3 Meals Or 6 Small Meals?

[fitforlife 18]

how often do you'll eat?

my surgeon and NUT said to eat 3 meals and nothing in between. Well I get hungry, especially mid-afternoon, mid-morning. so I end up snacking. They tell me that my weight loss will not be as much if I eat between meals, unfortunately, I'm one of those sleevers that is always hungry and also a slow loser. I've lost 20lbs in 7 weeks, I know I should be happy that I've lost, but I just can't help but feel like I'm doing something wrong but not losing more.

Surg date 1/23/12

Starting wt 220

current wt 200

[kcsmicah 51]

I am right there with you. I get hungry too! My surgery was January 20th and I have lost 25lbs as of this morning. I eat 5-6 times a day. I figure that as long as my calorie, Protein, fat and carb intake are okay then why should it matter how often I eat. I am okay with a slow loss as I think it will help with skin issues later on. I say do whatever makes you comfortable ad you know your body better than anyone! Good luck to you! Just remember slow and steady wins the race!

[fitforlife 18]

I am right there with you. I get hungry too! My surgery was January 20th and I have lost 25lbs as of this morning. I eat 5-6 times a day. I figure that as long as my calorie, Protein, fat and carb intake are okay then why should it matter how often I eat. I am okay with a slow loss as I think it will help with skin issues later on. I say do whatever makes you comfortable ad you know your body better than anyone! Good luck to you! Just remember slow and steady wins the race!

thanks for the reply, sounds like we have the same amout to lose (I have 95lbs) and had surgery only 3 days apart! How do you track you intake? do you weigh food? I haven't been tracking really, maybe that's my problem? do you exercise? when did you start?

[Leederz 49]

I just had my surgery only a week ago but I know all nut's and docs are diff. My nut sheet says 3 meals and Snacks in between. Right now I'm just trying to get in liquids and Protein but as long as u keep ur levels under control I don't see why 6 small meals would be so bad. Are you drinking with ur meals? I know they say that can stall weight loss too. Hope all is well!

[fitforlife 18]

I just had my surgery only a week ago but I know all nut's and docs are diff. My nut sheet says 3 meals and Snacks in between. Right now I'm just trying to get in liquids and Protein but as long as u keep ur levels under control I don't see why 6 small meals would be so bad. Are you drinking with ur meals? I know they say that can stall weight loss too. Hope all is well!

I wait about 30minutes after eating before I drink.

[MegInNOLA 531]

I eat between 5 and 6 mini-meals a day. My sleeve is really restrictive, so that's the only way I can manage it. :-)

Mini-meals I regularly eat:

1. Half a Protein bar.

2. Four shrimp with cocktail or remoulade sauce.

3. A cup of salad (greens and Tomato with vinaigrette) and 2 TBS feta cheese or 1 ounce of fresh mozzarella cubed in.

4. An ounce or two of sliced cheese; if I want a cracker, I don't eat as much cheese.< /p>

5. Yogurt with a pack of those Bel Vita Breakfast cookies; this is more of a "full" meal, logging at 360 calories, but it's a good size to totally fill me up--usually I can't quite finish the last cookie or all the yogurt.

6. A few corn chips with refried Beans and salsa to scoop.

7. 1/2 c. steamed or roasted veggies.

8. 1 c. grapefruit segments and juice.

9. 1/4 c. almond/dried cranberry mix.

I feel better and I think my brain and body run better on several small meals per day. Everyone is different. :-) Cheers!

[favoredone 590]

I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks... when I'm drinking enough Water, I have to make myself stick to my eating schedule... It works!! My blood sugar drops quickly when I go longer than 3 hours between meals..

[Globetrotter 1,340]

Since my regular meals are so tiny, it's really like I eat 5-6 snack meals a day. Breakfast might be one egg, 2nd breakfast a thing of greek yogurt, first lunch an apple, Lunch2 a Protein shot or shake, pre-workout dinner some cheese and nuts and "big" dinner some tuna salad with A cracker or some bites of steak with a handful of sauteed veggies. I only do one dessert tho, and it is usually a dark chocolate truffle or something smaller. =)

[Jswilbur 42]

"5. Yogurt with a pack of those Bel Vita breakfast cookies; this is more of a "full" meal, logging at 360 calories, but it's a good size to totally fill me up--usually I can't quite finish the last cookie or all the yogurt."

How are the Bel Vita's? Are they soft? I have been looking at them for my 84 yo Mom, who eats barely enough to keep her going.

[deshauna 2]

I have 5-6 small meals. It keeps me full of energy. Its vood to know I'm not the only one.

[gmanbat 5,889]

I don't know why some say 3 meals and that's all and my NUT, along with many others, says 5-6. I am doing 5-6 and steadily losing weight. Many non-surgical weight loss programs say 5-6 as well.

[Soon2BMiniMommy 92]

I completely agree with 5-6. That's what I do. We eat SO little, we need to eat more often, in my opinion. As for tracking, come join www.myfitnesspal.com. There are literally dozens of us on there!!! My screen name is shadowdlady there. Friend me! You can also see our food diaries for tons of examples of what we sleevers eat.

I can't even imagine eating only three meals a day. I would only get like 500 or 600 calories!! That's crazy talk. I do believe doctors and NUT's are worried about us 'snacking' continually as that is how many weight loss surgery patients regain our weight, by eating constantly cause we can't eat volume anymore, but they do tend to go overboard sometimes in their instructions.

You will find your own routine and schedule. I also think it's important to eat more often, or you can feel very hungry, and then eat too fast, or eat too much, and be really uncomfortable afterwards, or make bad food choices because you're so hungry. We did lose most of our ghrelin, and we don't feel AS hungry as before, but it is still there. Our bodies still need nourishment! And since we eat so little, it does go through our tummies faster, so we do get hungrier more quickly than if we had a huge meal three times a day. Well, not all of us, some NEVER feel hungry, but I wasn't blessed with that side effect I still get hungry, just not that gnawing, gotta-have-some-food-NOW feeling I did before.