Only eating once a day between 3pm-6pm

Options
2

Replies

  • debbash68
    debbash68 Posts: 981 Member
    Options
    I'm confused re post above, does that mean its okay according to the study? I ted to eat hungry around 4 pm and not before, sometimes do, but eat my calories then. I have had lots of feedback from other people saying this is unhealthy! But are we meant to really eat every 4 hours, I gained weight at an incredible rate doing this last few years. But I don't want to look like a sumo wrestler !
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
    Options
    I'm confused re post above, does that mean its okay according to the study? I ted to eat hungry around 4 pm and not before, sometimes do, but eat my calories then. I have had lots of feedback from other people saying this is unhealthy! But are we meant to really eat every 4 hours, I gained weight at an incredible rate doing this last few years. But I don't want to look like a sumo wrestler !

    Short answer - It is OK.

    The studies say that meal timing within the day has no effect. Actually, some have some minor advantage to IF because of hormone production changes that eeks out a tiny amount of calories, but not really anything significant. The total calories consumed and burned are all that matter within a single day (actually longer, but there is a point where it does begin to matter). There are some specific concerns about insulin spiking that some people have to worry about, but if you are one of those people you likely know this.
  • Cese27
    Cese27 Posts: 626 Member
    Options
    Feast and famine,it's what we're designed to do,we didn't always have access to food 24/7 hence why some people eat all day every day,each to their own but I IF as it suits my lifestyle and feel great when I'm running on an empty stomach knowing food time is just a few hours away.food seems to taste better when u eat it less frequently.
  • Globalpack
    Globalpack Posts: 1
    Options
    I started one meal per day just over a month ago and I feel and look better than ever. I'm 43 years old 6 ft 178 lbs (down from 190 lbs). I started gaining weight around 30 something but the change to one meal per day melted the fat away. Best of all not only is my physique back but NO hunger throughout the day. My daily routine is I first drink two 24 oz beers at around 4 pm followed by eating almost anything I want until full. Pasta with meat for example. Junk food is not an option nor even desired. Before starting one meal per day I feared suffering throughout the day but thankfully that's not the case!
  • nena49659
    nena49659 Posts: 260 Member
    Options
    Those that eat only one meal a day...does this cause you to be tired or have less energy during certain parts of the day?
  • beaches222
    beaches222 Posts: 437 Member
    Options
    So glad you posted this. I feel the same way however I do spread my calories through out the day and try to same most for evening however I never even thought about just eating them all between 3 -6. I am curious as well how this would work. Doesn't sound like a bad idea to me. lol
  • fatoldladyonamission
    fatoldladyonamission Posts: 572 Member
    Options
    I can definitely agree with this, I don't look at what I do as IF but I usually eat a lunch/snack at around 4pm worth maybe 200 cals and then I'll have the rest of my cals between 8 and 10pm. It's definitely wprking for me so far, 4 weeks in and 15lbs down. I find it really easy to eat that way too. If I ever try to eat breakfast I'm always worried that I won't have enough cals left later on to have what I want in my normal grazing period of between 8 and 10. Works for me and I'm sticking with it, oh and no, I don't feel any more tired now than before I started, in fact less so!
  • Joanne_happygramma
    Joanne_happygramma Posts: 207 Member
    Options
    For me personally it wouldn't work. I would be in jail because I would be so flipping cranky I would kill the first person that looked at me the wrong way.

    Bottom line you have to do what is best for you but remember make sure this isn't a quick fix and it's something you can maintain for a lifetime. Trust me I am living proof that quick fixes do not work for me it only adds after I get tired of the quick fix and go back to my normal "face down in every pie I can see" eating style.

    Cheers
    Joanne
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    Options
    I do this more often than not. Not hungry.... then ravenous 3pm-6pm... back to not hungry. My daughter's the same, you can offer her stuff all day which she'll refuse and then she'll bounce into the room going: 'Feed me NOW!'.

    I log it as 'breakfast, lunch and tea' to make it look less embarrassing in the food diary. :wink:
  • shapefitter
    shapefitter Posts: 900 Member
    Options
    Very funny. Ha ha!
  • OhLeita
    OhLeita Posts: 99 Member
    Options
    I log it as 'breakfast, lunch and tea' to make it look less embarrassing in the food diary. :wink:

    Good idea. :wink:
    The notion of 'three squares' or breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks doesn't really work for me. I feel better when I eat a couple meals a day and have more choices in food instead of eating at certain times of the day because it's time to eat.
  • AlexiScott
    AlexiScott Posts: 8
    Options
    I'm the same way, therefore I eat all my calories in succession either all at once or drawn out across a couple hours. Usually I eat between two and four pm. It's great! That six small meals a day stuff doesn't work for everyone. I'll eat 2500 calories doing that.
  • ranmini90
    ranmini90 Posts: 10
    Options
    if you eat anything over 500 cals your metabolism isnt slowing down ..so i wouldnt worry about that ...
  • debranicks
    debranicks Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    Just thought I would chime in. I am 60 years old and have a slow thyroid to boot. So it has been very hard for me to take the 20 lbs I have wanted to lose for years. I read a great article about a house husband who ate only one meal a day. So that is what I do. I eat fish and veggies. As much as I want between 4 and 6pm. That's it. I never feel hungry or tired all day and I sleep like a baby cause I'm full. I have lost 8 pounds so far and am keeping it off. Nothing has worked for me like this one meal a day. Also my cholesterol dropped from 213 to 188.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    Options
    That's a form of intermittent fasting. Look up the group here on MFP.

    That being said, though, IF really isn't for everyone, and if you have a bad relationship with food, I suggest doing a lot of research on the subject to make sure you're following the protocol correctly. Also, check this out to make sure you're using calorie goals, macros, etc. that are best suited for you as an individual.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

    I personally follow IF each day, but my eating window is from 11 am to 9 pm. I consume 2400/day in that timeframe to maintain my weight.
  • refuseresist
    refuseresist Posts: 934 Member
    Options
    Sumo people probably eat a lot more that 1500 cals a day though.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    Options
    That's very similar to what sumo wrestlers do. But hey, if it works for you

    Oh my god, not again. Sumo wrestlers bulk at around 20,000 plus calories per day.

    Intermittent fasting is NOT the same thing, at all.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    Options
    Those that eat only one meal a day...does this cause you to be tired or have less energy during certain parts of the day?

    Not at all. I do all of my workouts in a fasted state at 6 am, not eating for another five hours after that. I just have never liked to eat breakfast, fat or thin, that's just me. That being said, if you decide this is the route for you, you may have to adjust your timing based on your own energy levels. A 14 hour fast from 6 pm to 8 am will have the same benefit as me fasting from 9 pm to 11 am. Calories can't tell time, right?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Options
    Is it just me or have there been more old threads necro'd lately? The boards must be going through an undead phase.
  • mkcinaz
    mkcinaz Posts: 1
    Options
    First time poster. I had to say something because I just read this interesting article about IF for women on Paleo for Women. I had heard some rumblings among athlete friends about eating small meals all day may not be all it is cracked up to be. However, IF isn't the same for us as it is for men and, unfortunately there isn't enough research out there about the effects on us hormonally, but initial research shows that it is not good. My takeaway is to be sure to monitor yourself and let a doctor or health professional know what you are doing.

    Here it is: http://www.paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/

Categories