Do you eat big or small meals?

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sarahertzberger
sarahertzberger Posts: 534 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to go by the EM2WL I'm currently eating 1900 calories, I may even need to eat more, but I do eat 6 times a day but I eat 3 regular sized meals and then 3 smaller snacks (usually deli meat with cheese, nuts and fruit, rice cake and peanut butter stuff like that) but what I'm finding is that I'm getting stuffed and feel too full when I eat meals especially dinner and even then it's still hard to get in all the calories I need for that day. I workout 4 days out of the week for 2 hours each time and do 30 minutes of cardio the rest is heavy lifting so should I be eating 6 meals that are all the same size or no, I'm trying to make sure my body stays in fat burning mode and not eating my muscle I want to build up my metabolism and

Replies

  • sarahertzberger
    sarahertzberger Posts: 534 Member
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    Also, if anyone has any clue if I need to be eating more as far as the whole TDEE thing goes I'm 5'2, currently weigh 175, I'm pretty active during the day and like I said I workout 4 days a week for 2 hours
  • Tessyloowhoo
    Tessyloowhoo Posts: 504
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    I think it really doesn't matter when you eat to lose weight.. as long as you are eating a deficit, eating right and eating enough. Keeping your metabolism "going" by eating at certain times seems to be a myth from what i have heard. Eating every two hours however does help stabilize blood sugar so you do not get cravings!

    I can't eat dinner at dinner time either... I either have to eat at about 8pm or have a very small lunch (I eat TDEE-25%) Remember working out can suppress your appetite so maybe try getting the bulk of your calories in before your workout!

    For fat burning you might want to try to do your cardio in the early morning (before you eat breakfast) or at the end of your weight training workout. My trainer-friend has explained to me that when you do it then it burns more of what your body has stored instead of what is already in your system from eating.


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  • Tessyloowhoo
    Tessyloowhoo Posts: 504
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    Also, if anyone has any clue if I need to be eating more as far as the whole TDEE thing goes I'm 5'2, currently weigh 175, I'm pretty active during the day and like I said I workout 4 days a week for 2 hours

    Edit: I ran your numbers and it looks like you are eating your TDEE-20% which is perfectly reasonable (1958 calories)
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
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    Here is a link to a TDEE calculator:

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    IMO small meals are good because the calorie distribution will help you satisfied all day long. Most importantly keep doing whatever is working for you. However, IMO calorie timing has nothing to do with weight loss. The calorie deficit creates weight loss. Through the week I pretty much snack all day long and on the weekends I tend to have 2 larger meals with some snacks. This variation works for me.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
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    It really doesn't matter when you eat or how big or small your meals are. What matters is how many calories you eat and your macros. If you are lifting and getting enough protein, you won't lose excessive amounts of muscle. What I'd do is stick to the 1900 for a few weeks and if you find you haven't lost as much as you'd like, lower calories by a couple hundred and see how that goes for a few more weeks and so on. That's the best way to figure out what your REAL TDEE is and what an appropriate calorie level would be for a good deficit. good luck :smile:

    ETA I eat a small breakfast, a small morning snack, a medium lunch, a small afternoon snack, a medium dinner, and a medium bedtime snack lol. All being relative of course. People with a 3000 calorie TDEE would probably say they're all small and someone with a 1200 calorie TDEE would think they're all big :wink:
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Eat big or go home. I eat about 2100 calories a day, ranging from 1800-2200 on a given day.
  • jmosery
    jmosery Posts: 10
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    i hate eating so often during the day. i rather eat 2-3 meals a day

    you can just eat 3 meals at 630 calories a meal. if you think thats a lot, you can easily add some healthy fats like 2 tbl olive oil is 200 calories. some coconut oil, nuts, olive oil, avocado. those can easily pack on the calories without the density of large meals. and will keep you fuller too

    if you ate at 8am, 1-2pm, and 6-8pm thats perfectly fine and you shouldn't feel "stuffed" at all
  • crose0056
    crose0056 Posts: 105 Member
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    Small several times daily for a total of 1200 calories
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
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    BIG! i dont eat breakfast anymore so i get to save my calories for later in the day.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    As others have said, it doesn't matter, but I have found that you will get used to eating larger meals if you do it consistently.

    I eat all my calories in one meal, and it is not hard for me to do, despite being pretty small in stature. Every day, I am enormously proud of how much food I can fit on a single plate.
  • gabeadz
    gabeadz Posts: 6 Member
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    I thought if we eat one or twice per day is not good for our body. Most of the people recomend eat 3 normal meals and 2 snacks, so this way yout metamolism is working better and burn more calories. Of course, you need to eat healthy food, low in carns, high in protein, low sugar, low fat, etc. Honestly, I have to eat every 2-3 hours, otherwise I start feeling bad, craving, my stomach hurt, etc.

    All my snacks are Greek Danon 2x protein yogurt, or original oatmeal, or protein bars, or special K chips.......

    Good luck!
    Gaby
  • RichardFL
    RichardFL Posts: 44
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    I prefer small meals and snacks throughout the day. It lets me fulfill cravings with a small calorie portion instead of overindulging. It lets me avoid feeling so stuffed I don't want to do anything active. It lets me eat every time I feel the tiniest bit hungry. It lets me eat properly both pre-workout and post-workout. It also prevents me from getting tired during the day, which used to be a big problem for me. It also makes sure I'm drinking enough water since I grab some water every time I grab food. I really love the small meals when on vacation since you can split a small snack with everyone around every few hours, so you'll get a taste of whatever you want without overindulging.

    I don't think there's going to be a right answer for everyone. If you get more energized from a big meal and want that energy for a workout or whatever, big meals would probably work better for you. If you don't have any problems that get fixed by eating more often throughout the day, there's a lot less benefit to switching.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    This is going to be dictated more by personal preference than anything else.... I am maintaining at 4000 calories a day now for the past 9 months so I tend to split my eating into 3 big meals (1000 calories a meal) and 2-3 snacks but again you have to find what works for you... On the weekends I tend to eat a light Breakfast and skip lunch and have a Big dinner...... Best of Luck
  • louisegibbs85
    louisegibbs85 Posts: 304 Member
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    i prefer small meals and snacks every couple of hours, if i eat big meals i find myself feeling bloated and then feel lazy like i dont want to exercise on a full stomach, eating little and often i find myself satisfied, especially with drinking water inbetween ... i used to feel the need to overly snack at nights but now i dont ... all down to personal preferance tho and what fits in with peoples lives and daily routine :)
  • Tiff050709
    Tiff050709 Posts: 497 Member
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    I eat smaller meals. I get full a lot faster than I use to and I don't want to stuff myself.
  • james6998
    james6998 Posts: 743 Member
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    Honestly, even though u are suppose to consume small meals more frequently, everyone is different on how their body reacts. As long as you are meeting your goal. My wife tends to eat very light in total during the day. She wasn't consuming enough calories and resulted in fat storage mode. I started making her larger portions of food for main meals and resulted in her consuming enough calories to keep her in the fat burning zone. It depends on you and your body.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
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    I thought if we eat one or twice per day is not good for our body. Most of the people recomend eat 3 normal meals and 2 snacks, so this way yout metamolism is working better and burn more calories. Of course, you need to eat healthy food, low in carns, high in protein, low sugar, low fat, etc. Honestly, I have to eat every 2-3 hours, otherwise I start feeling bad, craving, my stomach hurt, etc.

    All my snacks are Greek Danon 2x protein yogurt, or original oatmeal, or protein bars, or special K chips.......

    Good luck!
    Gaby

    mostly myths ^
  • megalin9
    megalin9 Posts: 771 Member
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    I eat all my calories in one meal, and it is not hard for me to do, despite being pretty small in stature. Every day, I am enormously proud of how much food I can fit on a single plate.

    Pictures!

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