Do you eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day?

bunnieooze
bunnieooze Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
So, I heard through the grapevine that it is better to eat 3 small meals and 3 snacks a day. However, this concept is foreign to me and I would like to know more about it. Also, please post below some examples of what you eat in a typical day. Thank you.
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Replies

  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    I typically eat 1-2 meals a day and no snacks. Sometimes only 1 meal. I do this because of my sleeping habits and working the night shift. Do what works for you. For some people it's 5-6x small meals/snacks spread through out the day. For others it's less.
  • Kevinkpcc55
    Kevinkpcc55 Posts: 20 Member
    3 meals a day for me, my daily routine doesn't allow for 3 snacks aswell, I mainly calorie count and keep the balance between consumption and calories burned in harmony, try to burn 1000 calories above my intake whatever i eat works for me. As Lacroyx says do what works for you.
  • kathrynkatana
    kathrynkatana Posts: 90 Member
    I've been trying four meals and three snacks a day. Generally I found any change in your normal eating habit is good because it forces you to think about when and how you eat. However, it is up to you. I know people who have lost weight with one meal a day and those who could only keep going with five meals a day. Just have to figure out what we fit it your life.
  • jessicae1aine
    jessicae1aine Posts: 885
    Oh, god no. I eat 2 meals a day, generally, and once in a while I'll have a snack. That's it.
  • msshugar2u
    msshugar2u Posts: 16 Member
    I eat 3 meals according to the food list on the ER4YT.com food list for my type and 2 snacks and half weight in water. Works for me.
  • runlilyrun
    runlilyrun Posts: 140
    Most days I will have:
    Breakfast
    Mid-morning snack
    Lunch
    Afternoon snack
    Dinner/Evening meal
    And sometimes I'll have something after dinner. I don't always have both sets of snacks, too.

    Feel free to have a look at my diary - it's open (though as I do it on my phone it sometimes gets confused - it put last night's popcorn that I tried to put with Dinner in Breakfast...)
  • honkytonks85
    honkytonks85 Posts: 669 Member
    So, I heard through the grapevine that it is better to eat 3 small meals and 3 snacks a day. However, this concept is foreign to me and I would like to know more about it. Also, please post below some examples of what you eat in a typical day. Thank you.

    How do you think it might be better for you?

    In the sense that it can help some people who suffer from consistent bloating to eat smaller meals, it might be better in that sense. But if you're not one of those people, then there's no other benefit weight loss or nutrition wise to eating 6 meals a day over 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1...
  • lilalief
    lilalief Posts: 76 Member
    I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks. My friend lost 100 kg thanks to this method, so I should be able to lose at least 10, haha
  • Rathosaur
    Rathosaur Posts: 1
    I eat 2 meals, and might have up to 2 snacks. I don't believe it's right to encourage people to be constantly eating, we're not cows. I would rather spend my calories on a satisfying and nutritious meal and forego the snacks.
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
    I eat 6 small meals.

    I basically cook three meals, divide them in half and eat 6 small meals a couple of hours apart.
    Me GP told me to do this to keep my blood sugar levels more steady and it makes me feel a lot better.
  • slender20
    slender20 Posts: 33 Member
    I eat 3 meals a day, with no snacking. I find this works best for me as snacking has always been my downfall. Now , if I want dessert I try to have it with my main meals. Yesterday, I did not and kept snacking all day! So, that proved to me that my usual method of eating 3 times a day works best for me.
  • apothecarist
    apothecarist Posts: 193
    I do eat 3 full meals plus 3 snacks daily; my snacks, with the exception of the after dinner, one are usually from 40-100 calories each (at 10am, 1pm, and then my after dinner "dessert"). It helps me to keep my energy up during the day and to stay satisfied.
  • teamike
    teamike Posts: 83 Member
    I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. The meals are anywhere from 400-800 calories and the snacks can range from 150-400 calories depending on what's available.
  • queenbea77
    queenbea77 Posts: 404 Member
    No, 3 meals & maybe 1 or 2 snacks depending on the calories I have available
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Meal Frequency is all Personal preference nothing more.... That being said I am a Type 2 Diabetic, so I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks worked in..... this allows me to avoid low blood sugars throughout the day, again it is what works for me... Best of Luck....
  • autniccole
    autniccole Posts: 36
    On days that I work, it is SUPER easy for me to plan out my day and eat 3 meals & 3 snacks a day. I bring a light breakfast with me to my desk, then a few hours later will have some fresh fruit (usually...today I actually brought animal crackers because I LOVE them) and then lunch, then a few hours later, some more fresh fruit or veggies. Then I do dinner and a snack after (I call this dessert, but sometimes it's just fruit or some peanut butter on bread.)

    However, on days that I am not at work and not in my normal "routine" it's a lot more difficult for me! I have found though, for me, planning is EVERYTHING. If I don't plan my meals and snacks then I will just plain forget!

    ETA: My diary is open if you want to take a look! Today is a "normal" work day for me, and yesterday is a perfect example of how bad I am at eating on my days off!
  • mistesh
    mistesh Posts: 243 Member
    Meal Frequency is all Personal preference nothing more.... That being said I am a Type 2 Diabetic, so I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks worked in..... this allows me to avoid low blood sugars throughout the day, again it is what works for me... Best of Luck....

    While the other day browsing Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy by Hope S. Warshaw R.D., I was reminded that medication for diabetes that lowers the blood glucose no longer does so to the extent that people need to eat frequently.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    I eat one meal (post workout) and nothing else.
  • bgtorres
    bgtorres Posts: 186 Member
    I do 3 meals and 3 snacks
  • butterflylover527
    butterflylover527 Posts: 940 Member
    I eat at least 6 times a day. Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. This is only because I don't stay full long and I get hungry fast, so I need to eat more often. I can't go 4 hours without eating or I get faint and dizzy. Everyone is different! I also have been having low blood sugar problems lately, so I need to keep my levels up.
  • scapalbo
    scapalbo Posts: 19
    I eat when I'm hungry...I TRY to do 3 standard meals...but I don't always get breakfast in.

    I snack throughout the day, if I'm hungry....if I'm not hungry, I don't snack. I stop eating when I run out of calories for the day, or I go to bed....whichever comes first..

    I think, if you feel the need to strictly stick to prescribed "meal" times (either meals or snacks) so that you can't eat at 9:30-when you're hungry...because your snack-time isn't until 10:45, you may end up overdoing it at snack...because you held off.
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    somewhat. I just eat all day. 4-5 little meals.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    I graze. Probably 'feeding' about 6 times a day, I guess. It woks for me because I have low blood sugar. But I know people that just eat 1-2 meals a day, it works well for them.

    I agree that any change in eating is probably
    good to help help one take notice of their eating habits and how to change them.

    Try a few different methods and find what works for you.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    I eat 3 meals, no snacks most of the time.
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    I graze. Probably 'feeding' about 6 times a day, I guess. It woks for me because I have low blood sugar. But I know people that just eat 1-2 meals a day, it works well for them.

    I agree that any change in eating is probably
    good to help help one take notice of their eating habits and how to change them.

    Try a few different methods and find what works for you.
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    yes!
  • swaymyway
    swaymyway Posts: 428 Member
    Three meals, two snacks.

    Though technically I guess it's more like Two meals, three snacks as my breakfast is usually only something very small like a crumpet or slice of toast at 100cals.

    Breakfast - 100cals
    Snack - 100 -150cals
    Dinner - 300 - 400cals
    Snack - 100 - 150cals
    Tea - 400 - 600cals
  • JessiBelleW
    JessiBelleW Posts: 836 Member
    Three meals yes, 3 snacks no. I usually eat:
    breakfast @8ish
    midmorning snack @ 11ish
    lunch @ 1-2pm
    tea time snack @ 5
    Dinner @ 8-10pm
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    meal frequency is not as important as macros consumed.


    But to answer question 2 to 3 large meals typically.
  • Alexandra289
    Alexandra289 Posts: 330 Member
    I just eat.. and eat... and eat. I reckon I will eat on around 10+ different occasions during the day. But generally (not this last week!) I stick to under 1900 calories or so. Everyone's different but I know that I need to keep eating - if I go for longer than about 2 hours I feel quite grumpy, longer than around 3 hours then I get faint and my stomach bloats (weird I know...!).

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