What works best: "3 square meals a day" or "constant snacking"

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Here me : coffee ( milk/sugar ) coffee ( milk / sugar )
big 'ol lunch with a sugar beverage -
water / juice over ice , coffee ( milk/sugar ) coffee ( milk/sugar )
i basically eat one big meal around 2 pm and book end it with coffee. ( probably 4 coffees and 1 large juice a day )
i eat about 1600 or so a day unless i go to town on some kind of dessert or chocolate.
 

Sefton10

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Most recently, 3 square meals. When eating starch that works best for me - bigger more hearty meals with some warm milk to finish.

If going starch free, I have to eat more frequently throughout the day, which I think is more suited to summer when fruit, cold foods and drinking more liquid is easier to tolerate. I feel better on 3 squares this time of year.
 

Blossom

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It probably has to do with a person’s context as well. There was a time years ago where I seemed to do better eating more frequently.
 

ursidae

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I try to stick to whole foods for the most part. I’m a fan of mono meals because meals don’t digest well for me when I combine a bunch of food groups. If I want to eat 2 kg of food and not have a distended gut at the end of the day I need to eat them in a certain order and at certain intervals, so inevitably it adds up to multiple meals a day. If I start the day with the wrong food like meat everything after that bloats me. Right now I go vegetable juice, 500 g tangerines, 300 g cooked bananas, 800 g steamed potatoes eaten in two meals, 260 g cod, 200 g lamb
 

Rafe

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Constant snacking here. Couple times a week a bigger breakfast meal (eggs & fish), mainly in summer. Very small dinner meal.

Everything is better if I get 900 calories in before 1pm.
 

SamYo123

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I don’t get cold or run on stress. My meals are sufficient - took a while to figure out how much and what - works nicely now.

example you've eaten a big meal, but you now are very phyiscal active still at 2 hours 30 mins. isn't the body still under stress?
 

GreekDemiGod

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Realized I am against the idea of snacking throughout the day. It is the opposite of anti-fragile and robust. Unless you are sedentary and stay at home a lot of your day, it's very impractical. Also you have to constantly think about & be busy with food. It's mentally exhausting.
Perhaps there are folks who can eat fruits & sugar, no starch, and can go 5+ hours in-between-meals,
That's where benefits of fiber come in.
 

xeliex

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I go back and forth on this one. I tend to drink juice, have fruit, eat a tortilla with cheese, etc., all day.

But sometimes I eat a bigger meal and don't eat for hours.

Which have you found works best for you? Can you share your experiences?
I haven't read other responses, but it comes down to your liver and general health and the ability to store and utilize glycogen effectively.

From personal experience, as I improved metabolically, my need for snacking lessened and I could go without food for longer than few hours. There was a time where I needed to eat every 2-3 hours but those days are over.
 

Jennifer

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Realized I am against the idea of snacking throughout the day. It is the opposite of anti-fragile and robust. Unless you are sedentary and stay at home a lot of your day, it's very impractical. Also you have to constantly think about & be busy with food. It's mentally exhausting.
Perhaps there are folks who can eat fruits & sugar, no starch, and can go 5+ hours in-between-meals,
That's where benefits of fiber come in.

Would you consider the average child to be anti-fragile and robust?
 

Dr. B

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I have many meals through-out: e.g.

- 6:30AM
- 2 x medjool dates with 8oz of milk.
- Hot coffee latte with gelatin, creating, salt, cocoa, black strap molasses, and maple syrup
- 4 oz of ground beef mix with small amounts of beef heart and liver, onion,
green pepper. 1/2 oz of grated parmigiano.

- 9:30 AM
- Mix of pomegranate, orange, and apple (cider) juice.
- 1 serving of ricotta with honey and black strap.

- 11:30 AM
- 1 x duck egg with cheese and a meat. Usually with a starch: potato or
sourdough bread.
- Mix of pomegranate, orange, and apple (cider) juice.

- 1:30 PM
- 2 x medjool dates with 6oz of milk.

- 3:00 PM
- Cold coffee latte with salt, cocoa, peanut butter powder, black strap
molasses, and maple syrup.
- 1 oz of Gouda

- 6:15 PM
- Standard dinner fare, whatever my wife makes.
- 8oz apple cider

- 8:00 PM
- Cold coffee latte with salt, cocoa, peanut butter powder, black strap
molasses, and maple syrup.

- 10:30 Bedtime: Maybe a spoonful of honey with a swig of milk.
interesting, why so many dates and why medjool dates
also is there a specific kind of honey you prefer
 
OP
ecstatichamster
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I don't need to snack but I work at home and it's fun. I have lately been eating a big breakfast and then not eating that much until much later, when I have a tortilla and cheese. It's working great, and a light-ish dinner.
 

evita

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I find that eating a lot of small meals doesn't work that well for me at the moment, unless I'm under a lot of stress. When I had more health issues I was ravenous all the time and craved sweets, especially after dinner. Now I'm good with three bigger meals, I think that my digestive system appreciates having those breaks and the only thing I have in between meals is whole milk or juice+coconut water.
 

Dr. B

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I don't need to snack but I work at home and it's fun. I have lately been eating a big breakfast and then not eating that much until much later, when I have a tortilla and cheese. It's working great, and a light-ish dinner.
do you do a nixtamalized tortilla or what brand do you use currently, also which cheese brand/type

I find that eating a lot of small meals doesn't work that well for me at the moment, unless I'm under a lot of stress. When I had more health issues I was ravenous all the time and craved sweets, especially after dinner. Now I'm good with three bigger meals, I think that my digestive system appreciates having those breaks and the only thing I have in between meals is whole milk or juice+coconut water.

what kind of juice
 

Lollipop2

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example you've eaten a big meal, but you now are very phyiscal active still at 2 hours 30 mins. isn't the body still under stress?
Not sure why you are getting at - I have an active job. I eat three solid meals and do great - around 8:30 pm I usually have three spoons of ice cream simply because I love it not because I am hungry.
 

Dr. B

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I haven't read other responses, but it comes down to your liver and general health and the ability to store and utilize glycogen effectively.

From personal experience, as I improved metabolically, my need for snacking lessened and I could go without food for longer than few hours. There was a time where I needed to eat every 2-3 hours but those days are over.
i could go longer without food, and appetite reduced as my metabolism got worse. with a higher metabolism i was hungry often and digested quick.
 

SamYo123

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Not sure why you are getting at - I have an active job. I eat three solid meals and do great - around 8:30 pm I usually have three spoons of ice cream simply because I love it not because I am hungry.
Say you eat at 8am, and you rush into a stressful period at 9am, a loud bang went off, your adrenaline and cortisol spiked, you wont be be eating until 1pm, wouldnt it be good to eat again before 1pm to lower the stress?
 

Lollipop2

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Say you eat at 8am, and you rush into a stressful period at 9am, a loud bang went off, your adrenaline and cortisol spiked, you wont be be eating until 1pm, wouldnt it be good to eat again before 1pm to lower the stress?
My liver glycogen storage is excellent. Why are you suggesting I am stressed? You have no idea who I am. Sounds like the scenario for you and you are trying to pressure me into agreeing with you. Study up on liver glycogen and healthy metabolism...
 

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