Five small meals a day...?

Question

When on a diet your suppose to eat 5 small meals a day right? Well about how often should you eat them? See i have a problem telling the difference between when im hungry and when im bored. How do you tell the difference? HELP! Im lost! lol

i am counting calorie intake and exercising and drinking plenty of water and taking vitamins

Answer 1

You should eat about every two to three hours. I'm on the following schedule.

Breakfast 6 a.m.
Snack 9 a.m.
Lunch 11:30 a.m.
Snack 3:00 p.m.
Dinner 7:00 p.m.

This seems to work well for me. You'll have to do some experimenting to find what works best for you, but 2 to three hours is a general guideline. Typically if you feel hungry you've missed it.

You should also drink a lot of water in between meals (a glass or two). This will help keep you satiated longer and you won't think about food. Also, try to prioritize your portions by your activity level. If you'll be working out after work, make your lunch and afternoon snack a bit larger than the rest. Dinner should be kept to a minimum and based around lean protein and vegetables.

Best of luck!

Answer 2

I don't get hungy until mid morning, so that's my first small meal. Then about 12 again. Then about 3, 5, and 7.

The key is to just eat enough to feel the hunger dissipate. Don't eat like you're topping off the tank. When you just satisfy the hunger, and no more, you will see that you can eat just enough each time and won't feel guilty in a few hrs eating again. Also, don't eat too late, after 7. Your body slows down in the evening. Add some extra water and low cal drinks inbetween or after a meal. In time, you will feel a real balance and your body will thank you. As it adjusts, it will lose weight naturally. Be patient.

Answer 3

They tell you five small meals because it is good to eat every few hours to keep your metabolism going. It was good the suggestion of three meals and two snacks. I definatly have the problem of knowing whether Im hungy or bored, sometimes its tough but setting a schedule is a good idea. There was a site I was looking at earlier that tells a little about how many calories a day you should be eating depending on your height and weight http://www.shapefit.com/basal-metabolic-rate.html maybe that can help you a little.

Answer 4

i've had the same probalem for a while. I never know when im hungry or i just have mouth hunger. To figure this out quickly, I get out of the kitchen and go to my bedroom and turn on music and think for a few seconds. DO i really need that candy bar. then i figure well not really. But it i am hungry ill try to make a better choice and have an apple.
5 meals a day might work for a while, but eventually you will beging to eat more and more. try for 3 meals a day and 2 small snacks like fruit.

Answer 5

if you're eating 5 meals a day, I can't imagine you'd be hungry. Why not eat 3 solid meals, and 2 very small snacks? If you can't tell the difference between hunger and boredom, eating 3 meals, and allowing yourself 2 snacks means you don't need to tell the difference. You only eat your 3 meals and 2 snacks.

Answer 6

To tell if your hungry wait about 15 min see if the craving past, if it does than your not that hungry.
It's not neccessisarily 5 meals rather than you want your metabalisim to be working. You want to eat something within the first half hour of when you get up than eat about every three hours something quick and light. But your 3 meals should be major ones. My breakfast meal is the one with a lot of carbs because I want the energy and I will burn it off through out the day, The mid day one needs to be where you replenish your electrolights, evening one should be quater protien,quater carb and half veg

Answer 7

no, you're not SUPPOSED to eat 5 small meals
I lost 20 lbs eating 3 meals a day
you don't have to
you should count calories in a daily food intake- no more or less than 1200- not the number of meals you eat

Answer 8

Eat them about 2 hrs apart.

Eat the least before you go to bed.