Eating more often doesn't mean eating more; in fact, you may end up eating less. The less time you have between meals, the less likely you'll be to overeat. Eating more often also keeps your metabolism up. Eating three meals and two snacks a day is an effective way to stay healthy and manage your weight.
Better Blood Glucose Levels
Not taking in food for long periods, such as eating only once a day or skipping breakfast, can lead to a physiologic response that promotes fat storage, writes dietician Katherine Zeratsky at MayoClinic.com. Eating every few hours helps keep your blood sugar levels steady, avoiding spikes that can lead to weight gain.
Less Hunger
If you skip breakfast, you might go as long as 18 hours between dinner and lunch the next day. This leads to extreme hunger and taking portions you don't need to feel full. Once you've paid for or prepared a large portion of food, you may feel that you need to clean your plate to avoid having to throw away food. A healthy breakfast and midmorning snack will make you less likely to splurge at lunch. Add an afternoon snack and you'll be less likely to overeat at dinner, since you've already eaten four times.
Better Physical and Mental Performance
Keeping balanced blood sugar levels and supplying your body with the proper amount of nutrients helps your physical performance, mood and mental acuity. Working long hours without food, especially if you're not moving, can lead to sluggishness, irritability and an inability to focus. Spread carbohydrates, proteins and fat intake throughout the day to stay on an even mental and physical plateau.
Calorie Distribution
Because of the time between dinner and breakfast, your first meal of the morning may be your most important. Physical exertion with too little glycogen can lead to your body metabolizing muscle, rather than fat, to create the glycogen you need. Your breakfast calories should be equal to or larger than the amount you eat for lunch and dinner. Your snacks should be 100 to 200 calories, depending on your daily needs. A distribution of 2,000 calories might be 500 for breakfast and lunch, 200 each for your two snacks and 600 for dinner. Another option would be to eat five 400-calorie meals or snacks.
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