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The idea of eating every three hours is a nice simple rule designed to improve upon the obsolete dogma of three square meals.
Although this 90's concept still holds weight for beginners, it may actually be hindering the progress of more advanced athletes. We need to update the idea of meal timing in order to truly optimize our fat loss and muscle growth. To put it simply, it's time to bring meal timing into the 21st century.
The Same Old Song
During one of our rare but (in)famous family dinner table discussions, the subject of meal frequency came up. Interestingly, it was the family cook, my mom, who had the strongest opinions. Of course she'd grown up on clichés like "an apple a day... " and iron clad rules like eating 3 square meals.
As important as it is to respect our elders (I can only imagine what she would say knowing she was being referred to as an "elder"), they in turn must realize that they grew up in a time when robots were only in sci-fi movies, and "BrokeBack" was something you got from falling off a ladder. In other words; they need to get with the times.
Through the course of the conversation, it became increasingly clear that despite any arguments I made, there was no way my mom would adopt a 3 hour eating pattern. After all, she found it unnecessary and too inconvenient to eat that frequently — that's dogma for you.
In the end it got me wondering how many people are still following the old school three hour rule for eating.
Flash forward to last week, when I was discussing the topic of meal timing with one of my basketball players. Mike was the captain for the university team. It was nearing the end of his season, and he was looking for a playoff program. We had the training already worked out, and it was time for the nutrition aspect. What should have made life easier was that Mike already knew that he was supposed to eat every three hours; he only needed to figure out what and how much to eat.
Uh-oh. Red flag. In the past, I've found that when someone already "knows" something, it's harder to de-program them and then introduce new ideas. But I was sure that Mike's thinking was relatively common, and I needed to see if there was any hope of reasoning with him, and subsequently, hope of reasoning with others.
I asked Mike to justify his 3 hour plan, and after much convincing, he grudgingly accepted. He explained that eating every three hours is designed to keep a steady influx of nutrients into your body. This would provide a constant supply of protein for muscle repair and growth, as well as keep blood sugar level. Upon further prodding, he added that a steady blood sugar meant low insulin levels, and subsequently less body fat storage.
I must admit that Mike knew his stuff. He had read and remembered all of the 90's based information he'd read in different magazines. But what he didn't realize is that while this information is useful for people new to the nutrition game, it is drastically oversimplified, and no longer applicable to people like him.
What's more, he was appalled by the idea that this three hour dogma could actually be slowing down his progress — not only with his athletic performance, but his body composition as well.
The Main Players
Mike was right about a couple of things, including the main determinants of meal timing. To elaborate, we certainly want to ensure that we have the building blocks of protein (i.e. amino acids) floating around in our blood to be used by various tissues. This helps to prevent our body from breaking down our hard-earned muscle as a source of amino acids.
We'd also like to properly control both glucose and insulin. This is of course to ensure that we're having maximum nutrient delivery, while at the same time minimizing fat deposition on our "problem areas". What Mike was NOT correct about though, is the way in which we specifically manipulate these factors to optimize our results.
Rethinking The Dogma
The next question I asked Mike was about his protein intake. Did he have a pre workout drink? Yup. A post workout drink? Of course! He explained that you need fast protein and carbohydrates at these times to stimulate muscle growth and repair. Having read my article on post workout optimization, he'd even experimented with multiple post workout drinks.
So with the answers to these simple questions, Mike had already cast aside the 3 hour rule, and he didn't even realize it!
"Well that's different," he rebutted "that's only around your workout!"
"Is it?" I asked, already seeing the first cracks in his resolve. "Well, tell me, do you sleep?"
This leading question was met with silence and a death stare.
"Okay, so you sleep for 9 hours each night, and you're no longer feeding nocturnally."
From our earlier conversations I knew that Mike had done well with nocturnal feedings in the summer, but the demands of school and ball were too much for him to keep up with it.
Additionally, Mike had been consuming casein and fat before bed. Thinking that he was perfectly on track, Mike wasn't too thrilled when I asked him "so does this mean that you're completely fasted for at least 2-3 hours every single day?"
All I could hear were grumblings of "splitting hairs", but what I was trying to show Mike, was that he wasn't wrong about his meal timing — he was exactly right! He simply needed to realize it.
The real message is that there are times when we need to eat more frequently or less frequently, and that the three hour rule is only a guide to help noobs get used to the concept of eating more frequently.
Special Delivery
The conversation then progressed to discussing Mike's weekend meals. Whether with one of his many girlfriends or his family, Mike eats well. Last weekend he had a salad topped with olive oil dressing — a fact about which he seemed a little too proud — followed by a porterhouse steak and grilled potatoes.
Of course he topped it all off with a slice of chocolate cake (later revealed to be TWO slices). A good meal by most standards. But what confused me, was that despite the density of this meal, Mike had proceeded to slug back a protein shake 3 hours later. He again explained that he wanted a steady flow of amino acids into his blood, hence the shake.
"Look," I said with a hint of exasperation, "you know that you just had a big meal, the center piece of which was a big steak. Would you have gone and played ball 3 hours after this meal?" Mike shook his head no. "Of course not," I continued "because you still had this meal sitting in your gut. More specifically, you had a big steak already in you, slowly digesting and steadily supplying your body with amino acids."
"Right, but I still need to prevent blood sugar spikes and subsequent fat storage." Mike hastily retorted.
I started to explain that while I agree that carbohydrate and insulin management should be practiced, it's important to also consider what your body is doing at that time. For example, we already know that he had a steady influx of amino acids into the blood, but what about carbohydrates?
With this feeding, carbs would also be slowly released into the blood, because he consumed a very slow digesting meal. Not only the protein and the fat from the steak, but also the olive oil from the salad and the fiber from the vegetables in the salad itself! All of this slows digestion and gives you that steady trickle of nutrients you want.
Mike still looked skeptical, but I could see that he was beginning to come around.
Before he could add a rebuttal that he didn't eat that way all of the time, I added that any time we eat solid protein, we're slowing our digestion. It's not just cottage cheese that does this, but any meat as well. Add on top of that the fat contained in red meat, and digestion is slowed even further. Throw in a salad, and a little dressing, and your food is staying around for a while.
It's important to remember that it's not just the digestion of one nutrient, but all nutrients that get delayed when we eat a slower digesting meal. This means that protein is steadily provided, and insulin is being managed."
At this point, Mike was feeling a little frustrated by the deprogramming process. "Okay, cool. So tell me ÔMr. BarrBarrian'," Mike added sarcastically, "how do I know when I'm supposed to eat?"
Grinning like the Cheshire cat I replied, "I'm glad you asked."
Say it with me: BEEFCAKE!!!
Even the TV show South Park had it right in their first season when they spoofed a weight gain supplement marketed to little kids.
Beefcake: Hey! You need to get in shape fast?!? Wanna look your best?!? Tired of the other guys getting all the chicks?!? Are you tired of being a 90-pound weakling?!?
Cartman: Yeah, I only weigh 90 pounds.
Beefcake: Then bulk up quick, with Weight Gain 4000!!
Cartman: Yes!
Beefcake: With over 4000 grams of saturated fat per serving, its patented formula is designed to enter the mouth, and go directly to the stomach where it is distributed to the bloodstream.
Beefcake: Now available in stores everywhere. Get some today, and say with me 'Beefcake!'
Cartman: Beefcake!
Beefcake: Beefcake!
Cartman: Beefcake!
Beefcake: Beefcake!
Cartman: Beefcake!!!
TV Announcer: (May cause irreversible damage to the kidneys and liver.)
While I'm sure that a couple of you want to go out and buy this product because of the slick marketing and hardcore science that the supplement industry is famous for, we need to focus on the nutrient distribution. As stated in the advertisement, we consume food via the mouth (I'm not even kidding), but it's distributed to the bloodstream via the gut (the small intestine, not the stomach).
A lot happens between the time we ingest food, to the time it enters the blood, which is why slamming food down every 3 hours doesn't work optimally.
21st Century Thinking
The main idea behind 21st Century eating lies in the way we perceive feeding. Traditionally this means putting food in our mouth, but based on the above examples, you should be able to see that this isn't entirely accurate. More appropriately, we should see feeding as how the nutrients come from our gut and how they are delivered to our cells.
To simplify using the extreme example, we know that when we eat casein and fat as our last meal of the day, our cells are being provided with nutrients for hours to come, even though there's nothing else entering our mouths. In essence, we'restill being fed by the nutrients we've already consumed. The key to success is focusing on how the nutrients are being delivered to our body, not eating by an inflexible schedule.
Step 1: Goals and Meal Timing
Meal timing has as much to do with your goals as it does nutrients. For example, if you're eating for fat loss, you don't necessarily need to eat the same foods at the same times as you would when bulking. So if Mike were bulking, the fact that he had consumed a protein shake after eating a slow digesting meal wouldn't be a big issue.
So what's the whole point? Well, if Mike had been cutting, this liquid meal would have blunted his fat loss by adding more nutrients to an already fed system — even if his solid meal had been smaller.
So how does this apply to bulking?
We need to ensure that when we are trying to add weight that we are fed at all times. In fact, we need to be over-fed. In the past we thought that this meant eating every 3 hours, but now it goes far beyond that.
In the 21st Century approach, this means that you always have protein digesting and being absorbed. It also means that you always have a steady supply of calories coming in, because it takes a LOT of energy to build muscle. Remember: protein alone is not enough.
Although we're less concerned with body fat during a bulking phase, we still don't want to unnecessarily spike insulin because in our over-fed state, this will lead to fat storage. Instead, we can intelligently make use of high insulin pulses to stimulate muscle growth and recovery, as long as we're not in a state of constant hyperinsulinemia. The way in which we do this, is to combine a simple carbohydrate source — let's use Pop Tarts for this example — and a moderately fast protein.
A great time for this combo is around an hour after our post workout Surge. This is because our bodies are more receptive to carbohydrates at this time, meaning that these nutrients will be used for recovery and not stored as fat. An hour to an hour and a half later, you'd eat a slower digesting solid meal.
Step 2: Can You Feel The Heat?
The determinant I like to use for non-workout meal timing is body temperature. More specifically, perceived body temperature. This is because if you're hot after eating, you're experiencing something called diet-induced thermogenesis.
What this means is that your metabolic rate is elevated because your body is processing the ingested food.
You know those people who can't get fat, no matter what they eat? Well, their bodies are like furnaces that simply burn off much of the food they take in. We all have this ability to some extent, and it should be our goal to use it as a signal for how "fed" we are.
If your goal is to put on mass and you're in 24-hour hypertrophy mode, then you should be hot nearly all the time. This means that if you're in a temperature controlled environment and aren't feeling warm, then it's probably time to eat again. This tactic ensures that we're always in an over-fed state, even if our state of hunger says otherwise.
In fact, hunger isn't an ideal determinant of when we should eat because there are so many factors controlling it. For our purpose, perceived body temperature can be far more telling.
Step 3: Time To Grow
After a week or two of eating based on body temperature, you'll notice a pattern develop. This initial period is essentially the meal-effect calibration phase, where we take note of the effect of particular foods on our body temperature.
If followed properly, this pattern of meal type and resulting body temperature will allow us to predict how a certain meal is going to affect us, and allows us to plan out when we need to eat next. One easy facilitator of this step is to set an alarm to remind you of your next meal. This simple reminder is much easier than having to monitor how hot you feel, all of the time. In fact, setting an alarm to remind you when to eat is the first thing I suggest for people when bulking. When they're used to that, then it's time to Raise The Barr and focus more on body temperature.
What About Cutting?
If we're bulking we likely need to eat more frequently than every three hours, but what about if we're trying to lose fat while maintaining muscle? Well, in this case we can eat even less frequently than every 3 hours to optimize fat loss. Again, it all comes back to how the nutrients are being delivered from our gut, and not when we're eating.
Remember the big meal Mike had, the one with the salad and steak? Well, if he were cutting, this meal isn't all that bad because it ensures that he's fed for many hours to come. What is a bad idea, aside from the cake and potatoes, is that he felt the need to ingest something three hours later. This latter meal would be completely unnecessary because he had already met the specific nutrient requirements and was still being fed by the food in his gut.
After all, Mike was still protein-fed and his blood sugar and insulin levels were being managed, so why consume more food? Some may argue that the act of eating and digesting actually burns calories. While this idea may be true, we can't burn more calories, through digestion, than are provided from the ingested meal.
If you can, then you've found a Superfood that will not only solve the obesity epidemic, but also make you a billionaire.
Taking the Barr Exam
So what are the take away points to ensure you're following a 21st Century Eating Plan? There are simple questions you can ask yourself at any time to ensure that you are properly fed, whatever your goals may be.
If you're bulking, you need to ask:
1. Am I protein-fed?
This can be answered based on how long ago you ingested your food, along with the digestive properties of the meal.
2. Am I hot?
If you're not feeling warm, then you're likely not in an over-fed state and should be eating again soon. Remember that hunger is not the primary determinant of food intake. [Alternatively you could visit www.HotOrNot.com]
If you're trying to lose fat, the questions are:
1. Am I protein-fed?
This is the same principle as for the bulking question.
2. Do I have nutrients currently being digested and absorbed?
If you've eaten a protein and fat meal, or a lot of leafy vegetables, then there's a good chance that you're still in a fed state and do not need to eat.
Four Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1 I have a slow metabolism and don't get warm from eating. How do I apply the body temperature gauge principle?
A.1 If you're one of the folks with a slower metabolism, the body temperature gauge principle may not be for you. That said, the protein-feeding rule still applies regardless of your metabolic state.
The temperature gauge is primarily for individuals who naturally have a normal to fast metabolic rate. Having said that, it seems that everyone who's overweight claims to have a slow metabolism, much like every skinny guy claims to be a hard gainer. These are common cop-outs and they need to be objectively analyzed before printing them on your business cards. Of course if you're reading this, then you're more likely than most to understand your body and its limitations.
Q.2 I'm cutting and using Surge post workout. Should I wait for four hours before eating again?
A.2 Absolutely not. Due to the high quality of nutrients in Surge, you'll experience rapid absorption and should be eating again less than an hour later.
Q.3 I'm not sure when I'm supposed to eat, but I want to get bigger muscles and lose the fat around my stomach. Can you tell me how hot I need to be and when to eat?
A.3 That is really the million dollar question. You should use this article as a guide to design your diet or hire a professional to do so for you.
Q.4 I live in a warm climate and feel hot pretty much all of the time. How do I use the temperature gauge principle?
A.4 When ambient temperature is highly variable or at the extremes, it becomes more difficult to apply the temperature gauge concept. Having lived in both extremes, I can tell you from experience that it can be done. If you live in hot weather without air conditioning, you'll know when you're hotter. If you're in a colder environment you'll notice that clothes start coming off, even if no one of the opposite sex is around.
Conclusions:
If you're like Mike, you're probably eating more frequently around workouts, and having a slow digesting meal before bed. This is a great start, but clearly we need to eat more or less frequently depending on our goals.
The Barr has been Raised and the three hour dogma destroyed. It's time to bring your eating into the 21st Century!
Although this 90's concept still holds weight for beginners, it may actually be hindering the progress of more advanced athletes. We need to update the idea of meal timing in order to truly optimize our fat loss and muscle growth. To put it simply, it's time to bring meal timing into the 21st century.
The Same Old Song
During one of our rare but (in)famous family dinner table discussions, the subject of meal frequency came up. Interestingly, it was the family cook, my mom, who had the strongest opinions. Of course she'd grown up on clichés like "an apple a day... " and iron clad rules like eating 3 square meals.
As important as it is to respect our elders (I can only imagine what she would say knowing she was being referred to as an "elder"), they in turn must realize that they grew up in a time when robots were only in sci-fi movies, and "BrokeBack" was something you got from falling off a ladder. In other words; they need to get with the times.
Through the course of the conversation, it became increasingly clear that despite any arguments I made, there was no way my mom would adopt a 3 hour eating pattern. After all, she found it unnecessary and too inconvenient to eat that frequently — that's dogma for you.
In the end it got me wondering how many people are still following the old school three hour rule for eating.
Flash forward to last week, when I was discussing the topic of meal timing with one of my basketball players. Mike was the captain for the university team. It was nearing the end of his season, and he was looking for a playoff program. We had the training already worked out, and it was time for the nutrition aspect. What should have made life easier was that Mike already knew that he was supposed to eat every three hours; he only needed to figure out what and how much to eat.
Uh-oh. Red flag. In the past, I've found that when someone already "knows" something, it's harder to de-program them and then introduce new ideas. But I was sure that Mike's thinking was relatively common, and I needed to see if there was any hope of reasoning with him, and subsequently, hope of reasoning with others.
I asked Mike to justify his 3 hour plan, and after much convincing, he grudgingly accepted. He explained that eating every three hours is designed to keep a steady influx of nutrients into your body. This would provide a constant supply of protein for muscle repair and growth, as well as keep blood sugar level. Upon further prodding, he added that a steady blood sugar meant low insulin levels, and subsequently less body fat storage.
I must admit that Mike knew his stuff. He had read and remembered all of the 90's based information he'd read in different magazines. But what he didn't realize is that while this information is useful for people new to the nutrition game, it is drastically oversimplified, and no longer applicable to people like him.
What's more, he was appalled by the idea that this three hour dogma could actually be slowing down his progress — not only with his athletic performance, but his body composition as well.
The Main Players
Mike was right about a couple of things, including the main determinants of meal timing. To elaborate, we certainly want to ensure that we have the building blocks of protein (i.e. amino acids) floating around in our blood to be used by various tissues. This helps to prevent our body from breaking down our hard-earned muscle as a source of amino acids.
We'd also like to properly control both glucose and insulin. This is of course to ensure that we're having maximum nutrient delivery, while at the same time minimizing fat deposition on our "problem areas". What Mike was NOT correct about though, is the way in which we specifically manipulate these factors to optimize our results.
Rethinking The Dogma
The next question I asked Mike was about his protein intake. Did he have a pre workout drink? Yup. A post workout drink? Of course! He explained that you need fast protein and carbohydrates at these times to stimulate muscle growth and repair. Having read my article on post workout optimization, he'd even experimented with multiple post workout drinks.
So with the answers to these simple questions, Mike had already cast aside the 3 hour rule, and he didn't even realize it!
"Well that's different," he rebutted "that's only around your workout!"
"Is it?" I asked, already seeing the first cracks in his resolve. "Well, tell me, do you sleep?"
This leading question was met with silence and a death stare.
"Okay, so you sleep for 9 hours each night, and you're no longer feeding nocturnally."
From our earlier conversations I knew that Mike had done well with nocturnal feedings in the summer, but the demands of school and ball were too much for him to keep up with it.
Additionally, Mike had been consuming casein and fat before bed. Thinking that he was perfectly on track, Mike wasn't too thrilled when I asked him "so does this mean that you're completely fasted for at least 2-3 hours every single day?"
All I could hear were grumblings of "splitting hairs", but what I was trying to show Mike, was that he wasn't wrong about his meal timing — he was exactly right! He simply needed to realize it.
The real message is that there are times when we need to eat more frequently or less frequently, and that the three hour rule is only a guide to help noobs get used to the concept of eating more frequently.
Special Delivery
The conversation then progressed to discussing Mike's weekend meals. Whether with one of his many girlfriends or his family, Mike eats well. Last weekend he had a salad topped with olive oil dressing — a fact about which he seemed a little too proud — followed by a porterhouse steak and grilled potatoes.
Of course he topped it all off with a slice of chocolate cake (later revealed to be TWO slices). A good meal by most standards. But what confused me, was that despite the density of this meal, Mike had proceeded to slug back a protein shake 3 hours later. He again explained that he wanted a steady flow of amino acids into his blood, hence the shake.
"Look," I said with a hint of exasperation, "you know that you just had a big meal, the center piece of which was a big steak. Would you have gone and played ball 3 hours after this meal?" Mike shook his head no. "Of course not," I continued "because you still had this meal sitting in your gut. More specifically, you had a big steak already in you, slowly digesting and steadily supplying your body with amino acids."
"Right, but I still need to prevent blood sugar spikes and subsequent fat storage." Mike hastily retorted.
I started to explain that while I agree that carbohydrate and insulin management should be practiced, it's important to also consider what your body is doing at that time. For example, we already know that he had a steady influx of amino acids into the blood, but what about carbohydrates?
With this feeding, carbs would also be slowly released into the blood, because he consumed a very slow digesting meal. Not only the protein and the fat from the steak, but also the olive oil from the salad and the fiber from the vegetables in the salad itself! All of this slows digestion and gives you that steady trickle of nutrients you want.
Mike still looked skeptical, but I could see that he was beginning to come around.
Before he could add a rebuttal that he didn't eat that way all of the time, I added that any time we eat solid protein, we're slowing our digestion. It's not just cottage cheese that does this, but any meat as well. Add on top of that the fat contained in red meat, and digestion is slowed even further. Throw in a salad, and a little dressing, and your food is staying around for a while.
It's important to remember that it's not just the digestion of one nutrient, but all nutrients that get delayed when we eat a slower digesting meal. This means that protein is steadily provided, and insulin is being managed."
At this point, Mike was feeling a little frustrated by the deprogramming process. "Okay, cool. So tell me ÔMr. BarrBarrian'," Mike added sarcastically, "how do I know when I'm supposed to eat?"
Grinning like the Cheshire cat I replied, "I'm glad you asked."
Say it with me: BEEFCAKE!!!
Even the TV show South Park had it right in their first season when they spoofed a weight gain supplement marketed to little kids.
Beefcake: Hey! You need to get in shape fast?!? Wanna look your best?!? Tired of the other guys getting all the chicks?!? Are you tired of being a 90-pound weakling?!?
Cartman: Yeah, I only weigh 90 pounds.
Beefcake: Then bulk up quick, with Weight Gain 4000!!
Cartman: Yes!
Beefcake: With over 4000 grams of saturated fat per serving, its patented formula is designed to enter the mouth, and go directly to the stomach where it is distributed to the bloodstream.
Beefcake: Now available in stores everywhere. Get some today, and say with me 'Beefcake!'
Cartman: Beefcake!
Beefcake: Beefcake!
Cartman: Beefcake!
Beefcake: Beefcake!
Cartman: Beefcake!!!
TV Announcer: (May cause irreversible damage to the kidneys and liver.)
While I'm sure that a couple of you want to go out and buy this product because of the slick marketing and hardcore science that the supplement industry is famous for, we need to focus on the nutrient distribution. As stated in the advertisement, we consume food via the mouth (I'm not even kidding), but it's distributed to the bloodstream via the gut (the small intestine, not the stomach).
A lot happens between the time we ingest food, to the time it enters the blood, which is why slamming food down every 3 hours doesn't work optimally.
21st Century Thinking
The main idea behind 21st Century eating lies in the way we perceive feeding. Traditionally this means putting food in our mouth, but based on the above examples, you should be able to see that this isn't entirely accurate. More appropriately, we should see feeding as how the nutrients come from our gut and how they are delivered to our cells.
To simplify using the extreme example, we know that when we eat casein and fat as our last meal of the day, our cells are being provided with nutrients for hours to come, even though there's nothing else entering our mouths. In essence, we'restill being fed by the nutrients we've already consumed. The key to success is focusing on how the nutrients are being delivered to our body, not eating by an inflexible schedule.
Step 1: Goals and Meal Timing
Meal timing has as much to do with your goals as it does nutrients. For example, if you're eating for fat loss, you don't necessarily need to eat the same foods at the same times as you would when bulking. So if Mike were bulking, the fact that he had consumed a protein shake after eating a slow digesting meal wouldn't be a big issue.
So what's the whole point? Well, if Mike had been cutting, this liquid meal would have blunted his fat loss by adding more nutrients to an already fed system — even if his solid meal had been smaller.
So how does this apply to bulking?
We need to ensure that when we are trying to add weight that we are fed at all times. In fact, we need to be over-fed. In the past we thought that this meant eating every 3 hours, but now it goes far beyond that.
In the 21st Century approach, this means that you always have protein digesting and being absorbed. It also means that you always have a steady supply of calories coming in, because it takes a LOT of energy to build muscle. Remember: protein alone is not enough.
Although we're less concerned with body fat during a bulking phase, we still don't want to unnecessarily spike insulin because in our over-fed state, this will lead to fat storage. Instead, we can intelligently make use of high insulin pulses to stimulate muscle growth and recovery, as long as we're not in a state of constant hyperinsulinemia. The way in which we do this, is to combine a simple carbohydrate source — let's use Pop Tarts for this example — and a moderately fast protein.
A great time for this combo is around an hour after our post workout Surge. This is because our bodies are more receptive to carbohydrates at this time, meaning that these nutrients will be used for recovery and not stored as fat. An hour to an hour and a half later, you'd eat a slower digesting solid meal.
Step 2: Can You Feel The Heat?
The determinant I like to use for non-workout meal timing is body temperature. More specifically, perceived body temperature. This is because if you're hot after eating, you're experiencing something called diet-induced thermogenesis.
What this means is that your metabolic rate is elevated because your body is processing the ingested food.
You know those people who can't get fat, no matter what they eat? Well, their bodies are like furnaces that simply burn off much of the food they take in. We all have this ability to some extent, and it should be our goal to use it as a signal for how "fed" we are.
If your goal is to put on mass and you're in 24-hour hypertrophy mode, then you should be hot nearly all the time. This means that if you're in a temperature controlled environment and aren't feeling warm, then it's probably time to eat again. This tactic ensures that we're always in an over-fed state, even if our state of hunger says otherwise.
In fact, hunger isn't an ideal determinant of when we should eat because there are so many factors controlling it. For our purpose, perceived body temperature can be far more telling.
Step 3: Time To Grow
After a week or two of eating based on body temperature, you'll notice a pattern develop. This initial period is essentially the meal-effect calibration phase, where we take note of the effect of particular foods on our body temperature.
If followed properly, this pattern of meal type and resulting body temperature will allow us to predict how a certain meal is going to affect us, and allows us to plan out when we need to eat next. One easy facilitator of this step is to set an alarm to remind you of your next meal. This simple reminder is much easier than having to monitor how hot you feel, all of the time. In fact, setting an alarm to remind you when to eat is the first thing I suggest for people when bulking. When they're used to that, then it's time to Raise The Barr and focus more on body temperature.
What About Cutting?
If we're bulking we likely need to eat more frequently than every three hours, but what about if we're trying to lose fat while maintaining muscle? Well, in this case we can eat even less frequently than every 3 hours to optimize fat loss. Again, it all comes back to how the nutrients are being delivered from our gut, and not when we're eating.
Remember the big meal Mike had, the one with the salad and steak? Well, if he were cutting, this meal isn't all that bad because it ensures that he's fed for many hours to come. What is a bad idea, aside from the cake and potatoes, is that he felt the need to ingest something three hours later. This latter meal would be completely unnecessary because he had already met the specific nutrient requirements and was still being fed by the food in his gut.
After all, Mike was still protein-fed and his blood sugar and insulin levels were being managed, so why consume more food? Some may argue that the act of eating and digesting actually burns calories. While this idea may be true, we can't burn more calories, through digestion, than are provided from the ingested meal.
If you can, then you've found a Superfood that will not only solve the obesity epidemic, but also make you a billionaire.
Taking the Barr Exam
So what are the take away points to ensure you're following a 21st Century Eating Plan? There are simple questions you can ask yourself at any time to ensure that you are properly fed, whatever your goals may be.
If you're bulking, you need to ask:
1. Am I protein-fed?
This can be answered based on how long ago you ingested your food, along with the digestive properties of the meal.
2. Am I hot?
If you're not feeling warm, then you're likely not in an over-fed state and should be eating again soon. Remember that hunger is not the primary determinant of food intake. [Alternatively you could visit www.HotOrNot.com]
If you're trying to lose fat, the questions are:
1. Am I protein-fed?
This is the same principle as for the bulking question.
2. Do I have nutrients currently being digested and absorbed?
If you've eaten a protein and fat meal, or a lot of leafy vegetables, then there's a good chance that you're still in a fed state and do not need to eat.
Four Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1 I have a slow metabolism and don't get warm from eating. How do I apply the body temperature gauge principle?
A.1 If you're one of the folks with a slower metabolism, the body temperature gauge principle may not be for you. That said, the protein-feeding rule still applies regardless of your metabolic state.
The temperature gauge is primarily for individuals who naturally have a normal to fast metabolic rate. Having said that, it seems that everyone who's overweight claims to have a slow metabolism, much like every skinny guy claims to be a hard gainer. These are common cop-outs and they need to be objectively analyzed before printing them on your business cards. Of course if you're reading this, then you're more likely than most to understand your body and its limitations.
Q.2 I'm cutting and using Surge post workout. Should I wait for four hours before eating again?
A.2 Absolutely not. Due to the high quality of nutrients in Surge, you'll experience rapid absorption and should be eating again less than an hour later.
Q.3 I'm not sure when I'm supposed to eat, but I want to get bigger muscles and lose the fat around my stomach. Can you tell me how hot I need to be and when to eat?
A.3 That is really the million dollar question. You should use this article as a guide to design your diet or hire a professional to do so for you.
Q.4 I live in a warm climate and feel hot pretty much all of the time. How do I use the temperature gauge principle?
A.4 When ambient temperature is highly variable or at the extremes, it becomes more difficult to apply the temperature gauge concept. Having lived in both extremes, I can tell you from experience that it can be done. If you live in hot weather without air conditioning, you'll know when you're hotter. If you're in a colder environment you'll notice that clothes start coming off, even if no one of the opposite sex is around.
Conclusions:
If you're like Mike, you're probably eating more frequently around workouts, and having a slow digesting meal before bed. This is a great start, but clearly we need to eat more or less frequently depending on our goals.
The Barr has been Raised and the three hour dogma destroyed. It's time to bring your eating into the 21st Century!