How many times a day do you eat?

Gentyl

I'm curious as to how many times you eat per day. I've tried just about everything from 6 times a day, to 5, to 4, etc.. And, now, I am thinking about just having my coffees in the mornings and just eating a meal once a day. I have gastroparesis, a complication of diabetes, so it takes my system a lot longer to digest and process food than most people. It's just sluggish.

I was wondering how many times a day works for you?

GlucernaBrand

There isn't one set number of times per day to eat that works for everyone. Perhaps you can talk with a registered dietitian who can help you figure out the best number of times to eat, and what to eat, that works for your individual situation. ~Lynn /Glucerna

scubasuenc

I usually eat 5 times per day. 3 meals and 2 snacks. Sometimes I skip a snack. One of the benefits of many small meals is that it breaks up when the carbs go into my system and keeps my blood glucose levels steady. I know I couldn't deal with just one meal per day. I can get low blood sugar just by skipping a snack, going too long between meals, or waiting too long to eat after exercising.

Given your gastroparesis, you might want to talk to your doctor or dietician to see how to deal with that and manage your blood sugar effectively.

Gentyl

There isn't one set number of times per day to eat that works for everyone. Perhaps you can talk with a registered dietitian who can help you figure out the best number of times to eat, and what to eat, that works for your individual situation. ~Lynn /Glucerna

Not to be rude, but you aren't a diabetic, and have very little knowledge about diabetes, as I've seen from your previous posts. Also, the product that you promote with that user name is truly terrible for diabetics for more reasons than I can count. By your own admittance, you are a representative for Glucerna. If you like, I can recommend some good material for you to educate yourself on this very real disease. I am sure you mean to be helpful as well as to promote your business, so please do let me know if you would like a list of accurate books and sites from which to become more knowledgeable.

Gentyl

I usually eat 5 times per day. 3 meals and 2 snacks. Sometimes I skip a snack. One of the benefits of many small meals is that it breaks up when the carbs go into my system and keeps my blood glucose levels steady. I know I couldn't deal with just one meal per day. I can get low blood sugar just by skipping a snack, going too long between meals, or waiting too long to eat after exercising.

Given your gastroparesis, you might want to talk to your doctor or dietician to see how to deal with that and manage your blood sugar effectively.

Thank you. When I'm hungry and haven't eaten in a long time my blood sugars tend to go high. I'm never hungry late afternoons or at night anymore, so they tend to stay stable there (rarely over 90s, and mostly in the 70s at night). I liked the idea of eating many meals in one day, over a shorter day for me because of the gastroparesis, but lately I've felt confined to food or the kitchen for too long during the day, especially mornings, and wanted to have more freedom. My concern is weight loss. I really want to lose 10 pounds before the summer. So, I was thinking of going to just one meal a day in the afternoons. But, this is difficult, not because of hunger,.. it's just so restrictive.

I guess I'm feeling a little frustrated about those last 10 pounds. As a diabetic, we have so many things to consider. It's challenging, especially around non-diabetics. Argh.

BigGuy47

I typically eat about 6 times a day. Regular meals with a small snack between meals.

fangirlish

I wish I could help with your decision but know how difficult it has been for me to find not only the way of eating, but the schedule for eating that works best for me. There are so many issues to consider and no one recommendation works for everyone.

I too suffer from gastroparesis and it's hard to get around it, because everything is unpredictable. Because I work full time I have found that a strict 3 small meal schedule works best: 6 - 12 - 6. That allows 6 hours for food to (hopefully) start to digest between meals. Sometimes, though, I know my stomach is not empty by the time the next meal rolls around, which makes for a real dilemma.I do not snack between meals nor in the evening, because I go to bed fairly early and do not want much on my stomach then or I end up with dreadful reflux.

I have my doubts that a single very large meal would be do-able with gastroparesis. I'm thinking of the early satiety (and therefore not getting enough nutrition), resulting bloat, cramping and unpredictable blood glucose levels. I know if I took my full allowance of carbs in one meal I'd be miserable for a very long time.

Two larger meals a day might work better, well-spaced apart. Do you think something like that would work? I know that Dr. Richard K. Bernstein devotes an entire chapter to gastroparesis. Perhaps you can find something helpful there?

It's easy to get frustrated with the limitations imposed on us by this disease. I sometimes worry about the day when my current solution no longer works. I guess that's where you are now and believe me, you have my sympathy. I have found doctors and dietitians to be of limited help under these circumstances; unless they too suffer from these issues. Sometimes what sounds good in theory is worse than unhelpful in real life.

Wishing you good luck in your dilemma.

Gentyl

I wish I could help with your decision but know how difficult it has been for me to find not only the way of eating, but the schedule for eating that works best for me. There are so many issues to consider and no one recommendation works for everyone.

I too suffer from gastroparesis and it's hard to get around it, because everything is unpredictable. Because I work full time I have found that a strict 3 small meal schedule works best: 6 - 12 - 6. That allows 6 hours for food to (hopefully) start to digest between meals. Sometimes, though, I know my stomach is not empty by the time the next meal rolls around, which makes for a real dilemma.I do not snack between meals nor in the evening, because I go to bed fairly early and do not want much on my stomach then or I end up with dreadful reflux.

I have my doubts that a single very large meal would be do-able with gastroparesis. I'm thinking of the early satiety (and therefore not getting enough nutrition), resulting bloat, cramping and unpredictable blood glucose levels. I know if I took my full allowance of carbs in one meal I'd be miserable for a very long time.

Two larger meals a day might work better, well-spaced apart. Do you think something like that would work? I know that Dr. Richard K. Bernstein devotes an entire chapter to gastroparesis. Perhaps you can find something helpful there?

It's easy to get frustrated with the limitations imposed on us by this disease. I sometimes worry about the day when my current solution no longer works. I guess that's where you are now and believe me, you have my sympathy. I have found doctors and dietitians to be of limited help under these circumstances; unless they too suffer from these issues. Sometimes what sounds good in theory is worse than unhelpful in real life.

Wishing you good luck in your dilemma.

I can't thank you enough for this post. It's so helpful when there's someone out there who understands what I'm going through. Yes, there has been a change, and I can't quite put my finger on it. The body is smart and will adapt at some point.

You are right about the one meal a day... I found it difficult.. Not so much the hunger, but the amount of food that must be eaten in that one meal to get enough nutrition. I'm sure if I dug deep I would probably be able to make a habit of it, if I had to. Plenty of societies over history ate just that way. But, I don't think I'm ready for such a drastic change.

Thank you, fangirlish, for such valuable input. I truly appreciate it.

Gentyl

There isn't one set number of times per day to eat that works for everyone. Perhaps you can talk with a registered dietitian who can help you figure out the best number of times to eat, and what to eat, that works for your individual situation. ~Lynn /Glucerna

I want to apologize for my post. It was utterly uncalled for, I don't know what got into me. I have been taught to not interfere with someone's livelihood, and for that, I truly apologize. No one deserves to be spoken to in such a manner. My deepest apologies.

GlucernaBrand

Thank you. I'm glad we can all share ideas and suggestions and learn from each other. ~Lynn /Glucerna

jaygreen55

There isn't one set number of times per day to eat that works for everyone. Perhaps you can talk with a registered dietitian who can help you figure out the best number of times to eat, and what to eat, that works for your individual situation. ~Lynn /Glucerna

Not to be rude, but you aren't a diabetic, and have very little knowledge about diabetes, as I've seen from your previous posts. Also, the product that you promote with that user name is truly terrible for diabetics for more reasons than I can count. By your own admittance, you are a representative for Glucerna. If you like, I can recommend some good material for you to educate yourself on this very real disease. I am sure you mean to be helpful as well as to promote your business, so please do let me know if you would like a list of accurate books and sites from which to become more knowledgeable.

While I find Lynn's smiling face and constant comments somewhat annoying and the product she represents to be a chemical
soup rather than real food I have to defend her against your scurrilous attack against her knowledge and qualifications

"Lynn Grieger is a consultant for Glucerna, a line of specialized food for people with diabetes from Abbott Nutrition, and is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with experience in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and private practice."

You don't have to be a diabetic to be knowledgeable about diabetes. In fact none of the doctors, diabetes educators, nutritionists, and most of the authors etc. I've encountered in 25 years of being diabetic have been diabetic themselves
yet they are responsible for most of what I consider to be my considerable knowledge of my disease and how to manage it.
None of the advice she's given that I've read has been factually inaccurate or medically unsound.

Contrary to your claim there is nothing in Glucerna that is harmful to a diabetic and the choice to use it is up to the individual.
It can be a very useful tool for elderly people who may not be able to eat meals on a regular schedule

TNHoneyBBQ

I think we all get frustrated by this devilish disease and that's why we can be so understanding of each other especially in this forum. I would also agree that it's just plain impossible for someone who is not diabetic to totally understand the nuances and worries and pressures we are under if we are trying to be honest and discover what are the truly best care /products /methods that we can find for our self care . And even more so would be the frustration of trying to get coaching for gastroparesis! Textbook lingo just won't do, she needs to talk with someone who has been in the trenches with it and knows what really works for actual people and what won't. Have you thought of consulting someone at the Mayo clinic or John Hopkins or the Cleveland Clinic?

Nutrition is such a delicate balance. Even trying to define a bottom line is a slippery thing - you need basic balanced nutrition to keep your body healthy; you want to manipulate it to lose weight and keep your blood glucose down; and you have to deal with the people around you nagging you, or giving you bad advice, or having midnight cravings for things that are not in your best interest to eat. (No wonder we are all frustrated.)

Even with your condition, I am not crazy about the idea of one meal a day for you. That's my basic Dr. Mom alarm bell reaction, just because it seems so against the constant way all the other systems in your body are designed to work. If you want to try it, go for it, but be watching carefully for the gamut of side effects in case things start to go off the rails.

My mom was on TPN (liquid nutrition only) for 22 years because she lost her intestines to infection. She was infusing that food 23 hours a day because so little of it absorbed, she needed the long exposure to it to even keep a little of it. She was able to live, yes. She had no energy, her hair fell out, her nails became malformed, her teeth disintegrated, her immunity hit rock bottom, she developed skin problems, etc. But she had no choice. That kind of stuff is what I would fear most for you if this one meal a day thing was prolonged.

I know you are very smart and have probably already tried small liquid meals, do they move through any faster than a small solid meal? Is there any way to work with liquid that might move along faster?

Praying for you, sweet friend! Carol

scubasuenc

I usually eat 5 times per day. 3 meals and 2 snacks. Sometimes I skip a snack. One of the benefits of many small meals is that it breaks up when the carbs go into my system and keeps my blood glucose levels steady. I know I couldn't deal with just one meal per day. I can get low blood sugar just by skipping a snack, going too long between meals, or waiting too long to eat after exercising.

Given your gastroparesis, you might want to talk to your doctor or dietician to see how to deal with that and manage your blood sugar effectively.

Thank you. When I'm hungry and haven't eaten in a long time my blood sugars tend to go high. I'm never hungry late afternoons or at night anymore, so they tend to stay stable there (rarely over 90s, and mostly in the 70s at night). I liked the idea of eating many meals in one day, over a shorter day for me because of the gastroparesis, but lately I've felt confined to food or the kitchen for too long during the day, especially mornings, and wanted to have more freedom. My concern is weight loss. I really want to lose 10 pounds before the summer. So, I was thinking of going to just one meal a day in the afternoons. But, this is difficult, not because of hunger,.. it's just so restrictive.

I guess I'm feeling a little frustrated about those last 10 pounds. As a diabetic, we have so many things to consider. It's challenging, especially around non-diabetics. Argh.

My snacks are often protein bars ( <200 calories, at least 15g protein, < 20g carbs), beef/ostrich stick snack or a protein shake. I keep a supply of 'portable' snacks in my office that require little (just add water) or no prep. I am always working to meet my protein goals for the day, my snacks are usually protein based.

MysteriousMerlin

On working days (7:30a - 6p), I eat breakfast around 8a, lunch around 11:30a, then a snack between 2-3p, and dinner around 6:30-7p. I average around 1300-1450 cals a day lately.

123_lac

I usually have an Atkins shake for breakfast because I hate cooking when I'm tired. I eat lunch and dinner and have 2 or 3 snacks. I try to keep my gross carbs under 50 per day. My net carbs are usually 20-30 per day.

diabetesdieter

I eat three small meals and two snacks. Usually I eat cheese sticks or almonds for snack. Sometimes nori! If my bs is a little high from a meal I won't eat the snack. Usually mine is back to the 120 2 hours after my main meals and the snacks don't have that much impact.

I also love South Beach caramel nut bars. I know they are unnatural, but they are my one indulgence and they make me feel like I am eating a candy bar and it only has 100 calories and 12 carbs. Not healthy, but everything else I am eating is mostly unprocessed. I

albertabeefy

I usually eat a minimum of 4 and sometimes up to 6 times a day, depending on exercise I do.

I find it keeps my blood sugar levels more stable. If I go too long without food, I get a liver dump (release of glucose into my system) and then if I *do* eat after that, any carbohydrate I ingest can cause my BG levels go above my threshold for health, and I get annoyed.

I typically keep very low-carbohydrate (especially considering my caloric-intake) and only have a high-carb meal if it's before a very-intense workout session (ie: 75-90 minutes at moderate-to-high intensity). Typically my meals are under 10-15g of carbohydrate. I consider 50g a very high-carb meal for me, and it means I'm about to workout like a crazy person

As I strive to stay in ketosis (I've been ketogenic for 99% of the past 3+ years) my carbohydrate intake varies according to exercise for the day - it can range anywhere from 30-80g most days. In warmer weather it can be up to 150g if I'm doing long-distance cycling.