Facts About Meal Frequency and Thermic Effect

Meal Frequency and the Thermic Effect of Food

The total quantity of calories you expend on a daily basis is the sum of those required to support your RMR, those utilized for exercise and other daily activities, and those expended during the digestion and absorption of your meals (thermic effect of food). It is estimated that the thermic effect of food accounts for approximately 10% of your total calories expended daily.

 Protein has the highest thermic effect, followed by carbohydrates, and lastly, fats. Eating a portion of protein with each meal helps moderate the glycemic (blood sugar) response to the ingested carbs, and helps provide satiety.

Each time you eat a meal, you expend calories simply by digesting and absorbing that meal. If you eat 5-6 small meals per day as opposed to the typical 2 or 3 meals per day, you are increasing your calorie expenditure simply by increasing your meal frequency. Eating 5-6 small meals per day means eating approximately every 3 waking hours throughout the day.

It is important to note that you should never skip breakfast. You should eat first thing when you wake up in the morning . If you go the entire morning without eating like many people do, your metabolism is running much slower than it should, and you’re also putting yourself in a catabolic situation where your body will be breaking down muscle tissue for energy and to supply amino acids for other essential bodily functions.

Another reason that increasing your meal frequency is that it helps to maintain a more stable and steady blood sugar throughout the day. This keeps your insulin levels more stable and allows you to be in a fat burning mode for more of the day. If you eat the traditional 2-3 large meals per day, you have much bigger swings in your blood sugar and insulin levels.

It is very hard to lose body fat when you’re only eating 2-3 large meals per day. In addition to promoting a leaner body, eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout each day will also provide you with more consistent energy levels without the mood swings.