How Many Meals a Day Do You Eat?

I am a sporatic eater. Some days, typically on the weekend, I eat 2-3 square meals. On a daily basis, I kind of snack all day and then eat dinner.

I don't want to have a rigid diet, but I think some regularity in my meals would be good.

Thoughts?

Thu. Feb 1, 3:45pm

I never ever skip breakfast, even if I overate the night before. Without it, I'm guaranteed to pig out later in the day.

I eat 3 squares plus a sizeable snack late-afternoon, and if I've got enough calories leftover, a piece of fruit or ice cream for a late dessert.

Thursday, February 1, 2007, 4:04 PM

to the 404 poster-

i'm not trying to be rude, just seeking help. do you work full time? i find it so hard to get the proper routine of 3 squares and small snacks because i am either travelling to, from or am at work. and i have a 9-5 job. i would really like to "fit" meals into my schedule, but find i eat breakfast occasionally, lunch is made up of small snacks (healthy, but not a meal), and dinner is a lot of picking before i carve out 30-45 minutes to make and eat more substantially.

Thursday, February 1, 2007, 4:11 PM

4:04 here...I'm self-employed and make my own hours, so I don't have the time pressures that you do. However, I was pretty bad at eating meals at regular intervals until recent months because of my decades-old tendency to eat too little during the day and then have a 1000-calorie dinner until someone twisted my arm about breakfast. I've found that if I get breakfast right, my hunger is easily "treatable" throughout the day, cravings are minimal, even my emotional "binges" are a teeny fraction of what they once were. Breakfast now represents about 20% of my daily calories, so it's bigger than a cup of coffee, but not massive. Chances are it will help you stop picking your way through the evening.

There's a great article about the science (psychology, hormonal responses, etc) of hunger throughout the day in this month's Self magazine. I don't think they put their articles online, but if you can find it, it's called "Hunger Management".

Thursday, February 1, 2007, 4:28 PM

I also eat 3 meals a day, a snack in the later afternoon and possibly a hot chocolate (dark choc, skim milk) in the evening. I really have no problems fitting this into my day, but I do not travel much. However even when I do travel - I find a way to eat something healthy at the approximate time I would normally eat. Either you make meals a priority or you don't - I do, but that doesn't necessarily mean that's right for everyone. Regardless, I find that healthy eating takes a certain amount of time and planning and I simply factor that into my daily schedule.

Thursday, February 1, 2007, 4:29 PM

I eat six small meals a day.

- egruber

Thursday, February 1, 2007, 5:11 PM

I work 9-5 as well (actually, 8:30-5). I eat breakfast every day before I go to the office - a light bagel w/ laughing cow spread on top, or a lean pocket, or granola w/ yogurt. All are quick, and other than the granola w/ yogurt, would work even while driving to work (I take the subway, and eat at home first, but I used to eat in the car while driving). Breakfast is not hard to fit in, timewise, if you have the right ingredients. Nothing I have takes more than 2 minutes to make and 2 minutes to eat.

Lunch, I sometimes take a lunch hour (which I'm supposed to get every day), but even when I'm too busy, I still go buy something substantial and healthy (a sandwich on whole wheat, or a bowl of soup, or a sushi roll, usually) and eat it at my desk while I work. It doesn't take any longer to go pick it up than it does to go to the bathroom (well, maybe a little longer). I don't let myself snack other than the lunch; I just don't. I don't know how else to explain that. Yes, sometimes I'm hungry. But I choose to ignore it, by not keeping food around my desk. Sometimes I drink tea, and I always keep a water bottle next to me.

Then, when I get home, I'm always hungry. I'll fix a little snack if I'm starving, but I make sure to portion it out well. Or, if my husband is hungry then too, we just make dinner then. If that's the case, I try to make it a little bit healthier, so that I have some calories left to have a small snack later that night.

3 meals, and usually a small snack along the way. With a 9-to-5. Mini meals would be harder for me, since there is a traditional "lunch" time, but 10am and 3pm are not really acceptable times to be eating, especially if I have meetings, etc.

Thursday, February 1, 2007, 5:24 PM

I'm 8:30-5:30, but sit at a desk most of the day. I always eat breakfast, then lunch at 1, then I have some fruit at 3:30 or 4, and I generally eat dinner (usually a sandwich or Luna or Clif bar) before I leave as I don't get home until 6:30 and don't like to eat after 6. I'm an early riser, so I go to bed early.

Thursday, February 1, 2007, 5:36 PM

Work 9-5
Always eat breakfast before 10:00-yogurt,almonds,fruit
Lunch at 12:00-microwaved veggies-plain,pb&j,cottage cheese,yogurt,veg sushi
Snack around 3:00-almonds,fruit,granola or power bar,yogurt
Dinner around 6:00-high protein pasta,veggies and beans, egg white sandwich on whole wheat etc.
Sometimes I'll have a teaspoon of Nutella for dessert or a couple pieces of frozen pineapple.
I drink herbal tea and water non-stop all day.

Thursday, February 1, 2007, 5:44 PM

3 meals and 1 or 2 snacks

work 9 - 5, gym before work
breakfast: a little before gym, a little after gym
morning snack: sometimes
lunch
afternoon snack: sometimes
dinner
dessert: rarely

Thursday, February 1, 2007, 8:05 PM

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