Six Small Meals

No tips as I don't do it. I did it for the first six months of my weight loss, hated every minute of it as I was never satisfied with my meal size. Then I discovered there is no benefit to doing it unless it is an eating pattern that works for you. Here is a good write up on meal frequency http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/529002-a-compliation-on-meal-frequency

For me 3 meals a day is ideal. If you prefer six go for it. But, if you are simply going to six because many people say you have to, the reality is you don't. There is no difference in weight loss or metabolism between many small meals or few big ones as long at the total calories eaten remains the same.

There is zero caloric benefit, but that's how I eat. If I don't, I get more hungry between "meals". So I have a very small breakfast and eat my bagged lunch over the course of about 7 hours (10-5), then when I get home I have a sensible dinner and a bedtime snack/dessert.

This is the most effective way I've found to stay within my caloric budget, and it's the only reason I do it - my blood sugar stays more steady-state and I'm less hungry. In fact, I often find myself skipping parts of my lunch and having to make up the difference at supper.

Here's what I pack:
- One small turkey-and-cheese wrap in a wheat tortilla, cut in half.
- One quart bag about half to 3/4 full of various raw veggies I like.
- One each Apple, Banana, Clementine ("cutie").
- One of the teeny little tupperware containers with almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds.
- One large thermos hot coffee.

My general schedule:
- Drink the coffee when I get to work, sipping it and making it last until about 10-11.
- When I start getting a bit peckish, eat half the wrap.
- An hour later, eat the other half. This usually keeps me full until my workout at about 1-2PM
- After the workout: Eat the banana and, if I'm hungry for it, the nuts (always eat the nuts if I've been doing any weights for the protein).
- About 4-4:30, if I'm hungry for them, eat the apple and/or clementine.

I usually end up taking 1-2 things home. If I skip my workout, I won't eat the nuts and one of the pieces of fruit to save calories for a decent supper.

But, as several people have already said, there is really no health benefit to this. I just find it an effective tool to keep me from getting hungry, and eating this way has allowed me to be satisfied with much smaller meals, for example when I go out to eat - the concept of eating what I used to in one sitting is too much. So it's a tool I use to maintain better control over my overall caloric intake, not based on some mythical timing of calories being somehow beneficial.

I eat three main meals a day and enjoy them thoroughly, my snacks if I want them are fruit and the odd biscuit with my tea more than satisfied!

I eat small meals throughout the day, and like the above poster, this stops me from feeling hungry. My diary is open if you want to browse. I will warn you though, its far from perfect.

I eat 3 meals & at least 3 snacks a day. Although, my snacks and meals are usually around the same amount of calories. I've tried eating just 3 meals a day and i find that i'm constantly feeling hungry if i don't eat every 3 hours. I also don't feel as tired if i eat somethign small more often. I also try and eat lots of protein.

Feel free to add me as a friend.

I eat about 5 meals a day. Feel free to check my diary. No real rules, just stay within my allotment. I'm set at 1700, but I'm usually more close to 1800-1900. I don't mind going over since I usually burn between 800-900 calories thru exercise. Plus I'm under my TDEE. I like eating this way becuase just when im getting hungry its time to eat again! I space my meals starting at 8am - 8pm every 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

I prefer 3 decent meals a day with a couple of healthy snacks if I am really hungry or if my meal is going to be later for some reason. I try to choose for snacks, non fat/ low sugar yoghurt, a piece of fruit, a low calorie muesli type bar, or homemade low fat sweet or savory muffin. This has worked for me so far and I have lost over 26 lbs since February, and I have eaten out quite a bit as well, but try to cut back the next day as in, perhaps just fruit for lunch and veg soup and a roll for dinner but I NEVER miss a meal.

I also eat kinda small/er meals just because I do not like to cram in huge meals all at once because I get that aweful feeling of food coma and it makes me to lethargic for hours afterwards which can make it almost impossible to work out for me, so no thank you.

Breakfast
Shake
Lunch
Shake
Snack <--optional
Dinner

Edit: A guide line what to eat in can be in your macros, Protein/Carbs/Fat. Input food as you intake food and you can figure out what you can and cannot have. It can be kind of fun to play around with.

I think there are so many resources about nutrition it can be really confusing.

I personally enjoy eating 6 small meals, but that's hard to maintain on the weekends. I've been following the Venice Nutrition guideline by Mark McDonald where each meal is approximately 1/3 Fat, 1/3 Protein, 1/3 Carb.

I try to keep each meal around 250 calories. Eating this way keeps me from feeling hunger pains, it's curbed sugar and carb cravings. I'm also saving money because all of my meals are pre-planned. However, I can't say much about any weight loss (I blame my weekend binges). All I know is my calories are a lot less than what they used to be, I have a TON of energy (I need less sleep and I exercise a lot harder), and I'm not hungry (therefore not fantasizing about food). I'm sure the weight loss will happen for me, so I'm going to be patient with it.

Another good idea with eating 6 meals a day is varying your daily recommended carb intake. So for example reduce your daily

carb intake by half, the next day increase your daily carb intake by a half... repeat this day in and out but have one day where you

eat just your daily recommended carb intake...this helps keep your metabolism burning (body guessing) so you store less and

use more.....

My diary is open so you can see what my eating habits look like. I just get too hungry to go longer than 2-3 hours without eating.