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How many meals a day.

dant4186
dant4186 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
you hear a lot about how many meals a day you should have some say 3 some say 4 5 6 right now my calorie intake is is 2100 calories a day and I could split that up to 703 or go with the 4 5 or 6 I go online and they say it doesn't matter but I'm just kind of curious what somebody else's opinion is on this.
Thanks David

Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Meal timing and frequency really don't matter. Do whatever works for you.

    I, personally, eat 3 meals a day, with snacks in the afternoon and a small dessert after dinner.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    Whatever works for you.

    I usually do breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack!
    I prefer eating more often vs. larger meals :smile:
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Pre-Workout
    Breakfast
    Mid-Morning Snack
    Lunch
    Dinner
    Late Snack

    5 or 6 for me. Late snack gets skipped if I don't have the calories left, but is typically used to finish out my fiber or protein macro for the day.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Personal preference. I eat 3 meals plus a mid morning snack. Tried to find some breakfast combo during the week that kept me from snacking, but haven't so I just include it.
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    Whatever works for you.
  • TangledThread
    TangledThread Posts: 312 Member
    Whatever works for you.

    I eat two times a day, sometimes a snack to push it to three. It turns out larger meals keep me full and happy for hours when eating small multiple times a day left me constantly hungry and hangry.
  • happyauntie2015
    happyauntie2015 Posts: 282 Member
    Do whatever you need to do as everyone is different

    I eat 3 meals a day for the most part and if hungry between meals I grab a snack that fitsy calories.
  • Emily3907
    Emily3907 Posts: 1,445 Member
    I eat when hungry and have pretty much broken away from traditional meal times and schedules.

    Some days I may not eat until 3:00 PM, others it may be a couple times a day. Just whatever floats my boat in the moment.
  • jessieleah
    jessieleah Posts: 204 Member
    I'm a big proponent of "do whatever works for you". With my work schedule, I find it works best for me to get up at 5 am and have coffee. I eat a small breakfast (~200 calories) around 6:30 or 7 am. Around 10:30-11 I'm generally pretty starving, so I have "lunch" (~300-350 calories). When I get home from work around 2 pm, I have my snack -- which is like second lunch calorie-wise (~another 300-400). Then dinner around 5-6 pm (around 400 calories), followed by a small treat like a square of chocolate. Ideally this will all add up to 1350 calories for the day.

    I'm a grazer and I work at a food joint, so I probably, in reality, add another 100-200 calories of snacking some days. Since I lowered my daily goal to 1350, it seems to have given me enough wiggle room to allow for these lapses in self control without sabotaging myself.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
    Personally, I eat one meal a day...sometimes I'll add a small second meal if I'm socializing or invited out for coffee/lunch.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    figure out what works best for you. Some people like a couple big meals, some people like several small ones. It doesn't make any difference other than what keeps you satisfied throughout the day.
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,669 Member
    Whatever pattern works...

    For me:
    Breakfast
    2nd Breakfast (snack preworkout)
    Lunch
    Dinner
    Evening Snack or Dessert
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    I eat lunch, dinner, and one or two snacks afterwards. It works for me. You should do whatever works for you.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,887 Member
    2 meals
    7 snacks ... sometimes 8 snacks.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Other opinions other than do what works for you doesn't matter.

    Do you.
  • bininj
    bininj Posts: 79 Member
    No set mealtimes for me. I eat little and often. When I'm at work I take lunch but just pick at it throughout the day. A full meal makes me feel bloated.
  • EricaCraigie
    EricaCraigie Posts: 1,396 Member
    5 meals :)
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,237 Member
    Definitely personal preference so do what you want. I personally have 3 meals on weekdays and usually a snack after dinner. Weekends I sometimes just have coffee when I get up and then one meal. I may or may not have snacks, it depends on what our plans are and what we are eating later. I really just play it by ear on the weekends.
  • maybe1pe
    maybe1pe Posts: 529 Member
    I have 2.... lunch and dinner. With a protein shake as a snack in the afternoon because I like it. Sometimes I don't even have lunch. It depends on how busy I get at work and if I actually feel hungry
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Do what suits you.

    I generally do 2 big meals (lunch and dinner), dessert, and a mini snack pre WO.
  • Reaverie
    Reaverie Posts: 405 Member
    I'm eclectic. All over the place. I can have bfast snack lunch snack dinner .. or skip everything till 2pm then have a snack before dinner and another after. Or skip breakfast and have no snacks at all but eat lunch and dinner. It depends on what I can handle at the time.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    It all depends on what works best for you. If you have a hard time getting it all in in 3 means, add another, still add another, if you end up overeating, take out one. A lot of use do 2-3 others 4-7. I myself have:
    Breakfast(main meal)
    Postworkout
    Pre work
    Coffee break meal
    Lunch(main meal)
    Second coffee break meal
    Pre bed meal(main meal)

    That's when I work nights. It changes a bit for days
  • HardcoreP0rk
    HardcoreP0rk Posts: 936 Member
    How many do you have time for ;)
  • arya8
    arya8 Posts: 316 Member
    3 meals and what seems like a million snacks a day.
This discussion has been closed.

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