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Eating 5x Day Weirdness
Replies
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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.
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
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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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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.
Since this is a big change for you, it's understandable that you would be thinking about food a lot more (what you called obsessing). Before, you just ate what and when you normally did and didn't think about it that much. Give it a few weeks and see how it goes. You spent the time and money to go to a dietician, so give that advice some time to see if it will work.
I believe that people's metabolisms and meal timing are very subjective. Not everyone is the same. Personally, I eat many times throughout the day (5-7 times). I actually eat a pretty substantial amount BEFORE working out because I have more energy for the workout. I've been told all kinds of things - I'd "burn more fat on an empty stomach" being the main advice. Might be scientifically accurate, but I tried it a few times and ended up feeling dizzy with a bad headache, so that didn't work for me. Like you, my husband is a big coffee drinker and doesn't normally eat before lunchtime. He's thin and fit, so that has been working for him so far. However, lately he's been having some stomach issues and has wondered if it might be due to so much coffee on an empty stomach. He's experimenting now with eating a smallish breakfast mid-morning and cutting back on the coffee a little. Baby steps to see what works.
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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.
Weight loss has nil to do with meal frequency and everything to do with eating at a calorie defict. Track/weigh your food, eat how you choose, stay in a defict and you will lose weight.
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