If you sit down and try to figure out what your optimum caloric intake should be, if you factor in your weight, height, exercise level and all the other factors that count, you will end up with a total number of needed calories that probably range from 1,500 to about 3,000 tops. Somewhere within that range is the right amount of calories for you to eat every day to maintain good energy and the right weight. But when should you consume all those calories? Should you eat three meals or five? Does it matter if you consume most of them early in the day, or should you strive to eat six small meals throughout the day?

The answer will no doubt prove annoying to most people, will fail to satisfy since so many people are convinced that there really are secret formulas that result in amazing results, but the truth is that it takes our bodies hours upon hours to digest our food, and that whether you eat three meals or five, odds are that you will be digesting the same amount of food in the end regardless of when you ate it. For most people, that means you should eat in whichever way is most natural to you, whichever way is most comfortable, and as long as you are eating the right kind of food, you will get the right results.

Now there is something to be said for eating around your workout. If you exercise for an hour in the afternoon, you open a window for your body to digest food more efficiently and pickup nutrition to pump into your muscles with increased efficiency. Therefor it is a good idea to make sure you eat a good amount of protein and maybe some carbs either right before your workout or right after, depending on what feels best for you.

So there you have it, the answer is simple: eat in whatever manner feels the most comfortable and natural to you. If that means three meals a day, then fine. If that means constant snacking, then that’s great. What matters is that you feel good about your food, and stick to your diet plan.