How Many Times A Day Should You Eat?

What is the most common recommendation that you’ve heard about healthy eating? Probably “eat more often, but in smaller quantities”. But is that really the best thing you could do?

This is …. That is the kind of “ it doesn’t have one particular, accurate answer. You will meet as many followers of the “more often, in smaller quantities” mantra, as  those of the mantra of eating 2-3 times a day, in quantities big enough to make you feel full. That is why today I decided to share my opinion on the topic, which is based on my own experience and the results I got/

For a long time I was following “the rule” of eating 5-6 smaller meals a day and “yes”, I had results, when it comes to my body composition goals, but I can sincerely tell you that my mind suffered A LOT!

Today I have even better results, by eating 3-4 times a day, but in quantities that are big enough to keep me full between meals!

The advocated of the “eat more often in smaller quantities”, claim that this way you will feel full all the time and you will keep your metabolism faster. I won’t go in details why the statement about the metabolism is more of a myth, than a truth.

I will just note that in reality it doesn’t matter if you are gonna cut your steak in 5 pieces and eat it all day long, or if you are gonna eat it at once. At the end of the day you will still have eaten one steak; you will still have consumed the calories and the nutrients that the whole steak contains!

As I already said I do not deny the fact, that you can achieve the desired results, by eating more frequently, in smaller quantities, but in my opinion the price is much higher, as you kind of get too consumed by food and too focused on it!

One of the main problems with being overweight is the fact, that we have made food to be our main focus- we celebrate by gathering around food; we take a break by going out for a dinner; when we are sad, our grandma is always there to comfort us with our favorite cookies or we go out with friends and grab an ice cream. Everything revolves around food.

The main reason so many people find it difficult to make food, just a source of fuel, and not a mean to solve every existing problem is hidden mainly in our mind, not exactly the nutrition method we use!

And here is the reason why I wouldn’t encourage you to eat more often in smaller quantities!

You will be constantly thinking about food! This was my main problem and it was what influenced my mind the worst! I started focusing too much on food. It was what my day revolved around. I was constantly calculating when and how much I was supposed to eat, how I am gonna manage to fit my meals in my busy schedule!

I didn’t feel full after a meal and the clock was my best friend. I looked like the woman from the picture- I was constantly counting down the minutes to my next meal, eagerly anticipating it.

And now I eat 3-4 times, but my portions are bigger, they satiate me and the thought about food disappears with my last bite, because I am eating enough so I don’t feel hungry every two hours!

That made me think about my favorite example with the car and the fuel. Just think about it. If you put fuel in your car 5-6 times a day, instead of just putting fuel once… this would be a big burden and you would be constantly focused on tracking how much fuel is left, where is the nearest gas station; if you are gonna have enough time to stop and put some fuel in the car. Thus, your whole day would be revolving around you tracking the level of your fuel and searching for a gas station… and you would be wasting way too much time. It doesn’t look optimal or productive tome… what is your opinion?

The same comparison could be made with your body and the food you eat. The more you “stop to fuel your body”, the more it will eat up your day and mind.

What I want to emphasize on is that most of the problems we have with nutrition have more to do with the mind, than the nutrition method. And the more you stress about food and make it the center of your day, the more you will lose it and become obsessed and thus you risk, the results you aim for slipping in front of your eyes!

So , personally as a person who has tried both methods, I encourage you to eat 3-4 times a day. Eat quantities big enough to make you feel full and not think about food all day long! Personally this helped me free my mind and focus on more important things!

Besides that, this will help you get rid of the bad habit of eating something all day long, which is an unnecessary source of calories!

How many times a day do you eat? What does your experience “say” about meal frequency?

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