3 big meals - the truth

[Dr Chin Up]

I eat 3-4 large meals a day instead of 6-7 smaller meals due to convienience. I get my daily caloric & protein requirements in these meals (about 11,000kj).
I've read the theory behind more frequent smaller meals on this site and others. But how much of a difference does it REALLY make for the average 65kg guy looking to gain muscle and get stronger?
 Is high meal frequency more of  a "1 percenter " employed by the elite (which i am not)?
Your help is appreciated

[Mehdi]

Unless you're going the fasting routine, you're better of with 6-7 meals per day than 3-4 large meals. I don't know how much you sleep, but at 8h sleep per night, 3-4 meals is 4hours without food. I need food directly after I workout and 1hour after workout (just hungry). So leaves only like 2 meals for the rest of the day with your schedule.

[Dr Chin Up]

I sleep about 9hrs. So it is spaced like this:
930am - breakfast
1030am- workout
12pm- mother of all lunches!! (biggest meal of day eg. 3 cups steamed rice, 5-8 chicken drumsticks, 3 fruits, mixed nuts)
430pm- snack
Go to university
9pm- dinner
midnight - sleep
Repeat!
 

[Mehdi]

I think there's too much time between meals starting 12pm to 9pm. How tall are you, how much do you weigh, how much do you squat and what are your goals?

[Dr Chin Up]

Yes fair point mehdi.
I'm 180cm/5'11, 66kg looking to get to lean 75kg and be much stronger. At the moment i aim to:
squat 100kg
deadlift 100kg
No idea how long it will take though.
I've been lifting (at a proper gym) for 3 weeks and am reinforcing technique - starting strength 2nd ed. should be delivered here within a month
Yesterday i squatted 60kg 4x10 and it was very hard to finish the reps. I will go on 5x5 [minus the pushing exercises (=shol. injury)] next week.
 

[Mehdi]

If you want to get to 75kg, first thing is to eat more. Honnestly at 1m80, I think you should even go for 80kg. I'm 73-75kg at 1m73 and I'm considered a light weight.
Adding meals will help getting your calories 60kg Squat is a good start, get it to 100kg that will help the muscle mass. But make sure you eat (refer to this week post on getting big)

[chris7687]

If you guys are fitting all your nutrition into 3 meals, it makes me question whether you are actually eating enough. I try and eat close to 4000 calories a day and I spread it out through about 5 meals.

All science aside, has anyone ever eaten over 1000 calories in a sitting? It's quite a load to carry around. I don't need science to tell me that it slows me down and makes me tired, I can definately tell. Not to mention you have the feeling of all that food sitting in your belly, waiting in line to get digested.

[Leanstrong]

If you guys are fitting all your nutrition into 3 meals, it makes me question whether you are actually eating enough. I try and eat close to 4000 calories a day and I spread it out through about 5 meals.

All science aside, has anyone ever eaten over 1000 calories in a sitting? It's quite a load to carry around. I don't need science to tell me that it slows me down and makes me tired, I can definitely tell. Not to mention you have the feeling of all that food sitting in your belly, waiting in line to get digested.

Very true, I personally eat about 4 meals a day because larger meals do tend to give me a "food coma" feeling. However for all the benefits that 6 smaller meals give, "boosting your metabolism" is not one of them. If someone is trying to loose weight, he/she will loose no more weight cutting her meals in half and spreading them throughout the day than if she/he put all those meals together and ate them all in one meal. Is that practical? no. But in my opinion, eating six times a day isn't practical either.

[satyricon]

I eat only 2 large meals a day breakfast and dinner. in between i snack on fruit and nuts and milk. i also use a shake that i sip on throughout the day(1 cup powdered milk,1 scoop muscle milk,1 scoop ultimate meal,1 tblsp olive oil or udos choice oils) i use bcaas pre and post w/o,plus a mix of milk,coconut milk and pineapple juice right before dinner.

[Love_Deadlifts]

I eat only 2 large meals a day breakfast and dinner. in between i snack on fruit and nuts and milk. i also use a shake that i sip on throughout the day(1 cup powdered milk,1 scoop muscle milk,1 scoop ultimate meal,1 tblsp olive oil or udos choice oils) i use bcaas pre and post w/o,plus a mix of milk,coconut milk and pineapple juice right before dinner.

Eating and snacking are the same thing

[eLvarouza]

Depends what your goals are. Studies have been done that show 3-4 large meals per day are superior for mass gains. Someone posted a link to one on Rippetoe's forum that I can't look for right now. If you're trying to gain weight though it's not too incredibly complicated: shove milk, meat, and vegetables into your mouth.

[holvoetn]

Using SL5x5 since 2 months now 2 times a week, progressing quite nice.
I am also 1m80, I weigh 83kg (lost 6 kg from April to July simply paying attention to what I eat) and can since last week say that I can squat triple digits in kilo
I eat at least 5 times a day, usually 6, sometimes 7. 3 meals are considered 'big', the rest is fruit, yoghurt with fruit, nuts, the usual stuff...
I am however stuck at that weight for some months now though my wife simply can not believe what I eat every day.
Since last week I am focusing to increase the intake of milk (skimmed since I am not looking to gain fat, I am mainly interested in increasing the protein intake).

I agree 65kg for 1m80 is too low. 80kg is about normal, at least or you will look too skinny. Heck, I already get complaints from my family I am getting too skinny and I am 3 kg over that target

[eLvarouza]

Since last week I am focusing to increase the intake of milk (skimmed since I am not looking to gain fat, I am mainly interested in increasing the protein intake).

Fat does not make you gain fat. An excessive caloric surplus does. If you need a greater caloric surplus, which it sounds like you do since you want to gain weight, perhaps you should change the type of milk you drink.

[holvoetn]

Apologies to the original poster for 'hijacking' this thread:

Since last week I am focusing to increase the intake of milk (skimmed since I am not looking to gain fat, I am mainly interested in increasing the protein intake).

Fat does not make you gain fat. An excessive caloric surplus does. If you need a greater caloric surplus, which it sounds like you do since you want to gain weight, perhaps you should change the type of milk you drink.

I am not really looking to gain weight just for gaining weight.
I'd like to swap fat for muscle (doesn't everyone want to ?)
A goal I am trying to achieve to make sure I get plenty of protein, required for muscle build-up, and not that much fat (I am far from eating fat free, mind you ...I do get my share)

Up til now I think I am doing good since my ab area is really starting to become visible (not the six-pack part, the outline). I am also steadily progressing with the SL5x5 program.
Current stats:
BodyWeight: 83kg
Sq: 100kg
Bench 62.5 kg
Press 42.5 kg
DL 85 kg
Row 50 kg
Pushups weighted 25kg for 5x5
Chins 5x5 easily, will start weighted
pulls 5x5 on a good day
On the other hand, there is that tool at my gym to measure bodyfat and it already indicates 29% for some months now as well. So how can that be ? Where is that fat stored ? I have no belly anymore, no noticeable love-handles anymore, I even already had to let most of my costume pants make smaller by 2 sizes ... where is that fat then ?

[satyricon]

I eat only 2 large meals a day breakfast and dinner. in between i snack on fruit and nuts and milk. i also use a shake that i sip on throughout the day(1 cup powdered milk,1 scoop muscle milk,1 scoop ultimate meal,1 tblsp olive oil or udos choice oils) i use bcaas pre and post w/o,plus a mix of milk,coconut milk and pineapple juice right before dinner.

Eating and snacking are the same thing

eating large meals and snacking are far from the same thing my friend