In order to achieve the figure of their dreams, men and women take desperate steps. They exhaust themselves with prolonged physical activity and exhausting diets. In fact, among the many ways to lose weight, you need to choose the most suitable one. Eating five meals a day for weight loss may be one of them.
Basic principles of eating five meals a day for weight loss
Before proceeding directly to the description of an approximate menu for five meals a day, it makes sense to describe the basic rules, adherence to which will help you make this method of losing weight the most effective.
First. Let's say you divide your day into five meals. Among them, three main ones need to be highlighted - breakfast, lunch and dinner, and two additional ones: possibly a second breakfast and an afternoon snack. It does not matter what additional meals there are, the main thing is that they do not take place very late. At the same time, you absolutely cannot skip the three main meals. They are the ones who provide your body with the maximum amount of energy.
Second. Watch your feelings, you should not feel hungry. Therefore, distribute 5 meals a day for weight loss evenly throughout the day. For example, no more than 2-3 hours should pass between meals.
Third. Choose small portions. If you have already divided your day into several meals, then you should eat less. The feeling of slight satiety will come in handy.
Fourth. Try to distribute your diet in such a way that you consume the most high-calorie foods in the first half. And leave light snacks, salads and low-fat dairy products for the evening.
Fifth. The majority of your diet should consist of fruits, vegetables, and cereals. This doesn't mean you have to give up meat or poultry. If you boil or stew them, it will be much healthier for your body than if you fry it.
Sixth. If at some point you are drawn to very high-calorie foods, then try not to give yourself any slack and opt for complex carbohydrates. Eat, for example, buckwheat or pasta (the portion should be small).
Seventh. Your daily diet must include fiber; it is found mostly in apples, cabbage and cereals.
Eighth. Your daily diet should also include foods containing Omega-3, such as fish, walnuts, cereals or muesli.
Ninth. Drink as much fluid as possible. Be sure to drink one glass of cold water on an empty stomach in the morning, so you will feel full for two to three hours. Green tea, homemade fruit juice and low-fat fermented milk products are also welcome.
Tenth. Try to plan your meals during the day so that your last meal is no later than 3 hours before bedtime. It is important! Otherwise, carbohydrates and fats will not have time to be digested and will be deposited in your body, and this is already excess weight.
As a separate piece of advice, I would like to highlight calorie counting. It would be good if you keep a special notebook where you will count the number of calories you eat per day/week/month. As practice shows, a notebook taking into account calories can also act as a psychological factor. If you see that there is too much written into it for one small day, then you will think carefully about whether you should eat something else.
Sample menu for five meals a day
Of course, if you have any knowledge in the field of nutrition, you can create your own menu of 5 meals a day for weight loss, taking into account your own culinary preferences. The menu can and should be as varied as possible. Here is an approximate menu of five meals a day for one day:
The first meal (first breakfast) is a glass of freshly squeezed juice, any one fruit or a small plate of whole grain porridge (if you are planning a busy day, then you can eat all of the above for your first breakfast).
Second meal (second breakfast):
Option 1. Low-fat yogurt, any fruit or light salad.
Option 2. Sandwich with bread and vegetables, low-fat cottage cheese or chicken egg, coffee with milk without sugar.
Third meal (lunch): for the first meal, prepare yourself a vegetable soup in beef or chicken broth, small pieces of meat are acceptable, for the second - a small piece of boiled or stewed meat, or chicken with vegetables, for the third - any dessert, green tea or freshly squeezed juice .
Fourth meal (afternoon snack): you can use any ingredients that make up the first and second breakfast. Try to alternate the afternoon snack menu every day, while lunch can be the same.
Fifth meal (dinner): vegetable soup (from lunch), vegetable or fruit salad. For dinner, you can also treat yourself to a small piece of muffin or low-calorie cake with tea or coffee without sugar.
Benefits of eating five meals a day for weight loss
From the above menu, you could already conclude that sticking to such a diet is not difficult, even if you belong to the category of people who really love to eat.
Eating five meals a day has many benefits:
- You can eat almost whatever your heart desires, just in small doses and at your own time. This is an undoubted advantage, because the psychological component of a person is as follows: what you always want most is what is forbidden. And if you know in advance that you can eat anything, then the temptation to eat fatty and unhealthy foods will be small.
- Eating five meals a day has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Everyone knows that overeating is fraught with various consequences, in particular, constipation and flatulence. And small portions five times a day will quickly be digested, absorbed and eliminated from the body. This means that excess fats and carbohydrates will not linger and turn into additional pounds.
- Five meals a day can be varied and this is its main advantage. Often, it is especially difficult for men and women to follow a diet for the reason that they have to forcefully eat foods, or constantly eat the same thing. By following the principles described above, which include eating a variety of foods, there is a good chance that you will still be able to lose weight.
- If you systematically start drinking five times a day, your stomach will begin to get used to small portions. Thus, it will decrease in size, and the feeling of hunger will torment you much less often and not as strongly as it was before.
- Small portions improve metabolism in the body. Therefore, fats and carbohydrates will be excreted almost immediately after intake.
If you have a special event planned that requires you to lose weight as soon as possible, then, as an option, you can drink special cocktails. You need to use them the same 5 times a day. Of course, if you introduce one of the following drinks into your diet, then the volume of your diet will be significantly reduced.
Sample cocktail recipes for five times weight loss
Strawberry banana smoothie. To prepare you will need a blender. Mix 2-3 small bananas, 6-7 large strawberries and low-fat yogurt in it. You can also add some freshly squeezed citrus juice to the blender.
Next, you will need flax seeds. Add them to the resulting mixture and mix it all thoroughly in a blender again. Pour the smoothie into glasses and leave the drink to steep for 10-15 minutes. It should be consumed cold, so you can add a few pieces of ice.
Lime and carrot smoothie. Agree, it’s a strange combination, however, it is very healthy and low in calories. Cut the carrots into small slices. Make freshly squeezed juice from other carrots. Finely chop the lemon and prepare lemon juice and small pieces of lime.
Thoroughly mix all the ingredients in a blender, then dilute the resulting sour cream and mix everything again. The smoothie is ready to drink. It is very nutritious and therefore can serve as an independent dish.
Hello body rockers.
Some of you guys have written that eating 5 times a day is problematic for you, so Freddie and I have prepared some tips and techniques that can make this task easier.
Most people eat 3 times a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner. With our new 5 Week Diet Program we are moving towards 5 meals a day by adding 2 more meals to your daily schedule. These two new intermediate meals are added between breakfast and lunch, and between lunch and dinner.
Problem The problem is that for most people, these extra meals come while they are working or doing other very important things. In order to solve this problem and keep your metabolism at a high level, you will need some forethought. This task is quite achievable if you prepare for it in advance.
Reasons for switching to 5 meals a day
Eating at regular intervals boosts your metabolism, regulates blood sugar levels, and helps you maintain muscle mass, thereby helping you burn excess fat. This is a key requirement for achieving a muscular body and something you should seriously consider and embrace.
How to find time for an “in-between” meal
Let's start with the condition that you have breakfast and dinner at home. You can grab an extra snack on the go, especially if you're in a hurry, or eat a separate meal prepared in advance for that day. Let's look at how you can organize these extra three meals.
Preparatory work
Healthy eating requires special attention and discipline. Therefore, joining the club of body rockers who eat 5 times a day requires some preparatory work. Because everything starts with food, then your number one task is to stock up on all the necessary food. I've read that some people prefer to prepare a whole week's worth of food on Sundays and pack it in containers. All they then need to do before leaving is to take the container with them. If this method works for you, great. Personally, I like to do this daily, setting aside time in the morning to fold and pack my food.
Interval nutrition
If you follow our workouts, then you know that most training programs are based on intervals. The device that we use for this and without which we can no longer imagine our lives is the Gymboss interval timer. Freddie and I started using our timers for intermittent eating as well. We set the timer for 3 hours and when we heard the signal, we knew it was time to eat. Using a timer really helps you get used to this new eating schedule because if you're busy or in a rush to get somewhere, you might easily forget about everything or start eating at the wrong time. Start using a timer and get into the habit of eating intervals.
At work
If you have a refrigerator at work and some free shelf space, then that's great. Buy yourself a few small plastic food containers and take your food with you to work. If you do not have the opportunity to use a stationary refrigerator at work, then the best option is to buy a compact small refrigerator and take it with you. Place it under your desk and turn on the timer. This option is especially suitable for people who, by the nature of their work, are constantly in the car, for example sales agents or couriers.
Nutrition
I've noticed that when you tell people they should eat 5 meals a day, they tend to think of it as 5 meals a day with 7 courses. It is not right. When I say meal, I mean one palm-sized serving of protein (or two palms if you're a guy) and two cups of chopped vegetables, or one cup of chopped vegetables and one small piece of fruit. That's right. Everything else - a tablecloth on the table, elegant china, silverware and candles is at your discretion. We're talking about healthy eating on the road, not turkey dinners.
Picture this - a fresh baby carrot, some celery, some herbs, a diced tomato, an apple - all wrapped up and neatly arranged in your mini-fridge. Chicken breast, some canned tuna, turkey chunks, some beans and you're back on track.
Fallback option
If you know that you will have a hard day at work today and will have absolutely no time to sit down and have a normal snack, then you can use nutritional supplements. Natural, fresh food is always best, but when it comes to extremes, nutritional supplements can save you. There are several vegetarian supplements on the market that are recommended by ISSA, including Greens+. You can also look into quality protein supplements that you can mix with water and make protein shakes. This option can save you when you have absolutely no time and no other way to eat normally during the day.
Eating in restaurants
If your job involves frequent visits to restaurants (or lunch often takes you on the road), then your task is to start thinking beyond the menu. Don't be afraid to ask for something that isn't on the menu. Most restaurants will allow you to place a personal order. If you see a grilled chicken breast, walk past your table with ten pizzas covered in melted cheese, and directly ask for grilled chicken breast with salad.
Feel free to ask and ask for healthier food instead of what is offered - after all, you are paying for it. Also remember that not all salads are healthy. You should not immediately agree to Caesar salad just because the waitress recommends it to you. Ask for a simple green vegetable salad, and after the waiter offers you a choice of 10 rich, juicy salad dressings, ask him to simply add oil and vinegar.
Challenge for bodyrockers
The biggest problem is not how exactly you will provide a solution to this problem, but the nasty voice that arises in your thoughts. If you are already thinking - wait... Will I have to chop the vegetables every day and bag them?- this voice resists your desire to work hard on yourself and prevents you from improving. Yes, this technique requires more time, more attention and more willpower, but that is why it is called a challenge and not fun. This approach requires just as much blood, sweat and tears as the workouts we do at BodyRock.Tv. This approach to diet builds your character and willpower. This is a challenge just for body rockers.
All the best,
Zuzana
Of all the rules for leading a healthy lifestyle: do not move and eat at least 5-6 times a day - it is the latter that is most often ignored. Long breaks between meals due to being overly busy are a common occurrence for most workers. As a result, many of them eat less often, consume much larger portions of high-calorie foods, and gain weight.
Nutritionists and sports medicine specialists recommend that people who are prone to obesity pay attention to fractional meals for weight loss. Reviews of those losing weight advise not to perceive this system as another debilitating diet, but to become familiar with the mechanism of its effect on the body and just change your pattern of intake and the amount of food consumed. What does this give to a person and how to use fractional meals for weight loss? Easy, useful and accessible to everyone!
What is the fractional nutrition method?
The myth that you can save calories by eating 1-2 times a day is wrong. Long breaks between meals cause a ravenous appetite, promote high-calorie snacks (tea with sweets and buns or fast food), as well as the accumulation of fatty tissue in the body.
On the contrary, split meals 5-8 times a day in small portions calm the body, help it adapt to proper and fast metabolism, normalize weight and improve well-being. It’s not for nothing that this healthy diet was invented for people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases. Very soon, nutritionists realized that fractional meals cope well with excess weight and consolidate the result for a long time.
Fractional meals for weight loss: rules
There are two types of fractional meals. The first method assumes that a person will eat, at the first sign of hunger, very small portions of low-calorie foods (for example, pieces of fresh non-starchy vegetables with 30-40 g of boiled beef or chicken breast). The serving size will be no larger than a matchbox, but the number of meals can reach 8 times. The disadvantage of this practice of fractional nutrition may be the inability to distinguish physiological hunger from psychological or ordinary feelings of thirst.
Therefore, a method involving 5-6 split meals a day for weight loss has become more popular, the advantages of which are due to clear planning of the diet and time intervals. Breakfast within 40-60 minutes after waking up with the presence of difficult-to-digest complex carbohydrates is considered mandatory. It will help “wake up” your metabolism and speed up its reactions throughout the day. Three-hour breaks between meals and snacks will prevent the body from getting hungry and slowing down the metabolism.
How to create a fractional meal menu? Which products should I include?
The menu is distributed so that there is a period of time between meals of no more than 2.5-3 hours, while the calorie content is constantly reduced to the required norm. The daily dose of calories that fractional meals allow for weight loss is regulated by reviews of those losing weight at 1200-1600 kcal. It is not recommended to decrease or increase it on your own, since an increased nutritional value of the diet will lead to a waste of efforts to lose weight, and a decreased amount will lead to the body panicking and saving calories “in reserve.” In this case, the person’s well-being will noticeably deteriorate. Weakness, nausea, malaise, insomnia are the main companions of incorrect calculation of calories, and weight will not decrease.
Of the required 5-6 meals, you need to provide 3 for meals, 2 for light “snacks”. Those with a “sweet tooth” can only enjoy a teaspoon of honey or 3-5 dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes) in the first half of the day. Fruits are also best eaten before 15:00. In the afternoon - only non-starchy vegetables, green apples (unsweetened varieties) plus protein foods. The serving size ranges from half a glass to a whole glass, which must be strictly adhered to. Great for snacking: vegetables, yoghurts, cheeses, fruits, nuts, eggs.
Variety is key
To supply the body with a sufficient amount of vitamins, minerals and natural fiber, you need to include vegetables, legumes, fruits and berries in your diet. You need to drink at least one and a half to two liters of filtered or still mineral table water per day, but do not mix it with meals, that is, drink it before or after meals. The combination of protein and allows fractional meals for weight loss. The menu for the day and week should be varied, and certainly include carbohydrate-containing foods (including fruits) for the first half of the day, proteins and vegetables for the second.
With fractional nutrition, omega-polyunsaturated acids are required to consume to start the process of lipolysis (breakdown of fats). They are present in many seafood, fish oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil and olive oil. Coconut oil is the leader among similar products in terms of speed of metabolism. When creating a menu, you need to give preference to healthy foods: fruits, vegetables (without starch), quality protein (lean beef, chicken breast, eggs, milk, cottage cheese and other fermented milk products, cereals, whole grain bread, legumes).
What foods are best avoided when eating frequently?
Despite the loyalty of the diet that fractional meals allow for weight loss, reviews of those losing weight do not recommend including processed foods, sausages, mayonnaise and ketchup, fatty, fried, and overly spicy foods. It is also necessary to give up the well-known “enemies of slimness”: baking, various confectionery products and fast food.
This system allows you to combine protein and carbohydrate foods in one meal, however, if you eat them separately, the weight loss process will be more effective.
What are the advantages of a fractional power system?
Thanks to frequent meals, a person does not have to go hungry! This is the only technique that works under the motto: “If you want to lose weight, eat!” Instead of debilitating restrictions, strict prohibitions and deterioration of well-being, it offers normalization of metabolic processes, general improvement of the body and an easy path to a beautiful, slender figure. At the same time, the personal experience of many girls describes the transition to fractional meals for weight loss as unnoticeable. A gradual reduction in caloric intake does not allow you to suffer from hunger; replacing foods with healthier types improves the function of the gastrointestinal tract, which helps not only to part with extra pounds, but also to further maintain the achieved result. Athletes use fractional meals for cutting - getting rid of excess fat while maintaining and increasing muscle mass.
Is fractional nutrition combined with physical activity?
This is one of the main advantages of this weight loss system. Fractional feeding is excellent for the drying process. Despite the slow weight loss, due to the replacement of dense muscle tissue with lighter fatty tissue, during training the volume of the body decreases, it becomes more prominent and graceful.
Who knows everything about fractional meals? The advice given by fitness trainers and athletes is aimed at reducing the amount of fat in the body and increasing muscle tissue. It is impossible to become a bodybuilder by working out on a home gym or 2-3 times a week in the gym, so you should not be afraid of the appearance of overly trained muscles. But it will be easy to remove fat from problem areas through sports and general weight loss.
Sample fractional meal menu for the day
In many grateful reviews from those who, after losing weight, switched to fractional meals as the healthiest system, it is recommended to include any of the porridges in breakfast: buckwheat, oatmeal (cooked in water) or muesli with “zero” yogurt, a sandwich with bran bread and low-fat cheese, as well as fruit (orange or apple). For a snack, you can satisfy your hunger with 1-2 grain breads, a pear and green tea without sugar. For lunch - half a serving (150-200 g) of soup in vegetable or low-fat meat (preferably secondary) broth, 100 g of boiled fish, chicken breast, beef or veal. Instead of soup, you can eat the protein product with a vegetable side dish or assorted greens and fresh vegetables.
In the afternoon, many of those losing weight eat low-fat cottage cheese, tea without sugar and several dried fruits or 20 g of nuts. If you have a split meal, you can have a boiled chicken breast (veal, lean beef, fish, 2 egg whites or rabbit meat) with a side dish or a salad of non-starchy vegetables (cabbage, cucumbers). Before going to bed, you can drink 0.5-1 glass of “zero” kefir.
Eating five times a day can be an effective strategy for maintaining a healthy weight. However, how much weight you can lose by eating small meals five times a day depends on your total calorie intake.
How many calories do you need?
To lose weight you need to consume 500-1000 fewer calories than your normal intake. For example, if you typically eat 2,400 calories daily, you would need to eat 1,400 to 1,900 calories per day to experience weight loss. For an adult to function normally, women need to consume at least 1,200 calories daily, and men need at least 1,500 calories per day.
Divide your daily calories into three meals and two snacks or five small meals a day. For example, if your goal is 1,200 calories daily, that would be five small meals of 240 calories each, or three meals of 300 calories plus two snacks of 150 calories each day. If your goal is to consume 1,500 calories daily, eat five small meals containing 300 calories or three meals a day providing 400 calories, plus two 150-calorie snacks daily.
How much is 1500 calories?
If you choose to consume 1,500 calories, try this low-calorie eating plan. For example, when the meal plan is 1500 calories, you can consume:
one and a half cups of fruit, 60 grams of porridge, 2 teaspoons of butter and 1 glass of dairy products for breakfast;
1 glass of milk with 1 cup of fruit for an afternoon snack; 30 grams of porridge, 1 teaspoon of oil, 2.5 grams of protein food and 1 glass of vegetables for lunch;
1 glass of milk plus 2 teaspoons of butter for an afternoon snack;
60 grams of porridge, 100 grams of protein food and 1 glass of vegetables for dinner.
Sample 1500 calorie menu
Using a 1500 calorie meal plan, you can try the following menu:
- for breakfast: one and a half cups of melon, 1 cup of cooked oatmeal, 60 grams of sliced almonds and 1 cup of skim milk.
- For an afternoon snack, eat 45 grams of full-fat cheese with 1 cup of sliced strawberries.
- A healthy lunch might include 60 grams of grilled salmon, one and a half cups of cooked wheat porridge, 2 cups of greens and 1 tablespoon of salad.
- For an afternoon snack, try 1 cup plain yogurt and 30 grams of mixed nuts.
- a healthy lunch might include 60 grams of grilled chicken breast, 1 cup of steamed broccoli, and 1 cup of brown rice.
- Don't forget to include calories from drinks, medications and supplements in your calculations;
- Keep a copy of your food list in the kitchen so you can plan meals based on the calories you plan to consume;
- Stick to your weight loss plan to avoid overeating calories.
Everyone hears the recommendations of doctors and nutritionists often, but little by little. Everyone knows, but no one follows. And I'm no exception. Was. At the beginning of summer, I received a membership to a fitness club as a gift. At that time, my weight was 58 kg with a height of 167 cm. Not so bad, of course, but there is a little fat on my stomach, cellulite on my hips, and in general my butt and hips are too big. I started going to the gym, the pool and the sauna. And somehow it just happened that the body began to require more protein (which is natural during physical activity). Okay, I increased my consumption. Two months have passed since the start of classes, I would like to see the result, but it is very insignificant, the weight does not go away, the volume and cellulite too, the muscles have really become more or less toned. I understand that I need to change my diet. I read on the Internet that a fitness diet with 5 meals a day is necessary. Somehow I immediately understand that this will suit me, although this method is very different from the way I am used to eating. Having adapted this diet a little, I got the following. The interval between meals is 3 hours, during breaks 1.5 liters of water. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day; you need to give your body the most nutrients it can. Proteins and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins, are required. Do not eat carbohydrates (including fruits) after 17:00. For dinner only protein foods + vegetables.
So: 8.00 breakfast (a little porridge or an egg; a sandwich of wholemeal bread + a little butter, cheese; fruit; coffee (tea))
11.00 second breakfast (yogurt, fruit, maybe tea)
14.00 lunch (soup, bread or protein dish - chicken, fish, lean meat + vegetable side dish or salad)
17.00 afternoon snack (cottage cheese, fruit or vegetable, maybe tea)
20.00 dinner (fresh vegetable salad or stewed vegetables + protein dish - chicken, fish, lean meat, beans, cheese, egg)
With this diet, there is no feeling of strong hunger at all, there are no obsessive thoughts about something tasty, the craving for sweets disappears, and the mood is excellent. By the time dinner comes, you usually don’t feel like eating at all (although before it was quite the opposite), so you eat just a little bit. Great, just super, I really like it! Not comparable to other diets at all.
Result: in less than 2 months, 2 kg of weight were lost, 2 cm from the waist and butt, the stomach became noticeably flatter and cellulite was noticeably reduced. I’m in a pleasant shock, to be honest, I was afraid that, on the contrary, I would get fat from such a diet, because it turns out that now I eat more per day than before (although single portions are small).
There is detailed information about this diet on the Internet. If someone needs to lose a lot of kg, the nutrition principle is the same, but the set of products is slightly different. But in any case, I recommend trying it - simple and effective!