When it comes to losing weight quickly, you probably focus on the number of calories that you get in a day. That would be a good place to start. Beyond that, however, how many meals should you eat every day if you want to shed pounds? For the answer, check out the information below. 

It Depends on the Individual

According to Yahoo, it isn’t such a good idea to eat six smaller meals throughout the day, as experts have realized that doing so might increase your odds of gaining, rather than losing, weight. In fact, sticking with three meals per day—that old rule that everyone has heard—might be the best way to go after all. 

Ultimately, it is up to you to figure out what eating schedule works for you, as your body will tell you when you need to eat, as well as when you should stop eating. Creating a realistic and achievable plan, and then sticking with it, can help increase the odds of successfully hitting your target weight. Practice mindfully paying attention to how you feel when you are really hungry, and when you are beginning to feel full while you are eating. 

Tip: When you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water to see if that satisfies you. Sometimes, when you think you’re hungry for food, your body is really just thirsty for some water. 

Focus on Burning Calories

Rather than focusing merely on how many meals you are eating every day, if you want to lose weight, you need to focus on TDEE, which stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure.

The goal should be to eat fewer calories than you are burning. That way, your body will end up tapping into stored fat that it can use to get the calories for energy that it needs. Combine this with an active lifestyle that includes plenty of exercise that burns calories, and you will be slimming down before you know it! 

So, it really does come back to calorie counting, rather than how many meals you should be eating. But, it’s all about figuring out how many calories you should be eating to stay healthy, while encouraging your body to burn stored fat for energy.