Eating 3 square meals a day or eating every few hours???
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+1No science here but I go with the grazing model. I "feel" that quality snacking like an apple in the morning and some nuts in the afternoon "trick" my body into staying more in a burn mode rather than a conserve mode. All superstition aside when I am exercising at a high level in the mornings I just go bonkers without a snack.
You can't trick your body to do anything. It's very smart and is designed to compensate very well so something like an apple isn't going to somehow confuse it.
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3 meals or many small? How about the other one...... fasting. Mon, Wed & Fri I simply don't eat. I'm willing to bet I'm more healthy than those who eat every day
and I workout better as well. 0 -
pinkraynedropjacki wrote: »3 meals or many small? How about the other one...... fasting. Mon, Wed & Fri I simply don't eat. I'm willing to bet I'm more healthy than those who eat every day and I workout better as well.
How does that work? If I go more than 5 hours without food I am sick to my stomach haha0 -
Eat often but not too much. It boosts your metabolism!0
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That's a bold statement...pinkraynedropjacki wrote: »3 meals or many small? How about the other one...... fasting. Mon, Wed & Fri I simply don't eat. I'm willing to bet I'm more healthy than those who eat every day and I workout better as well.
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That's a bold statement...pinkraynedropjacki wrote: »3 meals or many small? How about the other one...... fasting. Mon, Wed & Fri I simply don't eat. I'm willing to bet I'm more healthy than those who eat every day and I workout better as well.
There is some interesting research out there about fasting, but yeah-pretty preliminary stuff. I did alternate day IF for my weight loss phase but even on my 'fasting' days I still ate between 300-500 calories a day.
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booombeeeem wrote: »Eat often but not too much. It boosts your metabolism!
Nope.0 -
Before, when I was going to the gym regularly with my trainer I ate every couple hours. Breakfast, handful of almonds, lunch...etc. Now that I am doing everything on my own at home I have been eating a good breakfast, lunch, dinner and sometimes I will have a snack depending on my hunger levels. My question is- is one way better than the other? Will my metabolism benefit the most by eating every few hours or does it matter? What works the best for you? Thanks!
It doesn't matter. How often you eat is a matter of personal preference, physical needs, and habit. Some don't like to eat shortly before going to bed because they don't sleep well on a full stomach, others sleep better having eaten just before bed. Some get hungry more frequently, others don't. Some have physical issues that are caused by eating too large of a meal so they benefit from frequent small meals. Many with blood sugar issues (diabetics, PCOS, etc) benefit from frequent small meals to balance blood sugars over the course of the day but it doesn't affect others. Others just don't like taking the time to eat so they would rather do it in two or three meals. Some have been eating several meals a day for years and just don't see any reason to change.
Whatever keeps you comfortable and happy is the right meal frequency for you. Elite athletes might benefit from eating a certain way to fuel their training and performance, but for most of us there is no difference, especially for weight loss.
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I am not a good snacker. It makes me hungry and snack more. If I eat three meals a day only, I don't binge as much.0
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Agree with the above posts. It doesn't matter. In the week I eat 5 times a day, but tend to eat 3 meals a day at the weekend - it doesn't make a difference. So long as I stop eating by 8ish so I'm comfortable when i sleep, I'm happy.
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Ditto...Sarasmaintaining wrote: »booombeeeem wrote: »Eat often but not too much. It boosts your metabolism!
Nope.
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I tried eating 6 times a day and couldn't do it. I was consuming more calories in snacks than I was in meals. I'm on 3 meals (~250cal breakfast, ~750 cal lunch, ~1000 cal dinner & night snacks). That's worked well for me and leaves me full after meals.0
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Can someone link the study that supports what everyone is saying?0
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Typically prefer smaller meals with snacks in between. It works better for me to never be "too" hungry.0
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I like three big meals with snacks in between.
(Can't imagine why I got fat, probably my non-kickstarted metabolism.)0 -
+1
That's a bold statement...pinkraynedropjacki wrote: »3 meals or many small? How about the other one...... fasting. Mon, Wed & Fri I simply don't eat. I'm willing to bet I'm more healthy than those who eat every day and I workout better as well.
So bold you even bolded it.0 -
I eat 5 times a day during the week. I sit at a desk all day long and tend to eat just because. So I eat at 8:30, 10:30, 12:30 and 2:30 while at work and consume most of my calories during that time. I eat a small dinner at 6pm. I try to drink 14 glasses of water a day which helps. On the weekends I eat 3 meals with my family. I don;t think it matters how I eat as long as I am eating within my macros. 0
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Geekymonkey99 wrote: »Can someone link the study that supports what everyone is saying?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3374835/
Here is one of probably many saying the same thing.
Only statistical difference between 3 meals and 14 meals was a slightly higher BMR in the ones only eating 3 times a day.0 -
colors_fade wrote: »No difference. I think the eating 6x/day idea came originally out of the bodybuilding nutrition world. In that case you're eating a fair bit more and it's easier to break up the meals a bit more. Somehow that started becoming the received wisdom given on diet plans generally, even if it doesn't make sense for those trying to cut.
Well, the bodybuilding community and Susan Powter. I remember that being her big thing: eat 6x per day.
Standard women's magazine dieting advice too.
It always bugged me, since I hate trying to eat constantly, and always want to eat more if I do, since I still want normal-sized meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Anyway, another personal preference person here, with my own preference being 3 meals or, on occasion depending on my workout schedule, 3 meals and an afternoon snack (my dinner is usually quite late). I find that if I eat the kind of meals I like I never get that hungry between meals such that I'd need a snack--indeed, I'm more likely to get hungry if I start adding in the snacks and making myself think I should be eating all the time.0 -
I like my three meals and I usually don't snack. I go too crazy if I do snack, and I really only get hungry three times a day. But it's really personal preference Do what works for you! 0
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Ha!stevencloser wrote: »
+1
That's a bold statement...pinkraynedropjacki wrote: »3 meals or many small? How about the other one...... fasting. Mon, Wed & Fri I simply don't eat. I'm willing to bet I'm more healthy than those who eat every day and I workout better as well.
So bold you even bolded it.
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stevencloser wrote: »Geekymonkey99 wrote: »Can someone link the study that supports what everyone is saying?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3374835/
Here is one of probably many saying the same thing.
Only statistical difference between 3 meals and 14 meals was a slightly higher BMR in the ones only eating 3 times a day.
Thanks for this!
It's very interesting! I eat three meals a day and try not to eat any snacks. I would eat a snack on days like today if I ate breakfast at 0500 and plan on working out (at 1100) before lunch (at 1200). That way I have enough energy to sustain me during my workout.
I tend to overeat if I am eating throughout the day.
It is very annoying when I am dealing with trainers or such and they tell me to eat every two hours. I do not have enough calories in my plan to do that feasibly and I will definitely eat too much if I try.0 -
stevencloser wrote: »Geekymonkey99 wrote: »Can someone link the study that supports what everyone is saying?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3374835/
Here is one of probably many saying the same thing.
Only statistical difference between 3 meals and 14 meals was a slightly higher BMR in the ones only eating 3 times a day.
Thank you so much! My friend and I discuss this and get nowhere because neither of us can support our theories and hearsay.
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Geekymonkey99 wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »Geekymonkey99 wrote: »Can someone link the study that supports what everyone is saying?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3374835/
Here is one of probably many saying the same thing.
Only statistical difference between 3 meals and 14 meals was a slightly higher BMR in the ones only eating 3 times a day.
Thank you so much! My friend and I discuss this and get nowhere because neither of us can support our theories and hearsay.
Thank you for sharing a link!0 -
6 small meals. With a nutritionist recommendation. Keeps me full n not want to binge :)n
645 am preworkout
(9 my after workout shake not for calories for muscles doesn't count as a meal)
1030 eggs n avacado
1 130 lunchish meat n veggies
330 ish beef jerky or nuts
6pm protien potato or rice veggies
1 hour before bed some nuts or free popcorn.
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My philosophy? Just listen to your body. I don't think it matters when or how often you eat as long as 1) you're eating at a deficit and 2) you're not letting yourself get too hungry, to the point that you're tempted to overeat. My boyfriend's content with three meals a day, maybe a nibble in between, but I need to eat every few hours or I risk getting "hangry." But we're both still able to lose weight~.0
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It really depends on my schedule. I kind of prefer more smaller meals just because my stomach tends to feel a little off if I eat too much at one time often. I have found I actually prefer feeling less full for staying alert and physically able, but that hasn't always been the case.
Do what feels best for your body and your schedule.0
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