too many snacks and not enough meals???

drabbits3

Okay, so my food diary is public--I have a question--am I eating too many snacks and not enough meals? 1200 calories is doable for me, so I think in terms of 250 breakfast, 250 lunch and 500 dinner with 200 left to play with BUT I never hit those amounts at breakfast and lunch. So if my breakfast is closer to 200, I plan for a mid-morning snack. This morning I had high fiber cereal and blueberries for breakfast and then around 10:30 had 1/2 cup greek yogurt with 1 cup of raspberries/blackberries. Lunch is usually a huge salad but that doesn't rack up the calories and I am always STARVING by mid afternoon, so today I added a slice of low-cal wheat bread and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, which was actually more calories than the salad! And then there were snacks at my work meeting, so I ate 2 cups of Smart pop, and then had a squeesy applesauce on the way home, and now dinner. Is that too many snacks and not enough real meals? Thoughts? I go back to teaching on Monday and I tend to have breakfast at home and then a mid-morning snack when I have my first break and I am STARVING by then. Ditto after school.
thoughts on snacks vs meals???

christinalong1991

It really doesn't matter how u divide up ur calories, snacks can be just as nutritious as meals if u make them, and it sounds like u are. The only reason I would see for thinking too many snacks is ur lunch isn't keeping u satisfied so possibly add another hundred calories or so to ur salad and that may help u not feel so hungry in the afternoon. But it sounds fairly balanced to me. On a side note, not to beat a dead horse but are you sure that 1200 calories is enough for u? Going up to 13 or 1400 u would likely still lose but be able to increase the size of ur meals and have all the same snacks?

Kalikel

You have to do what works for you. If eating fewer calories, but eating more often, works - do that!

If you'd do better having bigger meals, do that. And quit screwing around with "200 to play with." Add those into your breakfast or lunch so you aren't starving.

You can also do day with 2 or 3 meals and then other days where you graze all day.

It's trial and error. You have to try different things until you land on what you like. You have to be flexible and switch things up when what you're doing doesn't work anymore.

You'll find your way.

Cerakoala

I think its all on what works best for you. I Can tell you what works best for me but it may not apply to you or someone else. I tend to do small meals. I eat 2 breakfast 2 lunches 2 dinners. At work I have a habit of wanting to snack since I am at a desk job. So to make up for this I do the 6 small meals or split the meals i packed into 2 portions so it feels like I am eating all day. It works for me and helps get me through the week. However on the weekends I am not so stationary so I do 3 regular meals

moveyourself

If what you've been doing is working for you, then don't change anything. Don't over analyze it too much.
It seems like you're doing okay. I don't think you're eating too many snacks. It's still food. It's not like you're
eating candy or cookies.