Think I'll be successful?

tennischick22
tennischick22 Posts: 24
in Health and Weight Loss
In order to lose weight I was previously eating 3 meals a day and no snacks, but I've come to realize that I get pretty hungry in between meals. So how does this look..

10 a.m. breakfast + green tea
12 p.m. snack
2 p.m. lunch
4 p.m. snack
6 or 7 p.m. dinner
9 p.m. snack
10 p.m. green tea

I go to the gym and get my 30 minutes of cardio in during the early a.m.

and honestly, I have to be this structured. I've been dealing with binge eating, so unless I have set times to eat, i'll go crazy. i've kind of lost the ability to simply eat when I am hungry. so until I understand that again, I'm going to do this.

any other tips?

Replies

  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    It matters more how many calories you're eating during the day than when you eat them during the day.

    What is your age, weight and height?

    How many calories are you planning to eat during the day and how many calories are you burning with cardio?
  • tennischick22
    tennischick22 Posts: 24
    Yes, I realize that, but I am trying not to count calories. I eat as healthy as I possibly can and eat in moderation. That's not what I've been having trouble with - what I've been struggling with is when to eat.

    as long as I am being sensible and getting in my cardio each day, do calories really matter? this isn't a race to the finish. I'm trying to change my lifestyle here! but what i'm realizing is 3 meals a day with no snacks may not be ideal.

    I'm just asking if this might be a more effective plan (with speeding up metabolism and what not)

    I've been losing at a rate of 2 lbs per week.. which I hope to continue to do, but this plan could work even better and leave me more satisfied
  • suppakana
    suppakana Posts: 307 Member
    I like it. I think you might want to push your last snack and green tea back by an hour, depending on how large your dinner is and when you go to bed. Like, last snack at 8p and tea at 9p. But that's me talking, and I'm usually (tonight's weird) in bed by 10.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    In order to lose weight I was previously eating 3 meals a day and no snacks, but I've come to realize that I get pretty hungry in between meals. So how does this look..

    10 a.m. breakfast + green tea
    12 p.m. snack
    2 p.m. lunch
    4 p.m. snack
    6 or 7 p.m. dinner
    9 p.m. snack
    10 p.m. green tea

    I go to the gym and get my 30 minutes of cardio in during the early a.m.

    and honestly, I have to be this structured. I've been dealing with binge eating, so unless I have set times to eat, i'll go crazy. i've kind of lost the ability to simply eat when I am hungry. so until I understand that again, I'm going to do this.

    any other tips?
    Only works if you're in calorie deficit.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Yes, I realize that, but I am trying not to count calories. I eat as healthy as I possibly can and eat in moderation. That's not what I've been having trouble with - what I've been struggling with is when to eat.

    as long as I am being sensible and getting in my cardio each day, do calories really matter? this isn't a race to the finish. I'm trying to change my lifestyle here! but what i'm realizing is 3 meals a day with no snacks may not be ideal.

    I'm just asking if this might be a more effective plan (with speeding up metabolism and what not)

    I've been losing at a rate of 2 lbs per week.. which I hope to continue to do, but this plan could work even better and leave me more satisfied
    Calories matter. You can eat healthy, be over in calories and gain weight. It's a myth that eating more meals speeds up metabolism.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    It could be that you're eating too few calories a day and might be contributing your binge cycle. Without keeping track of how many calories you're eating, it's impossible for any of us to tell if you will be successful. Also if you're eating too few calories, it will most certainly kill your metabolism.
  • tennischick22
    tennischick22 Posts: 24
    Well, I usually go to bed around 1 a.m., so I try to make my last snack at 9 or 10! 3-ish hours before bed.

    and yes yes yes I completely realize I need a caloric deficit. and I'm certain that I have one. I would estimate anywhere from 500-1000 calories depending on the day. i'm already losing weight. I just need to restructure and I needed opinions on if it would speed up my metabolism vs. my old plan!
  • cchardy82
    cchardy82 Posts: 26
    Calories do matter because in the end, losing weight depends on output vs. input. Technically, you could gain weight by eating too many carrots if you eat more than your body is burning.

    I do think a structured approach is good. I do well with this and take it a step further by planning my meals and snacks several days in advance. I would figure out how many calories a day you need to lose weight or maintain-whatever your goal may be. Then, plan several days of menus so you can see what that amount of calories looks like. If you don't want to count calories every day, this will at least give you a realistic picture of what you can eat.

    I suggest logging your calories on MFP. It is eye opening how many calories we can consume without meaning to. Portion size is important as well as how well we are feeding our body. You can choose to eat Oreos for a snack or almonds and cheese-you may eat the same amount of calories but one snack will do a better job of keeping you full and well nourished.

    Finally, make sure you are drinking tons of water. I drink a bottle of water with every meal and snack as well as between snacks and meals,
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    If it helps you to have the structure and the meal and snack times work for your schedule I don't see it hurting anything, but I don't believe that eating one large meal a day or eating six small meals a day is any different as long as you're getting your calories in and staying within a modest deficit. Just do what works best for your lifestyle.
  • tennischick22
    tennischick22 Posts: 24
    honestly I don't even like to talk about calories on here because there will always be at least one person who is critical. It's my body, I will do with it what I want. And i'm pretty sure this plan demonstrates that I'm certainly NOT starving myself or any of that nonsense

    I think this looks fairly sensible - so whatever, I'll just go with it and be successful because i'm determined to lose weight!

    I'm 19 by the way. and I'm ambitious. So i'll make it work.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Without knowing your stats, it's hard to advise you. A 1000 calorie deficit may not be appropriate if you don't have much to lose or if you are petite.

    You're right, it's your body, do what you will with it. =)
  • Fragilebird24
    Fragilebird24 Posts: 202 Member
    Try it out and see how it feels. It may take a while to get used to, but if you need to be structured, I think your schedule looks great!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Well, I usually go to bed around 1 a.m., so I try to make my last snack at 9 or 10! 3-ish hours before bed.

    and yes yes yes I completely realize I need a caloric deficit. and I'm certain that I have one. I would estimate anywhere from 500-1000 calories depending on the day. i'm already losing weight. I just need to restructure and I needed opinions on if it would speed up my metabolism vs. my old plan!
    Estimating isn't the same as actually calculating it to be more approximate. Buck up. The site adds up the calories for you.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • tennischick22
    tennischick22 Posts: 24
    Ok, yes I count calories. I eat 1400 per day to be exact. Spare me the "that's way too low, you'll go into starvation mode, you'll gain it all right back" lecture.

    I've lost weight before, I know what my body needs and I'm perfectly content. I've stopped binge eating... now i'm just going to switch it up in terms of when I eat.
  • LexiAtel
    LexiAtel Posts: 228 Member
    I have heard more people say that eating multiple meals a day helps the metabolism. Even if that is untrue, eating multiple times a day will in fact cure hunger you get between meals, and prevent you from doing something you don't want to. If you are still hungry after trying this (for about a week), try a high protein snack (like yogurt, egg, cheese, or meat).

    Since you are already losing weight at a decent amount, I don't think it's fair to criticize your diet.

    Nice job, and good luck! :)
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
    If eating more often helps you feel satisfied and keeps you on track, then do it. However, as others have said, it really does come down to calories. The deficit is what matters, not the timing. The only advantage you may gain from eating more frequently is the advantage of not being super hungry.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    honestly I don't even like to talk about calories on here because there will always be at least one person who is critical. It's my body, I will do with it what I want. And i'm pretty sure this plan demonstrates that I'm certainly NOT starving myself or any of that nonsense

    I think this looks fairly sensible - so whatever, I'll just go with it and be successful because i'm determined to lose weight!

    I'm 19 by the way. and I'm ambitious. So i'll make it work.

    Wrong! Your plan shows nothing other than maybe you eat lettuce leaves multiple times a day and some green tea. You won't tell us all the facts and you can eat 10 meals a day and be way under what you should be eating. You are hiding facts and that's fine but don't expect us to believe you are doing what is right when you are going about it this way. Yes it's your body so go with 1000 calories deficit if you want but I hope that you are VERY over weight otherwise that is a VERY bad idea. Take care.
  • DanIsACyclingFool
    DanIsACyclingFool Posts: 417 Member
    I find intermittent fasting really suppresses my appetite.

    It sounds counter intuitive, but eating often makes you hungry. I speak from experience as well as the experience of others. Meal timing and calorie distribution makes no difference to the energy balance equation, although nutrient timing after a workout offers significant benefit.

    But skipping breakfast, snacks, and even lunch has made it much easier for me to control cravings and reliably be in a deficit. Google intermittent fasting or leangains for the full skinny.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    I find intermittent fasting really suppresses my appetite.

    It sounds counter intuitive, but eating often makes you hungry. I speak from experience as well as the experience of others. Meal timing and calorie distribution makes no difference to the energy balance equation, although nutrient timing after a workout offers significant benefit.

    But skipping breakfast, snacks, and even lunch has made it much easier for me to control cravings and reliably be in a deficit. Google intermittent fasting or leangains for the full skinny.
    I'll echo this because it works for me too.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • DanIsACyclingFool
    DanIsACyclingFool Posts: 417 Member
    I have heard more people say that eating multiple meals a day helps the metabolism. Even if that is untrue, eating multiple times a day will in fact cure hunger you get between meals, and prevent you from doing something you don't want to. If you are still hungry after trying this (for about a week), try a high protein snack (like yogurt, egg, cheese, or meat).

    Since you are already losing weight at a decent amount, I don't think it's fair to criticize your diet.

    Nice job, and good luck! :)

    Many people do say it, but there's no science to back it up. Studies have shown that it's the number of daily calories, not the distribution of calories throughout the day that matter.

    And unless each snack satiates your appetite, it will not in fact cure your hunger. It tends to make it worse! Fasting tends to suppress your hunger signals. That's why you sleep through the night without getting hungry. You may not feel that way the first day or so, but that's your BRAIN being hungery, not your body. After a few days you'll be able to fast 16 to 20hrs (females should break the fast after 14hrs) watching others eat with no problem whatsoever! And when you do eat, you can stuff yourself with a days worth of cals in just a few hours. It can actually be hard to reach your cal limit because that's a lot of food in a short time. It's blissful to eat to true fullness!

    Multiple meals does not speed your metabolism up. Breakfast does not "rev up" your metabolism. And eating often? It makes you hungrier!

    I used to be "hungry" all the time between meals. And I still am Fridays when I meet the boys for breaky. But as for every other day....intermittent fasting is my greatest discovery!

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