Eating Frequency

[leaddog66]

Being that I am trying to maintain my strength (if not get stronger) while losing body fat I cannot miss meals or fast. My solution is to eat, all day long. Everyone I know asks me how I can eat so much, but the truth is this, I eat less than 2000 calories most days.

6 meals a day, minimum. Most days more like 8. None more than 300 calories, and nothing most people would call a meal. 2 eggs for breaskfast, 1/2 a chicken breast and a cube of cheese at 9, cheese stick at 11, tuna w/mayo or a plain hamburger w/mayo and lettuce at 12, another 1/2 breast and cheese at 2, 2 more eggs at 4, salmon and green beans (or similar) for dinner, a handfull of peanuts before bed. The important thing is that if I get hungry, I eat.

I know, this isnt a revelation. Its not my idea or even a novel approach. What it does is work for me. Skipping meals always made me eat more later on. I am more likely to forget to eat now than I am to overeat.

Reading over post after post, the one thing I see that makes me cringe is the limited number of times some people eat. I think by changing meal size and increasing frequency, a lot of hunger pangs could be eliminated.

[Terry-24]

You graze well. I need definite meals and a planned snack or I go off the rails, and then, no almond is safe (i.e., unconsumed).

Cheers--
Terry-24

[dane]

Eating smaller, more frequent meals works well for me, too. No magic in it; it doesn't affect your metabolism either way, but definitely helps with my appetite/stable blood sugar.

[cs_carver]

It's highly individual, tremendously dependent on the amount of fat consumed at meals, and there's evidence on both sides of the graze/3 meals arguments.

Personally, grazing drives me off the rails, and my overeating has nothing to do with hunger. The very fact that you are male tells me that your metabolism could work very different from mine, and so your findings aren't necessarily relevant to my experience.

I find the evidence as presented in Mastering Leptin for 3 meals no snacks compelling, and when I practice their suggestions, I do better. When I graze, I gain.

I've seen far too many fat people eating a "full meal" and calling it a "snack to raise my blood sugar because my doctor says I have hypoglycemia" to recommend grazing to anybody at all, in my experience.

[leaddog66]

I learned a new term today---Grazing. Makes sense I guess, just never heard it called that.

I just find it easier to eat just enough to knock down the hunger pangs. True, I never feel full, but Im never so full I hurt, never get tired after eating, energy stays constant, and for whatever reason, I sleep better at night.

It takes a lot of preparation. I cook every sunday for a couple hours, just for my weekly supply of food. I have my own shelf in the fridge just for my weekly food. Eating for the pleasure of it is no longer existent, I eat to make the hunger go away. On weekends I usually eat what I want, regardless of calories or content, but I find that more and more, I eat the same things as I do during the week. Most of the time I just maybe I use different seasonings like barbeque sauce or ketchup.

I dont think about food as much now either. No (or very few) cravings to speak of.

[cs_carver]

Eating for the pleasure of it is no longer existent, I eat to make the hunger go away.

I'm not very familiar with your plan, but I can vouch for the lack of hunger on the major low-carb, high fat plans. It's simply not an issue.

Most of the time I just maybe I use different seasonings like barbeque sauce or ketchup.

Both of these can often be VERY high in added sugar and particularly HFCS, which induces horrible feelings of "need to eat" in me. Often, "need to eat" presents as hunger, but it's not really. I have to avoid HFCS completely. YMMV.

[arc]

I'm someone who has eat limited meals. I don't feel well if I constantly have food in my stomach. My energy levels are great eating twice a day and much better than when I graze. There is some evidence that the body has less inflammation if fewer meals are eaten and that allowing the stomach to empty between meals (4-5 hours) results in better digestion and lower leptin levels.

As for weight loss, studies show it depends on how much you eat, not how frequently. There is no difference in weight loss in metabolic ward studies between those eating eight times a day and those eating once, with the same caloric levels. However, the body composition was better for those who ate less often (less lean tissue lost).

You gotta do what you gotta do, but don't cringe for those of us who eat less often.

[Demokat]

Some days I graze, other days I eat three squares, and still other days I eat two squares and a snack. As someone said above, it's dependent upon the amount of fat/protein that I've consumed. I find that I eat less on my 'beef' days because of the filling nature of steaks and burgers. My appetite is pretty low in general these days, even though I exercise pretty intensely. Protein and fat are filling so I guess I don't need as much food to feel good.

[leaddog66]

I cringe only because of how it makes ME feel to eat that seldom, I wasnt trying to judge anyone elses diet or lifestyle. Each of us needs to do what their body responds to best.

[+35-65]

I'm a grazer too. Chop up a bunch of veggies, poach some chicken, etc. every Sunday and I always have something quick and satisfying to grab. I usually hit my calories for the day around 4pm and then I'm done eating for the day.

Everyone is so different and needs to find the pattern that works for them. The one that makes them feel energized and satisfied. It feels really good when you find it, doesn't it!

[mike_d]

I found Fast-5 or Warrior a more anabolic diet for some reason. I have been able to double my weight reps and am losing fat. I also bike and find it easier when I am not always digesting. On the 3 hour diet I actually got more flabby. The 6 meals plan is a recommended one though by diet experts.

[deirdra]

Eating six 300-cal meals always left me hungry 2 hrs later and unsatisfied. Three 600-cal meals work better for my schedule, satiety & weight maintenance.

[leaddog66]

BUt isnt it cool that 2 hours later you can eat again!!! Thats my favorite thing about it! I guess my work schedule allows that frequency, so it works well for me.