Happy Monday everyone! So I have a pretty common question (I imagine): Is it better to graze throughout the day, or stick to 3 concise meals?

Since I started on WW (flex plan), I've been having a light breakfast and then I've been bringing loads of fruits and raw veggies with me to work. The fruits are usually 1-2points, and I only bring 0point veggies. I have been trying to eat something every few hours. I usually have a salad or a whole wheat turkey sandwich from the cafeteria for lunch, then another snack mid-afternoon, and then I have the rest of my points close to dinner (and my daily sweet treat sometime after dinner).

As I mentioned last week, I haven't been hungry much at all. BUT, I feel like I'm eating all the time.

What are your thoughts on this? Is it better to have 3 more "normal sized" meals and no snacks, or 2 light meals and snacks and 1 normal sized meal every day?

I think it depends on what you feel comfortable with.

I eat breakfast, have a snack between breakfast and lunch, eat lunch, another snack, then dinner, and sometimes a snack after dinner. So I eat 5-6 times a day, about every 3 hours. I think my main meals tend to be smaller than most other peoples because of the snacks (BTW, snacks are usually fruits, veggies, or a dairy product for me)

I think you'll find that most people prefer meals + snacks. (And planned snacks aren't the same thing as grazing--grazing implies random, unconscious eating, probably off-plan ).

The two main advantages to regular snacks are, 1. you never get to be starving so you'll be less likely to overeat at meals, and 2. small, regular meals are the best thing for your metabolism: they keep it cranking round the clock and you're always using a few extra ounces of energy for digestion.

I tend to not really graze, but eat when I'm hungry (not starving) and it actually helps me not over eat. I read somewhat that when you get over hungry, it messes up your blood sugars and throws you out of wack. (not the terribly scientific way to say it, but point made ). I think whatever keeps you from overeating, whether grazing or three meals must be okay!!

Some folks do just fine with 3 main meals--others get too hungry in between. It's all what works for you! I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks, but I leave 2-3 hours between each one. I do have one of those snacks in the evening.

Jay

I think that any eating method where you can keep your calories/points/whatever you're tracking in line is fine. For me, that's 3 meals, 3 snacks. For others, it may just be the three meals, or it may be 6 mini-meals. If you can configure it so you're not hungry, you'll be much better on plan!

When I first started I'd eat three meals a day and that was that. Since the start of this year I've mixed it up a little by having breakfast (8am) snack (11.30am) lunch (2pm) snack (4.30pm) and dinner (6pm non workout/8pm workout)

Little and often, I'm very rarely hungry. I still have to deal with the issues of wanting to eat just 'because' but it seems to be working well. Only thing is I feel like I'm eating all the time and worry my boss is thinking that I'm not working hard (what with the food and getting enough water and subsequent toilet breaks I feel like I'm never at my desk!)

Totally up to you - whatever works for you to keep you happy, satisfied and within your calorie total for the day (or points or whatever).

I am a grazer, I eat 7-8 times a day. Today is a typical weight loss day (I am trying to lose the 5 lbs I gained over the holidays/work trip):

B 7:00 am - 2 Kashi waffles, 1 with natural peanut butter, 1 with jam

S 10:00 am - baggie of fresh bing cherries

L - 12:00 pm - spinach salad with grilled chicken, beets, grape tomatoes, carrots, red onion, red pepper, fat free balsamic vinaigrette

S - 1:00 - no sugar added hot cocoa

S - 3:00 - orange

S - 5:30 - cut up veggies - celery, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, red pepper strips

D - 7:30 - broccoli/cauliflower stir fry with calimari strips, ginger, onion, garlic, carrots, served over measured brown rice

I am not usually hungry after dinner, if I wanted an after dinner snack, I rotate through these favorites: 100 calorie kettle corn pop corn, baked apple with blueberries, banana dipped into 2 tbs of heated pumpkin butter, roasted pineapple with a drizzle of chocolate

I eat frequently, but I pay attention to calories. Also, I never truely "graze" (eat out of a container) - everything is measured and portioned!

All very excellent suggestions! Thanks so much. I should have clarified that I didn't actually mean "graze" in the same way that I "grazed" the office pot-luck buffet several times before the holiday. These days, my grazing consists of eating small, pre-measured snacks that fit into my points allocation over the course of a day.

I find that eating small amounts throughout the day ("grazing" to me) on the weekends, makes me hungry and out of diet practice on Mondays. On weekends, I'll eat breakfast around 9, lunch around 1 and eat more non-points food throughout the day. Then, Monday comes and I have to have breakfast at 7, lunch around 1:30 and dinner around 7 with no snacks. By Wednesday, that eating schedule is OK with me again.

That's the only problem I see with grazing... if it wasn't for work, I'd prefer it.

You have to figure out what works best for you dear. For me, I eat every 2-3 hours, so I eat all day basically lol. I do feel like im constantly eating, but its working.

You will figure it out!! Good luck!

I eat a minimum of 5 times a day, but most days I will eat more often. Sometimes I even graze and it is ok if its on the right stuff (veggies)

Most common pattern for me might be
early am...preworkout snack (~ 100cal) (sometimes)
breakfast ~ 7am
morning snack ~10
lunch ~12
afternoon snack ~2:30
late afternoon snack ~4:30-5
Dinner ~6:30-7
night snack ~8 - on occasion, usually on a high workout day.


Some days like today I was pressed for time and I ate 1/2 my breakfast at 7:30, took my kid to preschool and ate the other 1/2 at 9 with an extra fruit.

No, it "trains your body" to be satisfied with small amounts of food and not to NEED to be full aka stuffed.

With all due respect, if 3 meals a day works for you great, but many people do much better with small frequent meals and snacks. there is no NEED to "train your body" for 3 meals...there isnt any golden rule that says 3 meals is best...its just what worked with the industrial revolution.

And food shopping and prep is hardly my whole life.

i keep reading that the small meals are better for metabolism. but obviously anything that you find hard to stick with or uncomfortable will not work for you. if you are more comfortable doing three meals, i'd stick to that. more comfy with snacking? i'd do that. as long as your ratios are in check and balanced i think either way would work. just my two cents.

Ray of Light, I can't find any evidence that small, frequent meals "wreck havoc" with blood sugar. If anything, it's the other way around.

A large meal will often keep one feeling full without a snack--you're right about that. It's a matter of how hungry someone gets.

Jay