What's your preferred eating frequency?

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  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Meal frequency is irrelevant. As long as you hit your macros for the day and maintain a steady feeding window.

    I like to eat 2 meals: one before (30% of daily intake) and after workout (70% of daily intake). Fast 20 hours/day, eat within 4 hours.

    Macros? Is that "protein, carbs, fats, sugars" etc?
    I thought that the most important was the net calories and the other parts that make it up is just a choice thing. I need to research this, obviously. How important is it to get your macros.

    Very basic and slightly oversimplified but:

    Calories = weight loss
    Macros = body composition, energy and effective body function (protein/carbs/fat).
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    From a body composition and health perspective, macros DO matter.

    ^ This is correct. Ignoring macronutrient intake is foolish, especially considering that MFP tracks those for you at no additional effort on your part.

    Generally speaking:

    Calories ---> Weight loss
    Macronutrients
    > Body composition
    Micronutrients
    > Health


    A calorie is a calorie in terms of energy values but macronutrients are each utilized differently.
  • wbgolden
    wbgolden Posts: 2,071 Member
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    but she had a link and everything! :(
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
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    To OP...I'm starting to feel the same way. I think I'd rather wait until I'm a bit hungry and then eat a bigger meal and then do the same thing for next meal as needed for the day. I eat a lighter breakfast if I'm not that hungry...but it's like I'm always thinking about food. I don't want to think about food unless I'm hungry...it's so much wasted mental energy for me. I think I'm just going to really try to stick to just 3 larger meals/day and a very light snack before bed. I don't know if what I wrote is worded correctly. It's 1am here and I'm tired but wired...hope it made sense!:ohwell:
  • BelindaDuvessa
    BelindaDuvessa Posts: 1,014 Member
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    It really depends on where I am. While at work, I usually go no more than 2 hours without eating something. At least when I work the night shift. When I work the day shift, whenever I get sit and grab a bite to eat, I do. We don't get lunch Breaks at my job. I work at a jail, and apparently those labor laws don't apply to us. I don't mind, though. I usually eat when they are, which makes things easier.

    When I am at home, I usually just eat whenever. I track for the day, and try to space stuff out, but I'm more likely to make it 3 meals a day, than small meals every few hours. Mostly, it just depends on how I feel. With this whole being pregnant bit right now, eating is sometimes inconsistent.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    I skip breakfast often because I don't have time. After that, it's all fair game.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    3 solid meals, one or two which I prepare and take time to think about flavors, ingredients and sharing.
    2-3 minor moments that are larger snacks.

    I try to share a meal: family or friends daily and foodtalk is part of that.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    My preference would be to eat all the time, but that's how I got fat in the first place...:grumble:
  • Bassgirl51
    Bassgirl51 Posts: 117
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    0600 am
    Pre work out snack sometimes
    Breakfast
    Mid morning snack
    Lunch
    Afternoon snack
    Dinner around 5pm I try not to eat after 5
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
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    Don't worry. You are right ON. It is not important to have specific macros. Calories are all that matter. Of course you want enough protein but you don't have to have extra, and all carbs is obviously not healthy, as is all protein not healthy. Part of why all the diets backfire is because of the food restrictions and messing with your head. It makes it far to complicated.

    I succeed without looking at macros, just eating at a deficit and now a maintenance budget, and no magic potions or protein powders or magic diet pills ==> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

    You again? Pshh.

    Macros do matter - and it's a better method than counting calories to support proper nutritional quota. Calories can be used to set a baseline daily limitation on intake.
  • joankpoirier
    joankpoirier Posts: 281 Member
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    I have been doing 5 smaller meals every 3 hours :happy:
    I know its common around most weight loss practices to do the typical 3 meal, 3 snack thing (probably due to the highly perpetuated "eating more often speeds up your metabolism" myth), but I personally can't do it. I feel like all the times I've tried that, it's kept constantly thinking about food all day long, and never feeling truly satisfied or full after eating cos my meals had to be so darn tiny!

    Lately I've kept it at three solid meals a day, sometimes two, breakfast being a small & simple serving of oatmeal with soymilk, walnut pieces & a banana. I prefer waiting until I'm actually a bit hungry, and then eating to my fill and not having to eat until several hours later. I enjoy my meals better that way as well, and I'd much rather save my calories to have a bigger serving of a hot dinner or lunch, than use them towards snacking on fiber bars or peanuts during the day (which usually don't do much for my hunger). But thats just me.

    Anyone else have eating patterns that differ from the "norm" or are we all doing the snacky, frequent small meal sort of thing?
  • joankpoirier
    joankpoirier Posts: 281 Member
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    523850_151594978316495_1074030808_n.jpg
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    Meal frequency is irrelevant. As long as you hit your macros for the day and maintain a steady feeding window.

    I like to eat 2 meals: one before (30% of daily intake) and after workout (70% of daily intake). Fast 20 hours/day, eat within 4 hours.

    Macros? Is that "protein, carbs, fats, sugars" etc?
    I thought that the most important was the net calories and the other parts that make it up is just a choice thing. I need to research this, obviously. How important is it to get your macros.

    Don't worry. You are right ON. It is not important to have specific macros. Calories are all that matter. Of course you want enough protein but you don't have to have extra, and all carbs is obviously not healthy, as is all protein not healthy. Part of why all the diets backfire is because of the food restrictions and messing with your head. It makes it far to complicated.

    I succeed without looking at macros, just eating at a deficit and now a maintenance budget, and no magic potions or protein powders or magic diet pills ==> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

    Lol - yet again, directing someone to your posts. *sigh*

    And you are wrong, From a body composition and health perspective, macros DO matter.

    This woman never gives up. I really get tired of seeing these photos every time I go to help someone. ((Sigh)). 12% bodyfat is NOT HEALTHY for a woman to maintain all year--period. She wants to insert that tid bit into every post--how she's sooooo fit and thin, blah blah blah--yet fails to acknowledge that she's also at an unhealthy bf% for any female in her reproductive years.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    523850_151594978316495_1074030808_n.jpg

    There is no physiological impact of intra-day meal timing, assuming calories and macros are kept constant.
  • flannelbug
    flannelbug Posts: 23 Member
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    I eat when I'm hungry (and when I have the time), but I dependably have a piece of fruit or some vegetables after dinner to prevent me from grazing the pantry.
  • LisaLouisiana
    LisaLouisiana Posts: 145 Member
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    I eat when I'm hungry. I try to make myself start eating by 9:30 to prevent me from having to stuff myself at night to eat at least 1200 calories. I also eat late....I personally don't buy into the you have to finish your meals by such-and-such a time.

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