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?
This is a brilliant post, really thought-provoking!
To be honest it’s something I should be more careful of as I often compare myself to my sister who is much thinner than me. Thanks for making me stop and think.
By the way I’ve been a reader for a while and I just wanted to say your recipes are great 🙂
Aww thank you for all your kind words!
I eat all the time :X I usually have 3 meals a day and snacks in the afternoon and night. Sometimes I just graze between meals. I sometimesss compare my eating habits to others, but i try not to because its pretty clear different people should have different diets.
Great post, Katie!! I know it took awhile for me to figure out what worked best for my body. I was often comparing my habits to others’ rather than listening to what my body told me. Now, I just listen 🙂 & I eat what Char needs, not what anyone else needs!
Hey Katie, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate this post. I often find myself comparing my eating habits to bloggers and thinking that something must be wrong with me because I can’t eat nearly as much as they do. I have to remind myself that: a) they have much more muscle mass than me (i’m working on it!), b) I do not exercise nearly as much as they do, and c) they probably don’t have thyroid problems (which I do). This is just a really great reminder that they way I eat is what is best for me, and me only! Thanks again!!
I usually eat every 3-4 hours, no matter what I ate 🙂 haha I am always snacky!
Hehe I waited until now to comment because I always LOVE reading everyone else’s comments! Always so many interesting thoughts! 🙂
Ok, I did USED to compare, but I don’t any more! I eat a lot and whenever I want and I LIKE that! People do sometimes comment but now I just respond in a jokey way and don’t take it to heart! We are all SO different and I think people can lose sight of that. And I LOVE YOU for seeing that and posting about it!! I hope people learn to stop comparing and just accept that we all need and want different things 🙂
Hee hee, glad it’s not just me that reads all the comments!
That is my absolute favorite parts of blogging. I can never get over how brave everyone is to share so much personal stuff. It amazes me and makes me smile so much!
im a three meal a day kind of girl
im usually running around in and out of classes so snaking or having 6 meals is just not plausible for me!
I used to participate in small eating contests with my friends as a kid and I was better than some of the boys. I can’t believe I could eat 7 slices of bread with roasted red pepper spread (we call it liutenitsa) and not feel the tiniest bit guilty.
Now I am trying to eat 3 big meals a day but I usually end up with a fourth meal in the evening because comparing to what other people eat always leads to eating less than I need. It is just hard to eat like a horse when a lot of girls eating in the same cafeteria think it is perfectly normal to have a small piece of tofu and a few spoonfuls of fruit salad for lunch. I am pretty sure this is not the amount they need. Sigh. I must work on listening to my own body and stop caring what everybody else does.
Hmm. Depending on my sched and such, I’ll usually eat three meals a day, sometimes with snacks. If I’m at home all day (which is rare), I graze like it’s my job.
my mum always says ‘everyone thinks it’s ok to comment on the skinny person’s meal’ and it’s so true. I don’t eat much but I do eat good food. I have a small breakfast, a big salad or soup for lunch (oh my god, the amount of times that I’ve been told soup isn’t a meal….!) usually an afternoon snack at around 4 or 5 (usually fruit in summer or popcorn in winter) and a good sized dinner usually around 8.30 – my boyfriend gets home from work late. I also eat really really slowly and people think I don’t like my meal.
I wish all restaurants had size options like fast food places do. I’m sick of waiters asking me if there was something wrong with my meal… yes! it was too big! I’m also sick of having to order boring sides when I don’t want to waste money on a proper meal that I know I’ll only eat half of. this is why I’m all for sharing-type meals like tapas and yum cha and sushi!