Or maybe you don’t eat at the “right” times?
Just like the idea that different people don’t need to like the same food, different people also don’t need to eat the same amount of food. Looking to others as a way of determining how much to eat is a very, very dangerous idea. No two people have the exact same body and lifestyle, and therefore no two people should be eating the exact same amount.
This was my breakfast today: Sugar Cookie Oatmeal.
I ate it, post-run, along with strawberry slices and peanut butter. Pre-run breakfast consisted of fresh watermelon and a bunch of pistachios. After breakfast, I talked with my little sister on the phone. She’d just woken up and was eating her own breakfast: a single container of yogurt.
Whose eating style is correct?
Both of ours! I probably eat about twice as much as my sister, and yet we’re both perfectly healthy. She’s shorter than me, has a slower metabolism, and doesn’t go running; therefore she needs less. If she were to eat like me, she’d probably end up with the world’s worst stomachache. And if I were to eat like her, I’d be so hungry I could eat an elephant. (Don’t worry, fellow vegans. I said I could, not I would.)
The mainstream media tells us there is also a “right” number of times to eat: five or six small meals, divided throughout the day. But once again, I have to argue that no one should take this advice as something set in stone. Do not trust society to tell you what or when to eat; experiment and find out what works best for you. I think eating every 3-4 hours works best for many people because it keeps energy levels up. But if you find that your energy doesn’t drag even if you go six hours without food, why should you feel like you have to eat anyway?
As an example, let’s use my friend Sarah.
She normally eats a small breakfast, followed by a big lunch and dinner, and she rarely ever snacks during the day.
Unless I make Lemon Poppyseed Muffins.
Those, she can’t resist.
On the other hand, I usually eat six meals a day and will almost always taste-test recipes in between meals as well. You’d be hard pressed to find a time my mouth is not stuffed with food. Does this mean one of us is eating incorrectly? No, not at all! It just means we’re different people with different needs.
Do you eat three meals per day? Or six smaller meals? Or maybe you’re a grazer?
And do you ever compare the amount you eat to what others eat?
Great post, Katie! Like many of the others who commented, I’m also a recovering (recovered?) borderline anorexic, and still struggle with how much I should or do eat. A typical day for me is breakfast (7 am), mid-morning snack (~11 am if time permits; sometimes just coffee, sometimes a piece of fruit), late lunch around 2 pm, afternoon snack after work (5 pm), and a light dinner with the hubs around 7-8 pm. I probably eat the most at lunch, that’s when I’m typically the most hungry. But I’ve discovered I need to do small frequent meals because large meals make me feel over-full and nauseated. I often feel that I don’t have (or know) a “middle” range between hungry and full, I’m either starving or stuffed. I think it’s due to disordered eating patterns for so many years. On the other hand, my husband (who’s 22) tends to skip breakfast, graze at lunch, and eat a larger dinner… he stays so busy during the day that he forgets to eat, or has learned to “turn off” the hunger signals until he’s free to eat – I’m not sure which. LOL!
I definitely eat three ‘medium’ sized meals throughout the day. It’s the only way for me to really do it during the work week — I also have a snack or two and always have a nice dessert at night, more of a healthy dessert, but still, something sweet!
I guess I’d classifly myself more as a grazer..I mean I eat small meals a day, but more like 10 small meals, you know? I definitely eat A LOT and I love it!!
I usually eat 3 meals a day plus random snacks and stuff. It really just depends on the day. I really try not to compare what I eat to what others eat, sometimes it’s hard not to.
Great post!
Love this post! My mom’s convinced I eat like a bird because I’m skinny and I’m vegan. But I don’t! I eat less than some, I often halve recipes, since I’m short and don’t require as much food as someone taller. I’m a definite volume-eater, and a snacker!
I love seeing posts like these that make me feel so much better about my odd eating habits. Until I was about 16, I sed to be able to eat more in a day than most grown men. Then I started gaining weight and getting less hungry, but I kept eating the same way!
I compare what I eat to others ALL the time, and I find it so hard not to! I still have yet to figure out my true eating style, but I definitely lean towards snacking and feel better when I eat smaller portions more often.
I could not agree with you more, in the past I was shackled by how much my family would eat and when they would eat. I was also eating six smaller meals a day thinking it was ideal for me, but I felt like I was becoming obsessive over food and feeling hungry and anxious every time one of my smaller meals was delayed. I have since distanced myself from the pressures of family and friends and eat as and when I please often with a huge meal first thing. It seems to work so much better for me now 🙂 You have really emphasised how liberating it can be to forget about other people and do what is right for the person. Thank you for that Katie, you are an inspiration to me and many, many others 🙂
Aw, thank YOU for such a sweet comment :).
I try to eat 4 times every day (at least), granola with yogurt for breakfast (sometimes it´s just some fruits, but sometimes a piece of cake!), normal- or smaller sized lunch, afternoon snack- some fruit and/ or nuts (from the time i started to eat that snack, I don´t feel that hungry for dinner, what is great, since I used to eat huge dinner), and normal- sized dinner.
Great topic to touch on! Comparing is such an issue in today’s society as everybody thinks we should be “the same”, which is totally incorrect! You’re so right– our needs are very different depending on age, activity level, weight, and overall metabolism! What somebody does or needs doesn’t mean that’s true for you. That can be very hard to accept often.
I eat about 6 times a day as I’m active and have a speedy metabolism 🙂 Definitely not a grazer!
Thank you so much for posting this! It could not have come at a better time. I am recovering from an ED and am trying to gain weight…again. I usually eat 5 meals including 2 smaller snacks. I often compare my food to other people’s portions because my hunger signals are all wonky and I have days where I don’t get hungry at all. However, I used to just not eat whether I was hungry or not so I guess that is what I get. Anyways, when I work out I tend to get super hungry for the rest of the day but always try and eat balanced, vegetarian deliciousness! For now, I am not allowed to exercise (IT SUCKS), but eating every 3 hours or so still keeps my metabolism up! It is interesting how God created everyone so uniquely too 🙂