Weight loss isn’t a cake walk and almost all of us, who have wanted to shed those extra kilos for a while, are painfully aware of this fact. While there seems to be a consensus about the fact that diet is of utmost importance when it comes to weight loss, there are still conflicting opinions about which diet or diet plan works the best. One of the most common confusions about a weight loss diet is the number of meals that one should eat per day. While some studies say that eating three meals every day, with no snacks in between works better, some others believe in eating six smaller meals for better weight management.

But which one of these is true? Many studies and quite a lot of research has been conducted on which meal pattern works better for weight loss as well as overall improvement of health. Some results showed that splitting down meals into smaller ones can lead to better blood sugar control and also reduce cholesterol levels. This is in addition to the boost in metabolism that eating frequent meals gives you. However, logically eating more meals also means more calories to burn off, increasing the need for the body to get more workout.

On the other hand, eating three meals per day (with no snacking in between) means consuming lesser amount of calories. However, it also leaves your body with lower level of energy and makes it susceptible to sudden spike or fall in blood sugar levels. Moreover, eliminating snacks from your diet leaves you with pesky hunger pangs, which might make you crave unhealthy junk foods. So although, skipping that breakfast or that lunch may look like the obvious way of consuming less calories, it might prove to be harmful for your body in the long run.

So which meal pattern should you follow? Science has been inconclusive to put it mildly, in deciding whether you should eat three big meals o six small meals to lose weight. Although some studies swear that eating more will actually help you lose weight, some others have found that breaking meals down has no weight loss advantage. To figure out which meal pattern is best suited for you, you must first find out more about your body.

If you are someone who has a large appetite and have a problem with portion control, you are better off sticking to just three meals per day. In this case, eating more frequently may be counter-productive. However, if you are someone who gets full faster, you may want to break your meals down and eat more often. The most important thing to keep in mind here is calorie count. Make sure you consume only healthy calories and keep a count of them, so that you know how much you need to burn off in the gym.

In conclusion- there’s no hard and fast rule about which meal pattern is better suited for weight loss. It’s all relative and depends on your body needs, type, your lifestyle and eating habits.