Should I aim to eat every 3-4 hours or not?

Frelling_Tralk

For as long as I can remember I've heard the weight loss wisdom of eat six small meals a a day to keep your metabolism burning fast, but now there's all this info coming out about how it's better to eat all of your meals in an 8 hour period, and if you try fasting for say 16 hours then it gets your body into fat-burning mode. Does anyone have any advice on what they found the most useful for them?

I think I'm too used to eating every few hours now because I tried the 5:2 diet yesterday, and I was starving and gave up after about six hours! :P But I would be willing to give it another go if intermediate fasting really does give you better results...I'm just confused now about whether I should still be aiming to eat something every few hours or not

auddii

Eat often enough that you aren't feeling like you're going to chew your own arm off and it gives you enough energy throughout the day. However often that is, is how often you eat. Meal timing is a personal choice, and one method does not give a better result than the other for all people. Just stay within your calorie limit.

grimendale

Both methods work. Do whatever works for you. There are days where I graze all day and there are days where I eat all of my calories within a three hour window. Meal timing is a matter of personal preference. The "eat every 3 hours" rule is more based on keeping people from getting hungry and then overeating because their eyes are bigger than their stomachs. It doesn't have any appreciable impact on your metabolism.

Jestinia

I try to eat before my brain pops up a mental image of something I shouldn't eat and says 'aw go for it!!' Then I head my brain off at the pass again later in the day by eating before I feel ravenous, but I never need to eat six times a day for that. Twice is usually good.

twixlepennie

Eat often enough that you aren't feeling like you're going to chew your own arm off and it gives you enough energy throughout the day. However often that is, is how often you eat. Meal timing is a personal choice, and one method does not give a better result than the other for all people. Just stay within your calorie limit.

This. Meal frequency/time of day you eat is a preference thing, nothing more.

rosettafaery

I try to eat 5 times a day - 3 meals and 2 decent snacks.
This works out on average every 3 hours. But I'm also on medications which I have to take on an empty stomach, so generally don't eat between 8pm to 8am.

ThickMcRunFast

meal timing is basically irrelevant. If eating every 3-4 hours fits your schedule and helps you hit your macros, do that. If IF is a better fit, do that. Its how much you eat, not when.