For me it's helpful just to do three meals and absolutely not eat any other time. I try to wait until 7:00 a.m. to eat breakfast and I keep it under 600 calories. I can't have lunch until noon and still keep it under 600 calories. Ditto dinner which I do not allow myself to start preparing until after 5:00 p.m.
If I have to have a snack between meals it is not allowed to take my last dinner total over 600 (so if I only ate 500 calories for lunch, then I can have a snack at 3:00 p.m. that's under 100 calories).
Keeping carrot chips or pepper rings or dill pickles around to munch on if I'm really hungry helps. At night my "snack" is usually just decaf coffee or tea. I've lost 59 pounds in just under 3 months (300 lbs to 241 lbs). So far it's worked for me.
Well, matttymatt, I tried eating three square meals and no snacks -- the French way -- and it drove me mad! It must me my blood sugar, or the meds I take, but after I ate my three square, healthy meals I still craved sugar like I was a junkie... grazing little bits of what I wanted has made my life much easier... and my 16W jeans are starting to fall down, so that's the gravy... what do other people on the forum have to say? Behlor
I say that every person has something different that works best for them. Personally I stick with 3 meals a day but I have healthful snacks when I need one. Right now I am eating an apple because breakfast was at 7 and today I am not eating lunch until almost 1:30 so I don't want to get over-hungry.
__________________ April - 35yr 5'10" mom of two teen boys
I say that every person has something different that works best for them. Personally I stick with 3 meals a day but I have healthful snacks when I need one. Right now I am eating an apple because breakfast was at 7 and today I am not eating lunch until almost 1:30 so I don't want to get over-hungry.
I with April on this one. I have tried the grazing or mini-meals method and it certainly keeps the hunger pangs at bay. But I have a very hard time keeping the calories within my daily limit. Also, the mini-meals tend to be higher in carbs than I like. I suppose if I was willing to invest a lot more time in planning the graze it would be fine; I just find it easier to plan 3 balanced meals with an occassional snack.
i am student in college and i weight 200 lbs how can i lose the weight before the date January 16th .
It's impossible. Your best bet it to set the goal for Jan 17th.
Track your calories for 2 weeks on fitday. Find your average and drop 500 cals/day. If you lose around 1lb/week for a month you will be on track. Adjust as needed. Start by eating the same foods you eat now but just less and slowly switch out out for more nutrient rich foods.
__________________
Male5'9
Jan 11-216 l MiniBulk-Oct-Dec12'
Sep 11-175 l Jan 1' 2013 CUT--184lb
Mar 12-206
Jul 12-170 Whatever you do today make sure it is important because you are trading a day of your life for it.
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing”T.R
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
–Abraham Lincoln
I vote small meals! I have been eating small meals since January and have lost almost 50 pounds. (I am at about 45 pound right now because I had to gain some back for my marathon training....which I ran on Sunday!!! So now back at it)....Anyway, that method worked great for me, but I think it is a personal choice. I had to fully plan out my day to make sure I reached all my nutrition goals, but I liked the food plan. If you have any questions about it, let me know.
Interesting, liberatedmist... the small meals work for me too! Yes, I tend to eat lots of carbs, but the carbs tend to be fruits, veggies, and little bits of whole grains... I also like something like a cup of seafood salad or a salad with cheese for lunch (must pack in the protein)... I still eat sugar, but I have little craving for soda these days... I'm more into coffee and herbal tea... and moving much more definitely helps... Behlor
Three square meals vs. grazing...
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