Does it matter how often you eat?

lorib642
lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My sister keeps giving me diet advice. She works in the health field and never had a weight problem so I guess I should listen but it seems a bit much. She keeps saying I have to eat every 2-3 hours, she even e mailed me a schedule. I don't have a problem forgetting to eat. And she gave me ideas of things to eat which is nice but she doesn't believe I can figure it out on my own. I want to be able to eat with my family maybe smaller portions

Replies

  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
    For the general public so long as you are managing your overall calorie intake, then, no, it basically has no real metabolic effect.

    It may have a positive or negative effect on your ability to feel satiated or to meet calorie goals - but that goes both ways. Some folks are more satisfied with regular snaking every few hours. Others happier with a limited eating window when they can eat larger portions but still meet calorie goals over the course of the day because they are effectively fasting for some hours. Whatever helps you adhere to your goals and targets is a good thing, but there is no metabolic magic like "keeping your metabolism up" or anything like that.
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
    NO, it doesn't matter how often you eat. I don't eat until 12 or 1pm every day. I have been losing weight just fine. I eat most of my calories between 6pm - 9pm. I have a small lunch at noon or 1.

    I was tested and my metabolism is 12% faster than other women my height and weight. I attribute this to the fact that I run about 3 miles a day, nothing to do with diet.
  • mzbek24
    mzbek24 Posts: 436 Member
    No it doesn't, but I think it's a personal thing. If your schedule and how you feel don't make it work, then do what works for you. I think people sometimes mean well, but they can also get a bit controlling with trying to get people to do what they think is right. The truth is you're far more likely to stick it out and make a long term lifestyle change if you are doing something that makes you feel happy and works in your life-if that is eating meals with your family, do that. I eat maybe every 4 hours at the moment, losing just fine. And for the most part I eat what my family eat and always at the same time they do.
    If I know what I'm cooking or having for dinner, I log that in the morning and fit the rest of my day around it. Or I just I may have less of certain things, I weigh things, and I'll often add in steamed veggies, brown rice etc for myself...but over the last 7 months my family have become a bit more like "Hey, I'd like brown rice too" so that's awesome. Also they don't mind at all if I cook dinner for all of us from those Symply too good to be true cookbooks because it doesn't taste like 'yucky diet food' lol
  • Jayma375
    Jayma375 Posts: 60 Member
    Do what works for you, we are all different. You may want to take parts of what she recommends that will work for you and ignore the others. I have specific things that will and won't work for me and I wouldn't expect them to work for anyone else. I eat when I'm hungry because if I wait too long I know I will eat anything. I don't enjoy vegetables but I eat them when I able to include them in something that hides them (zucchini spaghetti). Working with my doctor I've come up with what works for me which is 1300 calories and 100 gms of protein. Both he and I are happy with my results so far.

    Good luck!
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
    It doesn't matter how often you eat as long as you stay within your calorie goal. Whatever works for you, for me if I am not hungry I won't eat.
  • IrisFlute
    IrisFlute Posts: 88 Member
    My sister keeps giving me diet advice. She works in the health field and never had a weight problem so I guess I should listen but it seems a bit much. She keeps saying I have to eat every 2-3 hours, she even e mailed me a schedule. I don't have a problem forgetting to eat. And she gave me ideas of things to eat which is nice but she doesn't believe I can figure it out on my own. I want to be able to eat with my family maybe smaller portions

    Would it work to tell your sister that you appreciate her caring, but that you feel weight loss starts with internal, personal decision-making, and you'll feel more successful if you just work out your own foods and schedules all by yourself?
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    Nope. I prefer to skip breakfast. have a normal lunch 6-700 calories. then a huge dinner right before bed. 12-1300 calories. Whatever works for You! Adherence to your plan long term is key!
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    I'm sure she means well, but no that is a myth in general. I eat when I'm hungry, it doesn't matter when
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    My sister keeps giving me diet advice. She works in the health field and never had a weight problem so I guess I should listen but it seems a bit much. She keeps saying I have to eat every 2-3 hours, she even e mailed me a schedule. I don't have a problem forgetting to eat. And she gave me ideas of things to eat which is nice but she doesn't believe I can figure it out on my own. I want to be able to eat with my family maybe smaller portions

    Would it work to tell your sister that you appreciate her caring, but that you feel weight loss starts with internal, personal decision-making, and you'll feel more successful if you just work out your own foods and schedules all by yourself?

    I like that. I am open to advice I just want to decide on my own.
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
    Nope. I prefer to skip breakfast. have a normal lunch 6-700 calories. then a huge dinner right before bed. 12-1300 calories. Whatever works for You! Adherence to your plan long term is key!

    ^This is generally how my day goes too ;)
  • healthyfoxx
    healthyfoxx Posts: 104 Member
    As others have said, there isn't really a magic timeframe to eat.

    However, when I started cutting calories, I found it very helpful to do small meals (around 200 cals) every few hours. I knew I was going to be able to snack on something soon at any time of the day. It helped me to not feel like I was deprived or starving. I then started cutting out some of the small snacks and putting the calories towards other meals like lunch and dinner.

    Now I try and keep breakfast around 300 cals (I rarely skip, but it depends on how I feel), a snack around 11 or so, then a late lunch so I'm not hungry or tired feeling after work and go work out. Dinner and after workout snacks make up the rest.

    Some people function great on one or two very large meals, but I'd get SO SLEEPY! And I just like eating too much. :p
  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
    No, it doesn't matter but many find that it is easier to control your portions if you are never hungry since you eat before you get there. I think it helped me a lot when I was cutting, hunger meant I craved food and chose what I wanted and not what I needed.

    It also helps with maintaining energy level throught the day. If all you want is to be able to sit down and eat with your family, then eat a smaller portion when you sit down with them.

    By the way, I think she is trying to be helpful. I do that with my family too, not concerning food but other things. I put everything down on paper in detail, they think it's anoying but it's how I do it for myself too...
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Just your ignore your sister.
    Eat whenever and whatever is working for you right now.
    I eat two meals a day and feel great and am losing weight.
    The eating all day long makes me sick just thinking about it. -- We all find our own way.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Nope, makes no difference whatsoever.

Categories