stagger food intake

MariG25
MariG25 Posts: 89 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What's your take on it? Has anyone tried it?

Replies

  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    can you be more specific.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    I eat 3 separate meals and 2 snacks so that's technically staggering my food intake
  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
    If eating more frequently is what you mean by 'staggering', then that's what I do. To me it's a way to manage hunger more than anything.
  • laineybz
    laineybz Posts: 704 Member
    If eating more frequently is what you mean by 'staggering', then that's what I do. To me it's a way to manage hunger more than anything.

    Me too. It helps me alot.
  • 1longroad
    1longroad Posts: 642 Member
    Agreed! I eat 5-6 times a day, small meals.
  • daniellemm1
    daniellemm1 Posts: 465 Member
    I eat pretty much every two and a half hours and mainly that is to keep me from getting too hungry and binging.

    8am breakfast
    10:30am snack
    1pm lunch
    3pm snack
    5:30pm dinner

    Sometimes I have a snack at night but usually just a couple squares of dark chocolate work for me.
  • kit_katty
    kit_katty Posts: 992 Member
    It's whatever works for you. Some people can eat 2-3 meals a day and be fine, others like me need to eat almost every hour. So long as you're in your calories for the day, it doesn't matter.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    What's your take on it? Has anyone tried it?

    Eat as many or as few times as you'd like, hold calories and macros constant, and results wouldn't be significantly different
  • MariG25
    MariG25 Posts: 89 Member
    can you be more specific.
    ex: 3 days i eat under 1200 calories (strictly clean) 4 days you eat , say over 1200-1400 calories. I read some where doing this helps you lose body fat. Of course combining it with working out.

    I do eat every 2-3 hours
    Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack and get in 8 cups of water
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    can you be more specific.
    ex: 3 days i eat under 1200 calories (strictly clean) 4 days you eat , say over 1200-1400 calories. I read some where doing this helps you lose body fat. Of course combining it with working out.

    I do eat every 2-3 hours
    Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack and get in 8 cups of water

    What would that achieve that a straight across deficit during the week wouldn't?
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    my calories are all over the place.. almost 2,000 yesterday.. but just about 1,200 the day before. I'm more focused on what i eat and making sure i exercise and eat enough. I'm still losing weight.. so it's all good. I eat when I'm hungry and I try to change up my choices.. although I'm realizing i'm a creature of habit when it comes to groceries.
  • MariG25
    MariG25 Posts: 89 Member
    can you be more specific.
    ex: 3 days i eat under 1200 calories (strictly clean) 4 days you eat , say over 1200-1400 calories. I read some where doing this helps you lose body fat. Of course combining it with working out.

    I do eat every 2-3 hours
    Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack and get in 8 cups of water

    What would that achieve that a straight across deficit during the week wouldn't?
    so what would you recommend?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    This is usually called calorie cycling. I've tried it and can't really say that it helped or hurt my loss. But I think that if it's more beneficial to your schedule or helps your psychological well-being by having a spike day then it's great.
  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
    I have had luck with calorie cycling, but I'm not doing it anymore. If my low cal days coincide with my lifting/running days, then I won't have enough energy to push it to the max. I often get really hungry on my rest days, reducing calories on those days is too tough.
  • MariG25
    MariG25 Posts: 89 Member
    I have had luck with calorie cycling, but I'm not doing it anymore. If my low cal days coincide with my lifting/running days, then I won't have enough energy to push it to the max. I often get really hungry on my rest days, reducing calories on those days is too tough.
    I agree, if I don't eat I won't be able to lift heavy. I guess I just have to keep eating healthy and working out. Everything will fall into place =) I've lost 18 lbs so far. My body is a bit tighter than before, but still need to get rid of body fat.
  • MariG25
    MariG25 Posts: 89 Member
    This is usually called calorie cycling. I've tried it and can't really say that it helped or hurt my loss. But I think that if it's more beneficial to your schedule or helps your psychological well-being by having a spike day then it's great.
    I did this last week. Monday -Wednesday, with moderate exercising. Just wasn't sure if it's a good or bad thing. Nutrition is not my field lol. I know what's healthy and what's not lol
  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
    I have had luck with calorie cycling, but I'm not doing it anymore. If my low cal days coincide with my lifting/running days, then I won't have enough energy to push it to the max. I often get really hungry on my rest days, reducing calories on those days is too tough.
    I agree, if I don't eat I won't be able to lift heavy. I guess I just have to keep eating healthy and working out. Everything will fall into place =) I've lost 18 lbs so far. My body is a bit tighter than before, but still need to get rid of body fat.

    Yeah, it all depends on your goal. I'm within the normal range of BMI today so I'm officially not overweight anymore, as such losing weight is secondary to increasing stamina and strength. As long as I keep my food calories in control, the lifting and running should take care of the rest, eventually.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    sounds like you;re thinking of cyclical dieting, like Lyle McDonalds Ultimate diet 2.0. You have to incorporate carb loading and depletion in that diet. IIRC, you are throwing yourself in and out of ketosis every week. I'd just stick with a normal deficit as others have suggested. Complex cyclical diets are not for novices and are going to be very hard to follow.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    can you be more specific.
    ex: 3 days i eat under 1200 calories (strictly clean) 4 days you eat , say over 1200-1400 calories. I read some where doing this helps you lose body fat. Of course combining it with working out.

    I do eat every 2-3 hours
    Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack and get in 8 cups of water

    I sort of do that. I try to keep calories about 1300-1500 during the week and don't usually log on the weekends. On average I probably consume 800 - 1000 more calories per day on the weekends.
  • MariG25
    MariG25 Posts: 89 Member
    sounds like you;re thinking of cyclical dieting, like Lyle McDonalds Ultimate diet 2.0. You have to incorporate carb loading and depletion in that diet. IIRC, you are throwing yourself in and out of ketosis every week. I'd just stick with a normal deficit as others have suggested. Complex cyclical diets are not for novices and are going to be very hard to follow.
    thanks

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