5 or 6 meals a day?

pathness
pathness Posts: 2 Member
edited November 28 in Health and Weight Loss
Has anybody lost weight with 5 or 6 meals a day? If so how did you structure your meals?

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    All that matters is a calorie deficit. How you break up those calories is personal preference.
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    All that matters is a calorie deficit. How you break up those calories is personal preference.

    /thread
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    I rarely eat more than two meals a day. Your body burns an amount of calories a day, eat that amount and your weight will stay the same, eat more = weight gain. Eat less = lose weight.
    Meal timing doesn't effect it.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    The number of meal is not as important as the total calories. You pretty much have to try and see what work for you. Maybe you are ravenous in the morning so you eat more. It is very individual. I tried eating 5-6 meals a day and found that it piss me off more than anything else lol. I like to have a big meal :)
    Good luck
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I eat breakfast at 6, then snack on chips, then lunch at 11.30, then toast or bread based snack around 3.30, then supper around 6, then graze generally on ice cream and/or cookies then sleep then repeat

    It generally goes in calories appeoximately 300+100+5-600+200+600+300

    Unless it doesn't and then I adjust ...you can eat however suits
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
    r11udzkppuua.png
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    pathness wrote: »
    Has anybody lost weight with 5 or 6 meals a day? If so how did you structure your meals?

    The number of meals and how you time them means nothing as far as weight loss goes, it is all about eating at a deficit.

    Having said that, I eat 5 meals a day and have lost 125 lb so far. I prefer to eat this way because I cannot eat a large meal so a number of smaller ones works much better for me. It is comfort and personal preference. Some eat 2 meals a day because it works better with their schedule. Whatever works for you.

    I eat a small breakfast, average lunch, small afternoon snack, large-ish dinner and medium bedtime snack.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I like to eat 5-6 times per day. Breakfast, Lunch, Snack, Dinner, Dessert 1, Dessert 2.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    Pretty often I eat 6 times a day. It'll be either breakfast, lunch, dinner, 3 snacks or I'll substitute my lunch/dinner for snacks as well. I can turn a snack into a meal, I'll tell you that much.
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
    Seven meals:

    Breakfast
    Second Breakfast
    Elevenses
    Luncheon
    Afternoon Tea
    Dinner
    Supper
  • pathness
    pathness Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks! I actually have diabetes and find that if I wait too long too eat my blood sugar goes too low and I end up eating more. My doctor is wondering if 5-6 meals a day will help even out my blood sugar more and prevent me overcompensating. I just forgot in the morning and don't eat sometime until 3 when I am about to pass out. I have had to set an alarm around 10 am to remind myself to eat. This doesn't seem to be a problem at other times of the day.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    pathness wrote: »
    Thanks! I actually have diabetes and find that if I wait too long too eat my blood sugar goes too low and I end up eating more. My doctor is wondering if 5-6 meals a day will help even out my blood sugar more and prevent me overcompensating. I just forgot in the morning and don't eat sometime until 3 when I am about to pass out. I have had to set an alarm around 10 am to remind myself to eat. This doesn't seem to be a problem at other times of the day.

    T1 or T2? Are you on medication? Yes, eating 5-6 smaller meals a day is recommended for diabetics for the exact reason you mentioned, leveling out blood sugar. I am T2 (normal BG, no meds thanks to diet and exercise) but I started out taking medication (one dose in the morning) and sometime before lunch I would hit a dangerous low if I didn't eat. Make sure you keep glucose tabs in your purse, backpack, desk, whatever just in case. There were a few times I needed them in order to stay functional if I didn't have a snack with me.

    Lose weight, eat properly, get some exercise in and, hopefully, you will reach a point in managing diabetes where you no longer need meds and no longer have the lows like you do now.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    I eat 5-6 meals daily. Breakfast/snack/lunch/snack/dinner/snack-usually don't eat this pm snack. Check out my food diary. My meals are planned out and I measure/weigh most foods. I find eating 1 cup of some kind of soup at around 1030-11am daily helps so much to satisfy my hunger. I drinks lots of H2O with lemon all day long. I have water at my bedside at night and when I wake up to go to the bathroom I drink. I eat healthy 80% of the time. I ALWAYS drink light beer usually one day on the weekend. Yes,I drink enough to get a buzz----love it. B)
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
    Meal frequency isn't really a thing for weight loss, except for using what works for you to stay satisfied in a deficit.

    Some people prefer to eat a big meal and stay satisfied a long time.

    Me? I get hungry every few hours, even if I have a pretty big meal. And if I have a big/carb heavy meal then I want to go take a nap.

    I have coffee and then 5 meals/snacks. Most of them are easy and repetitive. My diary is open if you want to check it out.

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Question was "anybody loose weight eating 5, 6 meals a day?

    Nope I lost weight by eating at a deficit. It could be 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 meals a day, don't matter in the scheme of things.
  • adawson55510
    adawson55510 Posts: 60 Member
    I find the more meals i eat with the same overall macros i can stay leaner i currently have 7 meals on training days and 6 on non-training days.
  • WifiresGettingFit
    WifiresGettingFit Posts: 1,773 Member
    pathness wrote: »
    Thanks! I actually have diabetes and find that if I wait too long too eat my blood sugar goes too low and I end up eating more. My doctor is wondering if 5-6 meals a day will help even out my blood sugar more and prevent me overcompensating. I just forgot in the morning and don't eat sometime until 3 when I am about to pass out. I have had to set an alarm around 10 am to remind myself to eat. This doesn't seem to be a problem at other times of the day.

    I would suggest eating within two hours of waking up. If you wake up at 8, 10 would be good. But no more than two hours and don't go longer than 5 waking hours without eating.

    Source: Change One for Diabetes (a recommended read if you haven't already)
  • michaelafoor916
    michaelafoor916 Posts: 710 Member
    I do. they are small meals around 100-200 cals with breakfast and dinner being larger 300-400...it's all up to you how you break up your calories allotted
  • mgmad1993
    mgmad1993 Posts: 9 Member
    Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack but I try to stay around 1000-1200 calories. I always eat when I'm hungry but try to monitor it.
  • Dave_Burrell
    Dave_Burrell Posts: 23 Member
    I am currently doing 5 or 6 meals a day and there is a fair bit of research that shows smaller meals more often helps increase your metabolism.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    Dave_Burrell wrote: »
    I am currently doing 5 or 6 meals a day and there is a fair bit of research that shows smaller meals more often helps increase your metabolism.

    Care to show that?
  • Determined9801
    Determined9801 Posts: 3 Member
    I currently eat about 2200 calories a day, eat every 2.5 to3 hours, and make sure protein is included in every meal (3 main meals and snacks in btwn). I eat 6 times a day, start at 6:30 a.m. and end at 9:30 p.m. I lift weights 5 days a week (and cardio 2 days) and have lost body fat (not my goal at the moment) and gained lean muscle.
  • adawson55510
    adawson55510 Posts: 60 Member
    I agree with Dave_Burrell with more meals increasing metabolism certainly with me anyway. Iv'e done my own research on myself i don't need a scientist to tell me how best to diet.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/03/grazin-study-shows-increased-eating.html
This discussion has been closed.

Categories