....to snack or not to snack...that is the question...:)

QueenofCaffeine4Life

I have read snacking causes insulin spikes and therefore always keeping your 'sugar' up. The article states that it is best to eat only meals and to remove snacks. YET another article and my doctor states to eat every three hours or so to help stabilize your sugar. I am not diabetic however I am more on the hypoglycemic side (lower sugar levels).

There are so many do's and don'ts and they all seem to contradict. What is your take on the question? If you are a snacker what is your go to snacks? Do you just do a small bite to hold you over until your next meal or what? If you are against snacking does that mean you just refuse hunger if it comes and wait till your meal?

Help a sister out here folks...

Pipsqueak1965

I think you will find that most people here have a set amount of calories they keep to, so if they want snacks, they have smaller meals. Just work out what suits you best

Panini911

there is no one answer. Short of medical issues that require or don't require snacks, it's personal preference and different options work for different people.

Some members here have small "eating windows" (6hrs or less) and some even eat one meal a day. it works for them.

Personally I eat multiple snacks a day so I end up eating more like 5-6x a day. that works for me.

you can try different things and see what keeps you full and happier.

Weight loss is about calories in calories out. When you have them doesn't matter on the math.

kimny72

Unless you are diabetic, there is no proof that worrying about insulin spikes is necessary. There is certainly a branch of the "sugar is evil" movement that demonizes insulin, but insulin spiking when you eat is how you're body is designed to work.

Eat in whatever schedule makes it easiest for you to comfortably stay in a deficit.

If you are concerned about diabetes, get into the healthy weight range, become more active, and get regular checkups so if you do have a genetic predisposition you can catch trouble before it starts.

Unfortunately, there's a lot of confusing nonsense out there One thing we do know 100% is that getting to a healthy weight is one of (if not THE) most important thing you can do for your health. So eat a deficit, learn as you go from your food log what foods and what schedule keep you full and feeling well at the right calorie level, and profit. Good luck!

ETA: OP I missed the part where you said you were hypoglycemic (reading before coffee = bad). Please don't take anything in my post as a substitute for medical advice. Having said that, I went through a period of a couple of months where I was waking up with low blood sugar and feeling lightheaded. My doctor told me to have a very small glass of OJ with a string cheese, or a piece of fruit and a couple of nuts soon after I woke up. Basically a balanced combo of carbs/protein/fat. It worked for me and the situation actually resolved itself eventually.

amusedmonkey

Instead of guessing, why not take your blood sugar readings several times a day doing 3 meals of pre-planned foods that you usually eat, then doing the exact same foods next day as meals and snacks and see how you react? I suspect snacking would be more favorable in your case since you're hypoglycemic, but there is no way of knowing without testing. see which one leads to more stable readings throughout the day.

Edited: never mind, I read wrong thought you were diabetic with unstable blood sugar. If you aren't diabetic, it really doesn't matter. Just eat any way you want within calories and see what you like better.

tinkerbellang83

becklorik wrote: »

I have read snacking causes insulin spikes and therefore always keeping your 'sugar' up. The article states that it is best to eat only meals and to remove snacks. YET another article and my doctor states to eat every three hours or so to help stabilize your sugar. I am not diabetic however I am more on the hypoglycemic side (lower sugar levels).

There are so many do's and don'ts and they all seem to contradict. What is your take on the question? If you are a snacker what is your go to snacks? Do you just do a small bite to hold you over until your next meal or what? If you are against snacking does that mean you just refuse hunger if it comes and wait till your meal?

Help a sister out here folks...

I would take more notice of what your own doctor has said regarding your health/diet. They know your medical history. Anyone can write an article on their opinion, and sadly a lot of the stuff on the tinterweb is only that, someone's opinion, not necessarily backed up by any medical studies or science.

You will get many different answers on the meals/snacks side of things because there are people here losing/maintaining/gaining weight and all using different methods. You need to find what works for you to mitigate your lower sugar levels.

If factoring snacks in is better for you, in order to say avoid dizzy spells, just try and plan some in to your day and assuming you're here for weight loss, perhaps choose a slower rate of loss.

I normally eat to the following schedule, but this is because it works for me:

Workdays
10:00 Breakfast (Usually Overnight Oats or Weetabix with some fruit and dark choc chips)
11:30 Morning Snack (Usually Protein Bar or Cheese/Crackers)
13:30 Lunch (Usually Salad/Sandwich/Leftovers)
20:00 Dinner (Usually some sort of Meat or Fish with Veg/Potatoes/Rice)

Weekends
12:00 Brunch (Poached Eggs/Omelette/Bagel)
14:00 Snack
19:00 Dinner/Drinks

corinasue1143

I try to never go more than 5 hours without eating. I have protein every time I eat. At least 15 grams for meals, 7 grams for snacks. It helps even out my hunger and my energy, and that makes me happy. I don’t necessarily think it’s right for everyone, but it’s definitely good for me.

Jenanne31

Confusing, huh? I agree; no diet is going to work for every person. I'm in a medical weight management program, and they advocate eating smaller meals every three hours or so, with a good balance of the three macros at each feeding. This works for me, as it prevents me from getting too hungry in between meals. But it doesn't work for everyone, obviously. We all have to find a plan that works for our physical and psychological makeup and stick with it as best we can. And ignore the barrage of conflicting info out there in dietland.