What is truth about eating times?

ValGogo
ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, although I'm not an ignoramus, I'm posing a question.

What are your opinions on times between meals? I ask this because I had a bowl of Cheerios with milk at like 6:40 am and then two hours later at work I had some rye toast with a little cream cheese. Let's ignore the obvious carb intake for now.

The real question is: Is there any reason why someone should eat two or three hours apart? Does it really matter and does it depend on the person?

I'm not losing my mind over it. I'm just curious. I intend on going for a long bike ride after work so I don't care about the calories.
«13

Replies

  • jelkins2000
    jelkins2000 Posts: 38 Member
    I'm curious to this as well.
  • Tributeknown
    Tributeknown Posts: 2
    I've always been curious about this also, but now i'm concentrating on what i actually eat, instead of when. I have around 2 - 3 hours between my breakfast and lunch, and around 4-5 hours between my lunch and dinner.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    Timing of your eating does not matter unless it affects your total caloric intake.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    It is individual. In the big picture it won't really make a difference. However, if you find that eating frequent meals allows you to adhere to your overall "diet" more easily, then it is worth considering.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    Timing only matters as it pertains to performance, preference, and dietary adherence.

    If you're training, you might want or need to time your meals according to your training schedule.

    Some people love to have a huge breakfast, while others aren't hungry at all until noon or later.

    I, personally, find it easier to maintain a deficit when I eat one meal per day. I also prefer to train in a fasted state.

    These are really the only reasons meal timing/frequency matters. Eating more frequently doesn't speed up your metabolism, eating late at night doesn't make you fat, etc. Calorie deficit is king if weight loss is your goal.
  • Kr1ptonite
    Kr1ptonite Posts: 789 Member
    I eat about 2 / 3 hours apart as I find it helps with me not feeling hungry, as it's not long before each meal.
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    Timing of your eating does not matter unless it affects your total caloric intake.

    Ok, good start! Let's hear some more. Oh, here's a question. If I ate two meals at 800 calories each and my total intake is supposed to be 1600, would it matter that I'm eating a big meal twice a day? Just hypothetical, not real.
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
    When it comes to weight loss there is no real scientific evidence that supports eating at a certain time or having a certain number of meals or for spacing the meals by a certain time. Some people will tell you to eat 6 small meals a day, others will tell you to never skip breakfast, still others will say not to eat anything past a certain time at night......ignore all of it. Control your calories and eat when you want to. Do whatever works for you.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    In general, meal timing doesn't matter. Especialy for weight loss - all that really matters is that you eat at a calorie deficit. You can eat whenever and whatever you want as long as it fits in to your calorie goal.

    That said, how you feel is another thing altogether and that would depend on the person. I've got a little blood sugar imbalance so I have to eat certain foods in order to keep myself from feeling light headed or moody. Also I've found that if I eat less in the morning I end up being hungrier in the afternoon - to the point of eating more in junk food snacking than if I'd just stopped and had a decent breakfast. So for me, grazing and choosing more protein based foods help keep that calorie goal achievable. On days when I eat mostly carbs (like if I have a sick stomach), I'm a mess.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    Timing of your eating does not matter unless it affects your total caloric intake.

    Ok, good start! Let's hear some more. Oh, here's a question. If I ate two meals at 800 calories each and my total intake is supposed to be 1600, would it matter that I'm eating a big meal twice a day? Just hypothetical, not real.

    You could eat two 800 calorie meals or one 1600 calorie meal. (This is related to weight loss. As stated above, it may change based on other things such as blood sugar levels, exercising, training, etc)

    ETA: My mother lost 80 lbs by eating one meal per day. I have, so far, lost 31 by eating a light breakfast and lunch, one heavier meal, and snacking through the evening but I track every bite that I eat and maintain a deficit.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Timing only matters as it pertains to performance, preference, and dietary adherence.

    If you're training, you might want or need to time your meals according to your training schedule.

    Some people love to have a huge breakfast, while others aren't hungry at all until noon or later.

    I, personally, find it easier to maintain a deficit when I eat one meal per day. I also prefer to train in a fasted state.

    These are really the only reasons meal timing/frequency matters. Eating more frequently doesn't speed up your metabolism, eating late at night doesn't make you fat, etc. Calorie deficit is king if weight loss is your goal.

    QFT
  • Rainboots80
    Rainboots80 Posts: 218 Member
    I don't pay attention to times. I just eat when I want to as long as it stays under my calories and carbs for the day
  • taramaclaren
    taramaclaren Posts: 95 Member
    Timing of your eating does not matter unless it affects your total caloric intake.

    This is exactly right. You can eat one big meal a day as long as you get enough nutrients in it, or you can spread it out into many small meals. Whatever works for you as long as you are A) getting the proper nutrition and B) staying within your calorie goal.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Meal timing doesn't matter to me at all. My meal timing isn't consistent but I don't have any issues with losing weight.
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    Timing only matters as it pertains to performance, preference, and dietary adherence.

    If you're training, you might want or need to time your meals according to your training schedule.

    Some people love to have a huge breakfast, while others aren't hungry at all until noon or later.

    I, personally, find it easier to maintain a deficit when I eat one meal per day. I also prefer to train in a fasted state.

    These are really the only reasons meal timing/frequency matters. Eating more frequently doesn't speed up your metabolism, eating late at night doesn't make you fat, etc. Calorie deficit is king if weight loss is your goal.

    Casey, you're like Supergirl, man! Do you mean one meal, like for instance Dinner and some snacks in between? Not for me, but I'm just curious.
  • h7463
    h7463 Posts: 626 Member
    Hello!
    IMO, it's probably a personal preference. Whatever fits your family schedule and your stomach at the same time. For me, it's about every 2-3 hours, because I can't eat that much at once without my stomach trying to get rid of it. For breakfast, I'm eating Greek yogurt with some protein powder and fresh fruit mixed in (all strawberry in season right now...). I prepare my breakfast the night before, and if I need carbs, I throw some rolled oats in, too, which will get perfectly soft overnight. This way, I won't have to resort to sugar-loaded cereal.....like fruit loops....when I'm in a hurry.
    I'm not training with a competition in mind, but I can see a determined bodybuilder spreading out his food intake over more than 5 meals during the day, because his/her requirement per meal might be as high as my daily calorie allowance.Look at Michael Phelps, he eats 12000 (!!!!!!....it might be a myth....but still...) calories per day...no way this fits into 3 meals......
  • Shakeshackgirl
    Shakeshackgirl Posts: 2
    I am a health professional and one of the biggest reasons suggested to eat every 2-3 hours is just to try an stave off hunger so you are less likely to overeat. We tell diabetics this because it helps them maintain their sugar levels. Some people only eat when they are hungry and can do very well controlling their calorie intake. On the other end, when some wait until they are hungry, they can overeat, blowing their calorie intake out of the water. It is your choice as to how you want to eat as only you know your body. If you feel like eating every 2-3 and your body is acclimated to that, then go for it. If you feel the need to eat less, then go with what your body feels comfortable with. The key is to make sure you are getting the proper nutrition your body needs daily and not going over your daily calorie intake designed for your body to help you achieve your healthy lifestyle goal. I probably wouldn't recommend eating too late in the evening simply because when you eat late in the evenings/nights and then lay down before your food has time to properly digest, you can cause yourself a wicked case of heartburn/indigestion making it difficult for you to get a restful sleep that your body needs. I try not to eat after 630 pm, if at all possible as I go to bed at 1130 pm to get up for work the next morning at 7 am. Look at your schedule and find a groove that works for you. Hope this helps!:wink:
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    "It depends."

    Ok, you can close the thread now.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    Timing only matters as it pertains to performance, preference, and dietary adherence.

    If you're training, you might want or need to time your meals according to your training schedule.

    Some people love to have a huge breakfast, while others aren't hungry at all until noon or later.

    I, personally, find it easier to maintain a deficit when I eat one meal per day. I also prefer to train in a fasted state.

    These are really the only reasons meal timing/frequency matters. Eating more frequently doesn't speed up your metabolism, eating late at night doesn't make you fat, etc. Calorie deficit is king if weight loss is your goal.

    Casey, you're like Supergirl, man! Do you mean one meal, like for instance Dinner and some snacks in between? Not for me, but I'm just curious.

    I usually only eat dinner. When my intake was higher, I'd eat some small snacks (usually fruit) during the day because it was difficult to eat 2100 calories in one meal while having to hit certain macro targets. But now that I'm cutting again, I find it pretty easy to eat 1700 in one sitting, so I do not usually eat snacks.

    Sometimes, I will break away from that schedule. For instance, my parents were in town over the weekend, and I had breakfast with them yesterday. But I like eating a big meal and having plenty of calories for a decent dessert, so that's my main reason for the one meal per day thing.
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    Timing only matters as it pertains to performance, preference, and dietary adherence.

    If you're training, you might want or need to time your meals according to your training schedule.

    Some people love to have a huge breakfast, while others aren't hungry at all until noon or later.

    I, personally, find it easier to maintain a deficit when I eat one meal per day. I also prefer to train in a fasted state.

    These are really the only reasons meal timing/frequency matters. Eating more frequently doesn't speed up your metabolism, eating late at night doesn't make you fat, etc. Calorie deficit is king if weight loss is your goal.

    Casey, you're like Supergirl, man! Do you mean one meal, like for instance Dinner and some snacks in between? Not for me, but I'm just curious.

    I usually only eat dinner. When my intake was higher, I'd eat some small snacks (usually fruit) during the day because it was difficult to eat 2100 calories in one meal while having to hit certain macro targets. But now that I'm cutting again, I find it pretty easy to eat 1700 in one sitting, so I do not usually eat snacks.

    Sometimes, I will break away from that schedule. For instance, my parents were in town over the weekend, and I had breakfast with them yesterday. But I like eating a big meal and having plenty of calories for a decent dessert, so that's my main reason for the one meal per day thing.

    This goes for me as well.

    I feel much more satisfied having a nice big dinner with my family rather than 6 baby snacks throughout the day. Not to mention, I just don't want to meal prep/plan for those 6 baby snacks.

    But like most have said, it's completely personal preference when you take in your calories. Some people need to eat every two hours to stay on track.
  • rubybrown145
    rubybrown145 Posts: 4
    According to the "Diet Free Life" you should never go more than 3 hours without eating, and I did that for about 6 months and I did loose. The downside is that it's hard to keep up with the time when one is out and about or working. My take is that it did work, but it's hard work.
  • hospitablegirl
    hospitablegirl Posts: 64 Member
    As far as I'm aware, timing does not affect anything. It's just caloric intake that matters. It also comes down to personal preference. For me, I feel I'm less likely to gorge myself at night if I follow a pre-set eating schedule. I plan on keeping this schedule long after I've entered maintenance, just to help me along.
  • sweetnlow30
    sweetnlow30 Posts: 497 Member
    I eat one big meal and 1-2 small snack size meals. It hasn't hurt me one bit. I prefer to save my calories for a satisfying dinner. It comes down to your hunger levels and what works for your schedule.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    I eat when I'm hungry.
  • bleigh76
    bleigh76 Posts: 2
    My doctor always told me that I must have 3 normal size meals a day and 1 small snack in between that way your body is craving anything by the time you get to your next meal. I was also told that you should heat within that first hour of waking up so your body doesn't try to store fat if you don't have anything within that hour.
  • NeesaDaly
    NeesaDaly Posts: 5
    I don't think it matter a jot. It's a cow's opinion, as our old Friend Joey would say. What matters is your total intake of food, not when it was injested.

    There are times where it would be more (and less) beneficial and I do think you should always try to make things as easy for yourself as possible but I wouldn't stress because I've eaten a couple of carbs and it's dark out. If you feel that if you were to sit down at 8pm and crack open a pack of biscuits but just have two and then you'd stop then I don't see any point in moving biscuit time to 1pm instead just for that reason alone. However, if once the packet is open you won't be able to stop as you munch through the soaps then yeah, I'd avoid the biscuit tin at that hour.

    But that's nothing to do with the time on the clock and everything to do with stopping at a couple of biccies instead of carrying on til you see the end of the pack. If you can do that after dark, go ahead. If you can't, don't.
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
    Like everyone says.. if you eat one meal of 1800 per day or break it into 6 300 cal meals... it is basically the same.

    But.. I have found that by not eating so much at every meal makes me eat slower because I need to "make it last".

    Also... if I eat a huge meal I feel a lot more sluggish.

    I would experiment and see how you feel.
  • libertychoury
    libertychoury Posts: 57 Member
    Timing is of no issue. All that matters is how many calories you consume total. You can eat every 20 minutes or one giant meal a day.
  • mulecanter
    mulecanter Posts: 1,792 Member
    I agree with folks in the thread, there is nothing magic about spreading meals out, it's all about calorie deficit or not. The only thing I would add is that I try to time meals/snacks to help me with workouts. If I know I have a run coming after work I try to eat a protein bar and drink some water an hour or two prior to help my blood sugar level and not be full at run time. When you are operating at a deficit sometimes you feel weak which means your workout intensity will suffer. Meal timing can help mitigate that.
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
    I agree with folks in the thread, there is nothing magic about spreading meals out, it's all about calorie deficit or not. The only thing I would add is that I try to time meals/snacks to help me with workouts. If I know I have a run coming after work I try to eat a protein bar and drink some water an hour or two prior to help my blood sugar level and not be full at run time. When you are operating at a deficit sometimes you feel weak which means your workout intensity will suffer. Meal timing can help mitigate that.

    QFT - Very well said!

Categories