When do you eat? How many meals?

tmaksparkie

I have been eating 6 small meals everyday for a year and a half now I was told this is good for blood sugars I do not have diabetes or issues with blood sugar. I have been doing some research and everything I find says just eat when you are physically hungry. This makes sence to me I eat by the time even if I am not hungry and have been told by a nutritionist that doing this for so long my body can no longer tell me when to stop because it believes it is eating all the time.

So how many eat by the time or by hunger?

murf19

I eat 3 main meals and snackhealthy throughout the day to curve my hunger

qtpiesmom

I am diabetic and I try and eat 6 times a day 5 most days I eat when Im hungry but also I am a creature of routine so most times its around the same time

FearAnLoathing

i eat when im hungry,usally that ends up being 3 times a day

melsinct

I work all day Monday through Friday, usually am in a lot of meetings, and don't have the time to eat small meals throughout the day. I eat three meals plus one snack at work (banana or yogurt or some other fruit).

pkpzp228

I eat by schedule but think this a chicken or egg kind problem. Hunger is the result of the release ghrelin which is created on a negative feedback cycle related to kcal in/out as well general anticipation of meals. So in other words, if you eat on a regular schedule your metabolism expects food on a regular schedule and produces hunger inducing hormones.

Factor in exercise and you have a problem of how many calories and how long does the energy last? If you're eating on a regular schedule and you're not hungry within specific intervals I would suggest degreasing the calories on the previous meal and vise versa.

GrowOrDie

I eat by schedule but think this a chicken or egg kind problem. Hunger is the result of the release ghrelin which is created on a negative feedback cycle related to kcal in/out as well general anticipation of meals. So in other words, if you eat on a regular schedule your metabolism expects food on a regular schedule and produces hunger inducing hormones.

Factor in exercise and you have a problem of how many calories and how long does the energy last? If you're eating on a regular schedule and you're not hungry within specific intervals I would suggest degreasing the calories on the previous meal and vise versa.

Great way to explain the 6meal theory! I think where people mess up is WHAT they eat in combination with WHEN they eat. It is super important to get small amounts of protein to metabolize the carbs so the insulin levels do not spike and cause your body to retain those calories for later fuel. I find that when I try to eat one of these small balanced meals when I get hungry as opposed to "on time" I cant stop and make bad decisions. (see diary for those days, blah, I hate posting on those days! LOL)