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Fractional meals to lose weight without effort! Fractional nutrition What is fractional nutrition

To modern man you literally have to eat on the go. In the morning, you need to have a quick snack in order to be on time for work. During the day, the boss does not allow you to eat - you have to do it in a hurry and most often dry. But in the evening you can finally drown out all your problems that have accumulated during the day with food. The result is overeating at night, insomnia due to a full stomach and excess weight.

It is not surprising that in such conditions, most nutritionists and doctors suggest switching to fractional meals, which streamlines the meal regimen and regulates the size of portions. Him in Lately it was so praised that it seems almost the only correct system that allows you to lose weight and improve your well-being. Is this really true?

What it is?

Fractional nutrition is the frequent consumption of food in small portions by the hour. The researchers came to the conclusion that the three-course regimen (breakfast-lunch-dinner), to which everyone is so accustomed, is not enough to satisfy all the body’s needs. The gap between them is too large, which forces a person to fill it without any schedule with small but high-calorie snacks (cookies, candies, ice cream, chips, nuts). As a result, the daily caloric intake is too much, and the same thing happens on the scales.

This is a whole system in which every element works to ensure that the body functions correctly. Despite frequent meals, they eliminate overeating due to a small number of servings, the calorie content of which is calculated in advance and does not exceed the daily norm.

Basic principles of fractional nutrition:

  • frequency: 5-6 times a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon snack, dinner, sometimes shortly before bedtime);
  • small portions: maximum size - 300 g; it is often recommended to measure the amount of food with a handful of your own palm;
  • by time: you should always eat at the same hours;
  • compliance with the principles of proper nutrition: excludes harmful foods, calls for minimizing sugar and salt in the diet;
  • balanced menu: presupposes a competent ratio of BZHU, and not a bias in one direction.

Small portions, once in the stomach, are digested faster. This prevents the intestines from becoming clogged, which leads to normal digestion in general. This is why fractional meals are used in therapeutic dietetics: it relieves diarrhea, flatulence, heaviness, nausea, and bloating. The size of the stomach finally becomes normal, the attacks of hunger subside.

At first it is very difficult to rearrange your schedule and the work of your body, under new system meals. But after the transition, health and weight quickly return to normal.

Mechanism of weight loss

Fractional nutrition is used not only by doctors to treat gastrointestinal diseases. Nutritionists suggest adhering to its basic principles for losing weight. Theoretically, weight loss is explained very simply and scientifically.

  • Mode

The body gets used to the arrival of food at certain hours and prepares for this: juice is released in the stomach, salivation increases (all this contributes to the rapid and easy absorption of foods). A slight feeling of hunger appears strictly on an hourly basis, which eliminates the risk of unnecessary snacks and.

  • Frequency

With fractional meals it is impossible to overeat, because between such frequent meals (maximum 4 hours) hunger does not yet have time to wake up.

  • Portion volume

You need to eat no more than 200-300 g of food at one time. This prevents your stomach from becoming full and significantly reduces your daily calorie intake.

  • Product Set

All harmful (and they are most often high-calorie) foods are excluded, they are replaced by healthy and dietary ones.

So it is quite possible to lose weight on fractional meals, but in practice this does not always happen for the following reasons:

  • incorrect transition (the body does not have time to rebuild, the stomach requires large volumes of food, which leads to breakdown and overeating);
  • lack of physical activity;
  • excessive daily caloric intake due to a large amount of carbohydrates in the diet;
  • constant indulgences for yourself, your beloved, in the form of a piece of cake at night or a burger for lunch;
  • individual characteristics of the body.

Debunking myths

Opponents of fractional nutrition debunk myths about the effectiveness and benefits of this system, trying to rely on scientific facts.

Metabolism

There is an opinion that a person can speed up his own metabolism only by 20%, since the speed of chemical reactions is laid down in genes from birth. Moreover, this can only be done under ideal conditions: with a clearly defined daily routine, with a level of physical activity calculated to the smallest detail, with a properly distributed rest and sleep schedule.

Proponents of fractional nutrition claim that it just activates the metabolism. And this is confirmed by experiments on mice. One group was fed small meals frequently throughout the day. The second group - rarely, but without controlling the amount of food. A long period of time (7-8 hours) without food led to a sharp limitation in the use of fat reserves as energy in the second group of mice; in the first group they maintained their weight and even “lost weight.” The conclusions suggest themselves.

But opponents provide a refutation of this experience. The metabolism of mice exceeds that of humans by 4 times. And if we can live without food for up to 4 days, then for them this period is reduced to 1 day. Therefore, processes occurred in the experimental subjects’ bodies, as a result of which the metabolism switched to energy-saving mode. Accordingly, based on the results of this study, it cannot be argued that a break of more than 4 hours in nutrition will cause the human body to experience stress and switch to a fat-saving function.

BJU ratio

In fractional nutrition, the ratios must be perfectly adjusted and balanced to suit the needs of the body. Few people can calculate it correctly. Often there is a bias towards carbohydrates, someone overdoes it with fats. A total mistake is the lack of protein in the diet. Opponents of this system once again remind you that even with frequent meals in such a situation, fat will not go anywhere, because muscle tissue will be consumed. This process is called gluconeogenesis, where energy will be taken from the breakdown of protein into amino acids.

Calorie calculation

This is where cold calculation comes into play. Suppose a woman of fairly heavy build eats 2,000 kcal per day. With 6 meals a day, this is 333 calories for each meal, with 3 meals a day - about 666. Wanting to lose weight, our lady will gradually reduce the daily calorie intake and bring it to 1,400 kcal. 6 meals of 233 kcal each is too little, according to opponents of fractional nutrition, and will ultimately lead to starvation. And with 3 meals a day, the serving size will allow you to be satisfied enough to later give up the night “duty” at the refrigerator.

Daily regime

And the last argument is not in favor of fractional nutrition. Most people's workday schedule does not allow them to have lunch and afternoon tea. The first occurs at approximately 10-11 o’clock in the morning, when companies hold planning sessions and meetings, and this is the height of workdays. How can you find privacy here to eat the same apple or drink a glass of cocktail? The second snack is at 16:00: either it’s time to submit reports on the work done for the day, or at this time many go home, which also makes it impossible to have a snack. What should those who work on a rotational basis do every day...?

Possible harm

The most ardent opponents of fractional nutrition do not simply refute the effectiveness of this system. They often claim that it is harmful to health:

  • frequent meals harm your teeth: they wear out faster and are more at risk of developing caries (this is a fact!);
  • lack of hunger leads to loss of control over overeating (myth: if you weigh your portions, this will not happen);
  • snacking destroys the circadian clock (cyclical fluctuations in the intensity of biological processes associated with the change of day and night) - a controversial issue, since many studies claim that it is quite natural for a person to eat during the day and in the initial period of the dark period of the day;
  • high level of endotoxins by the end of the day (in fact, this is observed only in those who allow themselves too much sweet and starchy foods for dinner);
  • losing weight with fractional meals is impossible, because with each meal insulin rises, which stops the breakdown of fat in the subcutaneous fat (this is only partly true, because the increase in insulin is very short-term);
  • It is impossible to control the level of cholesterol in the blood, and doctors recommend that diabetics stick to 3 meals a day (this is true, but individual cases, especially clinical ones, should not be given priority for healthy people).

So all these facts about harmfulness, inconsistency and ineffectiveness, for the most part, turn out to be myths. Numerous Scientific research and practice proves the opposite.

How to go?

It is very important to switch to fractional meals wisely, so that a sudden change in diet and a jump in daily caloric intake does not affect your health. Therefore, do everything gradually. Step-by-step instruction will help you avoid making mistakes.

Week 1

Step 1. The 3 main meals should always take place at the same time, changing which is strictly prohibited.

Step 2. Accurately determine the calorie content of the food you eat and the portion sizes that fill you up this moment. For example, 2,000 kcal per day and 700 g per meal. Write them down.

Step 3. Eliminate frying - replace it with a grill if necessary.

Step 4. Exclude 1 harmful product from the menu every day (see list below).

Step 5. Start walking every day for half an hour.

Step 6. Organize the correct drinking regime: bring the daily norm to one and a half liters.

Example of phasing out harmful products:

  • on Monday we give up fast food;
  • on Tuesday - from semi-finished products (store-bought frozen cutlets, dumplings, dumplings, pancakes, etc.);
  • on Wednesday we remove carbonated drinks;
  • on Thursday - fatty meat;
  • on Friday we no longer eat sausage, sausages, etc.;
  • on Saturday - sweets;
  • On Sunday we say goodbye to sugar forever.

Week 2

Step 1. Reduce daily caloric intake by 200 kcal. Distribute it among meals.

Step 2. Include 1 snack (lunch or afternoon snack) in your diet.

Step 3. Reduce the size of each serving according to the new calorie calculation.

Step 4. Learn to determine the ratio of BZHU, create a menu for the week in accordance with it.

Step 5. Continue to eliminate 1 harmful product every day.

Step 6. Refuse the elevator - give preference to the stairs. Walk several stops to work and home.

Step 7 Bring the daily drinking water intake to 2 liters.

Week 3

Step 1. Reduce daily caloric intake by 300 kcal. Distribute it among meals.

Step 2. Include one more snack in your diet and decide on the last, 6th time.

Step 3. Reduce portion sizes due to the new daily caloric intake.

Step 4. Start doing 15 minutes in the morning.

Continue working according to this scheme until the daily calorie content reaches 1,200 kcal (for women) and 1,500 (for men), the serving size becomes no more than 300 g (this is the maximum and only for lunch). But these parameters are for weight loss. If your goal is to maintain normal weight and switch to simple proper nutrition, then the numbers should be higher: 1,500 kcal and 1,800 kcal, respectively (possibly more, depending on the intensity of physical activity and individual parameters).

To organize proper fractional meals, you need to follow its basic principles. Some useful recommendations will allow you to implement them as comfortably and competently as possible.

Basic

You need to eat 5-6 times a day. Create a precise diet by the hour and try to stick to it. The maximum discrepancy should not exceed half an hour. If you constantly forget about this, set the alarm clock for the first time. The break between meals is no more than 4 hours.

The optimal size of 1 serving is 250 g (maximum 300 g). It is even more correct to measure with a handful of your palm (this, of course, applies to solid foods). Daily calorie intake ranges from 1,200 (for women losing weight) to 2,000 (for men actively involved in sports).

Monitor the ratio of BZHU in the diet. Avoid harmful foods. Create a menu for the week at once and follow it strictly. If you have already decided to adhere to this system, there is nothing to be ashamed of: take snacks and a full lunch with you to work if there is no canteen with hot meals.

If your goal is to lose weight, it is almost impossible to achieve it without movement and physical activity. Therefore, take walks every day in the evenings, refuse the elevator, do exercises, and take up any sport or dance.

Drink as much pure water as possible (at the rate of approximately 30 ml per 1 kg of weight). Water and drinks can be consumed either half an hour before meals, or half an hour later, but cannot be mixed.

The diet should be varied; the menu should include as many new dietary and healthy dishes as possible. Chew food very thoroughly.

For every meal

Duration: 4, 8, 12 days.

Result: 3 kg in 4 days.

  • Semyorochka

Weight loss scheme:

  • 1 week - porridge (without additives);
  • 2 - unsweetened fresh fruits;
  • 3 - any nuts and seeds;
  • 4 - cereals, fruits, nuts, vegetables;
  • 5 - ;
  • 6 - any products, as with a normal diet;
  • 7 - plant foods.

Duration: 7 weeks.

Result: minus 10 kg in 7 weeks.

  • Diet of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences

Basic principle: fractional meals with minimal portion sizes.

Main products: only the lowest calorie ones.

Duration: 21 days.

Results: minus 8 kg.

Menu

A sample menu for the week will allow you to correctly create your own diet. It can be extended for a month by repeating this option or changing it to suit your taste preferences.

This table is just a menu option that can be changed at your own discretion, but at the same time adhering to the basic unshakable rules of fractional meals. Focus on it - and it will be very easy to create a diet for the next week.

Recipes

Low in calories, but very healthy and delicious recipes will help diversify the menu.

Omelette for breakfast

Ingredients:

  • 1 bell pepper;
  • 2 fresh chicken eggs;
  • 100 ml 1.5% milk;
  • a little natural olive oil;
  • baking soda on the tip of a knife;
  • a little greenery (a sprig of parsley, dill, a stalk of green onion).

Preparation:

  1. Beat the eggs with a mixer.
  2. Add soda to them, pour in milk at room temperature. Beat again with a mixer.
  3. Cut the pepper into thin strips and place on a baking sheet with butter.
  4. Pour the beaten egg-milk mixture on top.
  5. Cover.
  6. Keep in preheated oven for 5 minutes.
  7. Chop the greens and sprinkle the dish with it before serving.

Soup for lunch

Ingredients:

  • 100 g of pure (without spices) minced chicken;
  • bulb;
  • carrot;
  • 2 medium-sized potatoes;
  • a bunch of different greens;
  • pepper;
  • any seasoning;
  • 2 liters of water.

Preparation:

  1. Cut the potatoes into cubes and throw them into boiling water.
  2. Pass the carrots through a grater.
  3. Grind half an onion.
  4. Throw them into the water.
  5. Add seasoning and chopped second half of onion to the minced meat, pepper.
  6. Form the minced meat into balls and throw them into the soup.
  7. Cook for half an hour.
  8. Before serving, sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Salad for dinner

Ingredients:

  • 250 g of Chinese cabbage;
  • 10 g sesame seeds;
  • 50 g spinach;
  • carrot;
  • 1 bell pepper;
  • a bunch of any greenery;
  • lemon juice undiluted with water.

Preparation:

  1. Shred the cabbage. Squeeze with your hands until juice forms.
  2. Chop spinach and greens.
  3. Coarsely grate the carrots.
  4. Turn the pepper into strips.
  5. Mix all ingredients.
  6. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
  7. Top with finely chopped herbs.

If you follow all the principles of fractional nutrition, be competent in matters of food intake and portion sizes, this system really helps you lose weight and improve your well-being. In this case, you need to focus on the characteristics of your body and constantly consult with specialists if problems arise. This is exactly the case when reviews do not give a complete picture of whether such a technique is useful or harmful, because everything is too individual.

Hello to all like-minded people and readers of my blog! Glad to meet you again. Today I propose to talk in very useful topic- fractional meals for weight loss menu for a month. The topic is quite interesting for people who want to lose excess weight and for adherents of a healthy lifestyle.

Better less and more often

Our intense pace of life, unfortunately, leaves its mark on how and what we eat. Most often, we eat food 1-2 times a day, on the run, at different times, in general, when we can.

Nutritionists and gastroenterologists have been ringing bells for a long time and urging us to eat properly, which means, at a certain set time, eat at least five times a day, reduce long breaks between meals, and, if possible, exclude fast carbohydrates from your diet, and eat more fiber, reduce large portions of food.

Fractional nutrition is a well-established system for eating that will help you lose weight, improve metabolic processes in the body, remove toxins and waste, normalize blood pressure, improve skin condition, improve your overall health, and get rid of feelings of fatigue and bad mood.

What does it mean to eat small meals?

The essence of the fractional nutrition method is to eat small portions 5-6 times a day, every 2-3 hours, not to make yourself hungry, so that fat does not accumulate in the body in reserve.


The size of the portion you eat should “fit” in your palm, or in a small bowl. You need to reduce your portion size (if they are significantly different from your current ones) gradually. Experiments prove that it is possible to easily lose from 5 to 10 kg in a month (the results depend, of course, on the initial data and personal data), following the basic rules of fractional nutrition.

Benefits of fractional meals

This type of meal contributes to a smooth gradual transition of the body to another diet, allows you to carefully reduce the calorie content of food and its volume, without tormenting yourself with hunger and without bringing the body to stress.

Small meals help regulate insulin levels in the blood.


All metabolic processes of the body are launched, the body is adjusted, and the possibility of overload and malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract is eliminated.

Nutrients obtained from food are absorbed efficiently and quickly.

With a fractional diet for weight loss, it is assumed that you should always have. Calculation daily norm calories must be calculated using a formula using your personal data.

This math is pretty simple, so try it yourself. Let's say your daily caloric intake is 1500 kcal, this means that you must divide this value by the number of meals per day and take the result into account when drawing up your daily menu.

It is not necessary that all meals have the same calorie content; it is better to distribute most of the calories in the first half of the day.

General diet rules

As with all other diets and, in general, in proper nutrition, the following products are not recommended in a fractional diet (or better yet, excluded altogether):

  • Fast food;
  • Semi-finished products;
  • Cakes, pastries, sweets, sugar;
  • Baked goods and all fast carbohydrates;
  • Fried foods;
  • All kinds of snacks;
  • Ketchup, mayonnaise, sauces;
  • Sweet carbonated and non-carbonated (juice) drinks.

Slow carbohydrates will give you energy in the morning. It is preferable to eat steamed vegetables, poultry and fish. Eat a lot of salads, greens, cabbage, and stewed vegetables are also healthy.

Don't eat starchy foods. If you eat bread, choose types made from wholemeal flour.

The last meal should be as light as possible (it is very useful, for example, to drink a glass of kefir). Eat cottage cheese and other healthy fermented milk products.

Download a food calorie table on the Internet and always have it with you - it will be easier for you to control the calories you eat.

Sample menu for a month

Eating according to this principle is not as difficult as it seems at first glance, it’s all a matter of habit, but the results that I am sure you will get and that feeling of lightness and self-satisfaction are worth a try. To make it easier for you to get started, I have described below sample menu for a month, you can use it or, using it as a basis, create your own.


Day 1

  1. Breakfast 8.00: oatmeal on water with fruit;
  2. Snack 11.00: grain bun, natural yogurt;
  3. Lunch 13.00: chicken breast steamed green bean salad dressed with olive oil;
  4. Snack 16.00: herbal tea, prunes;
  5. Dinner 19.00: boiled egg, boiled fish, arugula salad, dressed almond oil(or olive);

Day 2

  1. Breakfast 8.00: toast with butter and hard cheese;
  2. Snack 11.00: a handful of peanuts;
  3. Lunch 13.00: grilled beef steak, stewed vegetables;
  4. Snack 16.00: apple;
  5. Dinner 19.00: omelet, boiled chicken breast, cucumber;
  6. Second dinner 21.00: a glass of kefir.

Day 3

  1. Breakfast 8.00: cottage cheese with sour cream and raspberries;
  2. Snack 11.00: banana;
  3. Lunch 13.00: soup with chicken meatballs, whole grain bread, two scrambled eggs;
  4. Snack 16.00: almonds;
  5. Dinner 19.00: vegetable salad dressed with olive oil, buckwheat porridge, turkey steak;
  6. Second dinner 21.00: a glass of kefir.

Day 4

  1. Breakfast 8.00: cheesecakes with raspberries;
  2. Snack 11.00: whole grain muffin with unsweetened yogurt;
  3. Lunch 13.00: couscous with butter, chicken chop, tomato, cucumber;
  4. Snack 16.00: dried apricots, green tea;
  5. Dinner 19.00: steamed fish, vegetable stew;
  6. Second dinner 21.00: a glass of kefir.

Day 5

Day 6

  1. Breakfast 8.00: cereals with honey;
  2. Snack 11.00: figs;
  3. Lunch 13.00: chicken broth with croutons, carrot and prune salad with garlic and sour cream;
  4. Snack 16.00: berry juice;
  5. Dinner 19.00: boiled beef, Caprese salad with tomatoes and mozzarella;
  6. Second dinner 21.00: glass of kefir

Day 7

  1. Breakfast 8.00: cottage cheese casserole with sour cream;
  2. Snack 11.00: green tea with marshmallows;
  3. Lunch 13.00: vegetable soup, lean ham, boiled egg, cucumber;
  4. Snack 16.00: unsweetened yogurt, apple;
  5. Dinner 19.00: boiled fish, steamed broccoli, seasoned with lemon juice;
  6. Second dinner 21.00: a glass of kefir.

Day 8

  1. Breakfast 8.00: cottage cheese with honey and nuts;
  2. Snack 11.00: herbal tea with a piece of dark chocolate;
  3. Lunch 13.00: chicken broth, fish meatballs, the vinaigrette;
  4. Snack 16.00: dried apricots;
  5. Dinner 19.00: beef steak, grated carrot salad with apples and prunes;
  6. Second dinner 21.00: a glass of kefir.

Day 9

  1. Breakfast 8.00: omelet with cheese;
  2. Snack 11.00: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries;
  3. Lunch 13.00: chicken noodles, cabbage rolls;
  4. Snack 16.00: carrot casserole;
  5. Dinner 19.00: salmon steak, olives, tomatoes;
  6. Second dinner 21.00: a glass of kefir.

Day 10

  1. Breakfast 8.00: oatmeal pancakes with banana;
  2. Snack 11.00 yogurt with cereals;
  3. Lunch 13.00: spinach cream soup, fricassee chicken breast, stewed with vegetables;
  4. Snack 16.00: tea with honey, unsweetened cookies;
  5. Dinner 19.00: avocado salad with carrots in olive oil, boiled beef;
  6. Second dinner 21.00: a glass of kefir.

Day 11

  1. Breakfast 8.00: corn porridge with milk and grapes;
  2. Snack 11.00 coffee with a piece of hard cheese;
  3. Lunch 13.00: broccoli soup, chicken cutlet, stewed cabbage with mushrooms;
  4. Snack 16.00: unsweetened yogurt, nectarine;
  5. Dinner 19.00 Caesar salad, a slice of whole grain bread;
  6. Second dinner 21.00: a glass of kefir.

Day 12

  1. Breakfast 8.00: boiled egg, a piece of low-fat shredded ham, toast with butter, cocoa;
  2. Snack 11.00 glass of freshly squeezed juice, oatmeal cookies;
  3. Lunch 13.00: sorrel soup, steamed fish, radish salad;
  4. Snack 16.00: a glass of strawberries with low-fat yogurt or sour cream;
  5. Dinner 19.00 vegetable pilaf with chicken, mixed green salad;
  6. Second dinner 21.00: a glass of kefir.

Day 13

  1. Breakfast 8.00: semolina porridge, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice;
  2. Snack 11.00: compote, whole grain bread;
  3. Lunch 13.00: beet soup, baked chicken breast with cheese;
  4. Snack 16.00: cheesecake, green tea;
  5. Dinner 19.00 stewed beans in tomatoes with garlic and parsley, omelet;
  6. Second dinner 21.00: a glass of kefir.

Day 14

  1. Breakfast 8.00: oatmeal porridge on water with cranberries;
  2. Snack 11.00: fruit salad dressed with yogurt;
  3. Lunch 13.00: mushroom soup, warm chicken salad;
  4. Snack 16.00: cocoa;
  5. Dinner 19.00 al dente pasta with cheese and herbs, tuna;
  6. Second dinner 21.00: a glass of kefir.

The menu of the third and fourth weeks can be repeated from the previous two. Try this fractional meal plan for weight loss for a month and see how effective it is. Don't forget about clean drinking water minimum 1.5 liters per day.


Find out more about the course »»

Share your results, write in the comments recipes for healthy dietary dishes that would fit into a fractional diet. Beginners, subscribe to blog updates and share information on social networks. See you soon!

Best regards, Vladimir Manerov

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The problem of excess weight is gaining momentum not only in the USA, the fattest country in the world, but also in Russia. Of course, the reasons are known to everyone - poor nutrition and physical inactivity, hormonal imbalances, taking certain groups of drugs.

But improper weight loss sometimes leads to more serious consequences than the excess weight itself. Therefore, it is important to lose weight gradually and correctly, so as not to develop health problems and gain a beautiful figure.

Diet for weight loss at home

It is a mistaken belief that to lose weight you need to eat as little as possible. Food must be supplied to the body regularly and in quantities normal for its functioning.

The optimal method for proper weight loss is 6 meals a day. It involves 6 meals, in each of which you can eat certain food groups. With this type of nutrition, the body receives all the necessary elements, and weight begins to gradually decrease.

Meals with 6 meals a day:

  1. breakfast;
  2. snack;
  3. dinner;
  4. afternoon snack;
  5. dinner;
  6. late dinner.

Meals at home or at work should always be at the same time. This will help develop a habit, and the body will not require food at the “wrong” time. In addition, a clear eating regimen also promotes good digestion: gastric juice begins to be produced in advance, and the body is prepared to process incoming products.

The time for eating food must be set individually, depending on employment and other circumstances. It is important that the second dinner is no later than 2.5 hours before bedtime.

Protein-vitamin diet, permitted foods

Fruits and vegetables. They should be taken as a basis in nutrition for weight loss. These foods are low in calories, but when properly prepared they can keep you feeling full for a long time. Green vegetables are especially useful: lettuce, cucumbers, celery, spinach. It is a misconception that grapes and bananas are harmful fruits for weight loss. One banana or a small bunch of grapes can easily replace your snack.

Cereals and nuts. Whole grains are a valuable source complex carbohydrates. They must be present in the weight loss menu for every day. Oatmeal is a favorite breakfast among followers of proper nutrition. Barley, rice and buckwheat can be an excellent side dish for a protein lunch. Nuts are the best addition to breakfast or a nutritious snack. They contain vitamins for hair and nails.

Meat, fish, seafood. Protein is important for weight loss in terms of maintaining muscle. In order for weight to go away correctly: fat cells are burned and muscles develop, it is necessary to balance the weight loss menu for every day with protein foods. Boiled and baked fish, lean meat and seafood can be consumed at any meal. If you are hungry and have already reached your daily calorie intake, prepare a protein dish. You can eat it without a twinge of conscience.

Dairy products. Dietary nutrition cannot do without them. Milk, kefir and low-fat cottage cheese are your friends while losing weight. These are sources of valuable protein, calcium and lactic acids. Eating cottage cheese and kefir for dinner promotes rapid weight loss.

Eggs. They are also included in the list of foods allowed in 6 meals a day. Eggs contain a huge amount of nutrients and pure protein. Chicken omelette or quail eggs– great breakfast or late dinner.

IN egg yolks contains a large amount of cholesterol, so it is not advisable to eat more than 1-2 yolks per day; separate the whites before cooking.

Vegetable oils, dark chocolate and jelly-based sweets, dietary baked goods in the form of cottage cheese casseroles and fruit pies can be consumed in small quantities.

Prohibited Products

Sweet. This is the main enemy of our figure. In some cases, eating a small amount of sweets is allowed to avoid breakdowns.

Fatty foods. They contain a large amount of fat, and the goal of losing weight is to ensure the burning of fat accumulated in the body, so such foods are prohibited.

Smoked and salted products. Salt retains moisture in the body, and smoked foods contain many compounds that are harmful to health.

Flour. Eating 1-2 diet bread and a slice of grain bread per day will not hurt, but other flour products must be completely eliminated.

We create a menu for weight loss ourselves

The correct weight loss menu for every day can be compiled based on the following principles:

  1. Breakfast should provide the body with energy and fats. You can drink a spoonful at this meal vegetable oil for the normal functioning of the hormonal system and maintaining good skin and hair condition.
  2. Lunch should include protein, vegetables and carbohydrates. Moreover, there are two parts of vegetables, and one part of proteins and carbohydrates.
  3. Dinner should preferably include protein. It’s great if it is supplemented with vegetables or consists of them.

Secondary meals, even in a weight loss diet, in the first half of the day can be carbohydrates. Fruits, breads, nuts and fruit yoghurts are good options. Cereal products are acceptable. In the afternoon, it is better to make secondary meals protein or vegetable.

Vegetables are essential for normal digestion when losing weight. They contain fiber, which helps cleanse the body.

Protein diet menu for the day:

Dishes to choose from are given as a fraction.
Breakfast: oatmeal with fruit, a slice of cheese/cottage cheese pancakes with diet jam/fruit yogurt and fruit.

Second breakfast or lunch: fruit/handful of nuts/yogurt/a couple of crispbreads.

Dinner: piece of boiled fish, vegetable salad, boiled rice/buckwheat, baked chicken, tomato.

Afternoon snack: cottage cheese with herbs/glass of milk/vegetable salad or juice.

Dinner: cottage cheese/chicken breast/boiled fish/vegetable salad.

Late dinner: kefir/green vegetable salad/cottage cheese.

The first half of the day

The first half of the day includes three meals: breakfast, second breakfast and lunch. It is at this time that you can allow yourself to eat a couple of tasty morsels.

When a baby is born, mothers and doctors often adhere to a feeding schedule of three hours all day long. The child receives everything he needs and actively develops. But as people grow older, they stop using physiologically correct nutrition.

The results make themselves felt in the form of excess or underweight and the appearance of health problems. For gastritis and other types of gastrointestinal diseases, it is recommended to use split meals. It can also lead to weight loss, which will not harm the body. The diet, especially in the form of a mono-option, is exhausting and puts a lot of stress on the liver.

The essence of the power system

Fractional nutrition is a kind of system that implies that a person can eat everything, but in small portions. A regular diet involves a lot of restrictions, which causes psychological discomfort in a person. Hence the constant breakdowns. This system gradually adjusts the body to the desired mood by changing the portion volume.

Basic Rules:

  • meals should be 5-6 times a day;
  • It is advisable to set the breaks between them approximately the same in time;
  • The serving size should be no larger than what fits in the palms of a person's hands.

Considering that everyone’s palms are different depending on their age and build, the serving size will also differ.

The mechanism of fractional nutrition allows the liver to function better, because the organ manages to cleanse the blood of substances received with food. Equal intervals between snacks do not overload him. This is not possible with any other diet. For gastritis, the established regime allows you to avoid changes in acidity levels.

The diet can be customized taking into account personal preferences for types of foods. If there are certain diseases, then an additional diet should be followed. If you have gastritis, it is not recommended to eat spicy food, even if you use fractional meals. It causes harm in any case. The first results of using fractional nutrition can be seen after a month. Even skin tone and hair condition will change.

Transition to fractional meals

If you suddenly switch to a new nutrition system, it will become stressful for the body. The operation of internal systems may be harmed. It is recommended to gradually switch to a new diet and change portion sizes. This requires:

  • determine a sample menu for the week;
  • set meal times taking into account your work schedule and sleep patterns;
  • within 2–3 days, accustom the body to the new schedule while maintaining the serving volume;
  • reduce the size of the food intake to the required amount within 3–5 days.

Those who made the transition to this system say that the body itself quickly refuses the excessive portion size. Therefore, it is possible to change the size of dishes quickly when a person gets used to eating by the hour.

Some nutritionists advise performing a liver cleanse before starting to use a new nutrition system. This allows you to better cope with the resulting load and get weight loss results faster. Already in the first month you can lose up to 10% of your current weight. This does not mean that everyone who switched to the new system achieved this effect. Much depends on the initial parameters.

Nutritional Features

Fractional meals assume that the main meals are breakfast, lunch and dinner at set times. There should be snacks in between. For them, you should not choose chips, chocolate bars or drinks that can harm the liver or stomach if you have gastritis. It is advisable to set the body up for proper absorption of proteins and starches. For this:

  • For breakfast you should eat starchy foods and dishes: porridge, muesli, herbal tea;
  • at lunch you need to saturate your body with proteins in combination with vegetables or fruits; consuming starchy substances is undesirable;
  • At dinner, the consumption of protein foods increases.

Proteins take longer to digest. This gives a long-lasting feeling of fullness, so a person does not overeat before bed. This is especially important for gastritis, because In case of such a disease, eating should be completed at least 2 hours before bedtime. Any diet recommends this.

Servings of salads and fruits should be used as snacks. You should be careful with the latter: they can increase acidity in gastritis. It is better not to use fatty salad options. The portion size of main meals should not be large. You should get no more than 2 thousand kcal per day.

What to include on the menu?

Those who switch to fractional meals should draw up a menu in advance for each day or for the week in advance. This will allow you to plan the purchase of the necessary products, indicating an approximate list. For some, a table with the menu for the week helps. Visual perception enhances the mood. After all, a new diet causes a certain amount of stress in a person.

Breakfast options:

  • 200 g of porridge, preferably from whole grain cereals;
  • 150 g muesli;
  • 150 g baked potatoes with herbs.

You can supplement your breakfast with nuts and large fruits.

The day is always energy-intensive. This is taken into account when choosing dishes. Suitable for lunch:

  • vegetable broth soup (200 ml);
  • boiled or steamed vegetables (200 g);
  • vegetable salads, to which it is appropriate to add nuts and legumes, if there are no contraindications from the liver (150–200 g).

For dinner, for example, you can prepare one of the following dishes:

  • boiled or stewed vegetables;
  • rice with corn as a separate dish;
  • casserole with tomatoes, peas and sesame seeds;
  • zucchini.

The compiled table will allow you to rearrange positions for other days and make the diet more varied. To enhance the results that fractional meals provide, the weekly menu should be reviewed every month.

Example for daily snacks:

  • avocado salad with carrots;
  • cabbage salad with green cucumber, corn or carrots;
  • 30–40 g dried fruits or nuts;
  • 150–200 g fruit salad.

The serving size of any salad should not exceed 200 grams per day. If you have gastritis, you should not drink freshly squeezed juices, although in other cases they are acceptable as snacks. Preference should be given to products that are not capable of harming the liver.

The system allows you to solve many problems. The usual diet is not capable of activating the internal forces of the body, only giving an impetus for this. Therefore, it is not recommended to use it for gastritis, for which it is not so much the size of the dishes consumed that is important, but the frequency of meals. The condition of the liver, which will switch to a new mode of operation, can be understood by the skin. It will become more pink, less acne-prone, and defects will appear less frequently. This is another bonus, in addition to other benefits for the liver, stomach and the body as a whole, which can be obtained by changing the principles of nutrition and switching to a fractional system.

Here's what's important for you to know:

- Research doesn't support the idea that eating more frequently increases your metabolic rate

- It has been proven that eating small, frequent meals can increase protein synthesis, but this has only been shown in studies where the amount of protein consumed was very low.

- It's better to experiment with different meal frequencies and find out what works best for you. In addition, you should take into account your lifestyle, which is different for everyone.

You've probably come across claims that eating small, frequent meals is the key to success. It speeds up metabolism, satisfies hunger, and improves blood sugar control. But is there evidence and justification for this position? Let's look at scientific facts and research.

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Metabolism.


Proponents of the above-mentioned way of eating claim that it helps them maintain their metabolism at the desired level. They are based on the theory that your body strives to maintain a sufficient level of energy reserves (ie body fat) to survive the next period of fasting. Therefore, when you keep your body without food for more than a few hours, the body feels the lack of energy and goes into “starvation mode” and begins to save energy. Indeed, the body slows down its metabolic rate to save energy.

Although these statements may seem logical at first glance, there is very little evidence that this is actually the case. Scientist LeBlanc found that feeding a dog 4 small meals produces twice the thermogenic response as a large meal with the same amount of calories. A subsequent study by the same author found that people also responded to more frequent feedings with increased thermogenesis.

On the other hand, many studies have failed to show that meal frequency has a measurable effect on energy expenditure. That is, according to some data, there is no increase in metabolic rate in response to frequent meals.

The reason for the increase in body temperature due to frequent meals is considered to be the thermal effect of food (in Russian scientific and medical literature the term specific dynamic action of food - SDDP) is more often used.

Simply put, ADDP is the energy expended on digesting food, which is partially dissipated in the form of heat. Different macronutrients have different temperature effects—digesting protein requires the most energy, while digesting fat requires the least energy. The ADDI of a typical mixed meal accounts for about 10% of calories consumed.

So, with that in mind, let's look at how food distribution will affect your TADP on a 2,400-calorie-per-day diet. If you ate 800 kcal three times, then the dietary supplement will be 80 kcal for each meal. There were 3 meals in total, therefore the total SDDP for the day was 80 * 3 = 240.

Now let’s imagine that you ate these 2400 kcal in 6 meals. You will eat 400 kcal at a time, therefore the dietary allowance for one meal is 40 kcal. We multiply by 6 meals and get the same 240 kcal spent on digesting food as in the case of three meals a day. Assuming macronutrient content and total calories remain constant, there is no difference for thermogenesis between 3 and 6 meals a day.

Hunger and satiety.


Proponents of frequent eating often say that this method helps control hunger and satiety. It is well understood by everyone that body weight control is, first of all, a function of energy balance - we consume more calories than we expend, and therefore gain weight; If a calorie deficit is created, then we lose mass.

It is argued that with long breaks between meals, there is a tendency for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). If this period lasts long enough, then in order to restore blood sugar levels, our body signals the hypothalamus (part of the brain) that we need food, especially simple carbohydrates. Hunger sets in and you end up eating more than you should. This sets up a cycle of overeating and uncontrolled insulin secretion, all of which are a recipe for obesity.

However, studies have not confirmed the above assumptions. While some scientific studies have shown that people were not as hungry when meals were spread out throughout the day, others have failed to find differences in hunger between different feeding frequencies.

Some studies have shown that eating three meals a day is even better at satisfying hunger and promoting satiety than eating six meals a day. Moreover, evidence varies when it comes to how the number of meals affects the release of hormones that influence hunger. Overall, the idea that it is best to space out meals throughout the day is questionable to say the least, and individual factors likely play an important role.

Insulin level.


Another claim often cited in support of frequent eating is that it has a positive effect on insulin levels. According to the hypothesis, consuming a large amount of food at one time causes a “spike” in blood sugar levels, which in turn leads to a sharp increase in insulin levels. Considering the role of insulin, it can be said that a higher and sharper rise in insulin levels activates mechanisms that increase fat deposition. This sounds ominous, but this claim is on very shaky ground.

A number of studies have shown that more frequent meals have a beneficial effect on glucose homeostasis. This means that there is a decrease in the sharpness and intensity of the rise in insulin levels and a decrease in insulin concentration. But the most important question here is what conclusions can we draw from this? From the point of view of losing weight, it is perhaps unrealistic to clearly answer this question.

Scientist Munsters and his colleagues proved that although the rise in insulin glucose levels is significantly less sharp and intense against the background of frequent meals than with fewer meals, there is still no difference in fat oxidation between the two groups. Simply put, both groups of subjects (those with 3 and 6 meals a day) burned the same amount of fat. This study is worth noting for its tight control and methodical nature. The scientists had the same people eat both diets during the experiment, but with exactly the same type and amount of food. Moreover, the subjects were lean, healthy adults, making the results of this study more relevant to athletes.

Bottom line: Those who focus on insulin levels as the main reason for gaining/losing fat mass are directing their thoughts and aspirations in the wrong direction - the main enemy is excess calories, not insulin.

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Body building.


Assessing the short-term effects of frequent eating gives us some ideas about the potential long-term effects of this approach. However, the only thing that really matters is if you eat often, does it make your body better? It's really difficult to figure this out.

The study most often cited by proponents of frequent eating was conducted on competitive boxers who were put on a diet of 1,200 calories per day for two weeks. One group consumed this amount of calories in two meals, while the other group consumed this amount in six meals.

At the end of the study, it turned out that the group that ate more frequently retained more muscle mass compared to those who ate twice a day. While these results are intriguing, it should be noted that the period studied was very short. So it would be speculation to project these results into the long term.

Moreover, total protein intake was only 60 grams per day - far less than what a professional athlete needs to prevent catabolism. This fact also does not allow us to draw any clear conclusions based on this study.

A recent study by Arciero and colleagues also supports eating more frequently. Briefly, the study involved a complex system in which two groups were placed on a high-protein diet of 35% of total calories, eating 3 or 6 times a day for two months. Both groups showed about the same fat loss (2.5 kg for people who ate 3 times a day, 2.7 kg for people who ate 6 times a day). As you can see, there is no significant difference.

However, the group that ate meals more frequently gained 0.6 kg of muscle mass, while the group with 3 meals a day lost 0.9 kg. That is, the difference is approximately 1.5 kg, which is insignificant for two months.

Again, the results should not be interpreted unequivocally. In this study, the participants were fat women who do not engage in any sports. Who knows what results serious athletes would show?

Unlike the above-mentioned studies, a number of other scientific studies show that there is no advantage to eating more frequently. For example, Stout's well-controlled, randomized, crossover study found that in middle-aged and normal-weight people there was no difference in fat loss between the two groups (meals 1 or 3 times a day).

So what can we take note of?

- People who claim that eating more frequently boosts your metabolism are greatly exaggerating. At best, the research on this topic is highly inconsistent and leaves more questions than answers.

- There is some evidence that frequent consumption of small meals may have a positive effect on protein synthesis, but this has been shown in conditions of very low protein intake (less than or at the lower end of the daily value ordinary person). To accept these conclusions as valid for an intensively training athlete who consumes much more protein (>1.6 g per kg of body weight) is pure speculation.

- If you are a professional bodybuilder and your goal is to win prestigious competitions, even small changes in your body structure can play a decisive role in your performance. Therefore, if your goal is to reduce the amount of fat as much as possible without affecting muscle mass, then the most useful advice It may be a good idea for you to experiment with different meal frequencies and see what works best for you. Individual characteristics always influence the results of a particular method.

Therefore, choose a meal frequency that best suits your lifestyle. If you like to spread out your meals over many times a day, then do just that. On the other hand, if you prefer to eat infrequently but heavily, then this is also a completely viable option. Just be consistent in your approach - there is some evidence that eating randomly without a specific nutritional system has a negative impact on your metabolism.

Author - Brad Schoenfeld
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especially for the site do4a.net,
Tsatsouline Boris.

Let me remind you that the translator’s task is to translate the article into Russian and adapt it for understanding, i.e. convey the material without distortion and make it as accessible as possible to the reader.
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