I've never been one to follow a really trendy weight loss plan (ie: low carb, fat free etc.) but I did find a way of eating that helped me to lose weight and that so far is helping me to keep it off. I have found that "grazing", or eating smaller amounts more frequently, has kept my blood sugar steady and it has helped me to not overeat when I do eat.
Now I'm noticing that there are many supporters of a different direction of eating- NO snacking, a couple of larger meals in a day. (The Fat Fallacy, French Women Don't Get Fat etc.) I'm not saying there's anything at all wrong with those ideas. In fact, I wish I could live that way. It's more socially acceptable to eat a couple of larger meals than to sit down for a meal with other people only to look like you eat hardly anything, when just a couple of hours ago you had a small sandwich. Know what I mean?
Is this just a case of "whatever works for you"? Or "If it ain't broke, don't fix it?"
Are people actually capable of adjusting how they eat? I actually wish I could eat the way it's recommended to eat in those books (no snacking and spend more time on a couple of meals). Is there something inherently wrong with grazing?
I'm just looking for opinions/a discussion. I find it quite interesting.

I think you should do what's right for you, each person is so individual. If grazing keeps you satisfied and happy and you are losing weight - do that. If you'd prefer to eat 3 meals a day with no snacks and you stay full and satisfied all day, do that.

It's total number of calories consumed/burned per day. Doesn't matter when they are consumed.

Personally, I tend to get hungry quickly and I often feel nauseated or light-headed when I get too hungry. I make REALLY REALLY bad food decisions when I'm hungry. Knowing me (and also my habit of afternoon boredom eating) I just plan to eat every 2 hours or so. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are the biggest meals, but I still eat something every two hours. I eat at 7, 10, 12, 2, 4, 6 and 8 (or thereabouts). I rarely eat after dinner, but that's because I eat dinner so late. If I got hungry before bedtime and I would eat something small (depending on calories consumed already).

Being hungry also makes me feel deprived, like the way I'm eating is punative. I want to feel rewarded by my healthy lifestyle. Since I love to eat so much, I do it as much as I can. I just pick healthy things I love instead of the old scones and M&Ms like I used to.

Your metabolism is like a fire place. You need to keep the fire burning at all times right? Well, when you throw a huge log on the fire, the fire burns out and has to work twice as hard to get the fire going again, where if you feed the fire twigs all day, it will burn and burn. I am a big fan of snacking, because it keeps you going. I think the problem for some people is they have a hard time drawing the line between snacking and "binging". The bottom line is, you lose weight by burning more calories than you take in....so if it's small meals or large ones, the calories are really all that matter.

I think the primary thing is the "if it works for you, great" idea. We are all just too different to fall into one set of dietary rules. Some of us have more free time, some less. We all exercise different amounts, for different lengths, at different numbers of times each day. We sleep different amounts. Some of us have families to feed, some of us are free to live as we please without considering the needs of others. Some of us are choosing to eat only lower calorie dense foods, some have a bigger mix of calorie densities in our diets. All of these things, plus quite a few more I'm sure, will effect how many eating opportunites each of us will have or need each day.

Personally, I eat 3 "meals" roughly ranging from 400-600 calories and at least 3 "meals" roughly ranging from 100-200. I try not to call the smaller meals snacks, because although they are at times "snacky" or "dessert" like items, they are also often not- a small sandwich, some soup, a little salad what-have-you.

I like the balance this gives me between eating many times a day with manageable waiting times between meals and also having the opportunity to eat dishes that can't realistically fit into a meal smaller than 500 calories. I find the trick is to keep the smaller meals in the "grab and go" category as much as possible so that I don't end up cooking all day long. (I like cooking, but I also enjoy spending time doing other things. )

I am able to do "snacking" instead of "binging". I think it's the constant eating that keeps me from overeating the next time. I tell myself that I can eat again soon, when I'm hungry again. That usually helps. I can live like this b/c I don't have a family to feed, and my boyfriend who is frequently over has absolutely no issues at all with the way I eat. In fact, he wishes he could pick it up b/c he often skips a meal, then has a belly busting huge meal after which he feels terrible. It's only in social situations that it's difficult. A regular day, with just work and going home, it's easy to live this way. I love it, in fact. I must have sensitive blood sugar, because when I do get hungry and it goes just a bit too far, I get really weird feeling. It's not good. A lot of people don't understand and think I'm making it up. But it's really not pleasant. I think I've also gotten to the point to where if I eat what I would have considered a lighter meal in former days, I actually get a belly ache. I hope I always have this kind of freedom to eat the way I want to. I don't plan on having children, so that part is solved! (Having to worry about feeding other people and adjusting to that constantly)

You eat the way it works for you

Yes, definately what is best for the individual. That said, individuals change as well, the metabolism changes. They need to be in touch with that.

For years I struggled with the eating only 3 meals a day, never worked and I was hungry, grumpy and always thinking about what I was going to have next. Since I've been eating 5-6 small meals, and yes they constitute meals as they have carbs, protein and fat in balance, my brain has switched more to "what do I need to round out my day" instead of what tastes good. I now have the clarity of thought to do that without thinking I have to raid the fridge.

To be honest it is harder, especially when others that don't know me very well see me eating so often. I don't broadcast what I'm doing and I can just see the brains going, "of course she's fat, she eats all the time!" Some have even said, "again??" WHATEVER! It works for me!

Well, I'm at maintenance, so I would think that anybody who doesn't know my heavier self would assume I'm one of those people who just eats all the time.
I feel that way around some people (that they're thinking "again??!?!" LOL)
but then around people like my family, I feel like they're thinking I'm not eating enough-what am I supposed to do? Announce what snacks I've eaten that day? Like when someone offers me something-honestly, I DON'T have an eating disorder! I REALLY JUST ate something! LOL

I like to eat every few hours. Otherwise, I get to a meal starving and eat way more than I want (or need) and end up feeling rotten and angry with myself. There are times when eating often does end up being a problem. I'm going to a conference next week, and I know I have to take things with me for my "between meals" food. Otherwise, I'll be into the pastries, cookies, etc that conference folks put out and I'll not make good choices at the meals. It's a matter of planning. Fortunately I'll be with a GF over the weekend and she'll take me to a grocery store so I don't have to depend on what will travel in my luggage.

As for the eating all the time, I once had a co-worker say he didn't understand, I ate all the time and still lost weight!

Recently I realized that trying to eat 5-6 times a day just doesn't work for me. My body likes larger meals and fewer snacks. I can go 6-7-8 hours between meals and be perfectly comfortable. When I do eat, also, I have noticed that I don't overeat. I'll eat until I'm satisfied and then stop. On the other hand, when I'm eating 5-6 times a day I DO tend to overeat, because I don't ever feel like I've eaten "enough". I couldn't lose weight eating many times a day, but I am losing weight eating 2-3 times a day. Dunno, it works for my body.

This has made me think about whether I should try having just 3 meals and no snacks. I have never tried this! I've been a 'snacker' all my life, except these days my snacks are a lot healthier and lower in calories. However, I sometimes go overboard on the snacks whereas I don't usually overeat at my main meals.

I think it's worth a try for a week to see how I feel not having snacks but dividing my calories between three meals. It might help me to get off my current plateau. If it doesn't work, I can always go back to my 3 meals + 2 snacks.

I'm like mousie. I eat 2-3 meals per day generally with no snacks in between. I don't get hungry in between meals. I have occasionally tried the grazing thing when people pushed me to do it because it would supposedly be more healthy, and all it ended up doing was constantly stimulating my appetite and making me overeat.

I also do 3 meals a day with no snacks. In the past this worked well with my work schedule, and I was too busy to even feel hungry most of the time. For the last month, I've been at home most of the day studying for an exam, and when I first started this schedule, I was afraid I would just eat all day if I had food available in the house.

Initially, I did eat more, but the last couple of weeks I kind of subconsciously decided that back to 3 meals was the way to go, and I don't really get hungry in between. I've noticed that occasionally I have that urge to eat, but I've realized that I'm usually not actually hungry when that happens, and I think I'm learning to listen to my body better.

I've also made a recent adjustment to cooking dinner every night. Prior to this I'd been eating frozen Lean Cusine/Healthy choice every night for dinner, and frequently for lunch. When I didn't have those for lunch, I had a marinated sweet and spicy tuna starkist packet, a serving of pretzels, and carrots. (Recommend trying this...quick easy, yummy, no refrigeration required. The other tuna packet flavors aren't quite as suited to eating just with pretzels. The Sweet and Spicy one has a lot of flavor.) Nice light lunch in the 300s calorie range for those that eat smaller meals throughout the day.

With all of these changes, I thought I would gain a lot of weight, but I've been able to maintain pretty well so far. I find that the meals that I make at home for dinner more filling with no more calories that the frozen ones, and that's a nice surprise. I eat breakfast at 7AM, lunch between 11 and 12:30, and dinner between 5:30 and 6 and go to bed around 11 or 11:30. I never get physically hungry, and I've been learning to differentiate between physical hunger and mental hunger -- This has been the key for me. I feel satisfied when I do eat, and just fine when I'm not eating. So far so good!

I always eat 3 meals a day. I have a late evening snack of fruit every day. I don't seem to ever feel very hungry. This is what works for me. If I do have a day where I am hungrier, I allow myself an extra snack of protein, such as peanut butter with a slice of whole wheat LC bread.
I know several people that are able to lose weight eating 6 small meals a day, basically I just don't want to think about eating that often.

I eat mini meals. It helps me from feeling deprived. I overeat at meals when I don't.

Sample Menu and Spacing:
Breakfast: A peice of toast (with cherry butter/jam)
Midmorning Snack: strawberries (5-6)
Lunch: smaller portion of leftovers (today was taco soup..ground beef, tomatos, corn, black beans)
Midafternoon Snack: Ready to eat Sugar Snap Peas or another fruit
Dinner: Ckn breast, broccoli, greenbeans
Evening: quacamole salad without chips (1 avacado, lite sourcream, no salt added diced tomatoes) or hummus and carrots, etc..you get the idea.

The foods vary everyday of course (even what type food except I try to get something filling first thing in the morning and something filling in the evening (this one because of meds).