How many meals a day

What works for me won't necessarily be the right plan for you, but since you asked I typically eat twice a day. One small meal/snack in early afternoon and the rest of calories at night.

janejellyroll wrote: »

The best number of meals is the number that makes it easiest for you to be in a calorie deficit.

Some people prefer three bigger meals, some prefer more frequent smaller meals. There is no one best way -- there's just the way that best matches your preferences and lifestyle.

Perfectly stated.

I'll just add that based on personal experience, it doesn't really matter for me one way or the other. Some days, I eat three square meals. Other days, I skip breakfast entirely and just eat two big meals and maybe a snack at night. I've even had days where I've eaten 4-5 small to medium sized meals. They pretty much all work for me.

I eat 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks. It keeps me from feeling bloated all day.

i am doing the same thing you are doing. Trying to lose fat and work out at the gym at the same time. My trainer told me 4-5 small meals a day. Protein, vegetables, occasionally some rice if I wanted. The more you "fuel" your body the better success at losing the fat we want to lose. Don't let your brain think that you are starving your body because it then wants to hang onto the fat. Keep it fueled and it will let go because it knows your going to feed it in a few hours.

tmize0403 wrote: »

i am doing the same thing you are doing. Trying to lose fat and work out at the gym at the same time. My trainer told me 4-5 small meals a day. Protein, vegetables, occasionally some rice if I wanted. The more you "fuel" your body the better success at losing the fat we want to lose. Don't let your brain think that you are starving your body because it then wants to hang onto the fat. Keep it fueled and it will let go because it knows your going to feed it in a few hours.

You can eat as few or as many meals as you like, and please eat a more varied diet than protein and vegetables!

I eat one large meal a day, occasionally I'll have a protein shake to break my fast a couple of hours prior to my meal. No snacks.

I try to eat 5-6times a day 200-250 calories at a time. I find this to satisfy me. I workout in the evenings so I try to save my last meal/ snack time for after. I eat high protein too I think that's what helps me the most.

Personally, I eat 2 big meals (lunch and dinner) and fill in other calories with snacks throughout the day whenever I feel hungry. I do most of my snacking at night. Yay for Ben and Jerry's.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

There is no right or wrong. What ever works best for you us what is best. I like 3 meals with a snack after dinner. At least on work days. On the weekends I play it by ear and sometimes just have one meal with some snacks.

I eat 5-6 times per day while breastfeeding, 4-5 when just losing. My husband can't eat at a deficit this way, and prefers to eat a light lunch, snack, and big dinner. It's whatever works for you and is easy to keep up with!

I found it easiest to break my meals up in 6 parts:

Pre-Workout (I work out fasted other than a pre-workout drink or coffee here)
Breakfast (Usually high in fiber, less than 400 calories and includes a protein shake)
Mid-Morning Snack (Usually somewhat high in protein if possible) again around 400 cals
Lunch (high protein lunch) - Calories.. 400-600
Dinner (Highest calorie meal of the day, 800ish typically, and yes, high protein)
Late Snack/Other Snacks (After dinner/before bed, usually 350ish calories, finish out my fiber for the day if possible)

My TDEE with exercise is around 2600 a day at the moment so there's room for these to fluctuate.

I didn't do it this way because it made me lose weight, I did it to keep myself satiated throughout the day, and to keep from being too full from any one meal. I wanted my tendency to overeat to go away, and for the most part that's helped. There are still a few days where I have pizza or some other food I don't eat regularly and I'll eat over 1000 calories for dinner. On those days I simply either skip the late snack or make it smaller to finish out my calories for the day.

As many as it takes