Do you remember those word problems we all had to solve in grade school math classes?  They usually started out something like this:  Johnny wants to buy an ice cream cone and has $3.00 in his pocket.  Sally wants a milkshake, but only has 50¢.  How many treats can they get if they combine their available funds?  Show your work.

            As adults we've become pretty good at word math problems.  For example, if you have $200 in your checking account, how many nights out at the movies can you afford-assuming you've paid your rent, electric bill, and put gas in your tank?  The answer to that one is probably none.  In fact, the answer to that problem would undoubtedly come up in negative numbers-something which we didn't even consider until at least middle school math class.

            The same sort of deficit and asset thinking applies to the way we eat as well.  Most of us were taught as children to "Save for a rainy day", so we dutifully dropped our pocket change into a plastic bank and watched it accumulate for "someday".  Saving for a prolonged period would result in a sizeable increase in our available funds. 

            Our bodies work a lot like that, too.  They are built to hold on to whatever fuel we provide.  They are built on the concept of "saving for a rainy day".  Many of us have gotten into the habit of eating just one decent meal each day.  We skip breakfast then get busy during the morning and forget to eat.  By noon we might grab a leftover donut or package of chips from the vending machine down the hall.  After working our way through the afternoon we arrive home absolutely famished!  Then we eat a huge dinner, collapse on the couch in a dazed, carbohydrate-induced coma, and stay there watching the tube until someone pokes us and tells us to go to bed. 

            Why don't we have any energy, we ask ourselves?  Is it just the price of getting older?  Why are we only eating one meal yet still gaining weight?  Is our metabolism just slowing down? 

            The answer to all these questions lies in "Meal Mathematics".  If this were a word problem, it might read something like this:  Sam wants to lose bodyfat, but also keep his energy level up throughout the day.  How can he do this without a) starving himself, b) eating a lot of junk food, and c) still having time for fun, relaxation, and rest?  Show your work.

            Before we explore these questions, let's be frank.  Any change you contemplate and seek to put into action will take work.  It will take commitment and pre-planning.  It won't always be easy.  It will be a challenge.  BUT... the results will be worth it! 

            Now let's solve the problem.  When our bodies "save for a rainy day" that means holding onto the fuel that they receive and banking it in the form of bodyfat until it is needed to provide energy (glucose) for our muscles, internal organs, and brain.  This is especially pronounced if we eat only once daily.  Since we're only feeding ourselves one large meal, our bodies don't know when they'll be fed again, and, sensing an upcoming scarcity, will bank or store food energy for future use.  Consequently, we gain weight.

            What about two meals per day?  Same problem.  The fuel supply is too widely spaced, our bodies sense scarcity, and hold onto what they need.  It's a stone-age survival mechanism that cannot be short-circuited.

            Okay, three square meals per day then?  Nope.  Same problem.  Just as a triangle isn't a stable shape (Ever tried sitting on a three-legged stool?), the same is true for the standard, traditional three-meals-per-day eating plan.  With meal times so widely spaced we either snack in between or become so hungry at meals that we overeat to compensate. 

            To solve this culinary conundrum let's explore a different way of eating, a new way of looking at food.  Our bodies are a lot like automobiles-they both need fuel to run properly.  But have you ever bought bad gas?  How did your car run?  Not as efficiently as possible, for sure.  It probably stuttered, stalled, or the engine knocked. 

            The same is true for our bodies.  Bad food equals bad gas (sometimes literally!).  Good, high-quality food equals a healthier and more vigorous body that's better able to withstand the rigors our normal lives.  Good food is like good quality, high-octane fuel.  We need to eat good food several times a day to provide a constant source of readily available energy.  It's that simple. 

            Instead of one, two, or three meals each day, let's try five to six meals per day, spaced at approximately three-hour intervals.  How can that work, you might be thinking.  I'll blow up like a balloon if I eat six times per day! 

            Good point.  If you keep eating the same size meals that you've been eating all along, yes, you will put on weight.  However, five to six smaller, high-quality meals containing protein, carbohydrates, and a little fat will do more to increase your energy and help control your bodyfat than one great big fat and carbohydrate-laden meal.  They will give your body a constant supply of high-octane fuel.  You will have the nutrition that you need, and your body will not need to "save for a rainy day". 

            Whew.  Now that we've solved that word problem, let's move onto something more complicated-like plane geometry....

Joyce Koester is a registered nurse who works at a hospital in Austin, Texas.  She is also an INBF bodybuilder who recently titled in Novice Light Class.  Her hobbies include playing guitar, keeping her journal, and antique-hunting with her fiancé.