Eating 6 meals a day is certainly nothing new in the world of nutrition and whether it is a secret to fat loss, well, that's probably something that many people will end up debating.  For many who have tried to lose weight and at the same time keep themselves active by doing some sort of physical activity or exercise, you are already familiar with the strain of making it to your next meal.

It's kind of a catch 22 situation, especially for people who suffer while going through extremely low calorie or starvation diets.  It's hard to workout and exercise and at the same time have food cravings that are bothering you.  Besides that, your body needs energy when exercising, even while you are trying to lose weight.

Over the last few months I've noticed that many articles and other sites have mentioned how eating 6 meals a day is something that is better for you, not only health wise, but also as a secret to fat loss.  I know for myself, eating 6 meals a day is working a lot better for me than the traditional bulky meals that I was accustomed to. 

Of course, isn't that like most of the things in our life.  We grow up believing that everything has to look and be a certain way, such as the belief that there should only be breakfast, lunch and dinner.  And, whose to say that 6 meals a day is etched in stone.  I can't say whether or not eating more often is actually a secret to fat loss, but for now, the principle is working for me.

Do I gain weight because I ate a 7th meal or will I lose more weight faster by dropping one of my six small meals?

All I know is that eating more often with small meals and smaller portions has helped me so far with my weight loss.  It really has nothing to do with 6 meals a day or 7 meals or even 8 meals.  My energy levels remain constant, which is a lot better than before as I noticed that I was usually feeling weak or tired in the early afternoon and evening. 

The 6 meals a day that I currently eat are generally spread three to three and a half hours apart while I am awake.  Doing it this way has significantly helped with any hunger pains, if any,  that I might have throughout the day.  Also, most of the small meals that I eat consist mostly of fruits, vegetables and sometimes some added protein like nuts, chicken or tuna. 

The whole principle of 6 meals a day is simply to eat more frequently as I am doing.  Of course, if you already have some kind of healthy snack between breakfast and lunch, and another one between lunch and dinner and a final one a couple hours before bed, than you are already doing 6 meals a day.

It's not hard planning out your small meals, but what can be hard is actually preparing the healthy snacks or small meals that you intend to eat.  Many people don't want to bother with preparing snacks for themselves and would rather choose something easy like a candy bar, bag of chips or a muffin.  Often, the thought is that the snack will usually be between a hundred to two hundred calories, nothing big to worry about, but the problem is that those calories can add up quickly. 

Preparing small meals that are more healthier for you does require some discipline and determination on your part to see it through.  But, that's the whole idea and really, when I think more about it, that's pretty much what I would call the secret to fat loss.


“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill


Try eating more fruits and vegetables as outlined by the CDC www.cdc.gov  your online source for credible health information and the official Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).