How many times a day do you eat?

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Annamarie3404
Annamarie3404 Posts: 319 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm thinking of changing the way I eat. Instead of 3 meals, have 5 or 6 snacks. Has anyone done this, and does it work?

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  • RoseTheWarrior
    RoseTheWarrior Posts: 2,035 Member
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    You should try it if you think you'll like it. Personally, I need to eat 5 times a day, smaller meals. I can't eat lots at once, or I get serious headaches. I also get really shaky if I don't eat often. So, a typical day for me:

    6:30 Breakfast: oatmeal, or bowl of high protein cereal, etc
    9:15 Snack: boiled egg and an orange
    11:30 Lunch: salad, including a serving of protein, such as chicken or turkey
    3:00 Snack: protein shake
    6:00 Dinner: protein and carbs, the usual types of dinners

    I'm not an evening snacker, so I don't eat after dinner. If I were, I would adjust my other meals accordingly to leave room for an evening snack.

    Really, it depends on your work schedule, and how easy it is for you to pack lots of small snacks. Are you hungry all day long? Do you feel full enough eating lots of small meals as opposed to 3 large ones?
  • Annamarie3404
    Annamarie3404 Posts: 319 Member
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    I don't get real hungry. When I do eat bld, I'm not starving (no stomach growl). However, I feel stuffed whenever I do eat a full meal, and I'm not liking that feeling.
  • RoseTheWarrior
    RoseTheWarrior Posts: 2,035 Member
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    Sounds like it might be a good idea to try it for a week or two. My only advice is to always pair protein and carbs (I prefer complex over simple). Protein and fat will help you feel full and carbs will help give you energy all day long. This is another reason some people like to eat small meals throughout the day rather than a few large ones - no crashing/feeling tired.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    I eat about 6 times. Breakfast, Lunch, 3 pm snack, dinner, first dessert, second dessert.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    I eat 1-4...depends on what works for the day. I prefer eating less - it means less meals to prep, less time spent eating, more satisfying meals. Little snacks don't satisfy me at all, when I ate more meals (5-7) I found I had inconsistent energy levels, was always hungry and thinking about my next meal. Do what works for you!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Annamarie3404 wrote: »
    I'm thinking of changing the way I eat. Instead of 3 meals, have 5 or 6 snacks. Has anyone done this, and does it work?

    it's preference...there's not magical jump starting of metabolism or anything like that. for some people eating more times per day helps with dietary adherence but other than that, it's mostly a bunch of broscience.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,182 Member
    edited December 2015
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    10:30 am -- very small snack
    11:30 am -- very small snack
    1:30 pm -- lunch
    3:30 pm -- very small snack
    4:30 pm -- very small snack
    6:30 pm -- very small snack
    7:30 pm -- dinner
    9:30 pm -- very small snack
    11:30 pm -- very small snack

    So what's that ... 9 times a day.

    But I keep my calories within my calorie limit ... it's all about CI<CO. And that seems to work for me because I've successfully lost 26 kg (57 lbs) :)
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited December 2015
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    I do not call them snacks. I call them mini-meals. Sometimes I make good choices, and sometimes I don't.
    Breakfast is almost a cup of skimmed milk in my coffee. This place lets me "graze" and I love it.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    I eat 5-6 smaller meals daily. I plan and weigh my food. Works wonders. I have to feel full or I make poor choices.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
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    I guess everyone does what works for them. I prefer to generally eat two meals with usually one snack.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    6-8x
    3 meals and 3-5 small snacks
  • BoaRestrictor
    BoaRestrictor Posts: 194 Member
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    You gotta do you! Some people thrive on small meals, it made me super hungry which is why I Intermittent Fast instead but some people get super hungry doing that. I've had friends swear by the whole 6-9 snacks routine. It depends on if you're a grazer.
  • racheltomasek360
    racheltomasek360 Posts: 8 Member
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    I eat 3 normal meals (300-500 cal), and I usually have a morning snack (50-100 cal), afternoon snack (100-400 cal), and 2 evening snacks (300-400 cal).
  • distinctlybeautiful
    distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
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    On work days I eat around 8:00 right before I start work, again around 10:00 on my first break, lunch at 12:15, again around 3:00 at the end of my work day, and then depending on the evening I'll eat again anywhere from 6:00 to 8:00.

    This works perfectly for me for a couple reasons. I tend to get full pretty quickly, so smaller meals are better. Also, eating so often never really gives me a chance to get hungry, which means I'm not spending a lot of energy thinking about food or craving things. That's important for me because back when I was binging, my binges started long before I actually had the food.

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