Eating 3 meals or Eating Every Couple of Hourss???

shopgirl192

Which is better... eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus a snack... OR eating breakfast, then a small snack a few hours later, lunch, another snack, dinner, and another snack?

I pretty much ate every 2 hours today, which is why my snack calories is more than my meals! ha! I was wondering what's better! Any ideas???

RedHotRunner

I eat every 1-2 hours, then have a decent dinner and not much after that (decent meaning under 400 calories). My snack calories always exceed my meals. Whatever works best for you.

_Bro

I subscribe to eating every 3 hours - lean protein, moderate carb, and fat.
This is anabolic and makes sure that I don't feed on the muscle / effort / time that I've invested in the gym.

I'd rather eat more - feed the muscle and burn the fat via exercise (gradually)

Try to avoid carbs before bed and take in casein to keep myself 'fed' overnight -- slow release of protein.

MyJourney11

Everything I've read says you should eat a small meal every 3 to 4 hours.

peacestar84

I eat 3 meals and usually one snack. However I have a gastrointestinal disorder and the medication restricts me from eating just whenever I want. It really comes down to what works for you

lisafred24

Eating every few hours keeps your metabolism geared up more than eating every few hours. Also if you are diabetic, insulin resistent, etc. it is better to eat every few hours to stablize your sugar more than eating 3 meals per day.

Schwiggity

I've read things arguing both ways. A lot of people would like to say to eat smaller meals to keep your blood sugar steady, but as long as you're eating good food do whichever works for you.

Mommawarrior

You need to keep your blood sugar regulated. So the more often you eat, smaller amounts, the easier it is to do that. Once you let you blood sugar levels drop your body starts craving the things that will increase it rapidly, those are the bad bad carbs....so keep it regulated by eating small amounts throughout the day.
Everyone's body is different so you will have to play around a little and figure out how often you need to eat to stay level.
Personal, I eat within 20 minutes of waking up so I don't have a chance to drop, then I eat every couple hours, even if it is simply a carrot, or a piece of fruit or some nuts, etc. Just something for the body to chew on so to speak.

shopgirl192

Ok thanks - here's what I did today -
Breakfast - 6:15 - Cereal & Fruit
Snack - 8:15 - Nutrigrain Cereal bar
Lunch - 10:15 - Laughing Cow Cheese/Wheat Thins and an apple
Snack - 12:15 - Low-Fat Yogurt
Snack 2:30 - Banana
Dinner - 5pm - Lean Pocket Quesidilla, Pasta Salad, & Applesauce
Snack - 7:00 - Ice Cream Cone - McDonald's
Workout at 8pm
Post-Workout Snack - 9pm - 100 Calorie English Muffin w/ 2 tsp of Peanut Butter...

Does this sound good? Of course, it'll be mildly different everyday so I don't get sick of the food...

CallejaFairey

during the week when i am working, i eat something at each break, so i eat approx every 2 hours. and if i didnèt, man would i be hungry, my stomach is usually growling in anticipation as it gets closer to break time. but on the weekend, since my time is so sporadic and not scheduled, i eat that way too...sporadically. i pretty much eat when i am hungry.

serabee5

I went into the settings tab on the food page and changed my "breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner" to:

5:00-8:00 am
8:00 - 11:00 am
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
1:00 - 4:00 pm
4:00 - 7:00 pm
7:00 pm - ???

and I rarely eat after 7:00 pm

Changing the settings helps me remember to eat every couple hours and keep track of my snacking better
Good Luck!

jamielise2

I eat every couple of hours or so as well. It seems to work better for me so I'm not starving and don't binge. Your plan that you did looks good. As long as you're staying within your calories that should work. For me I try to eat my biggest meal at lunch time so I have time to burn the calories off, but that doesn't always work out. Just do the best you can and listen to your body and you'll be fine. Another trick I use is to put in my workout I plan to do first thing in the morning so I can spread out the calories through the day, and then I can't wimp out on my workout because I've already eaten the calories.

ser0630

I usually try to eat every 3.5 hours, especially when I was working. I would also take a half hour walk during my lunch break.

Now that I'm not working (just was recently laid off) I've been okay with eating every 4 hours.

Do what works for you, not what people tell you to do.

ninaws

My trainer has told me to eat a meal every four hours and that I should have protein at each meal, get in some good fat, avoid dairy if possible (he considers milk a sugar bomb) and minimize carbs. I told me that I should be shooting for 1400 calories per day minimum and that each of these meals should be between 350 - 400 calories.

fuminator18

This is very interesting. I have heard about eating small snacks every few hours and lost weight. I might just have to try it out myself. Also wondering what sort of snacks do you guys munch on?

mustnothrowcantelopes

Both those methods are correct. It's just a matter of figuring out what works best with your body. This means factoring in : Your work schedule, your sleep schedule, your exercise routine, your specific diet routine (in my definition, it refers to which foods you eat throughout the day and how much. For example, if you're a body builder or a runner and you tend to require more protein than the average person, than maybe eating more frequently would work better for your lifestyle , etc.) and of course any health issues you may have (if you're prone to hypoglycemia, 3 meals a day might not be the way to go). I'd say, first and foremost, before you make any drastic changes, consult a nutritionist. If you can't afford one , then definitely do a lot of research online or at the library before you take that big step and change your eating routine completely.

rileysowner

It makes absolutely no difference. What ever works for you. If I eat a bunch of small meals I am constantly hungry. If I eat 3 large meals and maybe a snack late in the day, and I am not hungry. It takes hours for your meals to digest, and the larger the meal the longer it takes to digest, so you will not lose muscle because of eating 3 meals a day. Further a bunch of small meals does not keep your metabolism up any more than 3 meals a day. What is important is whatever works so you don't eat too much. If that is 6 meals a day for you, go for it. If it is 2 or 3 meals a day, use that. Neither is better than the other.

taso42_DELETED

I agree with rileysowner. I eat about 6 or more times a day because that's what feels natural to me. But nothing wrong with 3 meals a day. The more important thing is to hit your calorie and nutrient goals for the day.

lizhipwell

Personally, I've found that eating about every 3 hours regulates my blood sugar. So to make a long answer short...about 3 meals and 3 snacks...

milaxx

It varies person to person. I try to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. if I am full I will often forgo the evening snack.

hbrekkaas

I eat at 7, 10, 12, 3, 5:30 and before bed. I eat with my kids, but even if they weren't here and I was eating alone I would eat that way. It keeps my blood pressure up (I have low BP) and it keeps me from getting too hungry which causes headaches and nausea.