3 meals a day or 6 small meals?

mulberry_xoxo
mulberry_xoxo Posts: 21 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just want to know if you're supposed to eat 3 meals or 6 small? I've heard both and I'm getting confused. If you eat 6 small meals, what does that usually consist of? Should 1 be bigger than the other? Sorry if this is a dumb question! I just want to do this right! Thanks in advance :)
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Replies

  • carmkizzle
    carmkizzle Posts: 211 Member
    It does not matter, nor does meal timing. Do what works for you, basically.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Personal preference.
  • SophieSmall95
    SophieSmall95 Posts: 233 Member
    You're not "supposed" to do anything other than eat in a calorie deficit to lose weight. I'd ignore any of that nonsense you hear.

    Eat however satisfies you and keeps you in your calorie goals.
  • srcorber
    srcorber Posts: 6 Member
    It doesn't matter, as long as you are eating less calories than your TDEE. I eat one or two meals a day and do fine. People who snack a lot may find that more than three meals works for them. It depends on which method keeps you the most satisfied on the least amount of calories.
  • DamnRod
    DamnRod Posts: 106 Member
    HEALTHY meals and snacks throughout the day... Never let yourself feel starved.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    There's no solid evidence that points to eating more meals or less meals having any impact on weight loss. If you feel better eating more small meals throughout the day, do that. If you're happier with three large meals and no snacks, do that. Or any combination of these. There are even people who eat just one giant meal with all of their calories and they lose weight just fine.

    There's nothing that says the meals need to be the same size, either. You could eat a small breakfast, a 100 calorie snack at 10am, a solid lunch, another small snack in the mid-afternoon and then a large dinner.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Whatever you prefer.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Whatever works best for you. Some people will even go with less or more.
  • mulberry_xoxo
    mulberry_xoxo Posts: 21 Member
    Okay thank you everyone!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    Some folks find smaller snacks help keep them less hungry. Others like one big, satisfying meal. Figure what works for you and do it.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    Find what works for you or mix it up. Some people do intermittent fasting and only eat within a two hour window. Some people graze all day.
  • RebeccaNaegle
    RebeccaNaegle Posts: 236 Member
    it doesn't matter how many "meals" you eat as long as you hit your numbers. Some days I eat two "meals" . Somedays I eat 5. I hit my numbers regardless.
  • keemie389
    keemie389 Posts: 1 Member
    I work in an office and I find myself craving snacks throughout the day, so I bring healthy snacks, such as fruit, yogurt, and 90 -100 cal snack packs, to munch on in between meals. I find that smaller but more frequent eating helps me throughout the day. I agree with everyone else, that you have to find what works best for you. Do not deprive and starve yourself!
  • clbortiz
    clbortiz Posts: 98 Member
    Agree with @keemie389. I work in an office and find myself wanting to graze throughout the day so I do breakfast, a morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack while at work. Once I leave the office I'm good and just have dinner. On weekends I eat bigger meals because I find I am on the run or busy and don't snack much if at all.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,165 Member
    Just do whichever you prefer, there is no right or wrong. For me 3 meals works with a snack after dinner, but some people prefer to eat smaller amounts throughout the day. As long as you get all your calories in and don't go over then you'll be good.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    More frequent meals are normally suggested for people who are bulking and need to eat a lot of food to gain weight and build muscle.

    It's hard to believe, given how easy it seems to gain unwanted weight, but it's surprising how difficult it can be to eat 3k to 5k (or more) cals/day, day in and day out.

    I tried doing that on a 6 meal plan and just found it a lot of work. 3 meals a day is all I can handle regardless of how few or many cals that I need to eat.
  • Golbat
    Golbat Posts: 276 Member
    I just eat when I'm hungry. Sometimes 3, sometimes 4, sometimes 5, whatever. I just weigh and track whatever I have so I know how many more calories are available to me.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    I like a light breakfast with a good mid-morning snack, sometimes a mid-afternoon snack, and to save some calories for something sweet after dinner. That's just my preference. Like everyone's saying, there's no "right" way to do it. But I'd say if you eat three meals with nothing between and find yourself thinking about eating and feeling hungry in between, maybe you should consider breaking it up into snacks. The important thing is: be sure to log everything -- be honest with MFP and yourself.
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
    Whichever is easier to stick to, as long as you don't go over your calories for the day.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,328 Member
    mulberry_xoxo wrote: »
    I just want to know if you're supposed to eat 3 meals or 6 small? I've heard both and I'm getting confused. If you eat 6 small meals, what does that usually consist of? Should 1 be bigger than the other? Sorry if this is a dumb question! I just want to do this right! Thanks in advance :)

    Whatever one works for you and it helpful in sticking to your calorie goal.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    edited August 2016
    You could eat all of your calories in one meal. You could spread them out and eat 20 times a day. Do what fits you and your lifestyle best. You lose weight from a calorie deficit not timing or number of meals.
    I eat 3 meals and 1-2 snacks. That is what suits me best.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,230 Member
    Completely personal preference. I like 3 meals, breakfast is always light, lunch is more substantial and a big dinner. 6 small meals wouldn't satisfy me. But for some people, it's right.
  • Electric_Warfare
    Electric_Warfare Posts: 30 Member
    Same here the 6 small meals leaves me feeling hungry the whole day.
  • jennypapage
    jennypapage Posts: 489 Member
    i usually do 2 meals. breakfast & lunch/dinner and a snack in between. i feel full longer when i just eat 2 meals.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    up to you entirely. For me, 3 proper meals a day is adequate. If I snack, I am more likely to go over my calories, and generally I find I won't die if I have to wait a bit longer for a meal. Having a 'proper' meal that is filling and satisfying seems to do the trick for me. smaller meals just wouldn't cut it, but that's personal preference.
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
    As everybody has explained, through a bit of trial and error you need to figure out what works for you. I like the B,L,D thing with healthy snacks in between. It allows me some flexibility for tweaking. For example, today I know I have to eat a smaller lunch because we're eating dinner out & the portion will be off. Since I have a tendency to eat with my eyes, I need extra calories for the larger dinner size.
  • RogerToo
    RogerToo Posts: 16,157 Member
    mulberry_xoxo wrote: »
    I just want to know if you're supposed to eat 3 meals or 6 small? I've heard both and I'm getting confused. If you eat 6 small meals, what does that usually consist of? Should 1 be bigger than the other? Sorry if this is a dumb question! I just want to do this right! Thanks in advance :)

    Hi
    I have been working at maintaining for a while before the final push to Goal, So far 220+ pounds lost. I did it one 6 to 7 bits of food a day and still eat that way too. Doing this regime I have been around the same weight since January, Going up and down within a 5 pound range. Today for example the same weight as January.

    What I do is have a Banana before I go walking, Then a Protein shake and Breakfast entree of some kind. Then every 2.5 hours in this order the rest of my day goes as follows :)
    Mid Morning Snack, Lunch, Afternoon snack, Dinner and finally a evening Dessert. The Lunch and Dinners have plenty of Vegetables and Some 80 calorie Greek Yogurts and a Fruit with the meal entree. Total calories in my case are 1800 to 2000 calories per day.

    Good Luck
    Roger
  • RavenLibra
    RavenLibra Posts: 1,737 Member
    It depends on you and your activity levels...ALWAYS eat breakfast... and pay attention to the macros... my preference is 3 "regular meals" with a snack in between both... IF it is a gym day (3x/week for me) I go after work, so I try to fuel that workout... ideally my former nutritionist recommended that you spend a few days analyzing your hunger on a scale of 1-10... 1 being starving.. 10 being Turkey Dinner full...and to keep the gauge between 4 and 6 ideally... SO.. however that works for you.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    mulberry_xoxo wrote: »
    I just want to know if you're supposed to eat 3 meals or 6 small? I've heard both and I'm getting confused. If you eat 6 small meals, what does that usually consist of? Should 1 be bigger than the other? Sorry if this is a dumb question! I just want to do this right! Thanks in advance :)

    There is no supposed to, just in a way that satisfies you. Personally, I prefer 4-6 meals a day, with breakfast being the most calorie dense. Some people just eat all their calories in one meal a day too.

    If you are losing weight at the rate you want, then you are doing it right. Eating at a calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight, everything else is fruit on hot wheat cereal (okay, it's breakfast time and this is literally what I'm eating right now. :D).

    Good luck!

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