Eat More Often, Lose More Weight

@ EMCKERN- If you are eating only 955 calories per day, this could be your problem. I've always heard that it is unhealthy to eat less than 1200 calories per day. - 5/28/2013 2:55:08 PM

I eat small meals and a few snacks daily and I exercise. My problem is that my metabolism is so slow that I have to consume less than 1,000 per day to lose weight. I'm 216 lbs and have had some success when consuming 800-900 calories per day. I try to walk 1-2 miles 2-3 days per week. I'm hoping to add more exercise soon. I've had my thyroid checked several times over the years and have been to an endocrinologist, to no avail. Guess I'm one of the unlucky ones that needs to work a little harder to lose weight.
A typical diet day for me is as follows:
Breakfast: Yogurt - 80 calories
snack: kiwi - 50 calories
lunch: salad with tomatoes, onions, red peppers, 2 TBS dressing, croutons - 375 cal.
snack: med. orange - 75 calories
dinner: grilled chicken breast - 150; steamed broccoli - 75; milk - 150
Total: 955 calories.
Straying even a little....say 250 calories will cause a weight gain.
If anyone out there has similar problem, I would like to hear from them.

- 5/9/2013 10:52:12 PM

Oh yes I need to eat a bunch of mini meals I do a lot more protein works for me - 5/9/2013 7:33:37 PM

Wow! Carbs galore! Pre-lunch and you're already at about 100g carbs?? I'd be starving all day. I do eat 4 or 5 times a day, and I find that works for me, but only if I make sure I get a good amount of protein and fat in at every 'meal'. - 5/9/2013 4:41:45 PM

I have successfully lost 25 pounds eating small meals more often. That works for me. - 5/9/2013 1:39:18 PM

I found that eating small meals did not satisfy the emotional side of eating. I didn't feel like I was eating a meal, especially dinner. - 5/9/2013 1:12:25 PM

I do not believe in the mini meals myth. Even Jillian Michaels says it's a myth in her book. I've had success eating three meals a day, nothing else. So if you're like me and like 3 square meals a day, don't succumb to this myth and try changing your eating habits. Do what's right for you. - 5/9/2013 10:57:28 AM

I am a runner and I absolutely love carbs. However, I too think that the plan provided could've been a little better (more veggies/fiber). Overall, eating 5 times/day works great for me but my snacks are apples, yogurt, almonds etc. I agree with KWING517 comment - it's all about moderation (that carrot cake sounds darn yummy!) - 5/9/2013 10:36:40 AM

Wow. I just went back and totalled the carb grams on the suggestion above. At a whopping 289g of carbs most people would actually GAIN weight eating that.

1156 calories from sugar and starch. Ouch. - 5/9/2013 9:33:11 AM

A lot of whether this would benefit you or harm you depends on WHAT you eat also.

A breakfast which is high in protein and fat and low in sugar and starch will probably keep you feeling fuller longer, so you probably wouldn't need a mid-morning snack.

A breakfast of cereal with fruit juice and toast is largely sugar and starch and will probably leave you ravenous an hour and a half later.

Most people who focus on eating high quality protein and fat and minimize their junk calories find that they can go longer and longer periods between meals comfortably without hunger and (more importantly) without cravings.

Does that mean that 2 meals a day is superior to 6? No, I don't think it does. I think YMMV - your mileage may vary.

I find it psychologically comforting to build snacks into my day (planned for, of course), so if it means my weight loss takes longer, then so be it. It may be slower than some people's, but it's steady and always heading in the right direction. - 5/9/2013 9:28:53 AM

I have always eaten several small meals per day, and it really works for me. It seems to keep my energy (and attitude!) pretty level throughout the day.

Now that I'm watching what I eat (I've lost 120 lbs in 16 months), I am more careful about what I eat at each meal/snack, but I still eat 5-6 times throughout the day. The tricks are to keep the calorie count low (I try for no more than 1,500 calories per day) and to STOP eating if I'm full before I finish my meal/snack. I can always go back and finish it later if I'm hungry again :)

I also LOVE the taste of food. I eat because food tastes good, not necessarily because I'm hungry. I've learned to stop eating when I'm full and to be very picky about what I eat - I'll skip the Little Debbie now because I know the chocolate just tastes like wax and the cream doesn't have that much flavor, but I absolutely will not skip the carrot cake with homemade cream cheese frosting at my mom's house because I KNOW that's gonna be fantastic!!!

It's all about moderation and knowing your body well enough to know what it needs anyway - after all, if you don't know your body well enough, who will?? - 5/9/2013 8:46:22 AM

I'm eating three reasonably-sized and healthy meals a day, plus two or three very small high protein snacks and it's working for me! I never feel overly hungry so I don't overeat, and I'm losing weight. - 5/9/2013 8:33:57 AM

Oddly enough, there is an article in the June 2013 Readers Digest that refutes mini meals as a plan for weight loss. The give a few studies to indicate why its not really a good idea. - 5/9/2013 8:26:30 AM

I am definitely in the group of mini meals eaters. Since I am retired, I have the option to track frequently throughout the day to be sure I stay in my calorie range and are getting the nutrients I need. Since I have been eating more fruits and veggies I am finding that they don't have that many calories but are loaded with nutrients. It works for me!
- 5/7/2013 11:15:30 PM

ACTUALLY, eat more often --- age more quickly! It is amazing that this meal frequency argument still exists. Folks, every single time you eat you create oxidative stress in the body that lends towards aging, and less immunity to disease. Also, eating 5 or 6 meals a day DOES NOT create a metabolic advantage over those who only eat 2 or 3. Eat a mostly vegetarian diet with moderate protein using an intermittent fasting eating regimen and watch how miraculously you lose weight, gain unexplainable energy, and stave off inflammation and disease. Google 'Intermittent Fasting' for yourself. - 4/4/2013 6:23:48 PM