How many meals a day do you do?

SuperVegan8
SuperVegan8 Posts: 78 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I had some interesting results lately. What im finding is the more meals i eat the more weight im losing. That doesnt mean im eating 40% more calories so let me quantify....

I used to eat Breakfast, Lunch and dinner with the odd snack in between. I often found i'd snack on anything that was around and usually not of a healthy variety (chips, cake, chocolate or whatever is on hand at the office).

I now plan and eat Breakfast, Morning Tea, Lunch, Afternoon Tea and Dinner - meaning im eating all day (and im never hungry) and because im planning each meal im eating the right kinds of food not rubbish. My morning and afternoon tea are usually fruit or veggies (and low calorie) and im finding i can actually eat more fresh fruit and vegies whist still eating the foods i like for main meals (in smaller portions or modified recipies).

I just wanted to share what ive found and Im keen to hear what others do and to see what results people have had.

Replies

  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    Glad you found what works for you :]

    I prefer 2 meals a day and skip breakfast. I ate all my calories within a 4 hour period today. I probably could do one giant meal but I don't want to scare my roommate away xD
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
    I eat 6 times a day, and it works great for my. I can't seem to fit more than 400 calories in my stomach at a time so I shoot for 300-400 calorie meals and 150-250 calorie snacks/tea. I never feel deprived, am eating all the time, and always manage to hit my macros.
  • epoint
    epoint Posts: 88
    I've been in maintenance for about 8 months now, and I no longer log my calories although I do weigh daily. I eat when I'm hungry regardless of what the clock says, and that usually ends up being 5 or 6 times a day. I don't eat a lot at any given time, and that seems to be the key for me. It's only when I get really hungry that I overeat, so this is what works for me.
  • gary8964
    gary8964 Posts: 69
    I do a small breakfast Monday thru Saturday, A big Breakfast on Sunday (my treat to myself). During the week, my main meal is lunch (i'm a second shifter). I take healthy snacks to work with me and munch on them throughout my shift. a small snack wen I come home completes the day. On the weekends it,s about the opposite. Its what works for me.
  • DannyMussels
    DannyMussels Posts: 1,842 Member
    Usually 3 or 4.

    I get up, have breakfast (usually oatmeal). Then workout..small shake and get ready for work.

    my lunch is usually a pot of soup and whatevers lying around (i cook all day, and dont really feel like cooking for myself) then I take the rest of my food to work in a smoothie. I estimate them to be anywhere from 600-1000 calories.

    Occasionally I eat eggs at work, or a hamburger.
  • alyson820
    alyson820 Posts: 448 Member
    Breakfast and dinner with two snacks between. I've heard eating many small meals is better for you, but my schedule won't allow it.
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
    2 meals a day, sometimes just one meal.
  • lady_tanya
    lady_tanya Posts: 6
    I used to try to eat 6 mini meals a day, but I always ended up quitting because I'm just too lazy to make that many meals, the worst part was the amount of dirty dishes!

    I've actually recently discovered intermittent fasting. If you aren't familiar, I fast for 16 hours (for me 11pm until 3PM the next day, eating between 3pm and 11pm) and then have 1 mini meal and 1 giant meal 4 hours later, followed an hour after that by a dessert usually including a fruit and chocolate pudding, to ensure i go to bed feeling full and the last taste of the day is of my favorite food, chocolate! eating 1000 calories in a meal can be a challenge, a delicious one, difficult to eat it all, let alone eat too much. which i did often when faced with 6 meals of 250 calories, and were never satisfying for me. plus the bonus is it's very easy to stick to as long as I count calories, i can eat and indulge pretty easily as long as i watch the portion size.

    i find it awesome that such different strategies can reach the same result, weight loss. do you eat your fruits and veg raw or prepared? any low calorie ideas for tasty vegetables are always welcome by me as I've always hated them and trying to adjust my palate, if that's even possible. hehe

    thanks for sharing and keep up the good work.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    I eat every couple hours ... and before anyone says a word, I don't do it because it "boosts my metabolism" or whatever. I do it because it helps keep my blood sugar stabilized and I just feel better. I'm never hungry, no more headaches from not eating, etc.


    My meals don't tend to be very big since I'm eating so often. I might have cream of wheat and coffee, and a couple hours later have a yogurt, and a couple hours later have a sandwich with something crunchy (like baked chips) and then I'll have some cottage cheese, etc.
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
    Breakfast and dinner with two snacks between. I've heard eating many small meals is better for you, but my schedule won't allow it.

    Don't worry about it, many small meals isn't better for you than bigger meals.

    I usually eat lunch and dinner, twice a week I fast until dinner time.
  • almonds1
    almonds1 Posts: 642 Member
    6-8 or so
  • JoniBologna
    JoniBologna Posts: 653 Member
    Most days, six.
  • reedkaus
    reedkaus Posts: 250 Member
    i find 4-5 good for me, and depending on the day work in a 6th one. all the meals gravitate around 400 kcals, and i've noticed the same thing. one thing i've learned is there is a difference between a snack and a meal, and according to tom venuto, that difference is making sure your meals are composed of a good carbohydrate, and a lean protein. they compliment each other in your digestive system, and give you longer lasting energy, according to his book anyway. i've been trying to live by it, and i tell you what, i've been feeling a lot better
  • thekateb
    thekateb Posts: 45
    for most of my life I have been a lunch, dinner and snack after dinner eater. When I joined MFP at the beginning of the year I wanted to be" healthier" so I started trying to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with 2 snacks. I find that even when I do this I still want to eat after dinner but all my calories have already been used up. I am not even hungry until lunch so....I just decided today that I am switching back to my old times of eating but I will just continue to eat the healthy foods I have been eating. We'll see how it goes.....
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    As long as I get all my calories in and the macros good, it doesn't matter to me. I normally like to eat 4-5 times a day, but that's because no matter how big or small the meal happens to be, about 3 hours later I am hungry again. So I space out my food according to how many hours I plan on being awake cause a rumbling stomach sucks...
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
    for most of my life I have been a lunch, dinner and snack after dinner eater. When I joined MFP at the beginning of the year I wanted to be" healthier" so I started trying to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with 2 snacks. I find that even when I do this I still want to eat after dinner but all my calories have already been used up. I am not even hungry until lunch so....I just decided today that I am switching back to my old times of eating but I will just continue to eat the healthy foods I have been eating. We'll see how it goes.....

    Which is why I'm opposed to the whole "you have to eat 6 meals a day" thing some people push. People should just eat what is comfortable and natural for them :)
  • Kimmy0905
    Kimmy0905 Posts: 12 Member
    I usually just do breakfast, lunch, dinner & dessert (usually low-fat yoghurt & peppermint tea). I need something sweet after dinner so I just add the yoghurt into my calorie intake kind of like a snack.
  • nickyfm
    nickyfm Posts: 1,214 Member
    Breakfast
    Snack
    Lunch
    Snack
    Dinner

    So 5 :) main meals is anywhere up to 350 cals, and snacks are anywhere up to 150 each. Keeps me feeling satisfied with quantity, frequency and variety. (Also diminished my insulin resistance! :) )
  • HeidiRene
    HeidiRene Posts: 335 Member
    When I was thin I never ate breakfast and usually had a very small late lunch and then ate the majority of my calories at dinner. I am aiming for a similar schedule as I lose this weight I have packed on in the last 6 months. For me, personally, I have tried eating breakfast and small meals etc; however, (again for me - I am not judging) regardless of what I eat early in day I will eat just as much at dinner. As a matter of fact, the less I eat during the day usually leads to me not overeating at night. (I like to keep up the progress I think.) Don't know if it's pyschological or physical but that's what worked for me in the past so that's how I roll. Moral of the story: experiment and then listen to your body and do what works for you!
  • MrsAngelique
    MrsAngelique Posts: 164 Member
    I have 2-3 meals a day and 1-2 snacks. What I do is train my body to eat less at a time and feel full at the same time by drinking 2 glasses of water with my meals. I drink 2 full cups of water first thing in the morning. Then I have a 200-300 Calorie breakfast with a cup of coffee. Then I have a fruit or a fruit with 4 oz. of cottage cheese and a slice of ham. I have a 300-400 calorie lunch but usually divide it in two meals. This helps my metabolism to burn it all off. I then have a snack and a light dinner if any dinner at all or just some more water or coffee to keep me full. My calorie intake is 1200 and this works for me.
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
    I have a 300-400 calorie lunch but usually divide it in two meals. This helps my metabolism to burn it all off.

    I don't mean to be rude, but you could probably eat it all at once, either way... dividing it up doesn't mean your metabolism will magically burn it all off. Your body doesn't work that way.
  • thekateb
    thekateb Posts: 45
    When I was thin I never ate breakfast and usually had a very small late lunch and then ate the majority of my calories at dinner. I am aiming for a similar schedule as I lose this weight I have packed on in the last 6 months. For me, personally, I have tried eating breakfast and small meals etc; however, (again for me - I am not judging) regardless of what I eat early in day I will eat just as much at dinner. As a matter of fact, the less I eat during the day usually leads to me not overeating at night. (I like to keep up the progress I think.) Don't know if it's pyschological or physical but that's what worked for me in the past so that's how I roll. Moral of the story: experiment and then listen to your body and do what works for you!

    I find this to be very true for me. Eating breakfast seems to lead to more eating in general for me. Everytime I try to eat 5-6 times a day I seem to gain weight!
  • MrsAngelique
    MrsAngelique Posts: 164 Member
    I have a 300-400 calorie lunch but usually divide it in two meals. This helps my metabolism to burn it all off.

    I don't mean to be rude, but you could probably eat it all at once, either way... dividing it up doesn't mean your metabolism will magically burn it all off. Your body doesn't work that way.

    Yes, I guess I could eat it all at once but chose not to. I have noticed that by diving it in two I stay full longer and/or fill my hunger craving without adding the extra calories. Also I read that our body only produces so much to burn off at a time and if we stuff our stomachs with more than our metabolism can burn off than that our body stores that as fat. I may be wrong but this is what I have read and been told.

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