How often do you eat?

[Anonymous]

I am wondering how often individuals who are at what they feel is a healthy weight eat, including snacks?

I am working on losing a large amount of weight, and I think part of my challenge is that prior to the weight gain I was a distance runner who needed to and could physically support eating more often. Combined with getting older (then: 20s, now: 35), I think I may need to revisit how often I eat (as opposed to just what I eat which is also a work in progress). I would eat 3 meals and 2-3 snacks, and the snacks were more substantial (hummus and pretzels, fruit and cheese, fruit and granola bar, etc).

Thank you in advance.

[Anonymous]

I eat 3 meals. Usually no snacks.

[Anonymous]

3 meals, no snacking. I don't feel the need to snack because my meals are well balanced, so I don't have cravings.

[Anonymous]

3 meals, no snacks.

Also, I'm a runner and I will eat something with protein/carbs/salt right after my runs.

[Anonymous]

If you can afford to lose a lot of weight, eat whenever you want. Just keep accurate track of calories.

The one thing that has helped me is going protein heavy immediately after my workouts.

[Anonymous]

3 meals a day. I don't snack. Work out 5-6 days a week and am at a normal weight.

[Anonymous]

Small breakfast, big lunch, medium dinner. Sometimes fruit between lunch and dinner or with/after dinner.

[Anonymous]

3 meals, 3 or 4 snacks. Breakfast and lunch are not large. I am a normal healthy weight (115 pounds) and need about 2000 calories to maintain it. I don't eat when I'm not hungry, but I seem to be hungrier than most people my size/age. Big meals don't fill me up any longer than small meals do.

I lost 40+ pounds a couple of years ago ⁰without really needing to change how often I eat. I just increased exercise and cut out junk and sugar.

[Anonymous]

3 meals, no snacks, moderate exercise 5-6 days a week. Once I passed 40 though, my metabolism slowed a lot, I gain if I dont watch what I ate super carefully.

[Anonymous]

3 meals, no snacking.
Glass of wine few times a week. Coffee twice a day, sometimes a piece of fruit in the afternoon.
Steady weight for decades.

[Anonymous]

I'm a reproductive-aged woman, so my energy needs vary depending on the time of the month. During the first half, 3 meals and 2 defined snacks (no mindless snacking): (1) a bag of carrots between lunch and dinner and (2) dessert (fruit/yogurt/nuts or fruit/almond butter...recently I've been adding honey too...it just makes the next day's workout fantastic even if it isn't the healthiest...).

During the second half of my cycle, I usually need a substantial snack around 5:30, typically a piece of toast with nut butter or carrots and hummus.

I run 30 miles a week and lift for about 3 hours a week. I recently did a food intake study and they said I eat about 2,000-2,300 calories a day, which is probably a bit above maintenance because I think I've put on muscle since rejoining a gym (and probably some mostly needed fat as well).

[Anonymous]

I have a morning coffee with whole milk or a bit of cream; first meal is lunch anywhere from 10:30 to 2 pm--my go to is an open face (1 slice sourdough) turkey sandwich with avocado, spinach, and a slice of cheese. Weekends I might make an egg veggie scramble with cheese and a piece of toast.

. Second meal is dinner--usually protin, veggies, salad and small portion of carb. Sometimes I have a small snack around 4-5 if dinner is later, like a piece of cheese and a few crackers or an apple and some almond butter. I might also have some dark chocolate in the mid afternoon or with lunch or dinner.

3 meals and 2-3 snacks is just constantly keeping your blood sugar levels jumping. another interesting thing I learned is that we train (or are trained by) the bacteria in our gut to eat at certain times. Often our 'hunger' is not our body desperately needing energy, but various gut bacteria saying "FEED ME SEYMOUR." not all bacteria is good either

[Anonymous]

Coffee in the AM, soup or salad for lunch, and a bigger meal at dinner, but that's even that large. Maybe popcorn for snack.

[Anonymous]

42M here. Usually very active but currently dealing with an injury that is slowing me down.

Usually 3 meals and mostly water. 2 coffees or 3 with milk and sugar. I have to eat a snack at bedtime or I’ll wake up prematurely hungry. Snack is nearly always zero percent Greek yogurt, blueberries, raisins, and strawberries. When in endurance sport training mode depending on workout timing I might have another more substantial snack like a bowl of wheat type flakes with fruit.

I think the snacking is definitely what gets people since it is unregimented usually. But everybody is different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:3 meals, no snacking. I don't feel the need to snack because my meals are well balanced, so I don't have cravings.

What do you eat exactly to create each well balanced meal?