How many times a day should I eat??

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formytwins
formytwins Posts: 106
in Food and Nutrition
Any ideas on how many times a day I should eat? I was told 5 to 6 but not really liking that.
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Replies

  • ImaHomer
    ImaHomer Posts: 22
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    I eat 7 times a day.
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
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    Hey,

    It depends on what works for you I would imagine.

    I like to graze (if I graze then it keeps the hunger at bay) but some people are better off sticking to their set meal times.

    As long as you have your 3 main meals a day and stick to your calorie allowence you should be fine.

    CN
  • HolsDoinIt
    HolsDoinIt Posts: 327 Member
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    thats what the dietician told me also. was 5-6 but that they didnt have to be full meals. he told me to consider snacks as food w/ calories between 150-300
  • strandedeyes
    strandedeyes Posts: 392 Member
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    Definitely have your three main meals (no skipping those) and small snacks in between. This way you don't go into hunger binges through out one meal. I actually never used to eat more than 2 to 3 until recently where I found myself sticking to the three main meals and then just two small snacks...so that left me with eating 5 times a day.
  • poisongirl6485
    poisongirl6485 Posts: 1,487 Member
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    I know most people will say 5-6 small meals, but I don't really do that. I do the three main meals with the rare snack. I'm not hungry soon enough after I eat breakfast or lunch to justify having a snack 2-3 hours after i eat. I just get most of my daily calories from the main meals and that seems to have been working.
  • ultimategar
    ultimategar Posts: 96 Member
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    Definitely have your three main meals (no skipping those) and small snacks in between. This way you don't go into hunger binges through out one meal. I actually never used to eat more than 2 to 3 until recently where I found myself sticking to the three main meals and then just two small snacks...so that left me with eating 5 times a day.

    I think this is the key, never getting really hungry so you stay in control of what you eat.
  • kitchentales
    kitchentales Posts: 73
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    Eat when you're hungry. 5-6 times per day is what's considered healthy for your metabolism - that keeps it running instead of shutting down. I think of it like a car - the car stays warm if you leave it on every time you pop in somewhere while you're running your errands, and it takes more energy to keep starting it up after each errand. (Wouldn't it be nice to leave the car running while you run in for your coffee or to the bank? Ha ha, if only.)

    I think the important thing here though is that you're not under your goals for the day, and that you eat when you want to. If you're not hungry, don't eat. Gradually you may find that if you reduce portion sizes of your 3 square meals, you may need a few snacks during the day to keep you full, which is where I've gotten to. I have breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, sometimes dessert or after-dinner snack.
  • FaeFae
    FaeFae Posts: 243 Member
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    I usually do breakfast, healthy snack (fruit), lunch, snack, dinner, snack....if i dont eat the snacks in between im too hungry. I find the more times i eat in a day the quicker i get hungry which is a good sign because it means your metabolism is working. I dont know word for word the exact reasoning but they say 5 or 6 small meals because of your metabolism.
  • Altiv
    Altiv Posts: 174 Member
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    I eat 7 - 8 times a day, four of them are full meals, and the others are just snacks that don't have more than 150 cals each one. I was told to eat ideally every three hours so I could keep my metabolism active which in the end would help me to lose weight more efficiently, also you're not hungry though the day so it's less likely you'll eat a lot at one time.
  • formytwins
    formytwins Posts: 106
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    okay all sound good but.......need help with the small snacks???? Any ideas on small snacks??? Low Cal.....
  • ImaHomer
    ImaHomer Posts: 22
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    Turkey, Tomato, Spinich on whole wheat. 300cals. cut it in half for a snack and you have 2 :)
  • FaeFae
    FaeFae Posts: 243 Member
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    small snacks i'll do anything from a boiled egg, fruit, portioned pretzels or smart pop, popcorn, yogurt, almonds, oatmeal bar etc, hummus....etc.
  • formytwins
    formytwins Posts: 106
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    I thought about buying the packs in the snack isle that are the 100 calorie snacks???
  • ImaHomer
    ImaHomer Posts: 22
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    I don't like them because they dont fill you up like 2 cups ob Broccoli would. I know you dont want to eat Broccoli everyday, im just saying that generally these end up as extra calories because people tend to eat again too quickly. I make all my meals/snacks at home and take them to work. my car always has a case of water.
  • kitchentales
    kitchentales Posts: 73
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    okay all sound good but.......need help with the small snacks???? Any ideas on small snacks??? Low Cal.....

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/163396-will-you-help-me-put-together-a-healthy-menu
    I started a thread asking about just that! There are loads of great ideas in there, browse through! I'm now doing the Kashi Mountain Medley granola for my yogurt and fruit, and I have an apple in the afternoon for my snack. I'm not 100% on board with the new meal plan yet (stupid snow interrupting my grocery shopping trip), but feel free to browse my food diary for other ideas. :-)
  • VeganJamiOnAMission
    VeganJamiOnAMission Posts: 65 Member
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    I am just NOT a snacker. I think you have to do what works for you. I eat my 3 meals a day and I don't really get hungry in between. I like to try to be done eating for the day by 7 o'clock or so. I have heard that eating too close to bed time can cause some weight gain.
  • kitchentales
    kitchentales Posts: 73
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    I am just NOT a snacker. I think you have to do what works for you. I eat my 3 meals a day and I don't really get hungry in between. I like to try to be done eating for the day by 7 o'clock or so. I have heard that eating too close to bed time can cause some weight gain.

    And I find I personally don't sleep well at all if I eat within an hour of going to sleep.
  • Slammedtoys
    Slammedtoys Posts: 18
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    I eat once first thing in the morning before the gym
    a protein shake right after the gym
    small snack every two hours in between my 2 larger meals
    once with in 30 minutes of going to bed
  • ropedancer
    ropedancer Posts: 115
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    I also do the three main meals with a couple of snacks in the afternoon/evening.

    As for snacks, I usually stick with fruit (various apples, bananas, strawberries, and grapes) and fiber bars (not the fiber one bars, but generic ones from my local grocery store. Tastes just as good to me!).
  • strandedeyes
    strandedeyes Posts: 392 Member
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    I thought about buying the packs in the snack isle that are the 100 calorie snacks???

    Becareful of those 100 calorie snacks. Although it is great to have what you want in 100 calories, most are still only processed foods or contain a lot of sugar or sodium. Keep those snack packs for days where you have nothing else to snack on. I would look into more veggies, popcorn, some fruits (because of the sugar intake there). Less processed foods the better.

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