go to its fat storage to get all its energy, metabolism will slow down, but the 6 times a day eater can keep the metabolism going at peak rate the whole day long. The person can still burn a good 1000 calories from their storage of fat, but the body is never in a position where all it's energy is coming from fat storage.

I have to agree with strikez about the eating-frequently strategy. It can work for some, but studies show it works *just* as good as eating three meals a day.

In fact, splitting calories up into three meals tends to increase leptin more effectively, which is responsible for curbing appetite for hours. When I eat only three meals, I can go for up to 6 hours without being hungry again (not that I do... it's just that I could!). When I eat more frequently, I'm never sated and feel constantly hungry and get headaches. Just doesn't work for me!!

So this is one thing that if it works for you, great!! If it doesn't, then try three meals a day instead.