Meals only, no snacks

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JDRN266
JDRN266 Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Anyone have better success with cutting out all in between meal snacking? I've lost 20 lbs since September 2016 (from 150 to 130) but lately I start snacking and I feel like it makes me want to snack more! I'm thinking to try bigger more filling meals and cut all snacks, or maybe just one late night snack. Any experience or advice?

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  • flaurier
    flaurier Posts: 20 Member
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    Congrats on your success-- but Isn't it more about calories in- calories out? It shouldn't matter when u consume the calories? If you want to include snacks maybe scale back on how big ur lunch/ dinner portions are?
  • patslitzker
    patslitzker Posts: 127 Member
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    It doesn't really matter when you get the calories. So whatever makes it easier to stick to your diet is the best choice.
  • JDRN266
    JDRN266 Posts: 9 Member
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    I know it's calories in vs out ultimately, I'm just wondering if my cravings and appetite might be better controlled without all the snacking.
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
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    Satiety is a very individual thing. Some control constant hunger and/or snacking by eating several small meals throughout the day, while others find that eating three larger meals per day keeps them feeling fuller for longer. I'm in the latter category, but you won't know what works for you until you try it.

    You might also want to starting eating more satiating foods (proteins, fats and fiber). Like meal timing, the satiety of different macros varies from person to person, so figure out which keep you feeling fuller for longer and incorporate more of that into your meals.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I do much better without snacking. Larger meals are more satisfying to me, I like the kinds of food I have at meals better than snacks, and eating throughout the day just makes me hungrier, as you said.

    It's personal preference, so finding what works for you and makes it easier is a good idea. I like focusing on just 3 meals, usually.
  • JDRN266
    JDRN266 Posts: 9 Member
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    OK looks like I'll just have to try it and see how it works for me. Thanks for the responses!
  • steph2strong
    steph2strong Posts: 426 Member
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    I started getting hungry in between meals and started snacking too. I was consuming snacks almost the same calorie allotment as my meals! I found by just increasing the amount I ate at each meal prevented my need to snack. Example.. adding 100 calories to my breakfast prevented a 300 calorie snack in between breakfast and lunch. I also found incorporating higher fat foods left me feeling fuller for much longer. I was consuming very low fat foods in order to get more bang for my buck out of the food I was eating, but it worked against me as I was constantly hungry, even though I ate very high protein.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
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    I don't snack anymore. I eat proper sized meals 4 or 5 times a day. Found it helps me because when I only had 3 meals + 2 or 3 or 4 snacks, I"d get hungry and then overeat at meal times or else choose stupid snacks and still be hungry - like - a "healthy banana bread" snack is like 400-500 calories when I could eat a whole proper meal for the same amount of calories and be fuller for much longer (like 3 hours instead of 30 minutes)
  • saberleigh
    saberleigh Posts: 9 Member
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    I was going to say what fernt21 did. I always felt hungry after eating my breakfast, lunch or dinner. So id oversnack between meals. Once I decided to incorporate my two snacks into my breakfast and the other snack into my dinner meal Ive felt more satisfied and dont feel hungry at all between meals. I eat breakfast at 5am. Lunch at 12pm and then dinner around 630pm or 7pm.
  • luckyme404
    luckyme404 Posts: 34 Member
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    I agree totally. Snacking has always been my downfall. If I fast between meals, I accomplish my goals. It seems like a little taste of food between meals always makes me want more and more and more. It doesn't matter what size meal I eat, if I nibble, I want more. So fasting between meals works very well for me.
  • JDRN266
    JDRN266 Posts: 9 Member
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    OK good it sounds like others have been through this too! Sometimes out of 1800 calories daily I'll have 900 in snacks alone! Thanks!!
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,306 Member
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    if it keeps you on track doing something new.. do it. It all comes down to finding a system that keeps you on track. congrats on your success so far. That is really great!
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    All kinds of meal plans can work, as long as they provide you with the right nutrition in the right amounts, you just have to find one that works for you. I ate 6 meals while losing, but I find 3 or 4 just as easy to stick to. The crucial part is that it's a meal structure - eating, followed by not eating. I gained weight because I ate too much, but I ate too much because I ate all the time.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    Cahgetsfit wrote: »
    I don't snack anymore. I eat proper sized meals 4 or 5 times a day. Found it helps me because when I only had 3 meals + 2 or 3 or 4 snacks, I"d get hungry and then overeat at meal times or else choose stupid snacks and still be hungry - like - a "healthy banana bread" snack is like 400-500 calories when I could eat a whole proper meal for the same amount of calories and be fuller for much longer (like 3 hours instead of 30 minutes)

    If I ate 4-5 times a day, I'd consider the meals snack sized!

    I prefer 2-3 meals with no snacks and find I feel less hungry eating this way than when I ate 5-6 times a day.
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
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    As far as snacks with smaller meals, or larger meals with no snacks, my body likes and does well either way.

    What's important for me is pairing high sugar/carb foods with fat and/or protein. I'm not someone who can eat an apple, for example, as a carefree snack. That'll just turn me into a hunger machine who wants more calories than I need. But if I pair that apple with cheese or nuts etc, I'm satisfied that day at my appropriate calorie level.

    So yeah, this is all somewhat individualized.
  • maggibailey
    maggibailey Posts: 289 Member
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    I have found I do better without breakfast when I'm cutting calories. If I eat a real breakfast I spend the rest of the day thinking about food. So I either skip it all together or have a small snack an hour before lunch, which is small so I can have a big dinner and a snack during my tv time :). All that to say, just fine the plan that makes you happy and roll with it. Your body doesn't care when you feed it just that you do.

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