If you've ever heard that eating six small meals each day is better for your metabolism, fat-loss coach Carter Good [2] is here to debunk that myth. He also shut down the idea that consuming big meals will lead to excess fat storage and weight gain in his Instagram post above.
Rather than worrying about meal timing and frequency, Carter shared that your total caloric intake [4] is the most important thing to remember. "As long as you're eating in a calorie deficit, you could have one, two, four, eight, or even 16+ meals and get the exact same weight loss results," he wrote.
He continued to say that when it comes to deciding on your personalized meal number, it should be based on what you enjoy and what will make consistency easier [5]. For example, if you get hungry in between meals, you should think about smaller and more frequent meals with snacks. If you prefer to feel full after a meal, you may want to eat bigger meals, less frequently. Overall, two to four big meals with up to two small snacks per day is most effective for weight loss, according to Carter.