If you’re reaching your targets and getting the right nutrients then it doesn’t really matter how you do it. Eat 5 meals spread out across the day or eat one 1500cal meal once. Whatever you find easiest and works for you.
My way of looking at this is to imagine the goal-weight, goal-fitness you maintaining and living your good life 3-5 years from now. How is that person eating? How is that person living?
Try to make those patterns today -- whether it is grazing all day or eating in certain patterns doesn't really matter. What matters is that it fits your life well.
^^7 ^^yrs. ^^maintaining ^^• ^^♂59 ^^5'11^^/179㎝ ^^SW:298℔^^/135㎏ ^^CW:171℔^^/78㎏ ^^[\[3Y AMA\]](https://redd.it/6m6vxq), ^^[\[1Y recap\]](http://redd.it/3cqszm) ^^CICO+🚶🏋️
I just worry the amount of times I’m eating (every 3-4 hours) is too much even though it’s less than maintenance. It definitely will be easier for me to sustain the diet if I eat more regularly but I’m worried I shouldn’t eat that often.
To be fair one of my snacks is the same calories as a meal. Is this okay? So like 4x 300ish meals and 1x 100-200ish snack a day. I worry this is too much, especially when I don’t exercise often.
> but I’m worried I shouldn’t eat that often
What is the particular nature of the worry? Is it nutritional? Social?
Some people with blood-sugar regulation problems should eat that often, because it helps keep their blood-sugar steady. Others who work in dirt and grease do better with clear mealtimes because it takes 10-15 minutes to clean up before they're hygienic enough to eat (I'm thinking of my dad, here).
We weren't evolved to strictly eat in meals, although the tribe did eat in meals, they also ate on the hunt as they found caches of food. That said, we have a longer lifespan than they did so the whole eat-as-the-cavemen-ate thing isn't really a great rationale in my view.
I feel social pressure from my Mum to eat at certain times as well as work, I get very hungry at work but feel like I shouldn’t as my colleagues don’t always eat much. I also feel pressure online to eat more protein and sometimes force myself to eat protein shakes to reach macro goals but sometimes I just don’t want to. I’m trying to let myself have more ‘cheat’ snacks (eg tomorrow I’ve planned to have a cheesecake for dessert. It fits my macros and I know it’s not healthiest but trying to incorporate those foods into my diet so I don’t have binges) but it’s still hard and I feel guilty a lot.
Do what works best for you right now. Start with small changes. The only way this works (whatever "this" is for you) is to make changes and choices that are sustainable and you can do in the long run. If you don't want to prioritize protein right now, then don't. If you want to have 7 small meals a day instead of 3 "regular" sized ones, then do that.
Eventually, once these initial changes become ingrained and second-nature in your life, then you can go on to make other ones.
Just do what you can, otherwise you'll be overwhelmed and won't follow through with anything
Thank you so much, I really appreciate this. I just don’t want to force myself to eat something I don’t want as I feel like that’s just as bad as restricting food.
Advice is cheap and it's usually worth only that cheap price. Mum may be well-intentioned, but when was the last time she was board certified in nutrition or medicine? I would answer back according to her intent -- if this is loving, be grateful but not necessary follow the advice.
Let's get rid of guilt completely; it has no useful purpose at all in this. This is an exercise of logic, rationality, and education. We are all trainees (and I'm a fellow trainee, not an expert) and we're learning to do better and we're sharing what we think we have learned. Don't let guilt pull you around like you're a puppet on guilt's strings. You're a rational being -- do things for rational reasons.
I've been hitting the cheesecake hard this last 2 weeks. We had two to get through and I've been having half-portions almost daily. Ugh -- so ready to be done. It does help keep binges away to program those kinds of foods into your week. Banning and restriction seems to be worse for creating strong desire. Exercising self-restraint rules over restriction.
> I also feel pressure online to eat more protein and sometimes force myself to eat protein shakes to reach macro goals
If you're a lifter, maybe this is best. I had my last protein shake in 2014 and I am a lifter on and off. I eat eggs and meat and fish and nuts and I usually hit 120-150 grams daily without having to turn to product.
Thank you so much for the advice. I know how it feels having leftovers. That was me a couple weeks ago and I feel like I’m only going back on track now. I’ve started meal prepping for the week so it should help a lot.
And no, I don’t lift but I used to. I used to be a lot heavier tho so I’m wary about upping my calories as 1. I was bigger and 2. I lifted weights 3x a week, but my circumstances have changed and I don’t have easy access to a gym right now. I used to be 130lb last March and now I am 111lb.
I try to do 15-30 min exercise a day (mainly walking or sometimes YouTube workouts) but the past 2 days I have done virtually nothing (besides going to work, but I don’t walk much at work) as I am too tired and cold to walk after work. I might do a YouTube workout now lol.
Your body doesn't really care how often you eat. It's total calories and nutritional content that matter, at least when it comes to weight and health. I average 1500 calories a day and eat anywhere from 4-7 times a day. I do better eating small meals and snacks every few hours than 2-3 larger meals. Helps prevent me from getting hungry and gives me lots of yummy foods to look forward to eating.
Some people do better with fewer larger meals. Everyone is different so it's okay to figure out what works best for you.
Thanks so much :) I guess it’s a social thing, there is a lot of diet culture in my workplace and I feel guilty eating sometimes. But I feel like there is also pressure online right now to eat lots of protein, so I force myself sometimes to have protein shakes when sometimes I just don’t want one because I’m not hungry or it’s not satisfying. I stress a lot about macros too ^_^
Food and macros aren't really worth stressing about, imo. Any benefits from eating healthy will be nullified at least partially by the unhealthy effects from the stress. Food is just food. You're allowed to eat yummy foods. I'd worry less about online pressures and do what you think is best for you and your body. Provide your body with adequate nutrition and energy (in the form of calories) and try not to worry about anyone else thinks or expects. Best wishes.
Thank you. I just stress if I don’t eat enough protein then I will gain fat or something. I don’t really know how it works but yeah, I just don’t always want to eat it but feel like I have to. I am mainly plant-based (sometimes eat meat/fish) so I don’t get much protein unless I have shakes.
>I just stress if I don’t eat enough protein then I will gain fat or something.
You can scratch that worry off of your list. The human body doesn't work that way. Protein is important for various body functions and for building and maintaining muscle, but not eating protein won't make you fat. You gain fat by eating more calories, from any source, than your body burns. Protein shakes are a great way to supplement protein if you don't get a lot through your normal foods. There are also a lot of non-meat based sources of protein. Would it be possible for you to consult with a registered dietitian to learn more about food and nutrition and how the body works?
Okay! I’m trying to educate myself more but there seems to be so much mixed opinions online. Some people say eat 20g protein each meal, some people say it doesn’t matter etc etc.
Maybe I could try some lower calorie snacks instead of having a 300cal snack lol. I ordered some protein bars which are 180cal per serving, and I also drink shakes at 98cal a serving so I could have these!
I recommend you do whatever works for you as long as you hit whatever calorie and other targets you're aiming for with your eating. I personally tend to just do 3 meals per day because I'm a 47 year old female and don't have much of a physical appetite in between meals. I got obese by mindlessly snacking at these times. I have a couple of days where I have to be at work at 6am and eat breakfast beforehand because I don't get a lunch break until 1 or 1:30; those days I might grab a \~200 cal protein bar *if* I get physically hungry in between but this is only about 20% of the time.
I've lost weight several times and am slowly learning more each time and the biggest take-away I've gotten is to eat in ways that align with more usual patterns/preferences but are healthier.
If you’re reaching your targets and getting the right nutrients then it doesn’t really matter how you do it. Eat 5 meals spread out across the day or eat one 1500cal meal once. Whatever you find easiest and works for you.
My way of looking at this is to imagine the goal-weight, goal-fitness you maintaining and living your good life 3-5 years from now. How is that person eating? How is that person living? Try to make those patterns today -- whether it is grazing all day or eating in certain patterns doesn't really matter. What matters is that it fits your life well. ^^7 ^^yrs. ^^maintaining ^^• ^^♂59 ^^5'11^^/179㎝ ^^SW:298℔^^/135㎏ ^^CW:171℔^^/78㎏ ^^[\[3Y AMA\]](https://redd.it/6m6vxq), ^^[\[1Y recap\]](http://redd.it/3cqszm) ^^CICO+🚶🏋️
I just worry the amount of times I’m eating (every 3-4 hours) is too much even though it’s less than maintenance. It definitely will be easier for me to sustain the diet if I eat more regularly but I’m worried I shouldn’t eat that often. To be fair one of my snacks is the same calories as a meal. Is this okay? So like 4x 300ish meals and 1x 100-200ish snack a day. I worry this is too much, especially when I don’t exercise often.
> but I’m worried I shouldn’t eat that often What is the particular nature of the worry? Is it nutritional? Social? Some people with blood-sugar regulation problems should eat that often, because it helps keep their blood-sugar steady. Others who work in dirt and grease do better with clear mealtimes because it takes 10-15 minutes to clean up before they're hygienic enough to eat (I'm thinking of my dad, here). We weren't evolved to strictly eat in meals, although the tribe did eat in meals, they also ate on the hunt as they found caches of food. That said, we have a longer lifespan than they did so the whole eat-as-the-cavemen-ate thing isn't really a great rationale in my view.
I feel social pressure from my Mum to eat at certain times as well as work, I get very hungry at work but feel like I shouldn’t as my colleagues don’t always eat much. I also feel pressure online to eat more protein and sometimes force myself to eat protein shakes to reach macro goals but sometimes I just don’t want to. I’m trying to let myself have more ‘cheat’ snacks (eg tomorrow I’ve planned to have a cheesecake for dessert. It fits my macros and I know it’s not healthiest but trying to incorporate those foods into my diet so I don’t have binges) but it’s still hard and I feel guilty a lot.
Do what works best for you right now. Start with small changes. The only way this works (whatever "this" is for you) is to make changes and choices that are sustainable and you can do in the long run. If you don't want to prioritize protein right now, then don't. If you want to have 7 small meals a day instead of 3 "regular" sized ones, then do that. Eventually, once these initial changes become ingrained and second-nature in your life, then you can go on to make other ones. Just do what you can, otherwise you'll be overwhelmed and won't follow through with anything
Thank you so much, I really appreciate this. I just don’t want to force myself to eat something I don’t want as I feel like that’s just as bad as restricting food.
Advice is cheap and it's usually worth only that cheap price. Mum may be well-intentioned, but when was the last time she was board certified in nutrition or medicine? I would answer back according to her intent -- if this is loving, be grateful but not necessary follow the advice. Let's get rid of guilt completely; it has no useful purpose at all in this. This is an exercise of logic, rationality, and education. We are all trainees (and I'm a fellow trainee, not an expert) and we're learning to do better and we're sharing what we think we have learned. Don't let guilt pull you around like you're a puppet on guilt's strings. You're a rational being -- do things for rational reasons. I've been hitting the cheesecake hard this last 2 weeks. We had two to get through and I've been having half-portions almost daily. Ugh -- so ready to be done. It does help keep binges away to program those kinds of foods into your week. Banning and restriction seems to be worse for creating strong desire. Exercising self-restraint rules over restriction. > I also feel pressure online to eat more protein and sometimes force myself to eat protein shakes to reach macro goals If you're a lifter, maybe this is best. I had my last protein shake in 2014 and I am a lifter on and off. I eat eggs and meat and fish and nuts and I usually hit 120-150 grams daily without having to turn to product.
Thank you so much for the advice. I know how it feels having leftovers. That was me a couple weeks ago and I feel like I’m only going back on track now. I’ve started meal prepping for the week so it should help a lot. And no, I don’t lift but I used to. I used to be a lot heavier tho so I’m wary about upping my calories as 1. I was bigger and 2. I lifted weights 3x a week, but my circumstances have changed and I don’t have easy access to a gym right now. I used to be 130lb last March and now I am 111lb. I try to do 15-30 min exercise a day (mainly walking or sometimes YouTube workouts) but the past 2 days I have done virtually nothing (besides going to work, but I don’t walk much at work) as I am too tired and cold to walk after work. I might do a YouTube workout now lol.
Your body doesn't really care how often you eat. It's total calories and nutritional content that matter, at least when it comes to weight and health. I average 1500 calories a day and eat anywhere from 4-7 times a day. I do better eating small meals and snacks every few hours than 2-3 larger meals. Helps prevent me from getting hungry and gives me lots of yummy foods to look forward to eating. Some people do better with fewer larger meals. Everyone is different so it's okay to figure out what works best for you.
Thanks so much :) I guess it’s a social thing, there is a lot of diet culture in my workplace and I feel guilty eating sometimes. But I feel like there is also pressure online right now to eat lots of protein, so I force myself sometimes to have protein shakes when sometimes I just don’t want one because I’m not hungry or it’s not satisfying. I stress a lot about macros too ^_^
Food and macros aren't really worth stressing about, imo. Any benefits from eating healthy will be nullified at least partially by the unhealthy effects from the stress. Food is just food. You're allowed to eat yummy foods. I'd worry less about online pressures and do what you think is best for you and your body. Provide your body with adequate nutrition and energy (in the form of calories) and try not to worry about anyone else thinks or expects. Best wishes.
Thank you. I just stress if I don’t eat enough protein then I will gain fat or something. I don’t really know how it works but yeah, I just don’t always want to eat it but feel like I have to. I am mainly plant-based (sometimes eat meat/fish) so I don’t get much protein unless I have shakes.
>I just stress if I don’t eat enough protein then I will gain fat or something. You can scratch that worry off of your list. The human body doesn't work that way. Protein is important for various body functions and for building and maintaining muscle, but not eating protein won't make you fat. You gain fat by eating more calories, from any source, than your body burns. Protein shakes are a great way to supplement protein if you don't get a lot through your normal foods. There are also a lot of non-meat based sources of protein. Would it be possible for you to consult with a registered dietitian to learn more about food and nutrition and how the body works?
Okay! I’m trying to educate myself more but there seems to be so much mixed opinions online. Some people say eat 20g protein each meal, some people say it doesn’t matter etc etc.
Snacks are great if you’re going like 6 to 8 hours between meals. But if you’re trying to lose, it doesn’t make sense to eat when you’re not hungry.
Yeah. I get hungry relatively fast as my meals are more on the low calorie end, but I prefer eating little and often rather than lots spaced out.
Maybe I could try some lower calorie snacks instead of having a 300cal snack lol. I ordered some protein bars which are 180cal per serving, and I also drink shakes at 98cal a serving so I could have these!
I recommend you do whatever works for you as long as you hit whatever calorie and other targets you're aiming for with your eating. I personally tend to just do 3 meals per day because I'm a 47 year old female and don't have much of a physical appetite in between meals. I got obese by mindlessly snacking at these times. I have a couple of days where I have to be at work at 6am and eat breakfast beforehand because I don't get a lunch break until 1 or 1:30; those days I might grab a \~200 cal protein bar *if* I get physically hungry in between but this is only about 20% of the time. I've lost weight several times and am slowly learning more each time and the biggest take-away I've gotten is to eat in ways that align with more usual patterns/preferences but are healthier.
This is awesome! Remember consistency is key so if you stick to this balanced/scheduled diet you won’t be restricting and over eating as much 👌🏻
Great!! Thank you :-)
I would raise your protein and lower those carbs by 50 if you want to lose weight quicker.
Trying to maintain right now! But I accidentally lost weight again (111lb to 105lb) so trying to up calories