How often do you eat?

When I'm hungry. :)

Some days I eat 5 or 6 times a day. Sometimes it's 2 or 3. It just really depends.
 
Yeah, that is how it is for me some days. I just really try not to skip meals, even if I am not hungry, because I don't want to mess up my metabolism, but I figure if I am never hungry then it makes it easier to not binge out from starvation, which is why I usually fail at eating right.
 
During the week, 5 or 6 times a day if you count a couple of very small snacks at work (usually 30-100 calories). On the weekend we tend to have larger meals, so it winds up being more like 3.
 
I ate my "lunch" at 9am this morning and I won't get around to supper until about 9pm tonight...I'm starving! But it doesn't matter how often you eat, you're not going to "mess up your metabolism".
 
aravind82 said:
I ate my "lunch" at 9am this morning and I won't get around to supper until about 9pm tonight...I'm starving! But it doesn't matter how often you eat, you're not going to "mess up your metabolism".
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I was saying if I skip meals I will probably not meet my calories, so I will mess up my metabolism, not the eating frequency messing it up.
 
I eat a small amount every 2-2.5 hours. It keeps me from ever feeling hungry or too full. I am finding eating frequent small portions has really been helping with my weight loss amazingly.
 
wiresandwood said:
I eat a small amount every 2-2.5 hours. It keeps me from ever feeling hungry or too full. I am finding eating frequent small portions has really been helping with my weight loss amazingly.
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:D I was beginning to feel like I was a pig eating every 2 hours and everyone else like 3 times a day. It is great to hear that it is working for you!
 
Kayshiz said:
Doesn't work that way either.
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Yes it does, if you put your body in starvation mode, by eating less calories then you should a day, then you are messing with the way your body is handling food. That is why if you eat under what your body needs for basic survival then when you fianlly do eat as much as you are supposed to you are going to balloon. I suffered from an eating disorder and was eating 500 calories a day, obviously way lower than the 1500 I should be eating a day, well guess what? I gained back the thirty pounds back plus some, even just eating a normal amount. Why? Because I ruined my metabolism.



"Lummus says that when your body goes into starvation mode, your metabolism slows to a crawl, burning calories as slowly as possible to conserve its energy stores. This is why people who cut their calories too much may reach a plateau and stop losing weight. " (from the article I posted)
 
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Yes it does, if you put your body in starvation mode, by eating less calories then you should a day, then you are messing with the way your body is handling food
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No, sorry. Taht's an internet/diet myth that has been disproved.

That is why if you eat under what your body needs for basic survival then when you fianlly do eat as much as you are supposed to you are going to balloon. I suffered from an eating disorder and was eating 500 calories a day, obviously way lower than the 1500 I should be eating a day, well guess what? I gained back the thirty pounds back plus some, even just eating a normal amount. Why? Because I ruined my metabolism.
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No, you didn't "ruin" it. Yes, at 500 calories a day your body probably had a major adaptation, but ... the key word there is ADAPTATION. The body adapts. That means when you start eating normally again, your body adapts to the amount of calories it's getting.

But the idea of "starvation mode" as put out by the diet industry really is a myth. You eat too few calories for long enough and you'll lose weight. As the saying goes - there were no fat people in concentration camps.
 
In my experience it's easier to maintain a restrictive diet if you eat more frequently. Eating every 3 or 4 hours works for me. It helped me build a routine initially, and cuts down on the cravings I experience. If I don't eat for 6 hours or something I don't always make good decisions when I have the opportunity to eat.
 
For me personally, my doctor recommended I eat 6 small meals a day. Apparently it helps my already sluggish metabolism work at a moderate pace to prevent it from getting lazy but avoids overworking it from bigger meals. (stupid thyroid disease)
 
When I was unhealthy....my eating habits were poor. I ate alot at the wrong times and didnt eat when I should have. For example....no breakie, no lunch...then eat a pizza for supper and go out for fast food at 2300 hrs. Or a stupid huge breakfast, and then fall back asleep....and wake up for lunch! lol

Now that I am healthy(er), I found that if I regulate when I eat...I am more apt to watch what I eat. So for me, I eat 5-6 times a day. I have three meals and three snacks. I'm less moody, cause my hunger or fullness really drove my moods. And I find as I spend more conscious time thinking about food...I am not in a rush to throw something in the hole and I choose something healthy to eat. It has also curbed my cravings for junk.

So for me eating often has worked well so far.
 
For the record, the appropriate meal frequency for a dieter is a very individual thing. Meal frequency has been shown time and time again to matter little to the rate of metabolism. That said, it comes down to how many times per day do YOU need to eat in order to curb cravings, promote satiety, feel good psychologically, etc... and the answer to that question is going to be unique to the dieter in question.
 
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