Most people, who are going on a diet, hear this advice: Stop eating three big meals per day. You will lose more weight if you eat smaller meals five or six times per day.

A new study conducted at Purdue University and published in the Journal Obesity turns this idea on its head. Eating three square meals per day with higher amounts of lean protein turned out to be superior to eating smaller meals.

For the research project, 27 overweight and obese men were divided in two groups: One ate a calorie-restricted high-protein diet for 12 weeks, the other group a normal protein diet with the same amount of calories as the high protein group. Starting at week 7, both groups were again divided into a 3- meals- per- day subgroup and a 6-meals- per- day subgroup. In each condition, the total amount of calorie –intake was the same.

Results: The high protein group felt compared to the normal protein group fuller throughout the day, was less likely to calorie, calories, calorie intakeexperience late night hunger and was less obsessed with thinking about food. Within the high protein group, those who had three big meals had less late evening/ night hunger than those who had smaller meals 6 times per day.

Hence, the researchers recommend eating three high protein meals per day to achieve the individual weight loss goal.