3 or 5 meals per day?

I have received conflicting info on how to eat during the after care program. I feel much more hungry than I used to so I really need to settle into a long term program. Breakfast lunch and dinner? Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner? What is everyone doing?

Hey, I am doing 6 meals Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. Now, the snack are high protein stuff like protein bars or protein drinks. You would be hungry if you are only doing 3 meals. Montego

As you might have read in an earlier post of mine, my doctor's aftercare program strictly prohibits snacking. So....3 meals/day for me. My appetite has not returned, so it hasn't been problematic. When it does I'm sure I'll be revisiting the topic with my doc. Good luck!

My surgeon and Nut advocate 3 meals a day and no snacking. My mother had the surgery 7 years ago. Her surgeon taught 6 small meals. She has become a grazer, big time. She never even came close to reaching goal. She constantly eats and has no idea how much and never feels full. My surgeon said it's better to go with 3 meals and learn to feel "full" then to become a grazer. I think the surgeons advocating 6 meals will find they've created a generation of grazers, just like my mother. It's A Good Life! Lori

Sadly the grazing thing is worse among those who don't use measured snacks (say 1 oz beef jerky or 1 oz cheese) because they do develop a hand in mouth habit... I agree, for those patients, 6 meals creates a problem... but for those whose "meal" is an ounce of cheese and an ounce of jerky... or a slice of deli turkey... etc... that's a different thing... they may need the calories and protein involved in more frequent meals. I know when I started, 1 cheese stick was a whole meal... to do just that 3 times a day, would be a nutritional injustice to myself (not even 500 cal/day)... I don't think one can generalize in either regard, since there are lots of "3 meal/day" folks who don't eat properly, overeat, pick wrong foods, etc... and still also never hit goal or get close. It's all about the individual and their compliance.

My plan is also "anti-grazing" and advocates for 4 mini-meals a day. They have us eat every 4 hours, of course all high protein, fitting in veggies and healthy carbs, fruits with our "meals" once we can get all of our protein in and are still hungry. I'm not quite there yet though.

I can see how eating only 3 meals a day would prevent grazing and all the trouble that brings, but I think that is more geared to people less than 6 months post op. At only a few weeks out I think it's necessary as many of us still can't eat enough to be able to get enough proten, calories, and overall nutrition in if we didn't eat more often. If I only ate 3 times a day I would only get in around 250 to 300 calories a day, which I did until very recently and was becoming quite ill from it. Eating a couple extra snacks or mini meals a day brings me up to almost 500 calories a day now which is still on the lower end but better for my energy and health. ps this is only me and my surgeons opinion, other surgeons may vary and I guess in the end one should only follow their own surgeons advice to be safe.

Anti grazing is a good thing... BUT for new postops (under 12 weeks) it's oiften too difficult to get the needed amounts in with only 3 meals... I generally AIM to have breakfast at 8, morning snack at 11, lunch at 2, dinner at 6. But truth is, I'm not too hungry and don't eat breakfast or morning snack (most days) then I do eat around 2 and then again at 6 and I'm done. I still manage 60ish grams of protein and 80 oz water