feeling satisfied with frequent meals

K

kariev

Cathlete
In an attempt to try and figure out why i'm not satisfied with mini meals i decided to post two different menus. one is 3 meals a day and one is 6. please let me know your feedback if you have any

breakfast: 1 cup egg whites mixed with 1 whole egg. 1 sprouted bagel with 1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter on top. 1 cup blueberries. coffee with .25 cup skim milk and stevia

lunch: 4 oz chicken breast on sprouted bread, hummus, and 1 cup spinach. 30 pistachios and 1 large apple

dinner: 4 oz of either chicken, fish, or lean beef. 2 cups steamed veggies and 1 small sweet potatoe. 1 medium apple with 1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter

6 meals a day:
meal 1: .5 cup oatmeal with 5 egg whites mixed with 1 whole egg. coffee

meal 2: 1 cup blueberries with 1 scoop of whey protein powder blended into a smoothie. i add in 1 tablespoon of flax

meal 3: chicken breast on sprouted bread with hummus and 1 cup spinach

meal 4: .5 cup cottage cheese with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 1 large apple or sometimes i have an elevate protein bar (all natural).

meal 5: 4 oz of chicken, beef, or fish, 2 cups steamed veggies, 1 small sweet potatoe

meal 6: 1 large apple with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter

both ways come out to about the same cals,protein,fat, and carbs but i feel more satisfied with 3 a day even though it looks like the multiple meal day would be more satisfying. what gives? i know some say that it takes time for the body to adjust to smaller size meals but i did 6 meals a day for 2 years and always felt unsatisfied.
 
Hi,

I am a firm believer in the 6 small meal way to eat. I know that when I eat 3 meals, no matter what size my lunch is, I am starving at 3:00 pm. This is when I would get some junk out of the machine at work to satisfy the cravings. I know that the 6 meal plan works for me because it keeps my blood sugars level, and the binging at bay!

Deb
 
I am the opposite. I don't care if 6 meals is supposed to be good for me. If I try to do 6, I become obsessed with food. I really think it depends on the person. If they are the same as far as nutrients what does it really matter. Go ahead and do the one that works for you.
LD
 
It really does depend on the person. If you feel more satisfied eating 3 meals, then do that. I personally have to eat more frequently, mostly because of blood sugar issues...I can actually tell when I've gone more than 3 hours without eating because I start getting shaky, irritable, etc. I also make better food choices when I eat more often.
 
I can't eat 6 meals either - I feel like I'm constantly eating. I actually eat 4 meals. I have B,L,D and a snack around 4PM to fight off the afternoon munchies.
 
I can't find the time to eat six meals per day, some always get skipped or I don't feel hungry.

A little more than two weeks ago, I overhauled my eating. Now, I'm eating every four hours with increased protein, and WAY WAY less processed foods (by my standards, almost NO processed foods, but I'm sure some here would say that's not quite true :0).

It usually is something like this:
Breakfast: One light whole grain english muffin with 1 tb natural peanut butter, light yogurt mixed with 1/2 c. whole grain and flaxseed cereal
Meal 2: 3 oz chicken, clemetine, and light string cheese.
Meal 3: Chicken breast on organic whole grain and flaxseed bread with dark green lettuce and tomato and an apple
Meal 4: 2 scoops Designer Whey Protein powder mixed with 1c Silk Light Plain Soymilk.

I don't know if it's "clean" enough, but it's working for me. I feel VERY satisfied, have willpower like you would not believe, AND I have lost 7.5 lbs since I started. I know, some is water, BUT, my pants are looser and my stomach is flatter, and I am WAY less bloated looking!

So, if it's not as great as I think--please don't burst my bubble ;)! I'm going on some really positive thoughts and energy here :)
 
I also think it depends on the person. (and, what you are eating) I eat like a bird, so I am always eating. My sister, who is very thin, eats twice a day, but eats a lot at those times. I really think it depends on the person and circumstances...
 
That sounds great. How do you cook your chicken? Do you just broil a chicken breast at a time? Also, what kind of protein powder do you use? 7.5 pounds is great! Congratulations!
 
I really wish I cold do the six meals a day but I find it quite intrusive to my work day. I have to be making calls, attending meetings, and really concentrating on things I need to get done and getting up to eat so many time is quite frankly a p.i.t.a.
The self absorbed Tosca Reno makes it sound so easy but it can be rather difficult depending on your profession. I could just imagine an auto mechanic, a busy hair stylist, or a phone customer service rep trying to eat six meals a day!
 
Wow you diet looks fantastic. If you ate like that all the time I don't think it's matters how often you eat!

Try eating 5 times per day and don't spread the calories around so evenly. Have at least one bigger meal.
 
thank you all so much. i get caught up in everything i read. every magazine and book has it a golden rule to eat 6 meals a day. i just don't feel like it works too well for me. i need to learn to trust myself. the only change i see in eating 6 or 3 is that i'm more satisfied with 3 which is a positive. I need to just focus on what is right for me and stop thinking that everything is so black and white. i just wanted to add that you guys are so great and supportive. i'm a member of the oxygen mag forum and there is a group of people over there that dominate everything. if you ask a question or say that something is working for you or give advice they don't agree with, it turns into a nasty posting battle. i have never had this on these forums so i wanted to say thanks to you all for taking the time to answer my questions even though they are redundant sometimes.:)
 
What is working for me like crazy magic lately is a decent b, l, and d with a small AM and PM snack (100-200 cals). Like someone else said above my willpower is absolutely amazing right now. I feel better than I have in months. Good luck!
 
Don't feel like you're doing something wrong by only eating 2 times a day. According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, who promotes diet for optimum health, one should eat three meals a day and give the digestive system time to rest. I think I'd rather take advice from a Dr. interested in your long-term health than bodybuilder/fitness types who care more about looks.

I think the bottom line is to eat a whole foods diet ('real' foods) and eat when you are hungry: if that's 3 times a day, it's fine, if it's more than that, it's fine, too (as long as you are eating a whole-foods, real-foods diet...we can't rely on our bodies wisdom when we feed it junk that it doesn't recognize as food).

I usually eat three meals a day, but sometimes have an apple or small snack at other times. Just depends on how hungry I am.
 
Well, make that 8.5 lbs! I weighed again this morning and was down another pound! I can't tell you how excited I am! I went to lunch with a friend today and got a chicken salad from Panera--and I put the big hunk of bread to the side and wasn't even tempted to nibble! Amazing. Before, that would have literally looked at me and called my name...."Eeeeaaattt mmmmeeee!"
 
Congrats goldenrun. That is something to be proud of! I did 6 meals again today and thought about the time a lot so i could eat again. for some strange reason i wish mini meals worked for me but they don't. i guess it is what is so popular now and i feel like i need to do it. its so bizarre b/c i feel my energy levels are better with frequent feedings but i'm not satisfied and i almost become obsessed with food. mabe i'm having too much idle time and it is causing me to think to much. i should try to stay busy so i don't let my mind wonder to food. :p
 
I have tried eating six, four, three and two times a day. The less times I eat the more satisfied I am. If I eat six times I day I seem to become obsessed about food. If I eat only two or three times I day I do much better. I too got caught up in the "I have to eat five to six times a day" thing, but am doing much better since I let that go and only eat two to three times a day. As everyone else has said do what works for you.

Kim:)
 
One thing I noticed with trying out the 6 meals a day, is that when it came time for the second or third meal, I wasn't hungry. So what happened is, I was satsified with the smaller previous meal. Now I don't try to eat any certain number of times a day, but when I do eat, I try to see if I can get by with less. Usually I can.
 
Studies have been done comparing two groups of animals, eatiing the same amount of calories, one with fewer meals than the other. In all cases, the animals eating fewer times a day had a longer life span. (re: Dr. Fuhrman, who has read the studies directly).
 
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