5-6 meals a day?
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I recently started eating 5 x 300 cal meals per day, rather than the traditional Breakfast / Lunch / dinner...
It works a treat for me!!
I eat my first meal before I leave home, eat 3 meals at work, and then a meal at home in the evening. I have had problems I the past with bingeing, especially before dinner. My 3 meals at work I eat at about 10am, about 1pm, and 4pm. I have found that eating regularly has kept me feeling satisfied - and that 'need' to binge once I get home is gone - I am satisfied enough from my 4pm meal to get home and prepare a meal for the family without wanting to snack. Oh, and I don't ever feel like I'm starving, if I do feel hungry it is because it's time for another meal.
Different things work for different people. I am loving it, it is working well.0 -
Hi All.
I eat 6 meals a day. I log all my meals and i find it really works for me. I am a fairly fit female at 17.5% body fat. I find what's most important is getting enough protein at each meal (I go for 20 to 25g of protein per meal). I set an alarm for the same times every day as it keeps me on track (otherwise I simply forget!). As a few others have mentioned, it helps to prep meals the evening before. My meals vary on a regular basis but they all are around the same size (in calories).
Getting a solid routine and schedule down really helps with keeping you balanced, and satiated. It takes the guess work out of it and honestly, I like that I don't have to think or worry about food very much. Everything is on autopilot so I can use my energy for more important things during the day.0 -
I do my best eating 5-7 'small meals' a day. I'd really call them snacks because they need to be <350 calories each for my BMR (lose a # a week) plan. In fact, once I figured out how to do this, I was never ravenous again. for me ravenous = hypoglycemic hangry. I've also noticed that when a homemade smoothie goes above 350 calories I then have an energy crash... so confirmation of <350 calories in each snack/meal, and i'll just consume that smoothie in 2 separate meals.
Trick is you need figure out snacks that work for you in your meal plans. Know in advance what you can snack on. Plus, know how many calories per snack that you can have, divide total calories a day you are allowed by 5 (or 7 in my case), and always stay within that calorie range with each snack. Then as you log food throughout the day, check your nutrition pie chart for proper ratio of protein/fat/carbs.
I keep a small snack baggie everywhere, in my briefcase, suitcase, vehicle, office desk, gym bag.
snack baggie is filled with almonds, sometimes peanuts. almonds are lower fat and peanuts are highest protein nut you will find Almonds give nice energy, while peanuts and whey protein give sustained energy. Frequently i'll keep a snack baggie of dark chocolate pieces (dark is low sugar) and snack on 1-2 TBSP (75-150cals dark chocolate). Dark chocolate was/is used in British and USA military rucksacks food packs as it's a good food source that satisfies appetite for very long times between meals (you just need control yourself, it always surprises me how some folks eat any chocolate like they were drinking beer... chug chug chug).
So on days I had sudden business meetings (they always delay going home), I had my dark chocolate as a snack to keep me energized til I got home. In my suitcase, for those last minute road-warrior trips, I always keep a plastic container filled with 3-5 servings of whey protein. I often bring a container with dry whey protein to the office, add water when I need that power snack.
I also keep a bowl of fresh apples, my favorite kinds, and grab a couple giving a quick wash/dry as I head on way out door. An apple a day is great, turns out the malic acid and pectin in apples break down fats too.
With the nuts, a snack baggie is really two servings, just eat one. if I'm having a ravenous day I can eat the whole thing and that's just fine as i'll focus on balancing out all other nutritional requirements for all remaining meals of the day. Guarantee it's better to eat the whole snack baggie of almonds than the energy crashes or ravenous crashes where i'll grab something really bad for me (too high glucose) or overeat.0 -
I have found that I was the most successful when I eat throughout the day. This seems to prevent going into starvation mode, plus it keeps your metabolism up so your burning throughout the day as well. I also found that I wasn't walking in the door grabbing the first thing I can grab quickly. So like breakfast lunch and dinner with a snack every two hours.0
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yes yes yes! just what Connie said! ... eating small meal-snacks throughout the day really keeps your metabolism high, burning calories faster, and keeping your energy even and high throughout the day. you'll lose fat and your muscle tone will show much more quickly.
I'm 53, and as we age, both our digestion and metabolism slows down radically, along with a bunch of other hormone slowing/stopping. It becomes very important to eat those little snacks to rev the metabolism and improve digestion.0 -
I have found that I was the most successful when I eat throughout the day. This seems to prevent going into starvation mode, plus it keeps your metabolism up so your burning throughout the day as well. I also found that I wasn't walking in the door grabbing the first thing I can grab quickly. So like breakfast lunch and dinner with a snack every two hours.
You will not go into starvation mode by not eating throughout the day and your metabolism is not higher than if eating the same foods in a more compressed time frame - as long as calories and macros are the same at the end of the day.0 -
yes yes yes! just what Connie said! ... eating small meal-snacks throughout the day really keeps your metabolism high, burning calories faster, and keeping your energy even and high throughout the day. you'll lose fat and your muscle tone will show much more quickly.
I'm 53, and as we age, both our digestion and metabolism slows down radically, along with a bunch of other hormone slowing/stopping. It becomes very important to eat those little snacks to rev the metabolism and improve digestion.
Eating frequently doesn't boost metabolism.0 -
I do 5-6 a day as well, but it's primarily for blood sugar maintenance. I really consider it 3 meals and 3 snacks. The snacks bridge the meals for me and are usually a protein snack <200 calories, but lately I've been cutting the protein snack in half and throwing a chocolate square in there. Breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and bedtime snack. If I know I have to eat out at work I will skip the mid morning snack to make sure I have enough calories. Then decide on the afternoon snack when the time comes. The bedtime snack keeps me from being hungry during the night and seems to help my blood sugar stay more even.
I usually do 1oz almonds for the morning, 1 oz cheese in the afternoon and at night I get a little more carbs with 1 graham cracker, 1 tbs cream cheese and 40g grapes. With that I can still keep my meals more normal size, but also balanced enough so that I'm not trying to cram in 1000 calories at night like I used to. It opens up too many opportunities for me to splurge on stuff that kills my blood sugar.0 -
I'm pretty inconsistent with my eating habits. I blame the shift work. Sometimes I only have time for three meals. I find that if I'm eating regularly, I don't end up bingeing at the end of the day. I was taught, some years ago, by my trainer, that eating regularly is "fuelling the fire" (boosting your metabolismt). But then he changed his mind and started advocating the fasting diet type thing. I don't know the real answer, but I just think that as long as you eat just enough calories (and not 'empty' calories from junk food) and exercise regularly, you can't really go wrong with that. I think its just better to do whatever works for you.0
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i lost weight very well and fast on the six week body makeover ..which is eating six meals a day..every 2.5 to 3 hours. healthy stuff. protein, veg, and carb.
bottom line. it worked very well. However, i regained because it was imppossible to eat every 2.5 hours. or 3 hours. lots of eating in the car..in restroom stalls at events.. insane and hardly sustainable for a lifetime.
and the bad side effect? it trains your hunger to trigger all day long. I still suffer from the conditioning of that diet.0 -
I get hypoglycemic and I also have an eating disorder. I am a binge eater. When I get symptoms of hypoglycemia it triggers a binge. (not the only trigger just one of them) I have to eat every few hours. It's the only way for me to avoid the symptoms. I eat whatever fits in my calories.
My experience is actually.. very similar. My eating disorder is a restrictive one, though.
In any case, I have to eat every few hours, too. If I go too long without food, my iron levels plummet. My blood sugar plummets. I get cranky, light headed, and experience general ED symptoms. So, 5-6 meals a day works for me.
It does for many people. However, some people do better eating 3 meals a day. Or just 2. I've known many have success eating just one really big meal every day. Do what works for you.0 -
I am not sure what the definition of a "meal" is. I usually eat three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and supper). I usually graze in the evening "snacks". If I am hungry in between my meals I eat. I keep granola bars at work to snack on. Some days I eat one, some days I eat two (or more), and other days I don't eat any. I have my regular meal times and then let my hunger decide when else to eat. If it gets to be late in the evening and I am still way under my goals for the day I will eat something wholly unhealthy such as chocolate, alcohol, or ice cream to get my calorie count up. This has worked for me. I found that the less regimented I was on meal times the better it works for me. Do what works for you.0
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Have you ever watched a toddler?? They know to graze. They eat numerous meals a days, are constantly climbing, jumping, running, playing and generally having a good time. If we mimicked a toddlers behavior for 1 week, I'm sure all of us would be SHOCKED!!! It's in our core being. We are born needing to eat every couple hours. And then for some reason, it gets beat out of us.... only a huge Breakfast, then only a huge lunch, and then only a huge dinner and maybe a small snack. This is wrong. It's not who we are...Try small meals. It's ok!0
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I miss my Provida group....Lost weight doing the 6week BMO...then MT died...so sad...and then the website community pretty much disbanded..NOW found my way over to MFP...and would love to connect with those who have done 6WMBO!...I'm a type A0
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I eat 5-6 times a day. It works for me. I try to eat a high protein breakfast, some kind of fruit and nut bar at my morning break, leftovers for lunch, whatever is handy for afternoon break (yogurt, Luna bar, fruit are things I try keep handy), dinner has a few old standbys that my kids like with the occasional new thing, after dinner is usually a protein shake and/or a frappucino depending on how many calories I need to eat to maintain.
Good luck finding what works for you.0 -
5-6 a day has helped my lose <80lbs. It also has helped me gain lean muscle. I believe it boosts your metabalism by making your body constantly digest food and not store fat if your portions are correct. If you only eat 1-2 a day then your body stores fat to fuel itself through the day. The 5-6 doesnt include my protien shake with breakfast or post workout or before bed. so you could say 8-9 a day !0
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I agree with you completely. Even if your meals aren't measured out, it will still boost your metabalism.0
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Eating "mini-meals" works for some people but not for others. If you are trying to speed up your metabolism then it's a really great way to do it. Not to be a huge nerd about it...but I use my organizational skills to plan, organize, prep, and keep on track. I have a color-coded excel google doc that I use to plan out my meals for the week, make a grocery shopping list, and keep recipes for food prep. Yeah, kinda nerdy but it keeps me organized and on top of everything. I usually go to the Farmers Market on Sunday morning and then spend a few hours cooking everything for the week. Mason jars are a great way to keep salads fresh and it looks pretty.
If you want more tips or if you want to see my nerdy excel sheet, just ask. I'm happy to share!0 -
If we mimicked toddlers behaviors, we'd only eat sweet things and maybe some milk. Put out cookies and broccoli and I'll bet dollars to donuts the kid goes for cookies. Not to mention that children usually under eat because they'd rather play.Have you ever watched a toddler?? They know to graze. They eat numerous meals a days, are constantly climbing, jumping, running, playing and generally having a good time. If we mimicked a toddlers behavior for 1 week, I'm sure all of us would be SHOCKED!!! It's in our core being. We are born needing to eat every couple hours. And then for some reason, it gets beat out of us.... only a huge Breakfast, then only a huge lunch, and then only a huge dinner and maybe a small snack. This is wrong. It's not who we are...Try small meals. It's ok!
"Grazing" doesn't work if one consumes more than their TDEE.
Now that's not to say that it's a bad strategy, but there are lots of people that graze everyday and are overweight. There are some they aren't.
Weight loss STILL boils down to CICO and how one approaches it so it works is usually going to be a trial and error approach.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
It doesn't boost your metabolism. You're speaking in terms of TEF which isn't speeding up of metabolism because it's negated by calorie ingestion.I agree with you completely. Even if your meals aren't measured out, it will still boost your metabalism.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I often do three square meals per day, plus a morning snack and afternoon snack, which, on occasion can be like a little meal. Private MFP email me if you'd like me to give you a detailed list of the types of snack foods I eat. If I'm ravenous (low blood sugar) I am more tempted to overeat. It's also not good for my thought processes.0
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Why not just be honest and let them know you're into a no sugar diet approach? Whether people agree with you or not, shouldn't be afraid to say it.I often do three square meals per day, plus a morning snack and afternoon snack, which, on occasion can be like a little meal. Private MFP email me if you'd like me to give you a detailed list of the types of snack foods I eat. If I'm ravenous (low blood sugar) I am more tempted to overeat. It's also not good for my thought processes.
Heck, people ask me all the time about my diet. I eat ice cream, processed foods and fast food regularly. I also eat a boatload of whole foods. What's my one rule? Don't exceed my TDEE on a consistent basis.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
:-)0
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I do it everyday. Works well for me.0
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Meal frequency has nothing to do with weight/fat loss. 5-6 meals, 1-2 meals... all that matters in the end is CICO. If eating 5-6 meals helps you feel satiated longer, than so be it. Personally, if I eat small meals I'm never satisfied. Even though I log "snacks" into my diary, I consume roughly 3-4 meals a day, with all "snacks" making up one meal or eaten with a meal.
There is no magic to weight loss. Consuming 5-6 meals doesn't "stoke" your metabolism, and only eating 1-2 meals doesn't slow your metabolism down. The single, most effective way to boost metabolism is to get out and move more.0 -
Eating a lot of meals in a day suppose to help you regulate the insulin level and help you stay full longer with the same amount of calories.
But, for me, I prefer to have decent breakfast (Milk, banana, fresh fruits), and if I have a big lunch (12" sub), that would fill me up for the rest of the day. I normally sleep around 9pm and I prefer to sleep with empty stomach so I try not to eat anything after 7pm. If I exercise in the evening I probably drink some fruit/veggie juice.0 -
Meal frequency has nothing to do with weight/fat loss. 5-6 meals, 1-2 meals... all that matters in the end is CICO. If eating 5-6 meals helps you feel satiated longer, than so be it. Personally, if I eat small meals I'm never satisfied. Even though I log "snacks" into my diary, I consume roughly 3-4 meals a day, with all "snacks" making up one meal or eaten with a meal.
There is no magic to weight loss. Consuming 5-6 meals doesn't "stoke" your metabolism, and only eating 1-2 meals doesn't slow your metabolism down. The single, most effective way to boost metabolism is to get out and move more.
^QFT0
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