How much should I eat? How much protein do I need in each meal for muscle maintenance and repair? Should I be eating six (or more) small meals everyday? And how, per-say does one eat that much without getting fat or monopolizing your day with food prep?

If these questions have ever crossed your mind or you wonder why they are important, then this article is for you. Breaking through the glossy magazine barriers is Fitness Spotlight.
 
"Bodybuilders telling you to eat 300+ grams protein a day and train 5x a week…..are only getting results due to the best genetics (much higher than average protein synthesis capabilities) the world has to offer…or a little help from anabolic hormones (steroids) to increase protein synthesis with that higher protein intake (and frequent workout schedule). The average person could not do much with that strategy (except just burnout)...

The average person (or anyone not taking anabolic steroids supplements) is well advised to lift (heavy) weights 3 - 4 times each week and perform intense cadio of short duration every day. Simply eat whole foods that are closest to nature; protein, veggies, fruits, nuts, and seeds to support such activity.

...Seems that whether you eat in 2-3 bigger meals (and/or pulse 1 large meal), or 6 smaller meals…..it won’t matter for muscle building. In the long run, the results are the same as long as the total amount of protein is kept constant."

Research has determined that protein in excess of 20 - 30 grams per meal does not result in more slabs of muscle being laid down, yet the excess would be burned as fuel or stored as energy (fat) for later use. In other words, eating more protein does not necessarily equate to more muscle.

It is also not necessary to eat 6 or more meals each day, as the supplement companies would have you believe. This from Dr. Eades:
 
"I don’t think IF would affect muscle mass much at all. If you go without food for a long period of time, say, several days, your metabolic system goes after your muscle mass to convert the protein stored there into the glucose you need to keep your blood glucose normal. This doesn’t happen in the short term. All the protein structures in the body draw from and add to the amino acid pool. When muscle breaks down the individual amino acids go into the pool from where they’re harvested by the system that converts them to glucose. When new muscle is made, the amino acids used to construct the muscle protein are drawn from the amino acid pool. One of the contributors to the AA pool is enzymes that are no longer needed and junk proteins that the body is cleansing from the cells. When one is fasting, one of the group of enzymes not really needed is the group of digestive enzymes that would otherwise be employed in digesting food. These enzymes break down and their amino acids enter the AA pool where the muscle can pick them up as needed. Also, during an IF, the body goes into ketosis. I posted a few months back on how ketosis stimulates the process of cellular cleansing by removing junk proteins from the cells. The amino acids from these proteins also enter the AA pool where they can be recycled by the muscle mass. So, even though new protein isn’t coming into the body minute by minute from the diet, there is plenty of substrate there in the AA pool to last until the next meal, which is, at most, only 24 hours away."

Fasting or eating less meals allows your body to utilize stored aminos and lesser quality nutrients in your body. This is especially important for those trying to lean out, lose fat, and gain muscle simultaneously. Because protein is more satiating and slower to digest, an increase in protein with a decrease in carb and fat intake will result favorable results. 

On your weight loss/muscle building journey, you can lose weight, save money, and feel invincible by skipping the sugary indulgence after your workout. "Skip the protein shakes and eat real foods….as the additional vitamins, minerals, and essential fats also play a role in building more muscle (and burning fat too). This is also an advantage to knowing you need less protein than originally believed…because you can focus on quality of the source (pastured eggs, grass fed meats) rather than quantity. Which leads to more natural vitamins, minerals and essential fats (including less Omega 6s, more Omega 3s and even some others like CLA proven to help burn fat/build muscle)."

So what are you waiting for? Hit the cardio in the a.m., lift weights a few times each week, and remember to keep moving forward. Don't weigh yourself down with too many meals and certainly don't sweat it! Simply, check your physique in the mirror every day to see the results of your prior days' workouts and nutrition. For that, in the end, is where the results will show.

Any questions?