Eating 5x Day Weirdness
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Ndj1979 If you read my comment for full understanding, never did I say my info./knowledge was given by a dietitian.0
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I can see the dietician's suggestion working if the issue is that the OP has nothing but coffee all day and then goes home and overeats.2
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I can see the dietician's suggestion working if the issue is that the OP has nothing but coffee all day and then goes home and overeats.
Or, as someone above mentioned, has a lot of creamers, etc in her coffee.
I.e. she's getting a lot of calories in her coffee.
OP, weight loss is only about calories. Nothing else.
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My optimum is 30-60 min cardio in the morning first thing then a light breakfast (100-300 cals) and lunch (300-500 cals) followed by a heavier dinner (600-900 cals). Snacks in between according to my burn for the day. Do what feels right for you but also experiment with it to find your optimum state, you may notice things like improved or stabilized mood, increased productivity, and better sleep...or you may experience ravenous hunger and inability to sleep. Find what works for you.0
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You are correct in misread. Ndj19790
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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.
This is a common misperception. With your old regimen, did you use a digital food scale and log everything you ate?
If you like larger meals later, that's fine. What's critical is the total amount of Calories In and Calories Out. (CICO)
ps - maybe it's the macros of your new meals making you hungry - I can't eat just an orange, I need protein and fat to balance it out.3 -
OP, if you are drinking less coffee now it is also possible the caffeine in the coffee was suppressing your appetite and you are noticing a difference now that you are consuming less.2
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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!
Maybe it works for some people and not for others
To be clear, no one is saying you SHOULDN"T eat 4-6 meals. Just that there doesn't seem to be a reason for the dietician to tell the OP to do so. If eating this way works for you and helps with your weight loss, then by all means go for it. It doesn't speed up or slow down your metabolism, but if it is working there is no reason to change. A lot of times people get told to eat in ways for no real logical reason, just because "someone" heard it was a good idea. Then they struggle to eat in that fashion, get grumpy and give up. Better to find what works for you and keep to your daily/weekly calorie limit.
In short, keep doing what works for you and enjoy.0 -
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.
Just know that there is a lot of bad information out there. Meal timing, frequency etc. has no direct relationship to weight loss, assuming you are eating the proper number of calories in total. One thing to be careful of is to take advice geared for one purpose (competitive bodybuilding) and assume it works as a general rule. And to answer the question, no there is not one standard for all people, outside of eat less calories than you burn to lose weight.1 -
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.
No offence to your dad, but I don't think what bodybuilders put themselves through is necessarily healthy or based on science. (I compete too...).
The supplement industry was massive in pushing the 5 meals a day idea - keep your metabolism firing and stop your muscle wasting away! Sounds great. But who has time to prepare and eat that many meals? Fill the gaps with supplements instead! Perfect solution (for money making supp companies)
OP, I think a dietitian should be working with you to do something that works for you. If you can eat a nutritionally balanced diet in less meals you might be more satisfied? I also feel hungry (and constantly think about food) on lots of meals - I prefer bigger meals so save my calories for later in the day.1 -
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?
Yep. I always thought I could just not eat early so I could have what I want when I get home. Clearly, I thought wrong lol. People keep saying CICO but it's more than that.0 -
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?
Yep. I always thought I could just not eat early so I could have what I want when I get home. Clearly, I thought wrong lol. People keep saying CICO but it's more than that.
Timing doesn't matter. There are some very successful folks on here who eat all their calories in one meal a day. If you're not comfortable with the plan you're on, then ask your dietitian to do something different.2 -
i can do the 3 meals and 2 snacks.
generally i prefer two larger meals and a snack or two1 -
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.
I've been eating that way primarily for a few years. The messed up part is that I love healthy foods but my portion control is crap by default. Knowing that, I chose to "save" my calories.
as for stats, I'm 6ft way more than 250# and aside from anxiety/depression I'm healthy, just fat. I was maintaining but not losing probably because I'm pretty active. But I foolishly took the advice of the internet and changed my calorie goals to TDEE -500. That was the worst mistake ever. Now I'm at 1700 call and that will go down as I lose weight.0 -
Oh but you guys, seriously. This was just a post to see if the 5 small meals/snacks thing generally makes people hungrier or if I am just obsessing.1
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Oh but you guys, seriously. This was just a post to see if the 5 small meals/snacks thing generally makes people hungrier or if I am just obsessing.
Honestly, there will be no pat answer for this. For some it will work great, others couldn't do it. If it is an issue for you, then try something else.5 -
People are just trying to help you. If you seriously want to lose weight, I would follow the CICO. It works. And if you need more calories, add in exercise to allow yourself the ability to eat more. I'm studying to be a nutritionist and I'm going to tell you that you're wasting your money on this dietician. I'm not sure where they studied but their info is not right.1
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I eat 5 times a day and it works for me. I used to not eat until lunch, then I'd eat a big lunch (I fell prey to the hype of "eat a bigger lunch and a smaller dinner to lose weight") and a smaller dinner. It was stupid but I did it for years. I'd drink coffee all morning and into the afternoon. I had to force myself to start eating breakfast as well when I began my weight loss journey, and honestly for a while I couldn't do it. My stomach just wasn't used to food being thrown at it before it had adequate amounts of liquids (including the caffeinated variety). Somewhere along the way I found that if I exercised early in the morning nobody bothered me, and I always got done what I wanted to get done. So now I get up very early, drink some water, coffee, or a pre-workout (sometimes a combniation or all of those things), then after I've woken up about 30 minutes later I'll start my workout. I work out for 1.5 hours, then take a shower, get ready for work and eat breakfast before leaving for work. Mid-Morning I eat a snack of some sort, usually high protein if possible - no junk food. For lunch I also eat a high protein meal, medium calories. Same for dinner, but I allow dinner to be a bit larger. Then before bed in the evenings I allow a simple snack less than 600 calories. I am in maintenance so I have about 2500 calories or more a day to play with to maintain my weight so it doesn't work for everyone. For me moving to 5ish meals a day was the only way to spread out my protein intake so it was easier to digest, and avoid being so hungry at lunch that I would over eat. All of this took time to get used to.1
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missteena88 wrote: »People are just trying to help you. If you seriously want to lose weight, I would follow the CICO. It works. And if you need more calories, add in exercise to allow yourself the ability to eat more. I'm studying to be a nutritionist and I'm going to tell you that you're wasting your money on this dietician. I'm not sure where they studied but their info is not right.
I get that. I understand people think they are helping. Some people really are trying because they lost and X worked for them. But seriously, listening to internet advice has not been helpful. It's time I tried listening to doctors who have my medical history and current info to consider. CICO has not worked for me, regardless of measuring cups and scales being used. I am not trying to just lose weight. My goal is to be strong and healthy-- not skinny fat.
And It's not that I don't appreciate well-intended advice, but that's not at all what I asked for (because I am making a conscious effort to leave that part to the professionals).
As an aside, this forum needs a survey/poll function.2 -
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?
Yep. I always thought I could just not eat early so I could have what I want when I get home. Clearly, I thought wrong lol. People keep saying CICO but it's more than that.
Yeah, it is very easy to overeat when you are super hungry. And it's possible to down a lot of calories in a very short period of time without even thinking about it too much. Been there, done that.
If you want to try 5 meals, I'd suggest making 2 or 3 bigger and then having 3 or 2 small snacks. Getting more of a full feeling a couple times a day may help.
Good luck!
(And I agree about the survey option.)0 -
OK then, my vote is I eat 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks a day, and no it doesn't make me hungry. I get hungry if I don't eat.
As far as the hunger issue, perhaps make sure you have enough protein and fat (and fiber) to make each meal more filling.
I'm not going to get into the other stuff you said because you seem to have your mind set, except to say... CICO isn't "advice from the internet". It is literally the math formula for how you lose or gain weight. If calorie counting didn't work, your numbers were off somehow, but that's not CICO, that's calorie counting. But if you are working with medical pros and trust their judgement, best of luck and I hope you get where you want to go :drinker:7 -
There is absolutely no reason to stop eating this way if it is comfortable for you. Just make sure you hit your calories, protein and fats.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.
I could never eat early on...makes me feel ill or ravenous. I chose to eat a pre-workout, then supper, then dessert. Works for me, but that may make someone else hungry. Count the creamer in your coffee.
However, if you find yourself binging when you get home, may be a better idea to have one meal during the day, pre-log your meals/snack for the day and pre-weigh and pre-package some snacks so that you are not blindly eating. Count the creamer in your coffee towards your calories.
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missteena88 wrote: »People are just trying to help you. If you seriously want to lose weight, I would follow the CICO. It works. And if you need more calories, add in exercise to allow yourself the ability to eat more. I'm studying to be a nutritionist and I'm going to tell you that you're wasting your money on this dietician. I'm not sure where they studied but their info is not right.
I get that. I understand people think they are helping. Some people really are trying because they lost and X worked for them. But seriously, listening to internet advice has not been helpful. It's time I tried listening to doctors who have my medical history and current info to consider. CICO has not worked for me, regardless of measuring cups and scales being used. I am not trying to just lose weight. My goal is to be strong and healthy-- not skinny fat.
And It's not that I don't appreciate well-intended advice, but that's not at all what I asked for (because I am making a conscious effort to leave that part to the professionals).
As an aside, this forum needs a survey/poll function.
Wrong... CICO works for everyone. Science.6 -
Do you put anything in your coffee or do you drink it black?
What are your stats (age, height, current weight)? How many calories were you consuming before? How many do you consume when eating 5 times a day?
I suspect your dietician figured replacing some of the coffee (especially if you take it with cream/creamer and sugar) with actual food might help you nutritionally, and perhaps prevent over eating when you get home in the evening. But you really haven't offered up enough info.
Personally, I do best on two larger meals and a substantial snack. I skip breakfast (because I'm hungrier at night than in the morning).
Exercise doesn't really help with weight loss unless and until you have the calories in part of the equation under control.2 -
I've lost all my weight eating multiple small meals. No one told me to, I just played with my eating plans over time until I found what worked for me. I know people who eat ONE meal a day, and that works for THEM. Your daily calories are yours to use in a way that works for you. If you are always starving, this is a huge sign that you need to play around with what you eat and when you eat. Think long term and make changes for life.3
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Chef_Barbell wrote: »missteena88 wrote: »People are just trying to help you. If you seriously want to lose weight, I would follow the CICO. It works. And if you need more calories, add in exercise to allow yourself the ability to eat more. I'm studying to be a nutritionist and I'm going to tell you that you're wasting your money on this dietician. I'm not sure where they studied but their info is not right.
I get that. I understand people think they are helping. Some people really are trying because they lost and X worked for them. But seriously, listening to internet advice has not been helpful. It's time I tried listening to doctors who have my medical history and current info to consider. CICO has not worked for me, regardless of measuring cups and scales being used. I am not trying to just lose weight. My goal is to be strong and healthy-- not skinny fat.
And It's not that I don't appreciate well-intended advice, but that's not at all what I asked for (because I am making a conscious effort to leave that part to the professionals).
As an aside, this forum needs a survey/poll function.
Wrong... CICO works for everyone. Science.
Unless you're tracking everything meticulously, really are at a deficit and still aren't losing. Then, it's not a dietician you need to see, but a doctor, because something is wrong.1 -
Eating smaller meals is building up your metabolism which is why you feel hungry a lot faster in between meals!
This isn't true.
Op meal timing /frequency is a preference thing. I personally like eating 2 larger meals and one afternoon snack. Others prefer to eat more frequently. No right or wrong way-figure out what works best for you 0 -
missteena88 wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »missteena88 wrote: »People are just trying to help you. If you seriously want to lose weight, I would follow the CICO. It works. And if you need more calories, add in exercise to allow yourself the ability to eat more. I'm studying to be a nutritionist and I'm going to tell you that you're wasting your money on this dietician. I'm not sure where they studied but their info is not right.
I get that. I understand people think they are helping. Some people really are trying because they lost and X worked for them. But seriously, listening to internet advice has not been helpful. It's time I tried listening to doctors who have my medical history and current info to consider. CICO has not worked for me, regardless of measuring cups and scales being used. I am not trying to just lose weight. My goal is to be strong and healthy-- not skinny fat.
And It's not that I don't appreciate well-intended advice, but that's not at all what I asked for (because I am making a conscious effort to leave that part to the professionals).
As an aside, this forum needs a survey/poll function.
Wrong... CICO works for everyone. Science.
Unless you're tracking everything meticulously, really are at a deficit and still aren't losing. Then, it's not a dietician you need to see, but a doctor, because something is wrong.
It still works. Medical conditions just change the parameters of the needed CI to CO ratio. Once it's figured out, then weight loss occurs.
Edited for typo3 -
Food was nauseating in the morning & I only ate twice a day for years, sometime once a day. People told me i wasn't loosing weight because it slowed down my metabolism. I started making myself eat (smoothie) for breakfast, it was hard (or i eat oatmeal not) I started doing this when i joined mfp last June. I feel SO much better. I'm not hungry, before I was starving by the time I ate, I have more energy & have been loosing weight0
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