How often do you eat?

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  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
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    I'm kinda losing/kinda maintaing. I eat constantly. I don't start eating til around 11am-noon, and I usually stop around 9pm, so I gotta cram 1800 or so calories into that window. So. Always eating.
  • Kathy_Noring
    Kathy_Noring Posts: 143 Member
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    Pretty close to maintenance.

    I eat breakfast around 8am
    Lunch at 12
    Snack at 2-3
    Dinner at 5
    Snack at 7

    This is what I should try this week. I was eating a morning snack and an afternoon snack, but not saving anything for evening. Then I am hungry at night and I go over. And I like dinner early, so this schedule would suit me well. I eat breakfast earlier because I am up by 5.
  • Kathy_Noring
    Kathy_Noring Posts: 143 Member
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    Thanks again, everyone. Lots of interesting strategies and approaches in these posts! We're certainly all unique in how we approach this.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    I generally have my first meal around 1pm, and it's usually between 400-600 calories. Then, I don't eat until come time between 6pm-8pm, when I have my main meal for the day and after dinner snacks. The vast majority of my calories are consumed in the evening.

    I'm maintaining at the moment, although this is how I ate for a lot of the losing phase too.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    normally twice a day. First meal between 12 - 1pm (later on the weekends).

    Second meal about 8pm.

    If I get hungry in between (a handful of almonds or hazelnuts).
  • scubasuenc
    scubasuenc Posts: 626 Member
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    Losing.

    I eat 3 meals and usually 2 snacks. I am a Type 2 diabetic and it helps me control my blood sugar better.

    For folks who do not have a medical reason for small frequent meals, I don't think it mattes when you eat. It is just personal preference. Just focus on staying within your calorie goal.
  • chrisjhoward
    chrisjhoward Posts: 4
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    I usually get up around 6am, have breakfast at 7am, lunch between 12pm and 2pm and dinner anywhere between 5pm and 9pm (part time evening work you see). Snacks at around 11am and 4pm if I'm hungry.
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
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    I eat three main meals with ~600 calories for breakfast, ~700 for lunch and ~800 for dinner. I eat back my exercise calories as snacks spread throughout the day. But if I'm still hungry after that I will have an extra snack. I'm in maintenance at the moment but my pattern was similar when losing.
  • Kathy_Noring
    Kathy_Noring Posts: 143 Member
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    I think it's interesting how many people don't eat until afternoon. My son does that, too. I wish I could do that, but I get a headache if I don't eat breakfast. I can go about two hours without eating after waking. In fact, I am such an early riser, I do typically wait two hours before I eat.
  • Kathy_Noring
    Kathy_Noring Posts: 143 Member
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    Here's the schedule I am going to try this week. I had hoped to pre-plan, prepare, and pre-log all of my food for the week, but I don't think I will have time today. I have bicycle riding to do! Calorie counts are rough estimates (except breakfast, which rarely changes) to help me plan.

    Meal 1 -- 6:45am (315)
    Fruit or Veggie -- 10am (85)
    Meal 2 -- Noon (400)
    Snack 1 -- 4pm (150)
    Meal 3 -- 5:30pm (400)
    Snack 2 -- 7pm (150)
    Total -- 1500

    On long biking and/or heavy exercise days, I will obviously need to add more calories or risk bonking!
  • chelstakencharge
    chelstakencharge Posts: 1,021 Member
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    not a set schedule....I eat when I am hungry and only then....no mindless eating
  • Vessecora
    Vessecora Posts: 44
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    The usual 3 a day (hopefully around 350 cal or so for each on a 1200 basis) for losing :)
    And one or two snacks depending on my calorie allowance/hunger.
  • silverteacup
    silverteacup Posts: 46 Member
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    I eat 5 to 6 times a day in small amounts but really I graze on veggies all day doing this keeps me from feeling hungry and I can resist temptation because I have most likely just eaten something. No mindless eating....my grazing is always good nutritional choices.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    I typically eat breakfast and then I eat lunch. I generally have a pre-workout snack of apples and almonds in the afternoon and a protein shake afterwards, then home for dinner...which is generally served around 8:30 PM. This was pretty much my schedule while I was losing as well as in maintenance.

    For the most part, my 3 meals are pretty well set...my "snacks" generally revolve around my workouts and what not so timing varies depending on schedule.

    For weight loss, nutrient timing is largely irrelevant. It becomes more relevant to specific training goals and even more so for competitive athletes...but for the average Joe/Jane trying to knock off some weight, it's pretty low on the list of things that are important.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Update - I've just eaten..
  • Kathy_Noring
    Kathy_Noring Posts: 143 Member
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    Update - I've just eaten..

    LOL, thanks! We've been dying to know!

    I definitely need more structure than "just eat when you're hungry." I am ALWAYS hungry, especially when I am cutting calories to lose.
  • BenjaminMFP88
    BenjaminMFP88 Posts: 660 Member
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    Cutting on about a 1800 diet. I could care less about meal timings or frequency. Although, I do tend to eat nearly all my calories by the end of lunch...
  • fificrazy
    fificrazy Posts: 234
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    Maintenance.
    I eat as soon as I wake up (anywhere from 6 AM - 10 AM), have a snack drink (latte, fruit or veggie juice) around 11-12, then eat again when I get to work (regardless of when I ate breakfast... I've just been conditioned to want to nibble when I get there. Oooops.) I only pack 1 lunch though, so I figure when I eat it doesn't matter- it just might mean I might have to work an hour or two hungry at the end of the day if I have it too early :P it always feels like I've been brunching all morning by 1 o'clock!
    Then I have dinner at 6.
    Dessert at 7
    Snack at 10
    Generally another snack at 1 AM. Helps me dream. :) Hopefully I fall asleep then. Sometimes, when I can't, I'll eat my "breakfast" before bed so when I do eventually fall asleep around 4-5 AM, I can sleep in without waking up hungry in the morning so I can skip having a real breakfast, have time to shower, then start my days "eating routine" with the snack drink.
  • 24lol25
    24lol25 Posts: 49
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    I eat if I have the chance, or just when I get hungry.
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,789 Member
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    I'm temporarily in maintenance, 1800 calories/day. Right now I tend to eat four times a day --breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner. Sometimes I have a snack before bed too. Breakfast around 350 calories, lunch ditto, snack 100-250 (usually 100 but sometimes I get chips from the machine at work), dinner near 500, remaining calories go either to booze or bedtime snack.

    I lose around 1400 calories/day. When I'm losing I skip breakfast, lunch around 300, snack 100ish, dinner 500 or so, remaining calories for bedtime snack and booze. I just have to be really careful to pack my meals with high-nutrient and high-protein foods on this regimen.

    I'm not strict about timing no matter what phase I'm in. If I'm hungry, I eat. This means that sometimes I have breakfast on a"losing" day or snack all day instead of sitting down to meals on a "maintenance" day. My hunger cues are fairly consistent but I am not a robot.

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