Eating 3 meals vs eating 6 small meals

I'm trying to figure out which is better. What do u all do? I've tried the six small meals but for some reason I feel hungrier throughout the day. I haven't tried just the 3 meals. What do u guys think?

I do six, but there is no magic number. Some people have three, others have just two, and still others have just one calorie loaded meal, and we all meet our calorie goals.

No way is better, it's about what way works best for you.

Do what works best for you, I thrive on two meals a day and its not a hard rule. I eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full, just make sure you are eating enough calories if eating less number of meals.

It is a matter of preference.

Due to my working habits I eat something small right when I wake up (yogurt usually) and then eat dinner when I get home. My job keeps me way too busy to eat during my shifts. I have had no problems other than if I skip my morning meal I tend to have no energy to exercise at the gym at night (kind of a duh statement huh?). I would say if you are cutting down the number of meals keep them as balanced as possible apart form each other.

Eating throughout the day will keep your blood sugar and insulin levels more steady and could theoretically help with your weight loss. However, if you find that this doesn't work for you, you should do whatever does work and just make sure you're not going over on your calories.

Eating more often does no aid in weight loss, and not everybody has blood sugar issues.

You are correct, not everybody has blood sugar issues, including myself. However, peaks and troughs in your blood sugar (and insulin) affect how your body metabolizes the food you eat whether or not you have diabetes. I was just trying to give some information to the original poster and in no way was speaking in absolutes.

Eating throughout the day will keep your blood sugar and insulin levels more steady and could theoretically help with your weight loss. However, if you find that this doesn't work for you, you should do whatever does work and just make sure you're not going over on your calories.

It's actually the opposite. Eating more often will spike your blood sugar levels more. If I was to choose an option that the op provides I think 3 meals vs. 6 is overall long term better for weight loss but honestly, I have never noticed any real huge difference that's noticeable.

@OP, It won't make any real SIGNIFICANT impact on the rate at which you lose fat. The real question here is what is better for your lifestyle because any diet is one that needs to work for you to stick to it consistently. That's far more important than how your blood sugar levels will be inconsistent, consistent, or spiking etc. The whole "metabolism" increase from eating every 2-2.5 hours has been proven crap many times. Choose what works for your lifestyle, what makes it easiest on sticking to, that's what will help you win.

I actually don't do either. I eat 5 with 3 meals and 2 snacks (one of which is actually dessert). I usually have one or two cups of coffee in the AM and a moderate breakfast. Later in the afternoon I have a light lunch and then a couple of hours before dinner, I have a snack. I have a regular dinner with the fam (just a smaller portion) and then some sort of snack... nothing huge but usually around 200 cals. So, froyo with honey and cinnamon and a Belvita cinnamon cracker, 3 cookies and hot tea, popcorn and cider... whatever strikes my fancy. Something to satisfy my sweet tooth but nothing too huge, ya know? It's just what works for me. 3 always felt too few and 6 too many. And with doing it this way, if I happen to have a big lunch and don't feel like snack making it 4, it's no biggie. Just try different things and see what works! :bigsmile:

Doesn't it matter as long as it works for you. Some days I eat only 3 square, others I eat consistently 6-8 times during the day. Depends on my appetite and whether I'm still on target to eat my macros.

It is a matter of preference.

:drinker:

I eat when I feel like it, as long as I have the calories. Generally, for me, that's 2 or 3 regular meals plus snacks whenever I'm hungry.