How many times a day do you eat?

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jb6968
jb6968 Posts: 10
in Food and Nutrition
I'm just wondering how many times a day people eat and how big the meal is. I have always heard breakfast, lunch and dinner with two snacks... then when I started watching my diet I heard that you should eat small meals every 3 hours. I have also heard it's better to eat certain foods at certain times a day (example, I have a friend that swears juicing is best for lunch, and eggs are the healthiest dinner. No idea why).

Currently I don't eat breakfast because I'm not usually hungry upon waking. I start at around 11am and dive right into lunch. I eat two meals a day and maybe an evening snack.
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Replies

  • mnm424
    mnm424 Posts: 259 Member
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    I eat 5-6 meals a day usually spanned out to 2-3 hrs from each other. I don't eat past 6 PM unless it is completely needed.... like I'm super low on cals or I am to hungry to not eat til the AM.
  • CreativeFedora
    CreativeFedora Posts: 32
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    I usually go for 4 or 5 meals a day.

    Breakfast (fruit before working out)
    Post work out (protein shake)
    Lunch
    Afternoon
    Evening

    I try to make my lunch the heaviest meal of the day.
  • mnm424
    mnm424 Posts: 259 Member
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    I eat 5-6 meals a day usually spanned out to 2-3 hrs from each other. I don't eat past 6 PM unless it is completely needed.... like I'm super low on cals or I am to hungry to not eat til the AM.

    P.s. you should work on eating something for breakfast... maybe start off with a piece of fruit or something small and work your way up to a healthy breakfast.
  • beeboobear1
    beeboobear1 Posts: 7
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    I eat about 8-10 times a day. I literally graze on small amounts of food. I usually eat a light snack before supper so I can eat smaller proportions and feel fuller. By only eating twice a day you are forcing your body into starvation mode. It thinks it is literally starving or food is scarce so it holds on to the fat. Eating lots of small meals throughout the day is better for you. I have a hard time maintaining a weight above 130 because I eat this way and am somewhat active. So if your trying to lose weight this is my best suggestion. Also I like to make myself morning smoothies because I am not a breakfast person. If I eat hot breakfast its because I am sitting down to eat a meal with my kids and am encouraging them to eat.
  • clobercow
    clobercow Posts: 337 Member
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    Twice, once, sometimes 3 times, on occasion 4 times....
  • CreativeFedora
    CreativeFedora Posts: 32
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    Also I like to make myself morning smoothies because I am not a breakfast person.

    This a great suggestion! For my afternoon meal (around 3pm) I sometimes go for a smoothie too.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
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    Most days, I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks. I try to eat 300 for my first 2 meals, 100-190 for my snacks, and whatever is left is for my 3rd meal. The amount left for the 3rd meal changes based on my workouts.
  • shanster23
    shanster23 Posts: 144 Member
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    I used to only eat 3 times a day but the past few months I started eating 6 times a day :) So 3 medium-sized meals and 3 snacks.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    I eat 5-6 meals a day usually spanned out to 2-3 hrs from each other. I don't eat past 6 PM unless it is completely needed.... like I'm super low on cals or I am to hungry to not eat til the AM.

    P.s. you should work on eating something for breakfast... maybe start off with a piece of fruit or something small and work your way up to a healthy breakfast.

    False. Breakfast (As In Traditional, Early Morning Breakfast) Is Not Required. She Is "Breaking Her Fast" At 11, Which Is Fine. Meal Timing Is Irrelevant.

    I Eat About 350 Calories For Breakfast, 450 For Lunch, A 200 Calorie Snack When I Get Home From Work, And 800 Calories Or More In The Evening Or Right Before I Go To Bed. That Is My Normal Time To Relax And Watch Tv Or A Movie, So I Like To Have Lots Of Room To Snack.
  • Tanja_CHH
    Tanja_CHH Posts: 216 Member
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    I do breakfast, snack, lunch, then come home and have all my the calories I have left that Im not using on my dinner as snacks to fuel my workout - lots of fruit, and then dinner after workout. So I eat 5 times a day I guess
  • chelseascounter
    chelseascounter Posts: 1,283 Member
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    Breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack in between. I eat between 1,100-1,200 calories and use them all up by the end of the day.
  • pagoubupa
    pagoubupa Posts: 105 Member
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    I eat at least twice a day and sometimes 3X a day.
  • tashaa1992
    tashaa1992 Posts: 658 Member
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    2-3 times a day, my meals are usually around 600 calories and I have no problem with that, I like big meals.
  • Logical_Integrity
    Logical_Integrity Posts: 48
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    I eat when I am hungry.
  • underwater77
    underwater77 Posts: 331 Member
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    I usually eat 2 big/main meals and lots of snacks throughout the day.

    If my 2 main meals fall earlier in the day, I try to keep to a light dinner, but I never skip dinner, but often skip breakfast.
    I find if I eat breakfast, I am hungrier throughout the day. When I make it to the gym and/or the pool in the morning, I don't eat until mid-day anyway.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    I eat 5-6 meals a day usually spanned out to 2-3 hrs from each other. I don't eat past 6 PM unless it is completely needed.... like I'm super low on cals or I am to hungry to not eat til the AM.

    P.s. you should work on eating something for breakfast... maybe start off with a piece of fruit or something small and work your way up to a healthy breakfast.

    Why should she do that, out of curiousity?

    My first meal is usually around 1:30pm. Sometimes as early as 11am, sometimes as late as 4-5pm. I usually have 2 meals a day, sometimes 3, sometimes just 1, and often have a bowl of cereal or a PB&J with a glass of milk before bed at 10ish pm.

    As you can see, this is simply destroying my health and physique.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
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    4 meals a day, 4 hours apart. No more than 4, or you get hangry. Any less than 4, you don't get a chance to burn your fat stores.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    4 meals a day, 4 hours apart. No more than 4, or you get hangry. Any less than 4, you don't get a chance to burn your fat stores.

    Really? You don't get a chance to burn your fat stores if you eat less than 4 meals a day?

    I must be some kind of genetic anamoly then.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    For me every day is different. Some days I wake. Up starving, other days I don't, some days I know I'm having a low calorie dinner sosnack more, ssome days I know I'm having a high calorie dinner so snack less. I always eat late at night, don't always eat breakfast, or eat it late, some times my breakfast gets eaten as a night time snack. I really believe it doesn't make a difference. Don't have to be so regimented about it. It's the calories at the end of the day that matter.

    Zara
  • spaghetti93
    spaghetti93 Posts: 140 Member
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    small breakfast. lunch, and dinner. I don't really snack. On weekends I wake up later and breakfast kind of blends into lunch. If I'm staying home around that time I eat the meal gradually over a couple of hours but during the week I don't have time to do small meals.

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