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Old 05-02-2006, 07:47 PM   #1  
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So I went to the Doctor and I told him what I was doing to lose weight and that is wasnt coming off as fast as I thought it should be for what I was doing.

He suggested that I eat dinner for breakfast and eat HARDLY ANYTHING at night. AND NO SNACKS at all. Just 3 meals. He said I should eat my biggest meal for breakfast, bit smaller for lunch, and like a cup of soup and veggies or something for dinner.

What do you guys think?
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Old 05-02-2006, 07:58 PM   #2  
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I seriously think I'd die trying to eat only three times a day. Eating every three hours is one of the big changes that got me to goal (5 - 6 small meals per day). It keeps me from getting so hungry that I lose my mind .

I don't know of any scientific reason to eat most of your calories early in the day. As far as I know, it's total calories at the end of the day that count. We have very successful members who are night eaters (Linda, I think? ) - they just plan it into their daily calorie counts.

Not to contradict your doctor, but I'm not sure I see much logic in his advice?
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Old 05-02-2006, 08:00 PM   #3  
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I've heard that it's best to have the bigger meals in the morning and smaller ones at night, which makes sense since you have the whole day to 'burn off'/digest that food. As well, have your carbs in the morning, and don't have any (other than veggies, perhaps) after 4pm; have mostly protein at night. However, I think it's best to eat 5-6 meals a day (you can have three 'main' ones and consider the other 2-3 as snacks) so you're never hungry, and your bloodsugar never changes too much. If you're most active during the day, and not too active at night, then I'd say follow (most of) his advice. If, however, you're most active during the night, be sure to fuel your activities.
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Old 05-02-2006, 08:01 PM   #4  
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I'm with Meg, I’m not really sure what your doctor is getting at with that plan. I eat late at night and as long as my calories balance for the day I don't worry about it. I don't care to eat much in the morning so I usually just have a smoothie or a baggie of dry cereal, I would feel really overwhelmed if I had to start my day with a proper meal.
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Old 05-02-2006, 08:08 PM   #5  
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Yah I am not sure.

I think it was just a suggestion for me to see if it worked. I see like logic behind it like Kashi said because you have all day to burn it off.

But I have been thinking about - dinner is like my favourtie meal. I think what I am going to try is to have most my calories by like 4pm or so. And just half of what I normall have for dinner. So still have a dinner meal but making it even smaller and eat more during the beginning of the day.

Plus - I might be able to stick to eating dinner for breakfast until I lose the weight but I dont think I could after that.

Just not sure what else I am doing wrong. The weigh is coming off but not as fast as it should for what I was doing. I am not going to give up - just trying to mix it up.

Thanks
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Old 05-02-2006, 08:12 PM   #6  
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Most physicians are not registered dieticians. Sounds like complete crap to me. According to this study, it doesn't make a difference what time calories are consumed:

http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/118/112924.htm

In my own experience, I ate a big carby dinner every night after 8:00 (sometimes as late as 10) and I lost nearly 70 lbs and have kept it off for a year.

In my experience, weight loss isn't fast. Slow, steady weight loss is awesome.
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Old 05-02-2006, 08:19 PM   #7  
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Glory - I agree with you. But everyone is different. I am not saying my family doctor is mr know it all and I know he is not a dietician. But it doesn't mean that what he said to me was complete crap. He asked me what I had done and what I was doing and simply offered a new suggestion.

Anyway I really appreciate all your feedback. It just seems I cant find something that really works for me. I KNOW weight loss is slow, I UNDERSTAND that. I am going to give what he suggested a try and see if it works. Like I said everyone is different. Maybe this is all I need.

I will be sure to let you know how it all turns out!
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Old 05-02-2006, 08:24 PM   #8  
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I disagree with your doctor as well.

There is the thing about eating more in the morning, and having the chance to "burn it off all day", but that really isn't how it works. Think of it in terms of your activity, rather than your diet:
If you do the same physical activity ever week (the same amount of exercise, live teh saem lfiestyle, go to the same job and fufill the same duties, etc.) then you are burning the same amount of calories each day-it wouldn't really make a difference if you worked first shift and did your workout in the afternoon, or if you worked second shift doing the same exact thing, and did the same workout in the morning instead. You are burning the same amount of calories each day.

If you are eating 1200, or 1400, or 1600 calories a day-or whatever it is that you do-you are still eating that same amount of calories per day...no matter WHEN they are eaten. 1400 calories is 1400 calories a day-no matter what.

I, also, would go nuts eating only 3x a day. If you are eating the same amount calorie wise-it really doesn't make that much difference if you eat it in 3 meals a day, or 3 smaller meals and a healthy snack or two. You can still eat often, and eat the same amount-if you eat smaller meals and snacks. I personally think that for me, eating smaller meals and snacks more often works better-since I like to munch. I don't get ravenous and start rummaging the cabinets and fridge for anything and everything.
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Old 05-02-2006, 08:34 PM   #9  
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I've heard the saying "Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and supper like a pauper" (or something to that effect.) I've tried doing this, but I end up bingeing if I get really hungry after supper. Late afternoon/evening is the most dangerous time for me when it comes to overeating, so I try to have at least 300 - 400 for dinner.

I also think it's important to have one or two healthy snacks during the day so you don't get too hungry between meals. One of my thin girlfriends said what keeps her thin is NEVER snacking between meals. Obviously some people can do that - unfortunately I'm not one of them.
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Old 05-02-2006, 08:37 PM   #10  
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I honestly believe that when it comes to weight loss doctors tell us to do things because we need to hear something. I imagine they see a ton of patients who claim to be trying everything to lose weight but clearly are not. Although I disagree with any doctor who doesn't treat each patient as an individual I can kind of see where they might give useless but harmless weight loss advice so that the patient feels like they've gotten something.

Personally, I don't think when you eat matters, how much/what you eat does. I've always heard the saying, "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper." There is nothing wrong with eating in such a way if that is what you want to do but I really don't think it is necessary. The notion that you have more time to burn the calories if they are eaten early in the day just doesn't ring true to me. How our bodies convert food into energy is a lot more complicated than that. What we eat just isn't processed THAT fast. In fact, I think it is more of a week to week process rather than an hour to hour one. That is one reason I think people can so successfully cycle calories day to day.
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Old 05-02-2006, 08:40 PM   #11  
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Snacking isn't a HUGE thing for me. I usually add snacks just to help get my calories up. The only time I start getting snacky is if I leave my meals too long. Or course some days are different and there is an exception to the rule.

I totally understand that it doesn't matter when you eat your calories and that it is just the number that matters. I just want to give this a try and see what happens. Of course if I find myself hungry or it is not working I will stop.

I even measured today and even with all my hard work exercising I am not even really losing inches. I have lost some but nothing recently. So I am just trying something new. Maybe this is even all my body needs to get a kick in the ***. Just switching it up.

I will not starve myself tho - I know that is bad. I am going to be totally healthy about this I am just eating my meals backwards.
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Old 05-02-2006, 08:44 PM   #12  
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Lucky - the truth is. I havebeen sticking to up. Like almost PERFECT up till these last couple days. I have slipped a bit like had the odd cookie and a piece of a pizza. Nothing major and my guess is because the scale is not changing. But before I wasn't cheating or anything I was doing everything. And I agree perhaps he just suggested this so I wouldn't give up. Or maybe this how my body works - maybe I have to try really hard for weeks, BOOM I lose a bunch of weight really quick and then im stuck for a few more weeks. I don't know yet but I do know I am getting frustrated.

Anyway I still havent full made up my mind. I think I might give it a try for a few days just to see what happens and then I can at least say I followed his advice.
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Old 05-02-2006, 08:46 PM   #13  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sotypical
So I went to the Doctor and I told him what I was doing to lose weight and that is wasnt coming off as fast as I thought it should be for what I was doing.
I wondered when you said that how fast are you losing and what are you doing? You've lost some weight I can see, and that is great! Don't forget to remind yourself of that fact along the way!

As far as the advice, I agree with the others that it doesn't seem to really make a lot of sense for a number of the reasons mentioned. But I hope you don't feel beat up about it -- people are just trying to help.

I would say if you really are concerned, ask for some professional help and visit a registered dietician. It seems to me that the health care field is all about farming us out to specialists, so why not make the system work for you! Your doctor may even be able to give you a referral.

Good luck!
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Old 05-02-2006, 08:52 PM   #14  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wyllenn
I wondered when you said that how fast are you losing and what are you doing? You've lost some weight I can see, and that is great! Don't forget to remind yourself of that fact along the way!
Hey Wyllenn - thanks. Your right sometimes I do lose site of the fact that I have lost weight. It has been 3 months and I have lost 14 pounds. So a little over a pound a week. So that is great I KNOW! And that is average. I just forgot to think of it that way.

When I started it took 5 weeks for the scale to change and I was upset. Then it dropped and now it has pretty much stopped for a couple weeks. I think I am over reacting and I am doing fine with my loss. I just get discourged when I hear lots of people saying they lost 30 pounds in their first 3 months. I just wish I could do that too.

I know I am worrying to much - it's just frustrating to work out so hard and eat so good for weeks and see nothing happen. I KNOW I am not alone. I guess I need to stop reading how fast everyone else loses their weight. My time will come.

In the meatime, I am going to follow what my doctor said (not to a T) but I am going to try and make my breakfast meal my biggest meal. Just to see what happens
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Old 05-02-2006, 09:16 PM   #15  
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I didn't catch it if you've posted this- but when are you the hungriest? I tend to eat my biggest meal first thing in the morning (at 4:30 am) and that keeps me going until about 11. I'll have a light lunch (some soup, a salad), but I tend to munch periodically too. usually though, when 7 pm rolls around i've eaten all of my calories and am not that hungry. Sometimes i'll feel like a starch-meat-veggie dinner, but not often. I believe it works for me because I get a lot done before noon and have been up for a while already. By mid afternoon, I just don't require as much. Then there's Meg's point, that some people are just night eaters. I think it all depends on when your body tells you that "you could eat something", or "feed me now!!!". If you just aren't that hungry in the morning, but eat your largest meal anyway, I think that kind of sets you up to fail later on in the day. i don't know, perhaps he's just suggesting a plan that cuts back calories? I've encountered a few docs who think that all of our weight problems are solved by eating less (which is partly true, but not so black and white). As many will tell you, sometimes it's just trial and error.

I know that if someone were to tell me how much I could eat and when, I would want to immediately eat my biggest meal when I'm not supposed to.
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