So - EAT! (JeanM - do you want to join in?)

I agree! If I don't eat every few hours even if I feel hungry or not, I do much better. I stay on track better. If I let myself get and feel hungry then it's like I almost can't control how much I eat and the cravings for unhealthy thing**** much stronger and I have a much harder time making good choices.

I agree as well, Kate. 
I agree that a snack 1x or 2x a day is great, but for me, I had to resist all types of hunger in the beginning to really understand what true hunger is.  Now I know, but for many newbies in the beginning, we have/had no idea.

Unfortunately, being that we all have an eating disorder - obesity - we need to first learn 1) what a snack really is compared to our now tiny meals? and 2) is it nutritional/low calorie?

I personally snack on veggies with ranch dressing.  I choose veggies because I don't get in the 5-6 servings of veggies with just 3 meals a day.   We just have to be very careful that the snacks are not equilavent to meals!  I have a snack before I workout as well. I need it for energy to get my butt in gear at the gym or on my walks. 

Doctors are very strict about the 3 meals because its like the saying - "I give an inch, you take a mile."  Doctors figure its better to tell you completely NO and know that you will cheat a little, than to allow you 1 snack and you take 4. 

Have you ever tried mixing nf plain greek yogurt with ranch dip mix???  No fat, very high protein and not too much artificial stuff...and it's yummy.  Even my teen grandkids eat it with lf chips/carrots etc.  I thin it out with lf buttermilk for salad dressing.

I have a little different look at the subject, I've had to learn that it's OK to be hungry. Now I don't mean go for hours feeling hungry but it's OK to put off eating until I can get to some place where I can have a good meal. Say I'm driving home and feel hungry, now I could hit a fast food place but I tell myself it's OK to be hungry till I get home and make a healthy meal. Don't go so long that you are ravenous but you can wait 20 min.to get a more wholesome meal. Just my own opinion. I doubt any of us in the USA are in danger of starvation, even if our tummies try to tell us that.

I have done both eating 3 meals with no snacks and eating 3 meals and 3 snacks. I have also done the eating my meals but if I get hungry too soon I add something in. At various times through my journey each of these has been appropriate. The thing I have learned is that we change, our needs change, our bodies change.

For quite a while I stuck to the plan I made with no variations. That gave me a basis to learn what real hunger was and to know that hunger is not a life threatening emergency. Sometimes I need snacks, sometimes not. My goal is to make wise choices. I no longer force myself to suffer because it ends up making me worse, but I refuse to give in to the quick and easy if nothing healthful is available. I might better growl for a while. At times I have given in to grazing, but that is not the norm. I like having self respect too much.

The point of this is to do what is right for you at this point in your journey.
Sue

I'm with you Kate...if I am really hungry, I eat.