Way back up the list, Troll advocated 5-6 mini-meals a day. This I had always heard, and it sounded logical to me, especially toward cutting intake volume. However, i recently read (and it may have been in the Atkins book, which I am looking at, or the Carb addicts diet) that that may not be the best idea.

This theory is based on insulin production by the body. If I have my facts straight, the conversion of simple carbohydrates and sugars into stored fats is done by insulin. WHen you initially begin to eat, your body produces a surge of insulin that is largely the same amount, regardless of the volume you are about to consume. If you eat several small meals a day, you are hitting your system with several jolts of insulin, and may be contributing to a higher conversion to fat ratio.

Additionally, your body produces a second surge of insulin approximately 1 hour after the first. If you are still eating, the surge is a large one again; if not, then a smaller one. This indicates that while eating slowly can allow you to feel when you reach the true point of "full" and avoid overeating, you should fininsh the entire meal, start to finish, in under one hour.

P.S. I had a fairly overwight relative who dropped 30 pounds in 3 1/2 weeks with the Carb Addicts diet. He happens to be an M.D., so I guess he found it safe enough, though he did talk a bit about Ketosis, especially with the Atkins plan.

Jeff