3 meals a day or 6 small meals?

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  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,124 Member
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    mulberry_xoxo wrote: »
    I just want to know if you're supposed to eat 3 meals or 6 small? I've heard both and I'm getting confused. If you eat 6 small meals, what does that usually consist of? Should 1 be bigger than the other? Sorry if this is a dumb question! I just want to do this right! Thanks in advance :)

    Whatever one works for you and it helpful in sticking to your calorie goal.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    edited August 2016
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    You could eat all of your calories in one meal. You could spread them out and eat 20 times a day. Do what fits you and your lifestyle best. You lose weight from a calorie deficit not timing or number of meals.
    I eat 3 meals and 1-2 snacks. That is what suits me best.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Completely personal preference. I like 3 meals, breakfast is always light, lunch is more substantial and a big dinner. 6 small meals wouldn't satisfy me. But for some people, it's right.
  • Electric_Warfare
    Electric_Warfare Posts: 30 Member
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    Same here the 6 small meals leaves me feeling hungry the whole day.
  • jennypapage
    jennypapage Posts: 489 Member
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    i usually do 2 meals. breakfast & lunch/dinner and a snack in between. i feel full longer when i just eat 2 meals.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    up to you entirely. For me, 3 proper meals a day is adequate. If I snack, I am more likely to go over my calories, and generally I find I won't die if I have to wait a bit longer for a meal. Having a 'proper' meal that is filling and satisfying seems to do the trick for me. smaller meals just wouldn't cut it, but that's personal preference.
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
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    As everybody has explained, through a bit of trial and error you need to figure out what works for you. I like the B,L,D thing with healthy snacks in between. It allows me some flexibility for tweaking. For example, today I know I have to eat a smaller lunch because we're eating dinner out & the portion will be off. Since I have a tendency to eat with my eyes, I need extra calories for the larger dinner size.
  • RogerToo
    RogerToo Posts: 16,157 Member
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    mulberry_xoxo wrote: »
    I just want to know if you're supposed to eat 3 meals or 6 small? I've heard both and I'm getting confused. If you eat 6 small meals, what does that usually consist of? Should 1 be bigger than the other? Sorry if this is a dumb question! I just want to do this right! Thanks in advance :)

    Hi
    I have been working at maintaining for a while before the final push to Goal, So far 220+ pounds lost. I did it one 6 to 7 bits of food a day and still eat that way too. Doing this regime I have been around the same weight since January, Going up and down within a 5 pound range. Today for example the same weight as January.

    What I do is have a Banana before I go walking, Then a Protein shake and Breakfast entree of some kind. Then every 2.5 hours in this order the rest of my day goes as follows :)
    Mid Morning Snack, Lunch, Afternoon snack, Dinner and finally a evening Dessert. The Lunch and Dinners have plenty of Vegetables and Some 80 calorie Greek Yogurts and a Fruit with the meal entree. Total calories in my case are 1800 to 2000 calories per day.

    Good Luck
    Roger
  • RavenLibra
    RavenLibra Posts: 1,737 Member
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    It depends on you and your activity levels...ALWAYS eat breakfast... and pay attention to the macros... my preference is 3 "regular meals" with a snack in between both... IF it is a gym day (3x/week for me) I go after work, so I try to fuel that workout... ideally my former nutritionist recommended that you spend a few days analyzing your hunger on a scale of 1-10... 1 being starving.. 10 being Turkey Dinner full...and to keep the gauge between 4 and 6 ideally... SO.. however that works for you.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    mulberry_xoxo wrote: »
    I just want to know if you're supposed to eat 3 meals or 6 small? I've heard both and I'm getting confused. If you eat 6 small meals, what does that usually consist of? Should 1 be bigger than the other? Sorry if this is a dumb question! I just want to do this right! Thanks in advance :)

    There is no supposed to, just in a way that satisfies you. Personally, I prefer 4-6 meals a day, with breakfast being the most calorie dense. Some people just eat all their calories in one meal a day too.

    If you are losing weight at the rate you want, then you are doing it right. Eating at a calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight, everything else is fruit on hot wheat cereal (okay, it's breakfast time and this is literally what I'm eating right now. :D).

    Good luck!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    RavenLibra wrote: »
    It depends on you and your activity levels...ALWAYS eat breakfast... and pay attention to the macros... my preference is 3 "regular meals" with a snack in between both... IF it is a gym day (3x/week for me) I go after work, so I try to fuel that workout... ideally my former nutritionist recommended that you spend a few days analyzing your hunger on a scale of 1-10... 1 being starving.. 10 being Turkey Dinner full...and to keep the gauge between 4 and 6 ideally... SO.. however that works for you.

    As to the bold, that is preference as well. The only always to weight loss is a consistent calorie deficit.
  • BillMcKay1
    BillMcKay1 Posts: 315 Member
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    I like 3 meals and 3 snacks for myself. Keeps me feeling full. But, it is totally personal. Some people do better with 3 big meals.

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