Do you eat 3 meals a day?

[3squaremeals]

I have NC’d for this as I don’t want it linked to my other posts.
I use to eat 3 meals a day. 3 full meals and all I did was put on weight. Now I eat 2 meals and a snack.
In work today and a colleague asked was I not starving.
today I had for brunch (my first meals is at 10ish) - 2 boiled eggs, 2 rice cakes with chocolate spread and peanut butter. And a coffee.
for a snack at 1ish I had a cup of tea and a banana
dinner at 5:45 was a chicken salad with, lettuce, cucumber, olives, onion, tomato’s dressing and Parmesan cheese. Then I had a cup of tea and 4squares of chocolate.

Comment was made by my colleague at lunch time. I’m never really hungry for lunch tbh. I would have a few snacks but today I just wanted the banana. My calorie intake for today was lower than usual at 1390cals. Usually I aim for 1500.

so what do you do? Do you eat three full meals? I find a lot of people have no breakfast at all.

... a jacket Spud with cheese) about 250 cals.
and the rest.

Entirely depends on the size. 200g potato baked without oil and with 20g cheese, no butter is about 250kcal.

True but that wasn't specified

Yes. A slim 6-8 size (although places like Matalan and Next 8 are huge)
Early 40s and live a high flux lifestyle, eating average of 2000-2200 calories a day.

I probably have four meals a day, plus snacks and dessert.

I wake up hungry at 5am and have my first breakfast. Something like toast, fruit and coffee.

Then I have my real breakfast a couple of hours later. Eggs and more toast. Or porridge with peanut butter, jam and banana.

Lunch is dinner leftovers, or a sandwich, or porridge.

Dinner could be anything. Stir fry, pasta, chili, soup, some kind of bake.

Dessert too. Sometimes a bowl of frozen berries, but often something sugary.

I snack throughout the day too. Cheese strings, fruit, tortilla chips, sweets, boiled eggs, whatever my toddler didn't finish ect.

I’ve never, my whole life, liked eating in the mornings but always forced myself because of the whole “breakfast is the most important meal” line. Stopped it a few years ago and now only eat lunch, a snack around 3:30, and dinner. I feel much better.

I eat 3 meals a day plus snacks, im under 5ft, not overweight

I never eat breakfast, well unless exceptionally hungover. I’m just not hungry first thing. Been like that as long as I can remember. If I ate that early in the evening I’d be hungry by bedtime though!

1 meal a day. Maybe a snack as well, not every day.
Generally about 1200 calories. And I do exercise and have a reasonably active life. It's not for weight loss, that's just my normal appetite. I don't lose weight, don't gain either.

I think it's quite well known that portion sizes etc have grown over time, and certainly previous generations managed fine with 2-3 lower calorie meals, without all the extra snacks, and that was in lives with much higher physical exertion and no central heating, which burns many calories, much more than exercise. People are surprised that we need much less to actually survive on than is generally thought.

About 1200-1500 calories. If it's on the lower end I tend to have a snack to bring it up to 1500ish for the day.

I eat quite calorie dense food so its not huge portions, but it has everything I need.

No never. I usually have lunch and dinner sometimes it’s just dinner and snacks. If it wasn’t for my irn bru addiction I think I could be skinny!
I can’t face eating breakfast when I get up, even coffee is a no go. I start to feel hungry about 11ish.
I eat dinner quite late, around 8ish so that must keep me going til lunch the next day.
I also work shifts which throws things off. Nightshift is a dinner only day then snacks of fruit, veg, cheese and crackers if I get hungry through the night

Having watched DM's life being impaired by osteoarthritis and low muscle mass for 25+ years since her mid-60s, (and my grandma before her) I can vouch that that's not much fun and is bloody painful even when not recovering from broken bones which began in her 50s. She didn't like exercise either, "too sweaty" "too cold" "not lady-like" and thought ladies should be dainty and teeny-tiny. She still tries to talk me out of running and rolls her eyes at me weight lifting.

If there's a chance that looking after my muscle and bones can prevent or delay decades of painful immobility, that's well worth the try. Plus it boosts my metabolic rate so that I don't have to live on salad leaves as a short middle-aged woman, so that's a win in itself.

Bodies are designed to move and it's an essential part of maintaining them healthily.

Sometimes don't eat for a day or 2 at all. Energy needs aren't linear for everyone.

Yes, my weight gain was due to eating too much in general (portion control was bad) and too many snacks, not the fact that I eat 3 meals.

Breakfast at 6.30am
Lunch between 12-1pm
Dinner at 7.30pm

I currently don't need snacks due to taking Mounjaro but I know that this will change and I am currently experimenting with snack options which don't involve shop bought snacks.

@Thepinkcup , I don't think it is 'eating disorders talking'. I eat when I'm hungry, not because it's mealtime. The 2000 calories a day is for the 'average adult', not for someone fairly inactive in a sedentary job or someone in a physically demanding job.

I reckon that people eat far more calories than they think they do.

That would not be enough nutritionally for me. That is a diet.

Breakfast. I have porridge oats with nuts, greek yoghurt, berries. Scrambled egg mixed with tofu or cottage cheese and sourdough and greens like avocado, rocket, plus tomatoes.

Bean soup and a crosta mollica wrap with chicken etc for lunch.

Dinner is a variation of meat and two veg. I don't eat after about 7.30 and don't eat breakfast until about 7.30 so about a 12 hour fast.

About 1650 cals I would say. If I am active then more snacks like banana and PB, larger porridge etc.

If I don't eat like that then I slip into overeating.

I eat 3 meals and an afternoon snack, sometimes supper too. On weekdays anyway as I eat at every breaktime at work (breakfast at morning coffee break, lunch at lunch, snack at afternoon coffee, then of course dinner at home with my family), at the weekend I'll often skip breakfast unless I'm going out for the day.

Three meals plus a snack at 4pm. I'm very active, healthy BMI

I've lost 5st on MJ, but have been having 3 meals a day and snacks.

They are small, healthy, protein and veg / salad heavy meals though.

This was yesterday (which wasn't a particular healthy day)

Breakfast: 30g M&S "no added sugar" granola, 100g Greek yogurt, mixed berries
Lunch: wholemeal pitta, hummus, x4 small falafels, salad, 30g feta
Dinner: 1/2 pouch wholemeal microwave rice, broccoli and green beans, x1 chicken breast in fajita mix with 30g grated cheese

Snacks were x2 oatcakes with peanut butter and a small apple.

I'm maintaining now, we usually have a takeaway on a Saturday (or eat out or get a dine in meal from M&S) and whilst I limit sugar I still have some sweet treats when the fancy takes me.

we have to accept that the human body needs a minimum amount of calories to function healthily. After all, we know anorexia is deadly for this very reason.

my dinner is usually 500 calories. People saying they only eat one meal a day raises alarm bells as to whether they are eating enough or have a healthy mental attitude to eating. I think this is a very fair (and tbh- obvious) point to raise

3 meals a day plus snack here.

I eat 2 meals. I can't eat breakfast always makes me feel sick.

Just had breakfast there (little bit earlier than normal but I had. Chia pudding made with Greek yogurt and soy milk. Topped with stewed apples. And then two white pudding slices and a coffee. I have grapes and a jelly pot in my bag for snacks if needed. Dinner tonight is sausage and mash, veg etc.

I eat 2-3 meals a day. I’ll skip breakfast if I’m not hungry. If I’m hungry I’ll have it.
I tend to snack in the evening a bit.

My friend's DH is a nurse in A&E. She's 56 and he said recently if there's one thing he wants her to do for him, its continuing to eat regular healthy meals, but focus on nutrients and exercise for strong bones and muscles to support her body. He sees so many bone injuries and people in pain after falls, noticeably in older people - but at that point it's too late to make much of a difference.