mini meals?

abbylove08
abbylove08 Posts: 215
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
im interested in trying this 5-6 mini meals/day thing.. but don't really know where to start.
i did the math, and i should be eating a little under 250 cals/meal if i have 6 a day, and a little under 300 if i do 5/day. when i think about it, it seems like im going to be eating a lot more, but really i'm not, im just breaking it up throughout the day, so maybe i wont be so hungry all the time?

HOWEVER... how often do i eat these meals? also, what am I supposed to eat so that i feel like i am being satisfied, healthy, and not eating like a rabbit (and losing weight all at the same time!)

Replies

  • im interested in trying this 5-6 mini meals/day thing.. but don't really know where to start.
    i did the math, and i should be eating a little under 250 cals/meal if i have 6 a day, and a little under 300 if i do 5/day. when i think about it, it seems like im going to be eating a lot more, but really i'm not, im just breaking it up throughout the day, so maybe i wont be so hungry all the time?

    HOWEVER... how often do i eat these meals? also, what am I supposed to eat so that i feel like i am being satisfied, healthy, and not eating like a rabbit (and losing weight all at the same time!)
  • Renae_Nae
    Renae_Nae Posts: 935 Member
    I start off by spliting up dinner

    1 meal : piece of chicken or whatever meat we are haing

    2 meal: the veggies

    3 meal: the side (usually potatoes, pasta)

    instead of eating it all at once!

    I usually have a "normal" breakfast, small snack, "normal" lunch, then my dinner split up into three portions.
  • i eat meals @ 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm ... if i have extra cals (exercise etc)... i allow my self a treat @ the end of the day. I don't always eat the same amount of calories at each meal... for example i may eat 300 cal @ breakfast and then @ 11 have some veggies... (i find that eating only 250 calories @ lunch and dinner can be difficult for me... so i always plan ahead! my favorite food for this include: fruits, veggies, nuts, whole wheat crackers and cheese, cheese sticks, breakfast bars, grilled chicken and veggies, yogurt and soup .... good luck!:wink:
  • rogers8702
    rogers8702 Posts: 533 Member
    i eat at
    9 am
    11:30am
    1:30pm
    4pm
    6-630pm
    8pm

    most calories are consumed at 6-6:30 anywhere from 250-450. and the rest are varied depending on what im having.
  • STACYESPARZA
    STACYESPARZA Posts: 308 Member
    I eat
    Breakfast
    Snack
    Lunch
    Snack
    Dinner
    Snack

    So basically you can say 6 minis a day....
    I eat a bit more calories for my meals then snacks but I always make sure there are calories for my snacks...
    I dont ever feel starved
    and feel very satisfied
  • :drinker: I start with a workout in the morning 4:30 am to 5:40 am

    Breafast @ 6am

    Off to work before 7am snack
    light yogurt strawberry or blueberry 100 cals

    Lunch @ 11am

    Snack @ 1pm bag of Carrots and Celery
    small 2 oz of hummus

    3:30 pm OFF from work and Off to school
    Classes from 5 pm t'll 7pm

    Small Dinner
    Very small meal Lean Chicken breast and small 1/2 C. white rice and corn
    Sometimes total of Cals by end of nite 1200




    96972.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • yellow_pepper
    yellow_pepper Posts: 708 Member
    I'd be careful with this approach to eating... Like many of you, I've read the reports that this is a healthy way to keep up your metabolism and so on.

    But beware of the mental effects of eating throughout the day! When we get into an eating pattern, we program our mind to EXPECT food at certain times. If you are always in the position to grab something HEALTHY and relatively LOW in calories 5 or 6 times a day, then maybe this will work for you.

    But for those of us who travel, or who find ourselves in situations where most of the food available is neither healthy nor low in calories - it might be better to stick to the traditional 3 meals/day plan.

    In 2004, I wrote a healthcare economics paper after considerable research on obesity and changes in the way the population has eaten from 1960 through 2000. And the most pronounced change in Americans' eating habits since 1960 is NOT larger meals but more snacks. Statisticians who have studied the modern history of how we eat show that it's snacking that accounts for the increase in calorie consumption over those 40 years. This - in addition to the fact that we are a more sedentary society today - is a major contributor to obesity.

    Of course, if you want to try something new, that's your prerogative. But I try hard to stick to the way my father eats: 3 square meals at almost the same time per day (except on special occasions). He's maintained his weight at 140 lbs (he's 5'8") and actually increased his lean body mass over the last 40 years. It's not easy! Losing weight is never easy. But mental programming is very important!

    So good luck with eating more often. Just be forewarned that you might feel hungrier more often as a result.
  • MollySue30
    MollySue30 Posts: 288 Member
    I am usually up by 5:45am and don't eat till about 7:45am. With trying to get kids up and I have about an hour drive to work it makes it hard:

    Breakfast 8am
    Snack 10:30
    Lunch 12:30-1pm
    Snack 3pm
    Dinner 6pm

    Depending on my nights, I may have my last snack and then sometimes I don't just depends on my mood.

    I try to get at least a couple snacks in during my work day. I usually eat around 60-100 calorie snacks usually nothing over 200 at the max.
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