According to the American College of Sports Medicine, eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day enhances your ability to lose weight by increasing your metabolism and giving you more energy to complete everyday tasks. Although small frequent meals help you lose weight, you should consult your physician or a licensed nutritionist to ensure you follow the proper dietary recommendations.
Metabolism
When your metabolism is running higher, your body becomes more efficient at utilizing calories. A faster metabolism means you'll be burning calories at a higher rate, which helps you lose weight. According to the National Federation of Professional Trainer, eating small meals helps increase your metabolism through the thermic effect of eating--or digestion. It's also important to remember that the quality of your small meals can be just as important as the quantity.
Digestion
Smaller meals can be effective in helping you lose weight because when you eat constantly, your digestive system is constantly working to absorb nutrients and manage waste. According to the NFPT, your digestive processes contribute to an average of 20 percent of your overall metabolic functions. Protein tends to require a bit more calories to digest than carbs and fats. This is why your diet should focus on consuming healthy protein sources including lean meats, eggs and legumes.
Insulin and Blood Sugar
Your body can only use so many calories at once. When you overeat, your body generally only has one way to deal with the excess in calories. To store them. Eating too much at one time can dump too much sugar in the blood. This causes high amounts of insulin to be released into the blood stream. The insulin tries to reduce the amount of sugar in the blood as fast as it can. As a result, this sugar gets converted into fat and stored. When you eat smaller meals, sugar in your blood stays level and keeps insulin in check.
Energy Supply
Another benefit of eating smaller meals throughout the day is the constant amount of energy your body has available to complete daily metabolic tasks. When your body has constant fuel, it doesn't have to worry about conserving energy. This keeps your metabolism high and keeps your energy levels from dropping at random hours throughout the day. You're more likely to walk, fidget and move around when you have a constant flow of energy, making it easier to burn calories throughout the day, according to the NFPT.
Quality of Foods
Eating small meals will only be effective if the quality matches the quantity of calories consumed. Eating small meals that are high in saturated fats can eventually have a negative influence on your health and may increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Likewise, meals high in sugar and salt can have negative effects on your blood pressure and your body's ability to produce insulin. Stick to healthy foods such as lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy unsaturated fats.
References
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "Sports Nutrition Manual"; National Federation of Professional Trainers, Mark P. Kelly et al; 2006
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