Fractional nutrition - what it is and how it works

What is fractional nutrition? Firstly, this is not snacking on the go or drinking tea at work. Secondly, this is not the endless consumption of fast food products in small portions. Third, this is not an excuse for late-night binge eating. And if you are assured otherwise, just show your interlocutor this article. Here and now we will try to understand what constitutes fractional scheme nutrition In fact. Moreover, we are ready to answer this question as much as possible. in detail.

What is it really?

A fractional meal plan is an alternative to the classic threesome “breakfast-lunch-dinner”, which involves increasing the frequency of meals while reducing the size of portions. This system involves avoiding snacking between meals, that is, excluding from the diet all kinds of coffee breaks, sweets, tea sandwiches and other sources of extra pounds. Instead of the classic three and an infinite number of snacks, the adherent of the fractional scheme is offered:

• eating food strictly by the clock (every day at the same time), with a frequency of 5-6 times a day;
• small volumes - ideally, a portion should fit into a handful or cupped palms;
• a minimum of salt and sugar - food should please with its natural taste, and not stimulate excessive appetite due to additives;
• healthy foods are included in the menu
• balance of serving components - proteins, fats and carbohydrates must correspond to each other in volume or weight.

This diet leads to normalization of stomach volume. He receives small portions, which are digested without residue, which eliminates flatulence, diarrhea, constipation and other manifestations of excess waste in the gastrointestinal tract. But the most important thing is the absence of hunger attacks. The fractional system teaches regular, portioned meals , and not the absorption of food out of boredom. With this regimen, weight loss is a matter of time. And in this case, you will not need drugs for weight loss - the body itself will do all the work.

What to do if you don’t have the willpower to go on a diet?

How many times have you sworn to yourself: “That’s it, start on a diet from Monday,” and then Monday came, by its evening your fighting spirit was gone, and your promises remained promises. Of course, there are so many temptations around, especially food ones, and you are not one of the cohort of purposeful and strong-willed people. But you can take charge of yourself, even without enormous willpower, you just need to approach the issue of diet with self-hypnosis and the right motivation.

On the other hand, our body is very smart and knows when and what it needs. If he doesn’t “let” you go on a diet, then you probably don’t need a diet. Just try to rebuild your diet, make adjustments to your usual diet. For example:

• drink more drinks that help you lose weight ;
• if all your willpower is limited to a diet for one day, try having fasting days , this way you will lose weight on your own without exposing your body to stress;
• study the lists of the most useful and harmful products and, accordingly, make changes to your menu;
• eat the same thing you ate, but half as much and before 19.00 : this way you will “appease” your willpower a little and help your dreams of a slim figure come true.

The mechanics of losing weight: why we eat five times a day, but still lose weight

Lose weight without dieting! At first glance, this statement looks like a dishonest advertising slogan. However, with a fractional scheme, losing weight is a matter of time, because there are three powerful players on our side:

1. Strict regime - five times a day, and at the same time. With this approach, the stomach begins to work like clockwork, secreting digestive enzymes that dissolve a small portion without leaving a trace. In addition, this regime disciplines the brain, weaning it from the habit of eating for fun.
2. Fixed frequency - the fractional principle assumes reception with a maximum of 4-hour frequency. With this scheme, the stomach and brain do not have time to get hungry, which means eliminating unplanned snacks.
3. Limited volume - this principle involves absorbing no more than 200-300 grams of food at a time. The benefits in this case are more than obvious. A fixed portion means eliminating overeating and the formation of toxins in the intestines.

Add to this only healthy foods, with a reduced content of “net” calories and an increased presence of vitamins, amino acids, and minerals, and you will get the healthiest diet in the world. If you follow its principles , your body will begin to lose excess pounds from the second week. However, sometimes in order to lose significant weight you have to follow a fragmented diet plan for 3-4 months. After all, a person can lose his temper, choose a menu correct , with foods that are too high in calories, refuse to play sports, and make other mistakes that lead to the emergence of myths about the dubious effectiveness of such a diet.

Which method should you choose when fighting hunger while dieting?

You can use at least all the options, or you can use only some as the most effective. I tried almost all the ways to deal with breakdowns during a diet and identified the most effective ones for myself.

Way	Rating on a 5-point scale
Motivation	5
Psychological support	4
Distraction from thoughts about food	5
Correction of diet products	4
Drinking water	3
Snacks	3
Aromatherapy	4
Gifts for yourself	3
Bet	2

In the fight against the psychological mood while dieting, the main things for me were motivation (most often I go on diets in the spring on the eve of the swimming season) and activities that distract me from thoughts about food. Support from loved ones, replacing some diet foods with more favorite ones, and aromatherapy also helped.

Many people decide to go on a diet, but sticking with it until the very end and getting out of it smoothly without breaking down can be very difficult due to the abundance and variety of gastronomic temptations around. But you can use ways to deceive your own nature without much damage to yourself.

Mythical arguments against fragmentation of the diet

“Why do I eat and not lose weight?” - this is the main question of skeptics who oppose the fragmented menu . Agree, the very formulation of the question seems somewhat provocative. But there have already been many “scientific” justifications for it, convincing of zero benefit from such a diet. Here's what the skeptics say:

1. Eating often does not mean losing weight. Human metabolism cannot be accelerated artificially. If you want to lose weight , get ready for prolonged hunger strikes.
2. Small portions are harmful - under such conditions it is very difficult to calculate the balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The result of the imbalance will be the accumulation of adipose tissue, due to a bias towards carbohydrates or fats, and loss of muscle mass ( insulin resistance and gluconeogenesis have not been canceled).
3. Not everyone has time for snacks every 4 hours - no employer will like this diet. There is no benefit .

In fact, laboratory experiments prove that it is possible to speed up metabolism by 20%. And the problem of BJU balance is solved by eating according to a strict menu , which includes dishes with the same amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The situation over time is generally far-fetched. With the full approval of coffee breaks by any company, this argument looks ridiculous. However, this does not mean that crushed breakfast-lunch-dinners do not have a dark side. It’s just that the main pros and cons of such a menu look completely different.

What do you need to know before going on a diet to lose weight?

Dietary restrictions are not always good for everyone. First of all, it is important not to harm your body through diet. Therefore, before you go on a diet, make sure that:

• you are absolutely healthy, in particular, you have never complained about the functioning of your stomach or intestines;
• you do not suffer from constipation with a normal diet, since constipation is a companion to most diets;
• you are not pregnant or planning to become pregnant;
• if you are a nursing mother, make sure your baby is getting enough breast milk;
• Strict diets are contraindicated for a growing body; it is enough to simply streamline your diet.

In addition, there are certain periods when you go on a diet during which you will lose weight faster, more effectively and without pangs of hunger. We will tell you more about these periods below.

Real arguments for and against

1. The more often we eat, the more money our dentist earns. This harm from crushed breakfasts, lunches and dinners is difficult to dispute. With frequent use, even heavy-duty prostheses wear out quickly. But a reasonable person should understand that it is better to pay a dentist than a cardiologist.
2. Losing the feeling of hunger (it does not occur with a 4-hour break between feedings) means losing control over yourself, risking sliding into a cycle of gluttony. A person does not feel full, so he will begin to increase the portion size. The main counterargument to this statement is the suggestion to weigh the portion before eating.
3. Frequent snacking leads to an increase in endotoxins, as occurs before septic shock. In fact, such an increase does not mean anything dangerous. Yes, it is harmful , but not so much as to cause septic shock. After all, a surge of endotoxins does not cause the decomposition of body tissues, but only a skew of the menu towards sweets and starchy foods, against the backdrop of problems with insulin resistance .
4. The crushed regimen is the shortest path to diabetes, because after each feeding there is a surge in insulin, which is very harmful to health. But only if there are already existing problems with insulin resistance . Therefore, diabetics travel 2-3 times a day, and people without problems with insulin - as much as they want, and without any harm to health.
5. Snacking disrupts the circadian clock, leading to insomnia. But only when overeating at night, which is harmful in itself. If you build the right nutrition plan, you will sleep like a baby.

How to switch to fractional meals - where to start and where to move next

Even if you have weighed all the arguments for and against, recognizing the correctness of the supporters of the fragmented regime, do not rush to plunge into this diet headlong. to switch to any new diet without fanaticism and unnecessary fuss. help very soon . And if you expect to lose weight by the summer, and not get an appointment with a gastroenterologist, you should adhere to the rule of three weeks, during which you will switch to new portions and frequency of meals.

First week

During the first seven days, you should stabilize the frequency of main meals - learn to have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time. At the same time, you should calculate the calorie content of the daily and one-time intake. If you're used to eating 3,000 calories a day, break it down into three servings of 1,000 calories each.

After this, give up fried foods, processed foods, soda, sausages, sausages and sugar. in the correct diet. In addition, acquire healthy habits - start walking 30 minutes a day and increase your daily dose of fluid to 1.5 liters.

Second week

Start this week by reducing your daily caloric intake by 200 units. If you do not practice lunches and afternoon snacks, include one intermediate snack in your daily regimen, dividing the calorie content into four equal parts. Make it a rule to count the balance of BZHU for each serving. Try to create a new menu taking into account the balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Add to the half-hour walks the avoidance of the elevator. If you live on the sixth floor or higher, call the elevator on the fifth. Complete the transition from harmful processed foods and fast food to healthy products. Start drinking two liters of water a day - it will help flush out toxins from the gastrointestinal tract.

Third week

At this point, you need to switch to a lower calorie diet, so remove another 300 calories from your daily diet. Introduce a new rule of meal frequency - breakfast, lunch, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner. Divide your daily calorie intake into five equal portions. Make it a habit to weigh your portion before eating.

In addition to walking and avoiding the elevator, add 15 minutes of morning exercise. Physical activity is the best way to help your diet. Balance your fluid intake - you should take 30 ml for every kilogram of your body weight.

Further diet

Where to go next? To answer this question, you must understand the goals of the diet. If you are trying to lose weight , reduce your daily caloric intake by 300 units each week until you reach 1200/1500 calories (for women/men). If your goal is to stabilize your existing physical shape, stop at a daily caloric intake of 1500/1800 units. Moreover, the volume of one serving in any case cannot be more than 300 grams.

Why does a breakdown occur and how to avoid it

There are many reasons: fatigue of the central nervous system (CNS), basic instincts, physiology and even psychology. Moreover, failure factors are usually intertwined.

If we dig really deep, we get to hormones, biochemistry and the basic reward system. Most readers will put such details to sleep, so I’ll limit myself to a simple, albeit exaggerated example (don’t do as it’s written there, don’t organize bad marathons with unbalanced and hungry mono-diets).

The man decided to go on a diet and, as often happens, tightened all the screws to the maximum. He eats nothing except buckwheat, grass and a strong belief in his own abilities. And this is after total food debauchery in the form of uncontrolled consumption of sweets, pickles, beer, hamburgers, ice cream and other tasty, but unhealthy things.

On the one hand, bad things happen to the body, because such a drastic change in diet and reduction in calories is a big stress for it. On the other hand, the body does not care that the owner wants to lose weight, it only cares about survival and having an energy reserve in case the stressful situation repeats.

First of all, it pumps the body with hormones, forcing it to increase search activity in order to feed itself. I think those who have lost weight remember this feeling of euphoria and vigor in the first few days, or even a week after starting a cruel diet. A person thinks how strong he is, he does everything right, the diet works - life is wonderful. But in fact, this is only a basic defense mechanism, working on instincts. Something akin to a powerful release of adrenaline in a critical situation, so that a person can either quickly run away from danger or confidently attack the enemy.

What happens after a period of hyperactivity in a critical situation? Right! A period of severe loss of strength. The same thing happens during thoughtless manipulations with the diet, only the time intervals are different. In the first case, we are talking about minutes or even seconds. In the second - about days or about a week and a half.

That is, the body turns on energy saving mechanisms, reducing brain and motor activity. You feel sleepy, sluggish and at the same time struggling with a constant feeling of hunger and the desire to devour everything that is not nailed down. Moreover, it is desirable that the food be higher in calories, fattier, and sweeter - these are also instincts.

Thus, at first the nervous system was inflated by hormones that forced it to increase activity, which greatly affected its resources. And then she is exhausted by hunger. Like muscles, the resource of the nervous system is not infinite. When it ends, a breakdown occurs. For some it is earlier, for others it is later, but it happens.

At a basic level, all this is also regulated by hormones, including serotonin (the so-called happiness hormone), which is associated not just with the desire to eat, but to eat harmful sweet treats. A large portion of sugar releases more serotonin than lean buckwheat or boiled chicken breast.

How to solve a problem?

In terms of logic, it’s simple, but implementing the solution in reality is more difficult, but nothing is impossible. Judge for yourself, if you can’t live without serotonin and other happiness hormones, you just need to find another way to get them. After all, they are released not only in response to the intake of certain nutrients.

You were praised by friends and acquaintances - this is the release of a small portion of serotonin. Finished a difficult task - another release of happiness hormones. I saw in the mirror the result of 4 months of work in the form of six-pack abs and powerful biceps - a little more serotonin for the piggy bank. I published this result on Instagram, received enthusiastic comments, and the body again responded with a portion of good hormones. You got behind the wheel of an expensive car or entered your own well-furnished new apartment, for which you have worked in the last months or several years - receive encouragement from your body in the form of a pack of happiness hormones.

Of course, it’s easier to eat something delicious than to follow a training and nutrition regimen day after day for months or to work on your own business (or even work in both directions at once), but the final result is completely different, it differs by orders of magnitude. Get a little here and now, or a lot, but after some time.

Yes, you will have to spend more energy, but in addition to a powerful portion of happiness hormones and a large amount of them, you also get other advantages. A beautiful, strong and healthy body, financial independence, recognition and gratitude from other people if you do something useful for them. Plus, in the process of achieving a big goal, habits change and what was previously difficult and stressful becomes a way of life, and you also begin to enjoy it. From a balanced diet and a feeling of peace in the stomach, from training and a feeling of strength, muscle tone, from a job well done, from order in the house and in the family.

It takes an average of three weeks for any habits to form or disappear - good and bad. By systematically moving towards a big goal, there is a chance to form a pool of good habits by getting rid of bad ones.

That is, the solution is the following - set big, but realistic goals and focus on them, and not on momentary pleasure. It’s hard, you want quick pleasure here and now - at this very moment, think about what you will achieve in the end if you don’t fail. That is why it is important to set clear goals so that you can imagine a real result, which will help you not go astray and not be distracted by trifles. And if you get lost, then a big goal and a clear idea of ​​it will help you get back on track .

The most important thing is that you should not overestimate short-term efforts (lose 20 kg in a month) and you should not underestimate long-term efforts (get yourself more or less in shape in 4-6 months). When you do a little, but every day for a long time, the final result will be impressive. This is what I slowly achieved in 2013 as I worked toward my goal day after day.

One of my inspirations then was Denis Borisov , whose work I recommend for study to those who want to replenish their knowledge base about what is important and useful for self-development (website, YouTube, Instagram).

Since then, I have developed a number of useful habits, continued to develop in the chosen direction, after which I set the goal of achieving peak form for myself (and really understanding the issue deeply, I was tired of experiments and searching for pearls in the information manure). This took 4.5 months of systematic work (the first photo on the left is the end of March 2021, weight - 104.5 kg; on the right and a couple of photos below - the end of August 2021, weight - 96.5 kg):

This time I was inspired by the works and direct help of Yaroslav Brin (Instagram, YouTube, website) - I also highly recommend studying it.

Don't forget about my own column on healthy lifestyle and sports . What is this for? Everything is simple when it comes to self-development in any area - no one will give you a ready-made recipe , but you can find a lot of useful information that adapts to your own realities. You read, adapt, take and do . Little by little, but every day and over a long period of time.

Nevertheless, as I wrote at the beginning, everyone has breakdowns and it is important to minimize the consequences.

Recommendations for beginners

You must understand what you are doing with your diet and why. Even if you are losing weight for health, do not reduce your daily portion below 1200-1500 calories, and if you go to the gym, you will need 2000 calories per day. Otherwise, your body begins to draw energy from muscle mass.

If you have trouble calculating calories and preparing a menu, seek help from a nutritionist. Otherwise, you will get not only dystrophy, but also vitamin deficiency. Treating these disorders will be costly.

Don't expect to have to sew your mouth shut to lose weight. You will have to make a physical activity plan. Without a gym, no diet gives the desired effect.

How to go on a diet: where to start?

You need to start by preparing your body and mind for a diet. We described above how to prepare the body. As for consciousness, the right psychological attitude will stimulate willpower and spirit, allowing you not just to “go on a diet”, angry at the whole world around you, but to confidently and positively move forward along the dietary path. Therefore, make a firm promise to yourself not to retreat one step from your chosen vector.

If the chosen diet involves a specific menu or set of products, stock up on them in advance. This will additionally stimulate you - don’t waste any food. Let there be no harmful things in your refrigerator, at least let them come into your sight as little as possible.