3 meals or spread out?

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donjtomasco
donjtomasco Posts: 790 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
If given the choice between eating your three meals at each sitting or taking each meal and nibbling them away all during the day, is either way better or does it matter?
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  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    It's a matter of personal preference. I like having 3 meals and a small snack. Eating more often than that just makes me think about food all day long.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
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    It doesn't matter and is a personal choice. I eat one large meal and usually a smaller one or snack. That works for me. If I break it into smaller more frequent meals I never get that satisfied feeling and end up eating more through out the day destroying my deficit.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
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    donjtomasco wrote: »
    If given the choice between eating your three meals at each sitting or taking each meal and nibbling them away all during the day, is either way better or does it matter?

    It is more "normal" to have three clearly defined mealtimes, but for some medical conditions doctors recommend smaller meals more often.

    In the context of weight loss through the MFP principal of Calories In and Calories Out to determine a Calorie Deficit, the more important thing is how much you eat and how much you burn, not when you eat it.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,669 Member
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    It doesn't matter for weight loss, but different people find different eating strategies to be more doable or sustainable, in the sense that a particular schedule may help you feel more full more of the time. It's one of the things you can experiment with, to make the weight loss process easier.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    Neither for me-I prefer one large meal at noon time, an afternoon snack and then a light supper. Meal timing/frequency is a preference thing and will vary between individuals :)
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    Your choice.

    My choice is two meals a day with a snack or two. I tend to like volume over little portions and for some reason eating often tends to make me hungrier.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    Mine changes daily, if like last night I ate a large meal I don't feel like eating until 3-4pm the next day.

    Other days I wake up hungry. As long as I am eating enough calorie/fat/protein wise I don't worry.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Whatever works for you. I don't like a bunch of mini meals - I never feel satisfied and like I actually ate a meal so it doesn't work at all for me. Works perfect for others though. Just do what is best for you.
  • jaedwa1
    jaedwa1 Posts: 114 Member
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    I tried grazing all day and discovered I missed have sit-down meals. It was weird because I wasn't really hungry but I never felt satisfied.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Whatever you prefer, is best.

    This^

    Do the thing that you can be most consistent at, the thing that helps you feel satiated.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
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    I think it's personal preference, whatever works best to keep you within your calorie limit for the day. I eat my calories in one or two meals, no snacks.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Doesn't matter.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
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    I'm kind of a grazer. 3 regular meals, 2 snacks of about 200 calories each. Sometimes I don't need the snacks depending on my day, but I plan them anyway. I find I'm a lot less cranky if I do things this way.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
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    I generally have 2 meals of about 500 calories each and a few snacks maybe. Doesnt really matter but 3 meals a day would leave me unsatisfied i feel.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,008 Member
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    It doesn't matter. It is just personal preference.
  • donjtomasco
    donjtomasco Posts: 790 Member
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    Great comments. Thank you!
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    leanjogreen18 wrote: »
    Your choice.

    My choice is two meals a day with a snack or two. I tend to like volume over little portions and for some reason eating often tends to make me hungrier.

    I was constantly hungry eating 5-6 times a day too. I prefer eating less frequently, but eating more substantial meals - recently I've been having a smallish "lunch", big dinner and dessert.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I prefer to eat about every 3-5 hours. I prefer a small breakfast, medium lunch and slightly larger dinner with 1-2 small snacks. I can not nibble all day long.

    Do what works best for you.
  • LulaicaLoses
    LulaicaLoses Posts: 36 Member
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    Whatever works for you.

    I used to be big on 3 large meals and 2 small snacks to supplement, but with my new job, I really haven't been hungry for lunch (I might eat a small bowl of whatever fruit and veggies the kiddos get, but that's rare as well), so I've transitioned to larger breakfasts and dinners with snacks bookending my shifts and possibly a light snack during break when I'm walking.

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