Just the other day a client sent me a video they saw on the internet and asked for my thoughts on it.
To briefly summarize, this particular person was stating that eating a larger breakfast that is high in calories and then eating smaller meals later in the day leads to greater weight loss and increased health metrics. In the studies they were referencing the total calories the same for both groups.
We see a lot about meal timing and frequency of meals. Some people will say eat a bigger breakfast and smaller meals during the day, others may say eat balanced meals throughout the entire day, and some may say skip breakfast and eat a big lunch and dinner.
Well, to be honest with you I think they are all correct.
Huh? How can they all be correct they are all saying something different?
If you are reading this blog chances are you want to improve your nutrition because you want to be healthier, fit better in your clothes, increase your confidence, lose a little weight, improve recreational sports, etc.
You probably are not interested in competing in a bodybuilding competition, play professional sports, or get as lean as possible. If you do have goals along those lines then meal timing will probably have a bigger impact for you than most people.
Like most things, the answer is it depends. What works best for you?
When I help coach people with nutrition there are two big things I look at to start, the total amount of calories, and food quality.
Whether you want to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain your current weight it is important to look at how many calories you are consuming. A simple equation of calories in vs calories out will determine your changes in weight or lack thereof.
Now when we look at health and other factors we must look at the quality of food. I think we can all agree that 100 calories form an apple will provide a greater nutritional value than 100 calories form a cookie. 100 Calories are still 100 calories but the apple will provide greater vitamins, minerals and other great things for your body.
