Eating 5x Day Weirdness

avygyaru
avygyaru Posts: 51 Member
edited November 14 in Health and Weight Loss
This is more of a poll than a search for advice.

I have been more of a coffee all day, real food after work type. I have to really make myself eat breakfast and lunch (food). I think all the coffee just killed me appetite until I felt a hunger pain.

So now that I've seen a dietician and have to eat 5 small meals per day, I feel like I'm starving between "meals."

So my question: Is anyone else out there going through this? Not really caring about food until being told to eat X amount of times.

I'm not sure if it's mental or if my small meals are too small or what. I feel like it's mental. Like now that I HAVE to eat it's constantly on my mind.
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Replies

  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
    Eating 5 smaller meals a day doesn't work for me. I think I tried six smaller meals a day (this was years ago I can't remember if it was five or six) And was starving.

    Oddly enough I just eat three times a day now and don't have that problem. Very rarely do I want / need a snack.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited January 2017
    Is there a specific reason why your dietician recommended that you eat five times a day?

    I have never had good results with eating more frequently -- it just makes me more hungry.
  • lorainas5
    lorainas5 Posts: 10 Member
    Eating smaller meals is building up your metabolism which is why you feel hungry a lot faster in between meals!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    That's exactly why I do not eat multiple mini meals. I would be thinking about food all of the time. Better for me to have 3 main meals and one snack before bed.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • sy_19440
    sy_19440 Posts: 55 Member
    It could be that you are thirsty and not actually hungry. Try drinking more water throughout the day. When I get like this I drink a glass of water and wait 30 minutes and if I'm still hungry at this point I'll have a snack that includes some type of protein.
  • lorainas5
    lorainas5 Posts: 10 Member
    Chef_barbell If it is not then please provide correct info.? Along with why it's not true.
  • lorainas5
    lorainas5 Posts: 10 Member
    edited January 2017
    N/a
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    I can't handle 5 small meals, as was recommended to me by my doctor a few years ago. I was always hungry and waiting until it was time to eat again. I gained more weight.

    I now eat two larger meals within my calorie range (no breakfast - I'm not hungry then). Rarely ever have snacks. This won't work for everyone just like eating every two hours doesn't, but it is optimal for me.
  • annaskiski
    annaskiski Posts: 1,212 Member
    lorainas5 wrote: »
    Eating smaller meals is building up your metabolism which is why you feel hungry a lot faster in between meals!

    This is baloney. ^^

    And yes, for many people, small meals like this are an appetizer.
    Read about Intermittent Fasting, which is what you have been doing.

    https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/fasting-a-history-part-i/

    IF is a great way to save your calories for dinner...


    There is a group here:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I eat three meals and a couple of snacks per day...I like doing that.
  • maybe1pe
    maybe1pe Posts: 529 Member
    I personally do intermittent fasting. I eat one meal a day (dinner) and the rest of the day only have coffee or water. I do not find it hard to do. I don't feel hungry at all during the day so I don't eat. There are also people who do a shorter fasting period like 16:8 or 18:6 and only eat lunch and dinner or a snack and dinner. And I'm sure there's people out there that only eat breakfast and lunch or whatever else.

    If you are meeting your calorie and macro goals and only eating once a day and don't feel deprived go for it. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything and therefore this work for me. I like to feel full and eating one meal a day (and often a small treat for dessert) works for me and I meet my goals.
  • avygyaru
    avygyaru Posts: 51 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Is there a specific reason why your dietician recommended that you eat five times a day?

    I have never had good results with eating more frequently -- it just makes me more hungry.

    Because I literally have coffee in place of food all day. "That cup could have been your hummus & veggies. That cup could have been an orange..." With the way I exercise, I should be losing weight so she wants me to work on my metabolism naturally since I have no known disorders.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    lorainas5 wrote: »
    Eating smaller meals is building up your metabolism which is why you feel hungry a lot faster in between meals!

    that is not how it works...
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    lorainas5 wrote: »
    Chef_barbell If it is not then please provide correct info.? Along with why it's not true.

    You made the claim. The onus of proof is on you.
  • annaskiski
    annaskiski Posts: 1,212 Member
    avygyaru wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Is there a specific reason why your dietician recommended that you eat five times a day?

    I have never had good results with eating more frequently -- it just makes me more hungry.

    Because I literally have coffee in place of food all day. "That cup could have been your hummus & veggies. That cup could have been an orange..." With the way I exercise, I should be losing weight so she wants me to work on my metabolism naturally since I have no known disorders.

    How many calories are you eating per day?
  • KatzeDerNacht22
    KatzeDerNacht22 Posts: 200 Member
    I prefer to eat 4-6 meals cos then I'm never hungry, I dunno if it aids the metabolism or not, there's opinions about that, and I do not care honestly, I am just happy I don't get hungry at all! :blush:

    Maybe it works for some people and not for others :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    avygyaru wrote: »
    This is more of a poll than a search for advice.

    I have been more of a coffee all day, real food after work type. I have to really make myself eat breakfast and lunch (food). I think all the coffee just killed me appetite until I felt a hunger pain.

    So now that I've seen a dietician and have to eat 5 small meals per day, I feel like I'm starving between "meals."

    So my question: Is anyone else out there going through this? Not really caring about food until being told to eat X amount of times.

    I'm not sure if it's mental or if my small meals are too small or what. I feel like it's mental. Like now that I HAVE to eat it's constantly on my mind.

    It sounds like you were underfeeding before...underfeeding can mess with hormones and hormones are what give you your hunger ques...this is why a lot of people who diet ultimately end up not "feeling" hungry on few calories...their hormones are messed up.

    Most people, when they increase calories, say, going to maintenance will feel increased hunger because those hormones are resetting.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    KatzeDerNacht22 wrote: »
    I prefer to eat 4-6 meals cos then I'm never hungry, I dunno if it aids the metabolism or not, there's opinions about that, and I do not care honestly, I am just happy I don't get hungry at all! :blush:

    Maybe it works for some people and not for others :)

    eating more frequently does not increase your metabolism, not an opinion that is fact.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    avygyaru wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Is there a specific reason why your dietician recommended that you eat five times a day?

    I have never had good results with eating more frequently -- it just makes me more hungry.

    Because I literally have coffee in place of food all day. "That cup could have been your hummus & veggies. That cup could have been an orange..." With the way I exercise, I should be losing weight so she wants me to work on my metabolism naturally since I have no known disorders.

    Are you drinking coffee all day and then in the evening eating a bunch?
  • lorainas5
    lorainas5 Posts: 10 Member
    I did read that one and that was based off of one study for selected people. Would you have anything that is a standard for every person? I really am asking to be educated not trying to be difficult. I like learning new things!
    My response was only based personal experience and relative information. My father has been a competeing bodybuilder majority of his life and is very dedicated to healthy eating and prepping. Also, from my personal experience I notice that I am hungry sooner when eating smaller meals.
  • ShammersPink
    ShammersPink Posts: 215 Member
    edited January 2017
    What is in your coffee? If you had a lot of added stuff in it, that might have been quite a lot of calories without a very good nutritional balance, so she might be trying to address that - have you eat a more balanced diet through the day.

    But if multiple small meals make you feel rubbish, and if you've given it a try for long enough, then perhaps you should try a different approach. Even just yer standard 3 meals a day.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    OP, how many calories are you eating and what are your stats (height, weight, any health issues)? For how long have you been only eating at night, and is it a large meal?

    While some every-day things can cause minor variations in how many calories you burn, none of them should have kept you from losing any weight at all.

    For example, a number of people here do intermittent fasting where they only eat during a small portion oft he day (some even only one meal) and they lose weight on the same amount of calories they would if they ate on a more typical meal schedule.
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