“How often should I eat?” is something I’m often asked and a subject that regularly crops up on my message board (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/foodandfeelings). It’s an important question lacking a one-size-fits-all answer. When people ask me how often they should eat, I know immediately that they are looking for an answer in the wrong place—outside of themselves—rather than reflecting internally on what is right for them, because the only person I can answer for is myself!
How often you want to (note, not should) eat depends on your lifestyle, hunger and activity level, interest in food, and its availability. Some people enjoy having three meals and three snacks a day. Other folks (like me) don’t care to be hungry or full and have multiple food encounters during the day (I don’t count ‘em). As a writer and therapist with a home office, I take frequent breaks and have foods I love readily available. My husband generally eats two large meals a day and that works for him. I know other people who never snack and do three-sit downs every day of their lives.
Remember, every day isn’t the same, although we do fall into habits. If you’re tooling around and have no time for a sit-down meal, think in terms of frequent snacks. Alternately, if you’re home alot and tend to wander through the kitchen more than you’d like, consider establishing a three-meal-a-day routine. Another factor is when you’re usually hungry. If you enjoy a large, late wholesome breakfast, you may not be hungry until afternoon. However, if you go for an early breakfast lite, you may want a nosh mid-morning. It’s important to eat complex carbohydrates and protein during the day to keep your body nourished. If you turn toward food more than you’d like in the evening, it may be because: A) you haven’t eaten enough during the day and/or 2) you’re not really hungry, but are using food for emotional reasons. It’s unhealthy to pack in a great deal of food before going to sleep, so try giving yourself a cut off time to end eating that’s a few hours before bedtime.
Experiment with eating frequency: try eating more or less often and in larger or smaller quantities. See what feels comfortable for your body and routine. Don’t make rules (other than adhering to those of “normal” eating). Instead follow the internal appetite signal you have for hunger and try to eat when it's in the moderate range. Seeking suggestions is fine, but needing external rules and answers from experts is leftover from having had a diet mentality for too long. The only way you’ll learn to trust your appetite is through trial and error and keeping your eyes on your own plate!
Best,
Karen
Normal Eating web site
Normal Eating talks and workshops
PLEASE NOTE: I encourage you to comment on my blogs and will do my best to address topics/questions you raise in future blogs. I cannot provide individual responses, but encourage you to post your questions and comments on The Food and Feelings Workbook message board at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/foodandfeelings.
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