Do you eat your meals at the same times every day?

[Creepy-]

Do you eat your meals at the same times every day? Why or why not??

[redbaron]

I eat when I'm hungry and my day allows. which usually means coffee first thing, 7:10 or so. breakfast after I get the kids to school. 9:00 a.m. Lunch around 11:30 or noon. Then I have a couple of (usually) healthy snacks through the afternoon and generally skip dinner or have a couple bites of the kids' leftovers.

[strrrng]

Typically try to maintain 3-4 hour interval meals, but I may fast for the sake of training, and occasionally binge. Typically consume a fair amount of coffee (2 cups or so with breakfast, maybe another "dose" later on), and try to be precise with food. Temptations lurk in the pantry...I can't let myself give in. But my sleep schedule is inconsistent; I may wake up in the morning, stay up for two days, sleep 6 hours, etc. So, a lot depends on that.

[Warlord]

Nope. I eat when I'm hungry, well sometimes I postpone it if I don't want to interrupt something I'm doing.

[jessica129]

I eat at the same time every day and eat roughly the same thing at each meal. Boring? Yeah. If I'm off by an hour or two I really cannot concentrate. I have to have three meals every day with minimal if any snacking in between.

[strrrng]

I eat at the same time every day and eat roughly the same thing at each meal. Boring? Yeah. If I'm off by an hour or two I really cannot concentrate. I have to have three meals every day with minimal if any snacking in between.

3 meals a day might be too little. If you don't keep your metabolism going with continual small meals, it can be detrimental. Depends on when and how much you eat, though.

[jessica129]

3 meals a day might be too little. If you don't keep your metabolism going with continual small meals, it can be detrimental. Depends on when and how much you eat, though.

Yeah, actually I'm doing a complete diet overall starting on thanksgiving. It'll be interesting. I know for a fact I'm not eating enough thus slowing my metabolism to nothing. I've never been a big fan of snacking though so it's hard for me to incorporate it into my life. What are some good things to snack on without feeling guilty? I know nuts can be very good...

[tereg]

In short, no.

I am wildly inconsistent in when I eat and how often I eat.

[strrrng]

Yeah, actually I'm doing a complete diet overall starting on thanksgiving. It'll be interesting. I know for a fact I'm not eating enough thus slowing my metabolism to nothing. I've never been a big fan of snacking though so it's hard for me to incorporate it into my life. What are some good things to snack on without feeling guilty? I know nuts can be very good...

That's cool. Snacking isn't bad as long as what you eat is good. An apple, yogurt, nutrigrain bar...stuff like that. Small things that will give you some nutrients and and energy. If you exercise, it's probably best to do it 45-60 mins after a normal meal, to have the most energy to expend and have reciprocated in output. I don't think there's anything wrong with junk every now and then; it's more about the mental effects than anything else.

[redbaron]

things I snack on:

cereal
yogurt
cheese
dried cherries
clementine oranges
apple slices
cottage cheese & applesauce

[Ritella]

man, i am like a child with no parental control. i eat whatever/whenever i want. ice cream for dinner? sure, why not? i don't even have a concept of when/what dinner is.
i think i need like a husband or family around me to regulate me. my meals are basically just like "oh hey. it's a jar of peanut butter and a spoon."

[jessica129]

I could definetly get used to snacking on yogurt...and granola....I've missed these things

man, i am like a child with no parental control. i eat whatever/whenever i want. ice cream for dinner? sure, why not? i don't even have a concept of when/what dinner is.
i think i need like a husband or family around me to regulate me. my meals are basically just like "oh hey. it's a jar of peanut butter and a spoon."

lol, yeah i used to be the same. Me and peanut butter is a dangerous combo.

[Park]

Nope. I eat when I'm hungry, well sometimes I postpone it if I don't want to interrupt something I'm doing.

In short, no.

I am wildly inconsistent in when I eat and how often I eat.

I just eat when I'm hungry. You people are weird.

Same.

P.S. I don't like peanut butter.

[FDG]

Not all of them. Breakfast and dinner - yes. Lunch is highly variable. Not because I "want to", I just usually happen to be hungry at those times.

[Joy]

Do you eat your meals at the same times every day? Why or why not??

No, there's usually about a three hour window around my meals.

Breakfast: 6:00 to 9:00
Lunch: 11:00 to 1:00
Dinner: 5:00 to 7:30

I try to eat toward the beginning of the time frames mentioned, but sometimes I'm busy and don't get to it until later in the time frame. Very occasionally I'll end up having a really late lunch (like at 2:00 or 3:00) and then a really light, late dinner. I try to avoid that as much as possible though of course.

Also, if I have a light lunch I'm more likely to have a big dinner (particularly when my day is full of inspections), and I try to do that the other way around as well. I try to make breakfast the most substantial meal of the day, then lunch, and then have a light dinner.

[tiny_dancer]

I'm pretty consistent with what time I eat. It really affects my energy level if I don't keep things in check. For about two weeks, I was eating lunch at 2 pm, and I definitely noticed changes in my mood - I was grumpy!! I'm also consistent with how much I eat. If I've been exercising a lot or feel more hungry, then I'll eat more, but most days it's about the same.

[iAnnAu]

I'm more of a grazer, but I have noticed an improvement to incorporating a few guidelines in my eating. Keep in mind I've got an extremely unusual digestive system due to a malfunctioning pancreas and apparently a weak stomach on top of that ...

Breakfast: I try to not eat for at least two hours after waking. On weekdays, I usually eat some fruit around 10am, but often I forget and it's more like 10:30 or 11. I can't mix fruit with other foods, so I gotta get what I'm gonna first thing, and then let my stomach empty before going on to anything else. On the weekends, I might eat sooner after getting up, and I might even eat something other than fruit, if it's not too depressing to already be popping pills (I have to take enzymes for pretty much anything but plain fruits and veggies).

Lunch: I usually go with when I'm hungry. Could be anytime from 11 to 2, depending on what I ate earlier. Sometimes I postpone eating for a half hour or more to get to a better stopping point on a project, or else to avoid the oven line, since there are 18 people in my office and only one microwave.

Dinner: Catch-as-catch-can. I try to finish eating at least 3 hours before going to bed, or else my stomach may be unhappy with me - and for some reason, I'll wake up hungry, which is confusing and unpleasant.

Snacks: I snack a lot, but I usually don't start until noon. Some of the finger foods currently at my desk are crackers, cookies, pumpkin seeds, carrots and coconut flakes. I prefer to go with unprocessed foods, but that gets boring soooo quickly. If I keep the amounts to a minimum, I can eat things like crackers and cookies without having to break out an enzyme pill.

I also have to make sure I stop eating at least 2 hours before working out, so I usually make sure I put everything away around 3:30 (workouts are at 6). Sometimes even 2 hours isn't enough, and when I really start sweating, my stomach churns.

I usually drink some tea starting around 8:30am, and I try to stop imbibing caffeine by 3pm, because I've read it can affect you for up to 8 hours. Coffee is frickin' nasty to me, but I could drink tea all day long if I don't watch myself. Other than tea and the occasional Neuro Fuel (all other energy drinks make my stomach ache), I drink water. I also try to separate liquids from solids, so I don't drink much during meals, which seems to help my digestion.

[dbmmama]

Nope. I eat when I'm hungry, well sometimes I postpone it if I don't want to interrupt something I'm doing.

same. except i do have 6 mouths wanting/needing food as well. i try to help my kids learn to listen to their own bodies that way too. but, a lot of times we're doing something cool and then eat whenever.....except my 8 year old, i better get food in him or he gets very hypersensitive, emotionally/physicallly. hubby too that way. i forget to eat a lot of times, it's just something that isnt that important to me.

[jessica129]

I've only actually been physically hungry a few times in my life. I eat before I feel hungry...I don't like letting myself get to the point of feeling hungry because i'll binge like crazy.

[Slacker]

Yes. I get migraine headaches and one of the triggers is getting my schedule screwed up, and particularly with meals. So they're at least roughly at the same time. And even if I didn't have that issue, my husband and child would tell me they were starving to death if food were late.

[strrrng]

I've only actually been physically hungry a few times in my life. I eat before I feel hungry...I don't like letting myself get to the point of feeling hungry because i'll binge like crazy.

That's actually pretty smart. With eating, typically by the time you're hungry, it's already been too long. Especially with work and whatnot, people can forget that they need to eat.

[Joy]

With eating, typically by the time you're hungry, it's already been too long.

yeah, especially if you're not all that physically active that day

[reyn_til_runa]

That's actually pretty smart. With eating, typically by the time you're hungry, it's already been too long. Especially with work and whatnot, people can forget that they need to eat.

i cannot always tell hunger from other urges. i also cannot really fathom being able to eat regular meals. if i buy a container of 4 yogurts, i will eat them all in a row, telling myself "it is ok because 1- this is "healthy food" and 2- when these 4 yogurts are finished ,i will not have to worry anymore about what to eat and how much." if, on the other hand, i don't eat them immediately, i will most often forget to eat them until they are spoiled.

i think i generally feel uncomfortable with having too much food around at once. so, to avoid the stress and the bellyache, i tend to buy little packs of food with built in limitations. this, however, is a relatively recent phenomenon. i occasionally eat insanely healthy foods (organic produce, primarily) but even when i bought a juicer and had the thought of becoming raw vegan (i am just vegetarian currently), i would over or under eat. sometimes i would use the juicer, but not feel like washing it, so not use it again for weeks.

regular sleep may correlate with regular eating in that i have never slept nor eaten regularly in my entire life, not even for like a few days.

[reyn_til_runa]

oh, i also have the following hanging on my fridge. sometimes it helps, but actually the greater deterrent for the past year has been the fact that my freezer is completely full of ice and that opening the fridge too often or for too long tends to cause the ice to melt and leak out onto the floor, which causes me to have to go running for towels to sop of the water. that is all really unpleasant, especially when there are no suitable towels.

"Moderation in eating and sleeping weakens the factor of desire and brings greater clarity."

"Usually we eat very unmindfully. taste comes and goes very quickly. while food is still in the mouth, because of desire and greed for continuing taste sensations, the arm reaches for more, and generally we are unaware of the whole process involved. Finish each mouthful before reaching for another. in this way we become sensitive to our bodies and how much food we need. it's very hard to over/under eat when you eat mindfully."

[dbmmama]

i cannot always tell hunger from other urges. i also cannot really fathom being able to eat regular meals. if i buy a container of 4 yogurts, i will eat them all in a row, telling myself "it is ok because 1- this is "healthy food" and 2- when these 4 yogurts are finished ,i will not have to worry anymore about what to eat and how much." if, on the other hand, i don't eat them immediately, i will most often forget to eat them until they are spoiled.

i think i generally feel uncomfortable with having too much food around at once. so, to avoid the stress and the bellyache, i tend to buy little packs of food with built in limitations. this, however, is a relatively recent phenomenon. i occasionally eat insanely healthy foods (organic produce, primarily) but even when i bought a juicer and had the thought of becoming raw vegan (i am just vegetarian currently), i would over or under eat. sometimes i would use the juicer, but not feel like washing it, so not use it again for weeks.

regular sleep may correlate with regular eating in that i have never slept nor eaten regularly in my entire life, not even for like a few days.

yeah, all this.

[MysticSonic]

Typically, if I can afford it, I'll be eating something during virtually every hour of the day. A snack here, a meal there---it's incorrect to say I eat at the same time everyday in a way because I am ALWAYS eating. If I can afford it.

[iAnnAu]

oh, i also have the following hanging on my fridge. sometimes it helps, but actually the greater deterrent for the past year has been the fact that my freezer is completely full of ice and that opening the fridge too often or for too long tends to cause the ice to melt and leak out onto the floor, which causes me to have to go running for towels to sop of the water. that is all really unpleasant, especially when there are no suitable towels.

"Moderation in eating and sleeping weakens the factor of desire and brings greater clarity."

"Usually we eat very unmindfully. taste comes and goes very quickly. while food is still in the mouth, because of desire and greed for continuing taste sensations, the arm reaches for more, and generally we are unaware of the whole process involved. Finish each mouthful before reaching for another. in this way we become sensitive to our bodies and how much food we need. it's very hard to over/under eat when you eat mindfully."

These are good reminders. To add to the second one, I've read that our taste buds "recognize" our bites, and we basically stop tasting what's in our mouths after a few seconds. That's got to be one reason why I find myself reaching for more food before I've even swallowed - the sensation has faded, and I'm anticipating the next. Essentially, after the first couple of chews of each bite, we're going on either the memory or the anticipation of taste. Keeping this in mind helps me slow down. It's especially important because chewing is an important part of digestion, and especially when I really like something I tend to eat too fast.

[Elro]

I don't eat at exactly the same time every day, but I try to eat within a range of time, like lunch sometime between 11 and 2 and dinner sometime between 5 and 8. This is partially due to cafeteria hours, but it's also useful in keeping me from snacking constantly.

[Simon Ssmall]

I eat at the same time due to work if I would be left on my own id go on hazardous habits. I remember days I would eat only 6 hours after I wake up or something along the lines or some days I would hardly eat anything. However i'm very "moody" and mean when I'm hungry, still i can ignore hunger very well. No matter how or what I eat my weight doesn't change, although i'm pretty sure my earlier habits ain't healthy overall.

[jessica129]

No matter how or what I eat my weight doesn't change.

I hope you realize how lucky you are. This is like, my dream.

Anyhow, I'm currently attempting this

http://www.3hourdiet.com/

Eating every three hours to boost the metabolism. I haven't gained or lost anything yet and i'm definetly enjoying it but the daily calorie consumption is a bit low so it's kinda hard to follow. Me and my weight, ugh.

[Wynch]

Eating habits are horrible for me. I have to do my grocery shopping when I'm pretty much starving in order to buy enough food to feed myself properly. Otherwise I'm not interested. Basically I don't like eating anymore. After all my issues in first and second year my desire to eat anything has dwindled. I like the flavours of some things, certainly, but it doesn't necessarily make me want to eat them. I try and make sure I eat things between 11-2 and 5-8, like Elro, but sometimes I forget, or I'm simply uninterested in eating. Then I have to kind of pick the best of the worst and make myself eat it so I won't starve myself by accident. It's especially bad at night when eating dinner. I have no idea why.

That said, if someone puts food in front of me without a time limit, I will pick at it until it's gone. Especially things like fruits and veggies, which don't sit heavily and cause my intestines to start abusing me.

[Park]

No matter how or what I eat my weight doesn't change

I am pretty much the same in this regard.

[Kristiina]

Same. I've always thought it was easier to loose it than to gain it.

lucky you.

I eat pretty much at the same times every day. When my meal is late, I get really cranky! I just become a total bitch. I spent a week having irregular eating habits and now it's all messed up. I am feeling slightly hungry all the time. I want a snack. I already ate an extra apple an hour ago. Now I'm trying to fix it by waiting for my regular meal times before I eat and I'm on a semi-diet. I'm trying to avoid high-carb products because then I'll just get the blood sugar drop. I can't do the semi-diet for long though - I still haven't tried American bagels...

Or maybe I'm just having cravings... I don't know. But most people gain too much weight when pregnant. I don't want 30 extra kilos!

[Park]

lol, awesome avatar Kristiina. I initially read that as "life in spain" and I was like "wtf? am I not getting something?"...