Regarding eating schedules, I find it best to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are about five hours between meals (sometimes six). I'm always hungry for my next meal, but I do count my calories (even though I'm not currently trying to lose weight), and when I have my calories, I'm done. And, oddly enough, I'm usually pretty well satisfied too.
I don't think eating has to be rocket science and, unfortunately, I think that is what some in the diet industry want to make it sound like it needs to be because if they didn't, the general population might not be so willing to spend money to read/listen to what they are trying to say. While I do believe there is good and useful information to be gained from reading many things about diet and nutrition, I also have to believe that there is a certain motivation behind 'special' plans that make something as simple as eating sound so complex.
I've not read Jillian's book yet (I've been waiting to read more reviews), but I do listen to her podcasts. And she seems to have a relatively sensible approach to nutrition. Regarding her veganism, she has been pretty open to the fact that she isn't truly a vegan since she eats fish, so I don't have problems with what she is saying. It isn't as if she is trying to say that a vegan diet includes eating fish. That I'd have a problem with. But somebody who follows a primarily vegan diet but eats fish and admits that....I have no problem. There are different motivations for being vegan (some concerned with animal rights, some because of the food industry, etc), and so I think there is some room out there for vegan-ish people like Jillian. She has also been very open is saying that what works for her won't work for everybody, so I'm not surprised to see her not take a strong stand on being vegan.
Regarding the products she pushes on The Biggest Loser, she is the first to admit she hates those spots. In fact, she doesn't really have too many kind words for The Biggest Loser. But she just signed on for two more seasons, so.......
