How Often Should You Eat?

rtidquist

I always hear that you shouldn't eat unless you are hungry but then my gym partner tells me that I need to be eating at least 5 meals a day to keep my metabolism up. Which one is it?

rtidquist

I always hear that you shouldn't eat unless you are hungry but then my gym partner tells me that I need to be eating at least 5 meals a day to keep my metabolism up. Which one is it?

CrystalBella

I'd say eat 5-6 small meals a day... drink your 64oz of water or more and you'd be fine. I eat about every 3hrs or so. Then I chug water during those times. Sometimes I'll drink some tea cause that makes me feel full.

Good Luck! :flowerforyou:

yoginimary

I say it depends.

I don't think you should eat unless you are hungry - unless, of course, you are going to go a long time without eating (for whatever reason) and will overeat when the time is up. Some people get hungry every few hours. Some people have to train their body when to be hungry - so those that eat late at night, might not want breakfast, so you have to retrain your body by eating breakfast and not eating late night.

I usually eat 3 meals and 1 snack a day. It is what works for me. If I didn't exercise so much, I would do better with just the three meals. I tend to eat a full meal when I sit down to eat, so snacks are not good for me. Some people have blood sugar spikes and do better with smaller meals more times a day. The latest trend is for the more meals, but you should go with what works for you.

lenmana

I eat Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack and Dinner. It really helps me KEEP FROM getting so hungry that I'd eat just about anything and everything in sight. I guess it depends...do you feel hungry ALL the time or at certain times of day?

BrandNewLaura

I have a very fitness savvy friend who told me to never let myself get hungry...I eat in the morning regardless of whether I am hungry or not to get my metabolism going...then I have a midmorning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner, and a bedtime snack...I eat about every 3 hours...

I eat about 5-6 times a day. I never want my body to think that I am not going to feed it again...and I want to keep my metabolism going throughout the day...now, although I am eating 5-6 mini-meals per days, I am not pigging out and eating 6 full blown meals...my breakfast is usually a light English muffic with some low sugar strawberry jam and some cheese or a hard boiled egg to get in some protein.

I don't let myself get hungry, and I am not as tempted to pig out like I used to do when I actually sit down to eat because I'm not starving...I am learning to eat for sustenance, not to cure emotions, not out of boredom, not for any reason other than I need to eat to keep going...it's an amazing mindset shift, but it is working, and the pounds are coming off...

I am not an expert, but I believe that I will continue to eat 5-6 mini meals every day for the rest of my life...I really think that's what works for me...

jlwhelan1

My eating schedule and these are rough estimates per meal.

6:15 a.m. breakfast ~180 calories
9:30 a.m. snack ~120 calories
10:30 a.m. snack (optional sometimes eat this with lunch) ~ 50 to 100 calories (a piece of fruit)
11:30 a.m. lunch ~ 300 calories
afternoon snack ~ 50 calories (or roll into first dinner)
4:30 p.m. dinner #1 ~300-400 calories
8:00 p.m. dinner # 2 ~300 calories
10:00 p.m. dinner # 3 ~100 to 200 calories

Total daily calories ~ 1300 to 1600 (more if I have a whopping workout, but I've not been good at that lately. I eat the first few hundred of my workout calories and then if I have more workout calories I eat only if hungry. I am active in the evening, not sitting, and I bike home as late as 9:30 p.m. I can't sleep if I'm hungry so I ALWAYS eat a little something before bed.

I hardly ever eat more than about 400 calories at any one time. Usually more like 200 to 300 calories at a time. I eat until I am just barely full, and I eat whenever I'm hungry. Presently at a BMI of 23 goal of 21.

iLuvMyChemicalRomane

my biggest problem is eating when im bored.

p90x_Dude

The science behind the multiple meals is BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). It is how many calories our bodies burn while at rest only in "existance" mode. Eating when hungry can cause 2 potential determinants to weight loss:
1. You tend to overeat when hungry (and overshop, never shop for food when hungry)
2. As a defense mechanism you body will lower your BMR to preserve life (this is a no no for anyone desiring to lose weight).

Eating frequently throughout the day increases your BMR (oh yes sir I'll two of those) and that's what we want. We want a body constantly burning calories safely until we're at our target goal and maintenance programs will keep us there. Drinking water is not only healthy for cells, tissue, muscle and good blood pressure, but it also gives the stomach a sensation of being full and thus we're again less likely to overeat.

p90x_Dude

my biggest problem is eating when im bored.

Find and alternative to boredom:
- a new hobby
- a reward for not eating with boredom
- a personal buddy who can hit you on the knee cap with a tennis racket when you start towards the snacks (this would be good for me as well) :happy:

p90x_Dude

My eating schedule and these are rough estimates per meal.

6:15 a.m. breakfast ~180 calories
9:30 a.m. snack ~120 calories
10:30 a.m. snack (optional sometimes eat this with lunch) ~ 50 to 100 calories (a piece of fruit)
11:30 a.m. lunch ~ 300 calories
afternoon snack ~ 50 calories (or roll into first dinner)
4:30 p.m. dinner #1 ~300-400 calories
8:00 p.m. dinner # 2 ~300 calories
10:00 p.m. dinner # 3 ~100 to 200 calories

Total daily calories ~ 1300 to 1600 (more if I have a whopping workout, but I've not been good at that lately. I eat the first few hundred of my workout calories and then if I have more workout calories I eat only if hungry. I am active in the evening, not sitting, and I bike home as late as 9:30 p.m. I can't sleep if I'm hungry so I ALWAYS eat a little something before bed.

I hardly ever eat more than about 400 calories at any one time. Usually more like 200 to 300 calories at a time. I eat until I am just barely full, and I eat whenever I'm hungry. Presently at a BMI of 23 goal of 21.

Wow my breakfast sometimes is close to your breakfast and lunch together :happy:

jlwhelan1

My eating schedule and these are rough estimates per meal.

6:15 a.m. breakfast ~180 calories
9:30 a.m. snack ~120 calories
10:30 a.m. snack (optional sometimes eat this with lunch) ~ 50 to 100 calories (a piece of fruit)
11:30 a.m. lunch ~ 300 calories
afternoon snack ~ 50 calories (or roll into first dinner)
4:30 p.m. dinner #1 ~300-400 calories
8:00 p.m. dinner # 2 ~300 calories
10:00 p.m. dinner # 3 ~100 to 200 calories

Total daily calories ~ 1300 to 1600 (more if I have a whopping workout, but I've not been good at that lately. I eat the first few hundred of my workout calories and then if I have more workout calories I eat only if hungry. I am active in the evening, not sitting, and I bike home as late as 9:30 p.m. I can't sleep if I'm hungry so I ALWAYS eat a little something before bed.

I hardly ever eat more than about 400 calories at any one time. Usually more like 200 to 300 calories at a time. I eat until I am just barely full, and I eat whenever I'm hungry. Presently at a BMI of 23 goal of 21.

Wow my breakfast sometimes is close to your breakfast and lunch together :happy:

:laugh: p90x_Dude, I'm 4'11" with a goal of losing 9 more lbs...it makes sense that you, (you look bigger than 4'11" in your picture anyway) would out eat me probably at every meal.:laugh: :laugh: :flowerforyou:

shorerider

Wow my breakfast sometimes is close to your breakfast and lunch together :happy:

Oh yes, the benefits of being relatively young and male! {sigh--since I'm neither}

jlwhelan1

Wow my breakfast sometimes is close to your breakfast and lunch together :happy:

Oh yes, the benefits of being relatively young and male! {sigh--since I'm neither}

Awww Shorerider (((hugs))) I'm glad you're you.:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
But I know what you mean about male, my dh wants to gain...it is amazing how much he eats and does not gain. (Sigh) However, he moves all day long.

banks1850

Yes, like most negative sensations in the body, hunger is a warning, by the time you are hungry, you're body is already panicking a little. It's the same with thurst, if you wait until you are thirsty to drink, you have already started becoming dehydrated. Don't let it get that far, eat on a schedule and often and your body will adjust to it, which will cause it to adjust the metabolism, if you eat all day in small amounts, your metabolism will stay at a certain level, if you don't, your metabolism will fluctuate, which is not good for weight loss or fat loss.

CrystalBella

Yes, like most negative sensations in the body, hunger is a warning, by the time you are hungry, you're body is already panicking a little. It's the same with thurst, if you wait until you are thirsty to drink, you have already started becoming dehydrated. Don't let it get that far, eat on a schedule and often and your body will adjust to it, which will cause it to adjust the metabolism, if you eat all day in small amounts, your metabolism will stay at a certain level, if you don't, your metabolism will fluctuate, which is not good for weight loss or fat loss.

I have to remember this at times, cause I don't think I'm hungry, then my body will growl and I know it's telling me to feed it. I don't ever want my body to think I won't feed it and go into starve mode. Though I drink about 100oz of water a day, I don't think I'd dehydrate. Banks your the best with your advice!