What do you think?

[hka]

I subscribe to Prevention magazine which I enjoy reading. In the recent publication they mentioned that eating five small meals a day doesn't necessarily work for everyone because you sometimes end up not recognizing when you're really hungry. That actually made sense to me since I was doing the five small meals a day but with the exception of breakfast, never felt truly hungry most of the time. The article suggested that you evaluate what would work better for you since you could be eating very well using the five small meals a day but not lose weight which seemed to be happening with me. I'm now trying the three balanced meals a day and it seems to suit me better. I was wondering what other ideas those of you out there might have. I was also wondering what kind of great snack ideas you might have to keep things interesting. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[jms0310]

As far as the five small meals a day (this is what I do), I still think it is the best way to plan your eating. I really believe this works well for everyone. I like the idea of feeling satisfied all the time and not extremely full or craving food. When I am starving I tend to eat much more than I normally would. Eating frequently aids in digestion and it also speeds up your metabolism which assists in weight loss. I normally eat very small meals every two and a half hours and this seems to work for me. I love Luna bars, nuts, yogert, smoothies, and cut up vegetables for my two snacks. I really think when it comes to weight loss, calorie intake is probably the main factor, the five meals will merely help to burn more calories in the future (it probably takes a while to speed up your body's metabolism).
Jessica

[Kristilyn1]

No offense, Jessica--

but how could you think that this would work for everyone? We've become a fat nation in the last ten or even twenty years--before that we sat and ate three big meals a day as a nation.

It is a simple formula--less calories, more movement that equals weight loss--but I think that everyone eats different, what works for one, doesn't work for another--with the understanding that obviously if you are overweight--SOME form of your current equation would have to change.

Kristi

[aggie94]

I don't necessarily think that eating 5 small meals a day works for everyone, but for different reasons. Some people's schedules just aren't suited to that -- for example, if your job requires you to be in meetings or in court or something like that for hours at a time, you often can't get a break to eat a small meal. More likely, you'll only be able to grab small snacks in between your 3 well-balanced meals.

But I tend to agree with Jessica that if you can do it, you should. Yes, weight loss is a simple mathematical formula in the sense that more calories burned than consumed will result in weight loss. But you do have to take into account the fact that a boost in metabolism, which occurs through eating more, smaller meals a day, will cause you to burn more calories. And I disagree that before we became a "fat nation" in the last few decades, we sat down and ate 3 "big meals a day." Quite honestly, I think the trend towards obesity in this country has much more to do with a decrease in activity level and the easy, cheap availability of fast foods than it does with how many meals a day you eat and when. Our kids these days aren't riding their bikes outside and playing in the park -- they're sitting at home in front of the TV or the computer. And the same can be said of adults, too. And before anyone flogs me, this comment isn't directed to anyone on the BB. This is a HEALTHY LIVING board, and we're all interested in healthy living, so we are careful (or at least try to be) to make sure that we're not falling into that trend.

[Kristilyn1]

Not to beat a dead horse here, but if we've become fat because of decreased activity--isn't that contradicting your theory of 5 small meals? My point was that obviously the culprit isn't eating 3 big meals a day--traditionally Americans have done that without the epidemic we now have. I'm not trying to be a pain in the neck here--but I get my back up when people have a style of eating or exercising for that matter that works for them--so they automatically tout that for everyone. I realize that there are studies out there supporting this theory of eating--but it is just that--a theory. One worth promoting and trying--but I don't think it's the final word on the subject of how best to eat.

Kristi

[aggie94]

No need to get your back up, Kristi. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif The thread was titled, "What do you think?" And that's all that's been offered, what I, personally, think. Doesn't mean it's gospel. But eating more, smaller meals a day has been shown to increase your metabolism over eating 3 big meals a day, just as weight training, which builds lean muscle mass, has also been shown to increase metabolism. The result: more calories burned, and more weight lost. I can't really argue with that.

[mandarin2j]

I think this method can work for some, mostly because it fills in between "main meals" and can help prevent binge eating. If you're never "starving", you're less likely to overeat.

I'm more of the healthy snack between meals type. I wouldn't want to try to figure out 5 actual meals a day (I have enough trouble planning our dinners for the week!), but I find that keeping dried fruit, low fat pretzels, nuts, and so on at my desk makes it easier to get from breakfast to lunch and from there to dinner time.

It means that I won't reach for a block of cheese when I get home because I'm not desperate for something to eat. It may help your metabolism to eat 5 meals a day, but I really don't worry about that aspect. Nor do I confine myself to eating at only certain times of the day for metabolic benefit. Even if the metabolic benefit is more than negligible, it's difficult enough for me to focus on eating well, period.

Plus, the five meal a day thing may require such a radical alteration of one's lifestyle that it just won't work. When I did the protein-rich diet thing, the hardest part was eating in social situations. Inflexible diets, for some, are doomed from the start.

[MrsReber]

I tend to agree with the 5 small meals, but only because it worked for me. No doubt people at three big meals in the past (but notice that people do live longer nowadays, too). The other thing we had discussed on the BB is that portion size has really changed. The portions are huge now whereas in the past, I think people were more reasonable with their food intake. I started a weight training program a couple of years ago and I was also advised to eat 5 small meals- basically three meals with normal size portions and two snacks. This kept me from being overly hungry at any one meal. I also cheated a bit since I do love food and love to eat. I still lost weight!

Kristi, I have to agree that there is no one cure-all program. It depends on a lot of different factors such as lifestyle, food choices, activity level and genetics. You are most correct in saying that not everyone can eat this way. All I know is that it worked great for me and I was in the best shape of my life when I was following that program. I hope to get back on track in June!

[Kristi]

A post from another "Kristi"-- I honestly think the best way for everyone to eat is to truly listen to your own body--its hunger, its cravings, the way it feels after eating certain foods/various portions. I typically eat three meals a day with a snack in the afternoon. Although if I get hungry late in the evening or mid-morning or whatever...I certainly listen to that and satisfy myself. I find that I feel my best and I'm able to be most active this way. I think any type of set eating "schedule" lends itself to feeling deprived or perhaps over-stuffed (whatever the case may be). Your body will tell you what it needs.

[jms0310]

I guess I should have explained why I believe eating 5 small meals a day works for everyone! The reason I said this is that for the most part, our bodies all work (chemically)in the same way. For instance, when we wait long periods of time between meals, our blood sugar levels fluctuate dramatically which is unhealthy (that is why diabetics need to eat often). Some people may have a faster or slower metabolism but this blood sugar fluctuation happens to everyone. Also, throughout the day we all burn calories so by eating more often we are replenishing calories which are burned and this in turn provides us more energy. Over time our metabolism will speed up and our insulin levels will stabilze. Also eating more often aids in absorption of nutrients and digestion. All people can benefit from this. For example, if you would eat 5 cups of brocolli in one sitting your body would not be able to absorb ALL of the nutrients. But if you ate this amount throughout the day, your body could absorb all the beneficial nutrients. I know how difficult it is to eat many meals a day because a lot of the time I don't plan well and end up skipping meals. It is VERY difficult. But I try to plan in advance to make it a matter of habit. If I can increase my metabolism and be able to burn more calories when at rest, this planning is worth it. Eating 5 meals isn't really a weight loss plan by itself but it does have a healthy outcome. I just want to make it clear that I was not saying that everyone should do this just because it works for me. It is my opinion that this way of eating would work for everyone (if they choose)and that is what the article in Prevention was questioning.
Jessica

[Kristilyn1]

Reading over my post last night--boy was I tired--sorry. I didn't really mean literally that I get angry or anything--just that I felt I have to comment. It's frustrating to hear something that "should work" and doesn't. I'm big on discussing opinions or theories as just that. I did actually really appreciate the longer explanation of the 5 meal theory. In what has to be bitter irony--since diabetes runs in my family--this style of eating would probably work well for me. But I did like the idea of it being more like 3 smaller meals vs. the huge portions of today and then two snacks. THAT is how people used to eat. I'm not actually overweight--but may try the method anyway.

Love the info on here. Hope I didn't come off as Super**itch, maybe my blood sugar was low.....

Kristi