How many meals for weight loss?

TavistockToad wrote: »

Glittzy321 wrote: »

So read some articles and some were saying eat 3 meals and 1 snack and others were saying eat 6-8 small meals. I’m actually so confused! What’s the best way for fat loss?

Eat in a calorie deficit.

1 meal or 17, makes no difference.

^ yep

Personal preference, absolutely. I very strongly prefer 3 meals (1 small, breakfast - and 2 larger, lunch and dinner). I am most satisfied that way. When I have smaller frequent meals aka snacks, I just feel like I am constantly grazing and never quite full. I also like that my 3 mealtimes coincide with most of the people around me so it's very convenient for things like work lunches, traveling with a group, etc.

For me, cutting out the "option" to snack between meals really helps me control my calorie intake. I have lost well over 100 this way and maintained for 5 years so far.

However, I know many people who prefer mini meals all day long or 3-5 meals per day and succeed doing that. I also know people who only eat 1 or 2 times per day and are happy with that, too. It's all up to what works for you. I do think it can be important for some people to take into consideration their blood sugar levels, but that's not true for everyone. If I wake up at 6 am but don't eat something by 10 am, I feel nauseous and not hungry which may sound like a positive thing but it's not...it is unpleasant.

Eat in away that keeps you full and happy and best able to eat within your calorie deficit. for some it's one meal a day, or short eating windows. some eat 3 meals a day. I eat 6x a day. what works for one won't work for another.

mangofish44 wrote: »

6-8 meals is NOT way to go. Never gives your body a break to disgust and constant spiking of insulin levels.

Why would eating more cause weight loss? 3 meals with as limited snacking as possible

i lost 100lb twice and most recently 50 eating 6x a day.

Whatever works for you, meaning whatever stops you from feeling too hungry throughout the day and fits into your calorie allocation.

Chrismadison100 wrote: »

I have seen recommendation of 5 meals a day, preferably with some protein. Breakfast is important because it gets the "engines burning".

Nope - the engines are always burning as long as you are alive and breathing. There is no way to speed up/jump start/etc your metabolism outside of exercise and some highly illegal supplements. As for meal count, that's simply a matter of personal preference.

I'm new on this forum and I have always been a 1-2 meals a day person, which I know isn't healthy. I'm trying to eat three meals a day and sometimes a snack.

Because of a lifetime of skipping breakfast and usually lunch, my body isn't used to food in the morning. I'm adding breakfast and lunch to my daily habits, and I'm trying to roughly balance my calories between the three meals. So far, dinner is still my biggest meal.

Eating 6 meals a day is what I did several years ago on Medifast. I didn't like it. It seemed to create a food obsession with me. I couldn't wait to get to the next little meal. This time, I'm not doing a diet, but a lifestyle change and I'm trying to plan my meals but not obsess about them.

Glittzy321 wrote: »

So read some articles and some were saying eat 3 meals and 1 snack and others were saying eat 6-8 small meals. I’m actually so confused! What’s the best way for fat loss?

Whatever works for you!