Have you ever heard of fitness trainers who ask you to time your meals a certain way to lose weight? In many ways, it makes sense. After all, we live in a world where we schedule almost everything to stay on track. Take social media as an example. If you want to stay on track of your social media, you get a social media management tool with a scheduler and start seeing the results in your engagement. So, it follows that if scheduling social media content would work wonders, so would timing your meals! At least many people think so.

Here is the big question: Do you think meal frequency has anything to do with weight loss? If you time your meals, will you be a step closer to your goals? We discuss meal timing in this guide to help you understand how this concept works:

Is Meal Frequency a Key Factor in Health and Fitness Goals?

For many years, people have been told many things about when they should eat. For example, I have had clients who told me that they avoid eating late at night as such timings interfere with their weight loss goals. Is it true?

Not at all! Your meal frequency depends on the following things:

• Your Schedule: Someone who starts their day at eight in the morning will have a different frequency from someone who starts theirs at five. For example, the person who starts their day at five may need to have breakfast by six to quell their hunger pangs and may need to have more meals to balance their energy levels while the person who wakes up at eight probably needs fewer meals. Of course, this also depends on the number of hours you are awake.
• Your Hunger Levels: If you believe in intuitive eating (which I support to a certain extent), you know that hunger cues are the best determinants of whether you should eat. If you often get hungry, eating several small meals may help you balance your energy levels. But for someone who only gets hungry towards evening, you can have one big meal and call it a day.
• Your Health Concerns: Some people can have one big meal and feel okay. But others, e.g., people with GERD, must have small meals to prevent reflux. In this case, you would need to spread your meals to prevent any adverse reactions.

Let’s consider example meal frequencies:

1. 6 Meals a Day: People with gastrointestinal issues may need to eat frequently to ensure they manage their symptoms. Such a person may have a meal at 9 am, 11 am, 2 pm, 4 pm, 6 pm and 8 pm. Generally, people with underlying gastrointestinal issues need to stop eating at least three hours before bed.
2. One Meal a Day: Intermittent fasters and people who only get hungry once a day may prefer one big meal to meet their needs. For example, someone may eat only dinner and feel that’s enough to last them the whole day.

Meal Frequency: How to Time Your Meals

The truth is that frequency has no bearing on your health and fitness goals if you consider the following:

• Your calorie needs: You should eat enough to meet your resting metabolic rate to avoid stressing your body. Start by calculating your maintenance calorie needs and reduce or increase your calorie intake based on your goals.
• Your macros: Whether you eat once or have ten meals a day, you should balance your macros to meet your needs. You can learn more about this here.
• Your health: If underlying health conditions require you to eat smaller amounts of food, consider this when planning your meal frequency to avoid overwhelming your body.

Once you have these down to an art, you can eat whenever you want and you will be fine!

Breaking Down How to Time Your Meals

We have covered that meal frequency has no bearing on your fitness and health goals if you consider your health condition, calorie needs, and macro balance. What about timing? Is there a science to it? It only matters in the following instances:

• People who work out: Working out on a full stomach is uncomfortable. However, working out on an empty one can result in the loss of muscle mass. As such, if you are working out, ensure you plan your pre and post-workout meals. Usually, a protein shake should serve this purpose but you can get creative with your protein sources.
• People with underlying health conditions: If you have a gastrointestinal issue, have had surgery, or have any reason why meal timing should be a priority, then you must abide by the recommendations. For example, people with GERD must eat at least three hours before going to bed; else, they will get reflux.
• Comfort: You should also consider how your body feels after you have had a meal. Some people prefer eating early as this helps them sleep better. Others like having their breakfast late as an early start does not favor them. You know your body best.

Consider the factors above and decide the best way to time your meals. If you need help with your meal planning, you can always reach me via email at dee@deemanded.com.