3 Meals a day??

LavishLife_CEO

I hear from all the Experts that eating 5 smaller meals a day is much better than eating 3 meals a day and definetly better than eating 1 big meal everyday early... But If Im like anyone else, sometimes with a hectic schedule its hard to eat breakfast or even lunch for that matter so im somewhere between lunch and dinner eating a 1000 calorie Meal...

What are your thoughts on this?? I personally think the key to weight loss is not eating late ie. after 7pm... This allows ur body to burn unused calories and body while you sleep and in the morning you can start fresh..

Side note: Im a New Member So feel free to add me, I promise to keep it interesting lol :smokin:

Gilbrod

Prepare your meals the day before and nuke away. That's how I do it. That way, I have no excuses.

TinaS88

Breakfast is key!! Always try to eat SOMETHING. I have also heard that 5-6 smaller meals a day is better then 3 big ones, but I do 3 decent sized ones and then snack in between if I get hungry. I agree with the eating late thing, but more me I really don't have a choice because I work out usually later in the day and get really hungry at night. So I will try to snack on 'healthy' things if I'm going to eat late.

HeidiMightyRawr

I try to eat 5 meals a day - the last is usually just a protein shake though.
I wouldn't say it's for everyone, especially if you're busy but it works for me as I tend to get hungry often throughout the day. A friend of mine is trying to lose weight at the moment, usually only having 1 or 2 meals a day and is doing just fine, not ideal but you've got to make the most of the time you have I suppose.

If you find you would benefit from more frequent meals, have you tried preparing your own meals the night before, things can be stored in the fridge/freezer until you need them and then ready to go, no preparing :-)

kmby

I hear the same thing that its better to eat 5 smaller meals. I hardly ever eat breakfast and dinner if I get to it is usually a corn dog or something quick and easy, so lunch is my main meal.

TateFTW

When you eat has VERY little to do with how your body processes calories. I skipped breakfast this morning. . .wasn't hungry. The studies have shown over and over that all the crap about not eating late or eating throughout the day is really just that; crap. The french traditionally eat very late each night, and it's usually carb heavy, but they are much less overweight as a nation than we are. MUCH less.

Stay failry close to the right deficit, stay active, and get all three macro's in your diet. Done and done.

daisymaegreen

well, technically i eat 5 times a day, but would you call them meals? i have my three main meals, but then i have a snack between them. so that's how i do the eating 5 times a day thing.

Sleevemomma

I believe you can lose either way as long as you exercise and have a good amount of calories for you body type. I know that if I dont have a breakfast I will might end up having a bad lunch. Also with the 5 meals a day you keep yourself from getting hungry and that will keep you from making bad choices as well.

LavishLife_CEO

Okay Heres the Problem, The nature and the travel of my work (I do mobile onsite Technical Support work) wont allow me to bring anything but maybe Cold lunch with me.. I obviously can't microwave anything because Im in other peoples places of business.. Im not going to say
"Hey I just fixed ur machine and by the way can i use ur microwave in the staff Lunchroom".. So its hard to pre prepare anything but a turkey sandwich. lol

Although I've been lookin into Mobile Cooler/heaters that plug into your car Lighter.. which may be an option

sammys1girly

I eat three main meals a day with at least three snacks a day as well. And I have to eat after 7pm or I can't sleep b/c I'm so hungry during the night
I just saw you are looking for cold things. I make myself a big batch of grilled chicken at the beginning of the week and then cut up chunks of it into a salad with black beans, salsa (instead of dressing), olives, and some crunchy fiesta strips on top. Yummy and cold and has lots of protein!

HollyLLillis

I try to eat every 2 hours if I can or at least every three and stop at 6pm, yes, eating late is not a good thing. But I will admit that I do it at times anyway! Life just is complicated as you are aware. Try to have things that are portable you can have with you in your car or a backpack.... fiber bars or beef sticks that are not so high in fat, nuts or dried fruit..... as long as I am eating through out the day I have less tendancy to over eat at anytime during the day because I am satisfied. Hope you are able to fit that into your life, give it a try!
:drinker:

LavishLife_CEO

@Sammys1girly ... Hmm that does sound good I may try that..

@Tate.. Hmm the only thing about that is, if you eat late whatever you eat kinda get prcoessed as Fat and your not active so ur body stores almost all that as Fat... but i definetly agree, what it all boils down to is burning more calories than ur taking in..

sclosson

While it may not be the most economical option, I eat at Subway 3-4 times a week for lunch. I can't stand to stay in the office and eat at my desk. I have 3 teenagers, so hard to keep healthy lunch items in the fridge to pack,, so Subway it is. They have enough options that I don't get bored.

kittyloo123

i have 2 suggestions for you. One, buy a wide mouthed thermos. You could put just about anything in there. 2, if u want a hot lunch, dh used to have this thing. Looks like a black lunch box. Plugs into the cig lighter. It's like a mini-oven. (he did long haul) anyway, i would buy the aluminum bread pans, put whatever in it. (turkey leg, chops, you name it) cover it, and pop it into the lunch box, and away he would go. You can also bake potatoes in there. Lots of options, you just need to be creative. Plan ahead.

swayzine

I definitely understand how hard it is to eat all the required meals. Sometimes, my stomach won't take anymore. And,when I try to eat more, I get bad gas. It hurts my stomach, even eating 5 small meals. Most of the time, if I'm being fitted for a new leg, I'm in the doctor's office almost all day. By then, lunch has passed already. I really don't want to eat fast foods either. So, I don't know how to get those 5 meals.

bkrbabe57

I eat all the time. a little something every 2 hours. fruit, salad, chewy granola bar etc.
for lunch and dinner I eat 200 - 300 calorie otherwise it is 80 - 100 calories

UselesslyMedicated

Hi..... try carrying breakfast bars around with you, especially granola bars which release energy slowly.

velvetkat

another option is to take some fruit with you and some protein bars. If you really want to lose the weight you will find a way to work around your situation. The thing about eating one big meal is that by the time you get to that one big meal you are starved and will tend to over eat. Or you will be hungry between meals and pick up chips or other high fat items to tide you over. I was busy running around on Sat and didnt have time for lunch but took a protein bar with me.. I could have also taken an apple or banana etc. People seem to make their situation work for them which may not work for you but then it might. Gotta work at it and see whats best for you. Someone mentioned Subway.. well Jarrod seemed to lose weight doing Subway but I cant eat all that processed meats and cheeses. Experiment and see.

Good luck.,... add me if you would like to!


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LavishLife_CEO

@Velvetkat. Well is it still bad if I eat only 1 Big meal a Day and Not be hungry for the rest of the day until tomorrow??
That seems to always Happen to me..
I never pick up snacks or anything late and still manage to eat only once a day and manage to stay under 1000 calories..

katemarjoram

Okay Heres the Problem, The nature and the travel of my work (I do mobile onsite Technical Support work) wont allow me to bring anything but maybe Cold lunch with me.. I obviously can't microwave anything because Im in other peoples places of business.. Im not going to say
"Hey I just fixed ur machine and by the way can i use ur microwave in the staff Lunchroom".. So its hard to pre prepare anything but a turkey sandwich. lol

Although I've been lookin into Mobile Cooler/heaters that plug into your car Lighter.. which may be an option

I also work in an industry that has me on the road and often working early starts. Like others said the key is to prepare in advance. On the weekend I try and precook and prepare as much stuff as possible so I can just pack a lunchbox and go. In the warmer months I include a frozen bottle of water to keep things cool. In winter a thermos of homemade veggie soup is a great option (or you can use a wide mouth thermos for stews or casseroles).

For breakfast you could pack yoghurt with some frozen berries and muesli (the frozen berries help keep the yoghurt cool) or you could bake healthy muffins or muesli slices on the weekend. Pack a few pieces of fresh fruit or a plastic container containing dried fruit and/or nuts. Take a plastic container of cut up veggies like celery and carrot. High fibre crackers with a little peanut butter are a great snack. As for the turkey sandwhich load it up with salad stuff and be sure to use multigrain bread rather than white which has virtually no nutritional value.

I have so gotten into my healthy lunchboxes that I now even take them on the days when I am in the office and if I am going driving on a weekend I always pack my own snack bag and I now always carry nuts and dried fruits in little containers in my handbag so I always have a healthy option on hand.

thisismynewmindset

When you eat has VERY little to do with how your body processes calories. I skipped breakfast this morning. . .wasn't hungry. The studies have shown over and over that all the crap about not eating late or eating throughout the day is really just that; crap. The french traditionally eat very late each night, and it's usually carb heavy, but they are much less overweight as a nation than we are. MUCH less.

Stay failry close to the right deficit, stay active, and get all three macro's in your diet. Done and done.

Actually I had a friend who changed nothing in her diet but made a rule that she wouldn't eat anything after 6:30 pm. She ended up losing almost 15 lbs in about 6 weeks just with that change ALONE. I have also heard similar stories. It makes sense... if you eat then go to bed, your food baby just lies there, no gravity to pull it down your digestive system. (yeah maybe my last sentence doesn't make much sense... but I have seen the proof in the pudding!!!)

LavishLife_CEO

[/quote]

"Actually I had a friend who changed nothing in her diet but made a rule that she wouldn't eat anything after 6:30 pm. She ended up losing almost 15 lbs in about 6 weeks just with that change ALONE. I have also heard similar stories. It makes sense... if you eat then go to bed, your food baby just lies there, no gravity to pull it down your digestive system. (yeah maybe my last sentence doesn't make much sense... but I have seen the proof in the pudding!!!)"
[/quote]

That Makes alot of sense... I've literally woken up 2 pounds lighter almost anytime I have a good day followed by not eating after 6... It just works.. Plus stepping on that scale in the morning feels great when U know ur stomach is empty from the night before.. Not just mentally, but I physically feel better when i dont eat late in the morning

TateFTW

@Tate.. Hmm the only thing about that is, if you eat late whatever you eat kinda get prcoessed as Fat and your not active so ur body stores almost all that as Fat... but i definetly agree, what it all boils down to is burning more calories than ur taking in..

It's just not that simple. Your body is constantly storing and using energy. Some energy is stored as fat to be accessed later on, and some is stored in the muscles for immediate use. The energy stored in the muscles is stored as muscle glycogen. Your body will use glycogen to move around untill it runs out, then it will skip to fat. The fat has to be processed by the body to be used for energy, which makes it less efficient than glycogen.

If you take in maintenance calories, then you will be constantly depleting and replenishing muscle glycogen. Your body fat stores won't be touched, essentially. If you take in more calories than your body can readily use, it will store the extra energy in your fat cells, because there is an absolute limit to how much glycogen our muscles can store. If you take in LESS, however, eventually you WILL run out of muscle glycogen and your body will start processing fat into energy. Remember, every second you use energy. That's just the nature of being warm blooded, which is why we need to eat atleast every couple days, and lizards and alligators can go 6 months between feedings. This is why at some point, if you run a deficit, you will inevitably use atleast a little fat as energy.

TateFTW

When you eat has VERY little to do with how your body processes calories. I skipped breakfast this morning. . .wasn't hungry. The studies have shown over and over that all the crap about not eating late or eating throughout the day is really just that; crap. The french traditionally eat very late each night, and it's usually carb heavy, but they are much less overweight as a nation than we are. MUCH less.

Stay failry close to the right deficit, stay active, and get all three macro's in your diet. Done and done.

Actually I had a friend who changed nothing in her diet but made a rule that she wouldn't eat anything after 6:30 pm. She ended up losing almost 15 lbs in about 6 weeks just with that change ALONE. I have also heard similar stories. It makes sense... if you eat then go to bed, your food baby just lies there, no gravity to pull it down your digestive system. (yeah maybe my last sentence doesn't make much sense... but I have seen the proof in the pudding!!!)

Your friend ran a caloric deficit and lost weight. Simple as that. If you eat the same amount the rest of the day, but don't eat in a certain period of time, you'll be eating less. It has nothing to do with when your friend eats. I did the same thing with intermittent fasting for a while, not eating three days a week until after work. Yup, no breakfast, no lunch. The rest of the time I ate maintenance calories, but each week I had a 3500 calorie deficit. I lost almost exactly 1 lb. every single week.

And are you really saying that our digestive systems NEED GRAVITY?! Most animals on this earth have digestive systems that move level with the ground. Do you think a dog or cat can't digest food without walking around on their hind legs? There you go. . .logic wins again. Your digestive system is lined with involuntary muscles that contract in such a way to move food along, no matter how your body is oriented.

Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet

Word. Second that...

The studies have shown over and over that all the crap about not eating late or eating throughout the day is really just that; crap

sammys1girly

I just realized I forgot to tell you about the big salad I make with the chicken, that I add either some part skim mozzerella cheese or a little sharp...adds a great bit of flavor : )

bcattoes

"All" the experts do not say more meals is better. There is really only way to lose weight, and that is to burn more than you consume. Tricks such as more small meals, less big meals, don't eat late, do eat early are all very good if they work for you on an individual basis. You may have to play around with your eating schedule until you find something that works for you.