mini meals?

lauraj828

i've heard many nutritionists suggest eating 5 or 6 mini meals throughout the day, rather than 3 main meals. has anyone tried this? does it work?

lauraj828

i've heard many nutritionists suggest eating 5 or 6 mini meals throughout the day, rather than 3 main meals. has anyone tried this? does it work?

cassangelidy

Yes it definitely works. The reason behind it is blood sugar levels. If you only eat every 5 hours, then you take in a lot of food and the left over that you don't use right away gets stored in your liver and turns into sugar. So basically you are crashing for 4.5 hours and then you spike again the next time you eat. If you are eating every 2.5 to 3 hours your crash isn't as sever and your spikes aren't as high. This gives your body a more efficient way to burn the fat. Of course you have to eat much smaller meals than you would if you only ate 3 times. But I think that goes without saying.

Cassidy

girldeese

I try to do this....I do eat with the family at each meal too but a smaller portion....then I eat in between too. I find it helps my energy, weight and hunger issues. Good luck!

CristaAmy

I find I eat less when I eat more often. When I am in the office or on the weekends I probably eat 5-6 times per day. Unfortunately when I am traveling for work it is usually only 2-3 times a day.

TamTastic

I do this a lot....not all the time. Or sometimes the mini-meal will just be a snack of some sort...but either way, I am usually eating something every couple of hours or so throughout the day and then I stop eating between 6 and 7. I might have a small serving of light ice cream around 8 here and there.

But, by eating smaller meals and snacks and keeping my blood sugar level, I find I rarely feel very hungry. I mean, I DO feel hunger but it's not intense like it is if I only eat 3 meals a day.

I think it keeps your metabolism burning too! By feeding it enough "fuel" but not over-filling the tank throughout the day, you keep it running at it's optimal level.

sdwright21

I agree 100% with the previous posts. I eat three regular meals a day with lots of snack in between. I keep the three meals low cal and I don't overeat. The snacks are typically fruit or protein bars, something that will add nutrition to your body and usually is under 200 calories. I advise against the 100 calorie snack packs. It's processed sugar and is 100 cal because there are only 5 mini cookies. It's a marketing gimmick that will just make you more hungry in the long run. I always always save calories for a dessert at the end of the day. I typically make brownies and cookies over the weekend and keep them in the freezer to keep fresh. I look forward to it during the day and it keeps me from binging on other sweet treats my fiance may bring in.
Hope this helps! Just remember to keep up the protein and healthy carbs and you'll have lots of energy throughout the day.

BrandNewLaura

Yup, I graze throughout the day...eating lots of healthy little snacks and things...eating at least every 2-3 hours...I usually have my biggest meal of the day for dinner (I am trying to change this and have my biggest meal toward the middle of the day so I have plenty of time to burn it off) but find that I never get hungry because I am always eating (and still staying in my calories of course)

Mely

As has been said, eating more often is good for your metabolism especially for people like me with a hypothyroid problem. It really helps with hunger.

A new trick I just learned is to prepare your whole meal but only eat half, drink some water and wait at least 25 minutes (that's how long it takes your body to trigger to your brain that you are full). Then you can eat the other half a couple hours later. This is easiest to do when you have volumous meals with lots of veg and grains. For example, I make big salads with about 100 g. low fat feta cheese for about 120 calories. Very filling. This make a nice size bowl of salad which definetly can be divided in 2 portions. I found it harder to divide a sandwich yesterday for lunch as it is just less food in terms of volume. Oatmeal for breakfast is another good one. I use 1/2 cup dry oatmeal with 1 c water and microwave for 2 minutes. It makes a lot and I can divide it into 2 mini meals no problem.

Besides making my 3 meals into 6 mini meals this way, I also eat small snacks like fruit or a rice cake with peanut butter. Coffee with sweetner and low fat milk, also fills me up.

good luck

Jackiemal

I agree with the others, small meals throughout the day are good. I try to do this because I have diabetes and it helps my blood sugar. It also helps me from grabbing a bad snack to fill the hunger. And it does help keep the metabolism moving.

Jackie


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punka274

I eat 5-6 small meals through out the day...im never hungry! I do eat dinner with my husband but like another poster said,its small . My meals are around 250-300 calories a piece! I try to stop after 8pm! Ive lost alot of weight doing this so yes,it does work!

Fitness_Chick

I eat 5-6 small meals through out the day...im never hungry! I do eat dinner with my husband but like another poster said,its small . My meals are around 250-300 calories a piece! I try to stop after 8pm! Ive lost alot of weight doing this so yes,it does work!

I too eat 5-6 meals (eating about every 3 hours a carb/protein combo)...and what a difference in my moods & energy level (BIG TIME!), keeps blood sugar more even keel and certainly keeps the metabolism going all day!:drinker: YAY!!

I really appreciate all of you that have shared comments on this topic because althought it's something I already strive to do, you've shared how you do it individually...suggesting calories per meal etc., tips like that really help when planning!

This board is awesome that way...freely sharing what works for them.... thanks everyone!!:happy:

lauraj828

thanks so much for all of your feedback and advice! i think i'll definitely try doing mini meals for a few weeks and see how it goes. i have really low blood pressure, so when i only eat 3 meals a day, i feel a huge drop in energy and my moods are even less stable.

does anyone have more specific suggestions of what to eat? any fun mini meal recipes? the rice cakes with peanut butter was a great one! it's one of my favorite snacks : )