I've been consistently losing weight for just over a month now. About 6 lbs total. I started out doing something like 5 small meals a day of veggies, whole grains, high protein, oatmeal, fruit, white meat and was losing less than a lb a week (not the best progress, but still progress!). Over the last week or so though I've lost about 3. We went on vacation for a few days and my eating habits became 2 meals a day. One in the late morning and one in the early evening. Plus a couple snacks of things like an apple, carrot sticks, etc. and even eating a few bites of hubby's dessert (I still worked out everyday as there was a very nice gym there). I'd always heard that eating small frequent meals was the way to go, but now I'm not so sure that's the best thing for MY body!
Just curious what everyone else does and how it's worked for you! I'm still getting adjusted to weight loss and diet so I'm sure I'm bound to try some more things. Thanks!
I do 3 main meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner with 3 snacks. Main meals usually have a protein, lots of veggies and grains (like brown rice or whole grain bread). Snack is usually a piece or 2 of fruit.
Some of the stuff I have read says it is much better for your system to eat only three meals a day. The theory is that your liver and pancreas need a period of time to 'reset' after digesting a meal. This helps to keep any leptin problems at a minimum, and can help heal them if you have them. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can help boost the immune system. If you care to read something on it, Mastering Leptin is a very good, in depth book on digestion and the hormone system of the body and how everything in interrelated. I do know that I can't eat five or six small meals a day. I never lose, and my blood sugar levels never normalize. I do much better if I eat two meals and NO snacks. So its just not a one size fits all when it comes to diet and losing weight!
Ultimately, it's all about energy consumed vs. energy expended. Some people do better eating small amounts frequently so they never get hungry. If you have blood sugar issues this can be better too.
I have tried the multiple small meals/snacks per day. I can lose weight that way. BUT, I have more recently found that I prefer eating 2 meals and a one or two small (100-150 calorie) snacks through the day. Usually I have a smaller (late morning) breakfast and a larger supper as my two meals. The main reason for this is that I like to feel full at least once per day. If I never feel full, I feel like I've been deprived and end up overeating later. This has been working for me for the last couple of weeks and I think I'll continue with it until it stops working.
I have tried the 5/6 small meals a day thing several times and it has never worked for me. I never really knew why until I came across an article about it recently and how it really may not be the best way, and also read a little on intermittent fasting as I was curious about it.
For me, trying to eat several small meals meant A: I am always thinking about food and what I am going to eat and B: It never filled me up, I was never satisfied! ... which led me to then overeat.
This time I seem to have fallen into a routine where I eat a small breakfast... about 300 calories. Lunch is when I definitely eat the most and the bulk of my calories for the day and am definitely FULL when I am done. Then I eat a small dinner. About twice a week I may flip lunch and dinner as far as how many calories so we have a nice longer family meal.
I am finding that I am not even snacking. It's been weeks since I've had any snack between breakfast and lunch. I will occasionally have something small (100 calories or so) between lunch and dinner, but not every day. And about 3 times a week DH and I will have a little treat at night, no more than 150 calories. Usually a Skinny Cow ice cream cone, or something like that.
So I guess I am doing two smaller meals, one large meal ... snacks only sometimes/days. The best part about it is I AM NOT HUNGRY!! And I have never said that while trying to lose weight EVER!
I never really knew why until I came across an article about it recently and how it really may not be the best way, and also read a little on intermittent fasting as I was curious about it.
There's a really in-depth (free) e-book done by a Dr. John Berardi which chronicles all his experiments in fasting and, in particular, intermittent fasting (which, ultimately, he champions). Just search his name in Google, I guess (I can't yet post links) but his site is called "precision nutrition" and he's done a few articles for Art of Manliness I think.
He has some before and after photos somewhere there, and he's buff as "heck" in both of them but he trimmed down his body fat substantially after starting intermittent fasting, and he's not selling anything and is a real doctor so it's worth a look.
Everyone is different. I think as long as you're getting all of the nutrients you need and the right amount of calories you should be fine.
I eat all morning and up until the afternoon. My breakfast and lunch are pretty much snack sized, so you might say that I just snack all the way up to 12:00.
I eat a small snack when I get home sometimes (depends if I'm hungry) and then I have dinner, which is really the only "meal" I eat. Depending on where I am with my calories I may snack after that too.
I find as long as I count everything up then I'm fine.
I have tried the 5/6 small meals a day thing several times and it has never worked for me. I never really knew why until I came across an article about it recently and how it really may not be the best way, and also read a little on intermittent fasting as I was curious about it.
For me, trying to eat several small meals meant A: I am always thinking about food and what I am going to eat and B: It never filled me up, I was never satisfied! ... which led me to then overeat.
Yes-Yes-Yes. I hate these small-small meala because I am always hungry and always thinking (or waiting) food.
Good to know I'm not alone on this recent change/preference! It's going really well for me actually. Even with not counting calories for the past week, I've been losing. I lost another .5 lb since yesterday! My body is apparently very on board!
I'm an IFer. I tried the 6 small meals thing for so long. All it did was make my blood sugar do crazy things all day. I was moody and starving and miserable.
Now I eat only in the evening. One very large meal, a few hours later - a salad, and some fruit for dessert. It works great and I'm never hungry. I don't have to worry about food during the day and I feel like I can focus on the task at hand with a clearer head .
There's a really in-depth (free) e-book done by a Dr. John Berardi which chronicles all his experiments in fasting and, in particular, intermittent fasting (which, ultimately, he champions). Just search his name in Google, I guess (I can't yet post links) but his site is called "precision nutrition" and he's done a few articles for Art of Manliness I think.
He has some before and after photos somewhere there, and he's buff as "heck" in both of them but he trimmed down his body fat substantially after starting intermittent fasting, and he's not selling anything and is a real doctor so it's worth a look.
Hey Kiko! Thanks! Just saw this message. I am going to google him up today! I have been really leaning towards this after reading through the board on IF here.
During the week I always eat 6 small meals a day (sometimes 5 if I'm not hungry at night). On weekends, I tend to have two meals - a late breakfast and dinner and usually a snack somewhere in the day.
As long as my calories add up each day to the right range, it doesn't seem to make a difference for me.
Hey Kiko! Thanks! Just saw this message. I am going to google him up today! I have been really leaning towards this after reading through the board on IF here.
My pleasure! Yeah, I've been skimming the e-book here and there since I posted and it's pretty interesting; hope it helps!
# of meals per day?
Thanks!
