RNY Vets: 3 meals a day or 3 plus 2 snacks? Which is better?
I am eating 5 times a day. Would I be better to white knuckle it in between meals and try to only eat 3 times a day? Any pros/cons for either method? BTW - I am not one of those people who is never hungry. My physical hunger returned after about 2 months and I feel like I need the snacks or I have a hard time concentrating at work. My morning snack is normally a small serving of cheese and nuts or a light & fit yogurt. Afternoon snack is a premier protein shake.
You'll likely get a lot of opinions on this. Some doctors are very specific about what they want their patients to do.
Mine was good with the 3 meals/2 snacks. And while some will say that "hunger is not an emergency" - I'll tell you the honest truth. To me, hunger IS an emergency. I hate being hungry. I get anxious - seriously! - when I'm hungry, and I'm not typically an anxious sort.
In the long run, the trick is to keep the meals small enough that you don't end up consuming way too many calories, and keeping the snacks in the "healthy" food choice range. But yeah, I eat about every 3 hours.
Another vote for 3 meals/2 snacks a day. My first "meal" is typically a protein shake followed by coffee ( mmmm coffee ) ....then I move on to yogurt for my first snack. I can't do solid food first thing in the morning. ( I think a lot of us are like that )
I end up eating about every 3 hours as well...with lots of water or tea in between. Like Lynn said, keep portions smaller if you go with eating 5 times a day.
I also find eating smaller meals/snacks more often keeps my blood sugar more level. I was never diabetic or even pre-diabetic, but started having low blood sugar problems in the morning right at two years out.
I woke up in between a memory and a dream...
Tom Petty
My group says 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. Being honest most days I can't do that. If I have extremely slow days I might find that I do a total of 4. I still laugh when I think about 3 Meals and 2 snacks...most are all snacks....lol (3 snacks and 2 snacks) The days I do have snacks I make sure that my meals are not on the higher end of calories....I guess that is just me.
For weight, or weight loss, what matters is the sum of how much you eat in a day. If eating 5 or 6 times as opposed to 3 means you eat more, you will weigh more. 1200 calories divided by 3 or divided by 6 is the same.
The further out you are from surgery, the more likely that you will need to keep your blood sugar stable by eating more than three meals. Those who eat only three meals report more problems with low blood sugar in between.
6'3" tall, male.
Highest weight was 475. RNY on 08/21/12. Current weight: 198.
M1 -24; M2 -21; M3 -19; M4 -21; M5 -13; M6 -21; M7 -10; M8 -16; M9 -10; M10 -8; M11 -6; M12 -5.
I'm far from a vet but I agree with Grim. It would seem to me that the sum of what you eat is what matters the most.
I eat 4 times a day - the amounts vary depending on how hungry I am but the total calories/carbs/protein is what I'm concerned with every day.
Melinda
HW: 377 SW: 362 CW:131
TOTAL LOSS: 249 pounds
My instructions were to eat every three waking hours to keep blood sugars steady. This seems to make the terms "hungry" and "full" void terms I am happy to give up for a healthier life. (Edit: okay, change "happy to give up" to "willing to give up") (Edited again: oops, just noticed you want vets to answer but read it's not cool to delete replies)