3 meals a day and no snacks

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helenlovesruby
helenlovesruby Posts: 39 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've relapsed and gained 5 pounds mainly due to issues with sugar/ carb addiction. Back on mfp today. Was thinking of trying three healthy balanced and portion controlled meals per day. What do you think?

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  • message4michelle
    message4michelle Posts: 19 Member
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    Yes! Good idea! Especially if it is difficult for you to plan healthy meals at certain times of day. Three full healthy meals are much easier to plan than several meals and snacks throughout the day. It's easier to make it a routine as well, which helps so much.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Whatever works for you. As long as you have a calorie deficit it doesn't matter if you have 1 meal a day or 10.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    I couldn't make that work for me, I prefer to eat most of my calories after 6pm. As long as you don't go over your calories you can eat as you like.
  • helenlovesruby
    helenlovesruby Posts: 39 Member
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    Thanks for the positive reinforcement guys
  • helenlovesruby
    helenlovesruby Posts: 39 Member
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    Thanks, I need to watch binging after 6pm.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    Meal timing is not important. What's important is that the timing of your meals works for you.

    You say you want to binge after 6pm? Try having a light breakfast (if any at all) and save more of your calories to eat at night. Or, eat a later dinner.
  • helenlovesruby
    helenlovesruby Posts: 39 Member
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    I'm starving when I get back from work, and have been eating way too much in the evenings.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    I found that my hazard of late-day bingeing was enhanced when I had an insufficient breakfast. Since correcting the problem at breakfast, I haven't had the evening problem.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    I have a snack around 3-4 o'clock because I would be starving when I got home otherwise.
  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
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    I usually have snacks to avoid binging, and that's what helps me.
    But if this isn't the case for you, great, go for it!
  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,135 Member
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    Lizzy622 wrote: »
    I have a snack around 3-4 o'clock because I would be starving when I got home otherwise.

    Amen!

    I eat a big breakfast and can go until lunch no problem, but I need the afternoon snacks to tide me over or else. For some reason I can eat a fairly decent sized lunch (5oo cals) and still be hungry around 3:00. Lately I've been having two afternoon snacks to get me until dinner, too!
  • AndyJBacon
    AndyJBacon Posts: 43 Member
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    Yeah, I like the small breakfast or lunch with a bigger dinner approach. Today breakfast was just under 400 calories, and lunch was about 350. Dinner was almost 750 calories, but that's okay, as I stayed under 1,500.
    I am so not hungry right now.
    Also, drink your water. I drink about 10 cups a day and only get hunger pangs about 5 min before each meal.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    How many calories are you eatin? This can be common when people aggressively cut calories or get foods that dont satiate (protein and fiber)
  • helenlovesruby
    helenlovesruby Posts: 39 Member
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    I'm eating 1600 cal per day, I try to eat protein rich lunch ( other wise I want to go to sleep) generally balanced and watching my sugar and white carb intake as I'm an addict! Balanced dinner with lots of vegetables
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Meal timing is personal, but when I don't have a heavy workout schedule three balanced meals and no snacks is what works for me. I violate all the so-called rules, though -- I get up early and eat breakfast around 6 am (an omelet with some other things -- I try to get around 30 g protein and a good many vegetables), have lunch around 12 pm, sometimes later, and then don't have dinner until 9. Often I have a little something extra after dinner, like ice cream or cheese (in a measured portion that fits in my calories). Eating so late is due to my schedule, and often right after a workout, but means I am never tempted to snack in the evenings.

    My biggest struggle is around 5 (I am at work), so if I work out earlier in the day or need something before a big evening workout I build in a planned snack or otherwise just make sure I am busy.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    I get, legitimately, hungry well before my lunch time (5-6hrs after breakfast, yay working a phone IT job) and usually end up having a snack of some sort to help curb the big hungry. I'd just make sure your meals have fiber/protein/fat to help combat serious food cravings. Lots of water, and listening to my body to determine if I'm actually hungry or boredom hungry/dehydrated helps too. If I'm hungry at night and I still have calories (sometimes if I don't, if it's real hunger) I'll portion out a snack to help. Most often my nighttime hungry isn't actual hunger.
    The whole thing about not eating late at night is because of a study that found people were making really poor food choices at night and consuming a lot of calories, but obviously, this means you have not been alone. :wink:
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    helenlovesruby wrote: »
    I've relapsed and gained 5 pounds mainly due to issues with sugar/ carb addiction. Back on mfp today. Was thinking of trying three healthy balanced and portion controlled meals per day. What do you think?

    Everyone is different. Personally, I would much rather prefer six to eight small portions throughout the day versus three generous portions as a "breakfast, lunch and dinner." This may be because I wake up at 5AM and go to bed at midnight, so in all reality eating three "meals" would make for a spacious "fasting" period in between. I've heard both can be successful though. It's all about the calorie intake and deficit when it comes to losing weight.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    Whatever works for you. As long as you have a calorie deficit it doesn't matter if you have 1 meal a day or 10.

    This. It's all up to your hunger signals and what you can keep up with.

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