Is it possible to lose weight with three meals a day?

• July 21, 2018
• Diets
• Anna Romanovna

Probably every person dreams of a beautiful and healthy body, regardless of gender and age. And this is quite understandable, because good health, and thanks to it, beauty, make life much easier. And it is for this reason that many exhaust themselves with diets and exercise, and often this only harms the body. So what should you do to lose excess weight without harming your body? The answer is very simple - start eating right. There are two main concepts of proper nutrition for those who want to lose excess weight - split meals and three meals a day. For weight loss, they are both good enough, but to understand which one is more suitable for a particular person, it is worth examining them in more detail.

The essence of fractional nutrition

Adherents of this method of losing weight, considering it the most effective, proceed from the fact that long breaks between meals allow the production of ghrelin and cortisol - hormones that significantly increase the feeling of hunger. Thus, a person eats significantly more than the body needs in order to be satisfied, and often in such situations, precisely those foods that are harmful to the figure (sweets, fast food, flour and fatty foods) are consumed.

The fractional nutrition system is aimed precisely at reducing the breaks between meals, preventing the feeling of hunger from appearing. That is, instead of the usual three meals, six or more appear.

Menu for split meals

The menu is designed in such a way that breakfast and lunch are the most dense and satisfying, and dinner should be lighter. There are also three or more snacks in between - often a second breakfast, a second lunch and, accordingly, a second dinner. These meals are quite light. This could be cheese, nuts, fruits, dairy products. However, the formation of a fractional diet is strictly individual. Some people divide portions into equal parts, while others use a snack system. The main thing is not to go beyond caloric intake, which is also calculated individually.

It is worth considering that losing weight occurs not only by changing the nutritional system, but also by selecting the right products. After all, if you divide the cake into six servings and eat it throughout the day, it will not become healthier and will not help you lose weight. So what is the best thing to eat during fractional meals for weight loss? The answer is quite obvious: complex carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Yes, yes, fats are also extremely necessary for our body, but they must also be correct. It is better to eat carbohydrate and fatty foods for breakfast, but move protein foods to lunch and dinner in combination with fiber-rich vegetables.

Basic principles of fractional nutrition

There are several simple rules by adhering to which you can organize proper fractional meals.

• You need to eat 5-6 times a day. Between breakfast and lunch it is necessary to have lunch, and between lunch and dinner - an afternoon snack. With six meals a day, after the main dinner, shortly before bedtime, make a second light dinner.
• You should create a balanced menu, which will take into account all the useful elements in proper proportions. It is better to do this with a professional nutritionist.
• Harmful foods should be avoided if possible. Prepare dishes mainly by boiling or stewing. Reduce salt and sugar intake to a minimum.
• You need to have one meal schedule for every day and strictly adhere to it.
• Portions should be small - up to 300 grams.

Three Meals a Day: Research

Fractional meals for weight loss have been used for a long time and are recommended by many experts for creating the right diet. But recently, scientists from Purdue University in Indiana conducted research on the benefits of three meals a day and split meals. They created two groups of 27 men suffering from excess weight. One group ate protein foods three times a day, gaining their calorie intake, while the second was on a fractional low-protein diet with reduced calories. The study found that the first group found it easier to stick to the diet and lost weight faster. Thus, it has been proven that high protein content in food greatly facilitates the process of losing weight. As for the diet, whether it will be fractional or three meals a day, everyone must choose for themselves, adapting to their own rhythm of life and convenience for the body.

Basics of proper nutrition

And so, when deciding where to start with proper nutrition for weight loss, you must first study the theoretical foundations, and only then form your own diet.

There are several principles that should be followed by those who want to lose weight:

• Distribution of meals over time. No more than four hours should pass between them, and you need to eat at the same time every day.
• The menu should be varied; you shouldn’t eat just chicken breast and porridge.
• It is important to drink enough water. At the same time, after eating, you should refrain from drinking liquid for at least half an hour, as it worsens the process of digesting food.
• It is necessary to combine foods correctly, as incorrect combinations can cause food to ferment in the stomach.
• To lose weight, you need to watch the foods that are included in your diet. Smoked products, flour, sweets, fried and salty foods, fatty meat and fish, high-calorie sauces and alcohol will have to be limited. While the amount of vegetables and fruits in the diet needs to be increased.
• You also need to take into account the seasonality of products. Summer is the time to eat more greens, vegetables and fresh fruits, and in winter it would be better to increase your intake of protein foods.

What foods should you not eat with three meals a day?

3 meals a day for weight loss completely or partially excludes from the diet a group of products, which include:

• All fatty foods, including meat and fish of appropriate varieties. This also includes broths and dairy products;
• All types of baked goods, sweet and savory;
• Starchy vegetables and fruits;
• Wheat bread;
• All sweet fruits. They can be consumed, but in very limited quantities;
• Alcohol, including weak alcohol, beer;
• Sweet juices and fresh juices;
• Sweet water.

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If you can pamper yourself with some of these foods when eating 3 times a day, then in very limited quantities. But some, fatty, overly sweet and high-calorie, are better to avoid.

Breakfast rules

Breakfast is the main meal of the day; it provides energy for the functioning of the body. Therefore, it is imperative to have a hearty breakfast, especially when following a three-meals-a-day system for weight loss. Complex carbohydrates, which are found in large quantities in cereals, are ideal for breakfast. They do not raise blood sugar levels as sharply and are not stored as fat. But it’s worth remembering that you don’t have to force yourself by eating foods that are unpleasant and have not been consumed before. It will also be useful to drink a glass of water before breakfast, this will improve digestion. And the meal itself should be at the same time every day, preferably from 7 to 9 am.

Basic rules for eating three times a day

Three meals a day can be dietary, but without the need to starve your body. It is this type of food that remains widespread in the world, since it allows you to saturate the body with valuable and useful substances, but does not leave you feeling hungry.

To make three meals a day effective for weight loss, you should use these tips:

1. Eat strictly three times a day. You should not make snacks, and the meal itself should not be too dense. Overeating has never helped anyone reduce their overall weight.
2. It is recommended to set meals at the same time throughout the diet program. These can be the following hours: breakfast - at 8 o'clock, lunch - at 12 o'clock, dinner - at 18-19 o'clock.

The indicated time frames are not strict, they can shift up or down - it all depends on the daily routine and work schedule. But if you have chosen a routine for eating once, you should not break it.

• To create a negative energy balance - it is important to reduce calorie intake per day by 400–600. Only in this case can you ensure that the body draws energy from its reserves. It is this condition that underlies the process of losing weight.
• Count the kilocalories consumed per day. There are methods that make it possible to determine how many calories you need to consume per day in order to maintain weight or lose it.

On average, 1200–1500 kcal per day is considered normal for a woman. They will be needed to maintain mass.

To reduce it, you will need to reduce your daily caloric intake to 800–1200. Some weight loss programs, including 3 meals a day, suggest reducing the total level of calories per day to 500. But this option is called tough, it is not suitable for everyone, since it can often cause exhaustion of the body.

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. They account for more than 60% of the total number of products. Without eating vegetables and fruits, the body does not receive enough microelements and vitamins. These products are also necessary for the normal absorption of fats.
• Completely give up bad habits. Smoking and alcohol have a detrimental effect on health. The substances contained in alcoholic drinks and tobacco negatively affect the condition of the figure.
• Eat food at the same time every day, and plan your last meal no later than 3-4 hours before bedtime.
• Eliminating bad mood and fighting depression. It is important to find something you like to do to restore your good mood. It is stressful situations that often become the cause of gluttony and the increase in fat mass.
• Adjust your sleep schedule. A rested person becomes cheerful, active, and his mood improves.
• Eat food slowly and without distractions. These include a TV, a computer, even a newspaper or a book. Such a nutrition system leads to the fact that a person does not even remember what exactly he consumed, and the feeling of hunger returns very quickly.

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The process of losing weight does not depend solely on food alone, although three meals a day allows you to lose weight.

Much will depend on physical activity. And even for those people who do not want or cannot attend training, long walks in the fresh air can be recommended.

Lunch rules

Lunch is the most calorie-dense meal of the day, accounting for about forty percent of the daily calorie intake. Nevertheless, you should not make it very voluminous, as is customary in the post-Soviet countries - first, second and compote. A hot dish with a side dish and salad or a main course and salad will be enough. Consumption of low-calorie foods in large quantities will not help you lose weight, it will only stretch the walls of the stomach and increase the feeling of hunger. The best options for lunch are thick soups, lean meat, steamed, boiled and stewed, fish, and vegetable salads. Between lunch and dinner, you should make an afternoon snack, during which you can eat a handful of nuts. They are an excellent source of healthy fats. Fruit or kefir are also suitable.

Dinner Rules

Dinner has the most restrictions in the three-meals-a-day diet. Reviews from experts say that this meal should account for only twenty percent of daily calories. Therefore, twenty minutes before dinner, you should drink a glass of water or tea, this will help you feel full faster. In addition, dinner should be easy for the body to digest, so you should avoid certain foods, such as red meat (it is difficult to digest), as well as spicy foods, which only increase appetite. In general, you should exclude carbohydrates and fats as much as possible from the dinner menu, leaving only light protein foods. It is important to remember that after eating there should be 2-3 hours before bedtime.

Sample menu for three meals a day

There are many healthy foods that you can and should eat with three meals a day for weight loss. Based on reviews from nutritionists, we can draw a conclusion on how to create a sample menu, but it is worth taking into account individual preferences. After all, someone cannot tolerate dairy products, someone does not like cereals or some vegetables. In any case, it is possible to choose the ideal diet within 7-14 days by observing your body’s reaction to certain products and adjusting the components of the menu. An approximate diet for someone who wants to lose weight on three meals a day looks like this:

Breakfast:

• two-egg omelette with vegetables;
• cottage cheese with berries (200 g);
• porridge, preferably oatmeal, and berries (in proportions 1:2);
• fried eggs and fresh vegetable salad.

Dinner:

• vegetable broth soup, boiled chicken (meat without fat and skin, preferably breast);
• mushroom soup, steamed cutlets, salad or sauerkraut;
• broth with herbs, stewed chicken, vegetable salad;
• soup with meat broth without potatoes, boiled broccoli or cauliflower.

Dinner:

• boiled chicken breast, stewed vegetables;
• any porridge with water (you can add mushrooms), salad;
• boiled or baked fish, salad;
• baked or stewed beef, vegetable salad;
• cottage cheese without sugar (you can add berries), kefir.

Of course, you don’t need to eat everything at once; you just need to choose one of the suggested items in each section. You can combine them almost indefinitely, thereby making the menu of three meals a day for weight loss more diverse.

Balanced three meals a day: menu

The main thing in food is its energy value; many people think that the more food they eat, the more strength they will have. This is often not the case; the body spends more energy on digesting food rather than absorbing nutrients. Just develop the habit of having breakfast, having a good lunch and not eating too much for dinner; at night the body should rest and not digest food. It is enough for the body to eat three times a day. We suggest you study the menu of three meals a day for the week:

Monday:

Breakfast:

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1. Fish;
2. Salad: green vegetables, tomatoes;
3. Sandwich: bread and butter;
4. Tea with lemon (1 glass);

Dinner:

1. Soup: bone broth (150 g), tomatoes, half an egg;
2. Mashed potatoes (150 g), carrots (30 g), pork (100 g);
3. Compote (1 glass).

Dinner:

1. Sandwich with butter, tomatoes and cucumbers;
2. Sausage;
3. Green tea.

Tuesday:

Breakfast:

1. Casserole with cottage cheese;
2. Salad: tomatoes, onions, cheese;
3. Sandwich: bread and butter;
4. Herb tea.

Dinner:

1. Borsch;
2. Chicken, side dish (onion, cabbage, beets);
3. Drink (compote or tea).

Dinner:

1. Salad of tomatoes and cucumbers;
2. Sandwich: bread, butter, sausage;
3. Kefir.

Wednesday:

Breakfast:

1. Scrambled eggs: chicken breast, eggs;
2. Salad: onions, tomatoes;
3. Sandwich: bread and butter.
4. Green tea.

Dinner:

1. Fish soup;
2. Rice or risotto;
3. Compote (1 glass).

Dinner:

1. Cottage cheese and sour cream;
2. Sandwich: bread and butter;
3. Green tea.

Thursday:

Breakfast:

1. Hard-boiled egg, tomatoes;
2. Sandwich: bread with butter, cheese;
3. Drink (tea or compote).

Dinner:

1. Vegetable soup;
2. Pork cutlets, side dish (carrots, oatmeal);
3. Drink (tea or compote).

Dinner:

1. Fish;
2. Vegetable salad;
3. Sandwich (bread and butter);
4. Green tea.

Friday:

Breakfast:

1. Milk porridge;
2. Sandwich (bread and butter);
3. Green tea.

Dinner:

1. Borsch;
2. Mashed potatoes, pork chop;
3. Compote.

Dinner:

1. Vegetable Salad;
2. Sandwich: (bread and butter, cheese);
3. Drink (tea or compote).

Saturday:

Breakfast:

1. Omelet with vegetables;
2. Pancakes;
3. Green tea.

Dinner:

1. Vegetable soup;
2. Stuffed cabbage rolls;
3. Drink (tea or compote).

Dinner:

1. Salad (cucumber, chicken, egg, peas);
2. Sandwich (bread and butter, cheese);
3. Drink (tea or compote).

Sunday:

Breakfast:

1. Salad (onions, tomatoes, cucumbers);
2. Boiled eggs;
3. Sandwich (bread and butter, jam);
4. Green tea.

Dinner:

1. Chicken broth, cucumbers, onions, sour cream.
2. Mashed potatoes, pork chop;
3. Drink (tea or compote).

Dinner:

1. Radish and Jerusalem artichoke salad;
2. Liver with mayonnaise;
3. Drink (tea, compote or milk).

Do not use sugar to sweeten drinks; there are natural products with the same effect - stevia, sucralose, stevioside. Lemon, jam, jams should also be prepared without sugar.

Three meals a day for women and men

Even though gender inequality has been practically eliminated in our time, when the conversation is not about society, but about the human body, gender differences matter, and quite a lot. This is explained by differences in hormonal background, metabolism, constitution and many other characteristics that affect weight loss. If we talk about the differences in losing weight, then:

• With three meals a day for weight loss, the task of losing weight is more difficult for women, however, as with any other diet. Simply because fat in women and men is deposited in different places: in men in the upper abdomen, and in women in the lower abdomen, on the hips and sides. It would seem, what's wrong with that? But not everything is so simple, because fat in men is dangerous due to obesity of internal organs, and in women it is deposited as a reserve in case of pregnancy and to protect the child, and therefore it is more difficult to remove it. In addition, men have a faster metabolism and more muscle mass.
• Men need more calories than women. In comparison, men need 200-300 more calories per day, and they should get more protein and carbohydrates. Men also need more zinc per day than women.
• Women need calcium more than men, especially after menopause.

How to calculate the calorie content of the daily diet?

There are many calorie calculators on the Internet, but you can calculate your daily calorie intake for weight loss yourself to be absolutely sure of its accuracy. It is worth considering that daily caloric intake is affected by activity during the day, but even with a sedentary lifestyle, calories are consumed. In general, they are also spent in a state of absolute rest - for blood circulation, breathing and other processes. The resulting figure after calculations, taking into account activity, of course, must be distributed over all meals in three meals a day without snacks.

Two meals a day and split meals: features

In fact, there are two main systems, the supporters of which cannot reach a consensus - these are fractional and two meals a day.

A fractional diet is a diet in which meals are taken 4 to 6 times a day, in portions not exceeding the volume of a human palm. The main principle is to not allow more than 4 hours between meals. There are no restrictions regarding the components of the diet; it is enough to adhere to the basic principles of a healthy diet and not exceed the daily calorie intake.

Proponents of fractional nutrition claim that such a system of meals can have a positive effect on the metabolic rate, protect against overeating during the day due to a constant feeling of satiety, and reduce the amount of fat deposits. They make weight loss directly dependent on how many times a day a person eats.

Two meals a day, as the name implies, means eating large portions twice a day - for breakfast and lunch. The main thing, according to the creators of this nutrition system, is to choose the right time: breakfast is optimally served from 6 to 10 am, lunch from 12 to 16 o'clock.

This system has become popular not so long ago, and is mainly based on negative research results on the effectiveness of fractional nutrition. Scientists conducted an experiment on overweight people whose BMI exceeds 30 points. Based on its results, supporters of a two-meal diet claim that such a system will allow you to lose excess weight faster than with split meals. In addition, liver fat content decreases and insulin sensitivity increases.

Thus, each of the nutritional systems is the best, according to their supporters, but we have much more interesting information on this matter.