Meal Timing Part 1 Critical for Maximal Results

One thing is for sure. As Americans we do love to eat. I mean we put it down. The problem is that we don’t have any structure as to HOW and WHEN we choose to eat. I know you have probably heard it at least a hundred times before and if not then here it goes. In order to maintain a lean and healthy appearance, lose excess body fat and maximize performance (athletic or otherwise) it's better if you split your meals into 5-8 smaller portions throughout the day. Your diet should be well balanced and consist of protein, carbohydrates and fat (yes fat). Now the macro-nutrient ratio is what you will have to figure out as well as your basal metabolic rate. Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) will be the number of calories that your body needs in order to function from day to day based on your level of activity.

Your BMR will vary based on your current body composition and activity level. There are several calculators online that will help you figure out your BMR but just in case here is a pretty good guide:

Your BMR will be your body weight x 10 then multiplied by one of 4 numbers based on activity level.

- Sedentary activity level = 1.45
- Light activity level = 1.60
- Medium activity level = 1.70
- Heavy activity level = 1.88

So using the numbers above if I am calculating my BMR at 200lbs my calories needed would be 3,400 calories at a medium activity level. (200lbs X 10) = 2000 x 1.70 = 3400
Now first things first, you have to be totally honest with yourself. If you work a desk job where you are seated the majority of the day then I would say that you are no higher then light activity level. If you work outside the majority of the day then you should be medium to heavy activity level. Now remember this is just your basic calorie expenditure needed to function throughout the day. Now depending on your goals whether it is maintaining what you have, losing body fat or gaining weight you will have to use your BMR as a baseline and make adjustments from there. We will cover how to make adjustments later in Part 2 of this series.

Now back to the BMR. If I need to consume 3400 calories a day to maintain then I need to break those calories up evenly (as much as possible) throughout the day. If I wake up at 7am and go to bed at 10pm that means that I am up and running for 15 hours. If I eat every 3 hours or so that means I will take in 6 meals that day with my last being right at 10pm and each meal should be roughly 566 calories.

Now here is the part that people tend to find rather confusing. So if I have a BMR of 2000 calories I can eat 2000 calories of Twinkies and Ho Ho's right? Wrong wrong wrong!!! Your macronutrient content (protein, fat and carbohydrates) should be well balanced in order to suit your needs. If you are trying to lose excess body fat then you should lower your carbohydrate intake and increase your protein and good fat intake. If you are an athlete and relatively lean then you can afford more carbohydrates in your diet.

I know a lot of you are now scratching your heads and wondering what you have gotten yourselves into. I will make this as simple as I can. Ok here we go. To break this down to the most basic level here it goes. Your body uses to main sources for energy; carbohydrates and fats. First your body will reach for the carbohydrate stores for energy as they are usually readily available. Second it will use fat. The less carbohydrates you have in your body for fuel the more fat your body will burn. That’s why longer duration cardio tends to burn more fat in most people. You must first burn thru your carbohydrate stores in order to begin burning fat. So if you keep your carbohydrate intake low your body will burn fat for energy.

In part 2, I will cover the actual break down of protein, fat and carbohydrates as well as how they relate calorie for calorie. I will also cover how to use your BMR as a baseline for gaining or losing weight and body fat.

Click here for Part 2

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