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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To prefer to eat 6/7 small meals a day instead of 3 large ones?

26 replies

Roseannie · 04/02/2015 11:52

I seem to be gradually changing my meal habits from the bogstandard 3 meals a day to more smaller ones.I love having things like a sandwich/scone/baguette/jacket spud/few slices pizza/toasties and salad/poached egg on toast/scrambled egg/omelette and a roll/soup and bread....all that sort of thing.
Some evenings I have a 'proper' size meal ,for example last night I had fish fillet in breadcrumbs,mash,few wedges and peas-but I was so stuffed and far prefer to sort of graze throughout the entire day.
I know each to their own and all that but I am curious if anyone else is like this?Is it an age thing too I wonder-I am 49.

OP posts:
DisappointedOne · 04/02/2015 11:54

No. I'm a grazer. It's arguably a healthier option.

Bettybodybooboo · 04/02/2015 11:55

I am 50 and agree op. I hate feeling full after a meal. I pick all day and that suits my system.

The 3 meals a day make me sluggish and bloated.

gobbynorthernbird · 04/02/2015 11:55

Most of what you class as 'small' meals would be a full meal to me. I couldn't eat that much that often.

SunnyBaudelaire · 04/02/2015 11:57

a 'few slices of pizza' would be a normal meal to me.....

squoosh · 04/02/2015 11:57

The thing with lots of small meals is that it's easy to underestimate how much you're actually consuming.

CuttedUpPear · 04/02/2015 11:58

No you are not being Unreasonable.

Who suggested you were?

Chat is also a good place for threads.

molyholy · 04/02/2015 12:00

Why would it be unreasonable?

googoodolly · 04/02/2015 12:01

How is a baked potato or a few slices of pizza a small meal? I would consider that a full evening meal, tbh. Confused

bloodygorgeous · 04/02/2015 12:01

Ummm you can eat how and what you want. Why would anyone care?

Please don't come back with some fabricated drip feed about how 'your friend said it was a stupid way to eat'...

Artandco · 04/02/2015 12:02

Those are full meals though. I would have x3 of those small meals a day.

Ie breakfast today was a poached egg and salmon on small piece sourdough

I will have a bowl of soup for lunch soon

Dinner tonight will be fish with veg

Johnogroats · 04/02/2015 12:02

Sounds great if it works for you and you are a healthy and happy weight.

KatelynB · 04/02/2015 12:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Roseannie · 04/02/2015 12:23

Yes,I am under 9 stone and 5ft 6 etc so perfectly healthy ,I think....what I mean by AIBU is I cook the bog standard dinner etc every day for a hubbie and 2 teens but I find I just prefer to have smaller more frequent meals myself and hate feeling full up for hours etc (which is the whole point of a dinner really I suppose).That's all.
I just wondered if others are like this.And also,I simply fancied posting this here and not in chat.Thats all!

OP posts:
ourglass · 04/02/2015 12:25

Obviously you are not being unreasonable if that's what you want to do..

Original poster
Roseannie · 04/02/2015 12:26

SmileMy thoughts exactlySmile!

OP posts:
ourglass · 04/02/2015 12:28

Then why post in am I being unreasonable?

TheresACatInMeKitchen · 04/02/2015 12:28

If i ate six or seven of those "smaller meals" you have mentioned everyday i'd end up overweight.
To me they are full meals so would struggle with the amount, But that's just me though, everybody is different.

If it suits you to eat this way then its nothing to do with anyone else so why would you think its unreasonable?

TheresACatInMeKitchen · 04/02/2015 12:30

Oops x posted

Mutley77 · 04/02/2015 12:38

Wow you must have a good metabolism at 50 to eat 6 or 7 of those "snacks" and still be 9st - or a lo t of exercise!

Myself (not even forty yet) and most of my friends would see your snacks as a main meal. I would eat 3 of those per day plus a couple of decent snacks (dip and rice crackers, a small piece of cake, or some fruit).

I exercise most days even if it's only a walk.

I understand why you feel full after a fish fillet, mash, wedges and peas though. I couldn't eat all that at one meal unless I was absolutely starving!

KatelynB · 04/02/2015 12:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JennyBlueWren · 04/02/2015 12:52

Normally I'm on 3 meals a day but now towards the end of pregnancy I can't manage as much but get very hungry in between. Now I have about 6 smaller meals although DH still likes an evening meal so I just have a smaller portion of it.

CupidStuntSurvivor · 04/02/2015 13:00

I agree with others that what you're describing are full meals. I eat three of those a day and am actually overweight (though losing rapidly now I've stopped snacking on chocolate and cut out heavy drinks from coffee shops). If you can eat 6 of them and maintain a healthy weight, good on you. You must get a lot of exercise.

Viviennemary · 04/02/2015 13:05

The only drawback is that if you get into this habit now and are quite active at the moment you might find in years down the line you are used to eating seven times a day and you could find you gain weight. I wouldn't count a sandwich as not a meal. It's not a big meal agreed but it's a light meal and not a snack.

RiverTam · 04/02/2015 13:08

just because you are slim doesn't mean you are healthy.

I agree that grazing is probably healthier than '3 square meals' which is an artificial construct, but you aren't grazing, you're eating 6/7 full meals a day.

SoonToBeSix · 04/02/2015 13:09

Grin but you six small meals are normal size. Be grateful for your metabolism because that's a lot of food.