When it comes to philosophies on food, there’s no shortage of people out there ready to share their thoughts on what you should be eating and when. I’m always a little careful with who’s philosophy I follow because you never know why they’re pushing what they’re pushing.. and the more popular they are, the more questionable their choices. At least, that’s how I see it.

On the Facebook fan page, someone asked for my thoughts on the “6 meal plan” offered up by Dr. Oz.. who I kinda have a little crush on, but who doesn’t? The details are pasted below:

Mini-meal #1: Protein

You can choose from a variety of food choices, but your first meal must be a protein. Healthy options include:

• Greek yogurt
• Lean meats
• Fish
• Nuts
• Beans

Mini-meal #2: Healthy Fats

Again, there is flexibility in the kind of healthy fat you can have, but keep the food in the same category. Options include:

• Canned salmon (which contains Omega-3s)
• Walnuts
• Avocados
• Olives
• Sunflower/pumpkin/flax seeds

Mini-meal #3: Whole Grains

• Whole-wheat bagel with low-fat cream cheese
• Brown rice
• Oatmeal
• Popcorn
• Whole-wheat bread, pasta or crackers
• Wild rice

Mini-meal #4: Fiber

• Grains and whole-grain products
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Beans, peas and other legumes
• Nuts and seeds

Mini-meal #5: Metabolism Booster

Salad with hot green peppers

Mini-meal #6: Healthy Sweets

Dark chocolate

To ensure that you experience at least SOME kind of weight loss, you’re encouraged to take at least 10,000 steps each day (counted by a pedometer), as well as taking a few vitamins. What are my thoughts?

Hmmm… I mean, to me, I think it’s almost too compartmentalized to be appropriate for every lifestyle. Someone who has to do a lot of business meetings for lunch might find it difficult to stick to a strictly whole-grain lunch. I think it’s an awesome challenge and would be valuable for anyone to jump on it, simply because getting used to having these things in your daily diet is a great thing to have. However… would someone get so frustrated by the limitations that they’d quit altogether? That’s an interesting question, to me.

The question of whether or not one could remain full off of an eating plan like this was posed to me.. and I’ve got to tell you.

YES!

I eat six times a day! I have a short breakfast, a quick brunch, lunch, a snack, dinner, then a last quick bite. I am never hungry. My tummy doesn’t even rumble any more because it knows that food is coming. Because my stomach doesn’t rumble anymore, I no longer eat (or overeat) based off of hunger. I’m no longer forced to stuff myself until that “hungry” feeling goes away.

So, in short… I don’t think the Six-Meal Plan is for beginners to the “healthier lifestyle” movement. I think it’s almost too radical and different to encourage long-lasting changes. I DO think the way it allows the dieter to really focus on specific food groups is an awesome way to get in the habit of making sure we’re getting the good stuff everyday. I love the six times a day eating schedule, and do recommend it for everyone.

What do you think? Opting to give the plan a try?