Here is a great article that I found on USnews.com. It discusses the different diets and recommendations for eating frequency. I am a firm believe in several small meals a day but I can see how that might not work for everyone. Enjoy the Article!
I’m amazed at the emotions that charge the answer to the question of how many times a day we should be eating. Some people swear by six small meals, while others stress three square ones. Others argue that two daily meals, or even one, will suffice. I’ve also met folks who passionately believe that snacking ensures a successful diet, while others firmly believe that diets can fail on snacks alone.
The medical literature isn’t much help in these matters. There are studies clearly demonstrating that frequent eating benefits weight management. Other studies, however, show that frequent eating leads to caloric excess.
So how is it possible for there to be so much division and passion, both in opinion and in evidence, for a singular behavior? How can eating more frequently be at once fattening and thinning? The answer depends on both the foods and the individuals involved.
First, let’s start with whether or not snacking is helpful or harmful to weight management. Undoubtedly, the answer depends almost entirely on the snacks. University of Alberta researchers recently found that a drink and a snack from a vending machine would provide 15 teaspoons of sugar and 433 calories—roughly the caloric equivalent of a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. By those calculations, people who snack on food from a vending machine may well find their waistlines challenged.
Will Hayes Fitness of Charlotte, NC 