How many times a day do you eat...?

Hi everyone, I was wondering how many meals a day everyone was eating? Did your Dr. tell you 3/day only, or 3-5/day? Mine told me 3-5 small meals a day and I'd been doing that up until recently. A few weeks ago I got really busy and as a result went a couple weeks of only eating 3x a day. My pattern up until then had been to consistently stall for 8-10 days and then drop 2-3 pounds--slow going let me tell you. But the weeks I only ate 3 meals, I dropped almost NINE pounds total! I'd never lost that much. My cal intake didn't really change that much so I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced anything like this? Maybe it was just a fluke... Rebeka

I was told to only have 3 meals a day. Their reasoning is that doing more is like grazing and grazing can set you up for failure. So they want us to only eat at meal times. I do however have 2 protein shakes a day. So my schedule goes like this about 90 % of the time. I do have days I miss a shake or a meal etc. Breakfast usually by 8 am, then at about 11:30 or so have a protein shake, lunch around 1:30 or 2:00, dinner between 5 and 6:00, in the evening anywhere from 8 to 9 pm have a protein shake. I told them I do shakes and they didnt say anything about it counting as grazing or meals. So should be fine. As far as a difference in weightloss etc by changing it up. I have found that the times I eat more I lose. Some times like the past two days I hardly want anything. A bite or two does me. ie: this morning for breakfast I couldnt even finish a 4oz cottage cheese. I have been bad as of late with being so busy that I havent done Fitday.com to see what my calorie counts are. But at last check i was still only doing around 500 give or take. Which I think I should be doing more by now. I think some days I do. Glad to hear that is working for you. I think if 3 meal a day works go for it. As long as you are getting in the right amount of protein foods etc. you're good to go!

Thanks Ruth Ann. Wow my cals are WAY higher than yours! I average 800/day at least! yikes. I have also noticed I'll lose when i eat more, but i'm scared to make a habit of it! Thanks for your input!

Rebeka my pouch is MUCH smaller than most (2ccs) and so I have been advised to eat 6-8 small meals a day. Some days I do that and some I don't. I haven't really had a big enough stall to notice, so I guess I am not really much help to you LOL! I think everyday is a new adventure and sometimes we just need to roll with the punches. Hope that helps. Jennifer 355/288/140

I try to eat 5 meals a day--- our bariatric program states 3 meals & 2 snacks a day. Most days I find it too hard to get al that I plus my water, so I often end up with 3 meals and 1 snack if Im lucky..... on odd occasion 2 meals & 2 snacks, or just 3 meals... you get the picture LOL. Its just too hard for me to get all the water I need plus the food.... Darlene

my doctor told me NO snacks...3 meals a day and then protein drinks if needed... my nut said 5 meals...so who do you listen too? I very seldom get breakfast in so I add protein to my coffee and drink 2 cups then I eat lunch and afternoon and at dinner...so i gues basically I eat 3 times a day..just not at the regular times. Mimi

I eat 4 times a dqay. My doc said 4-5 meals.

I have the same doc/nut at mimi and I chalanged the doc on the 3 times a day rule - and he finally admited (I really get on his nerves b/c I will ague with him ) that as long as your 5-6 mini meals a day were compleatly mesured and charted it did not make a differnce my point that day was what differnce does it make if I mesure out 1/2 oz of almonds and munch on them all afternoon in front of the computer or if I mesure them out and sit down and eat them with lunch as long as I mesured them out I was getting the same number of calories - he finally admited that most people do not have that kind of self control so he advises agianst it b/c of that I persoanlly do MUCH better eating on MY scedule (the nut liked it ) 5am - 30 gram protien shake 8am -small breakfast with family (3T cream of wheat or 1 egg with 1/2 toast) 10:30ish - 30 gram protien shake 12 lunch with family 3 snack with boys )1 oz jerky or cheese or soycrips with cheese or veggies or nuts) 5 dinner 8 bedtime snack (protien shake in plain yogurt or cheese and nuts) sometimes I switch mid morning shake with afternoon snack, sometimes I skip bedtime snack - it just depends on my mood, amount of exersize I get that day - if I have burned over 1000 calories working out (like today) I am fine with eating so I don't pass out and if I only ate 3 times a day I would literally pass out - been there done that - NOT fun!! I stay under 1000 calories (my persoanl goal the nut is ok with ) and over 120 grams of protien (also a persoanl goal the nut is ok with) OK that is my very long 2 cents on the subject of eating - I based my plan on what people who are long (3+yrs) term sucsseful seem to be doing danni 372/292/170 ENJOYING THE JOURNEY hat and all

Thank you everyone for your replies. I think I will just see what works for me. Danni, your workouts are amazing! 1000 cals burned?! WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! Great Job!

it is not hard - find out how many cals you burn doing all the differnt things you like to do work out wise and then pick the high calorie ones 4-5 days a week - yesterday I did 30 mins on the eliptical worked up to level 8 with lots of sprints in there 454 caloires. then went to curves and did 30 mins pushing hard - 555 cal burned (the calories burned go down with wieght loss but that is a side effect I CAN handle hehehehe danni 372/292/170 ENJOYING THE JOURNEY hat and all