To think the secret to weight loss/healthy relationship with food is three meals a day?

[secretspooner]

I am obese, I have PCOS and type 2 diabetes at 29 years of age. My eating is horrendous, very carb heavy which I know is not good for PCOS and diabetes type 2. However, I can go most of the day not eating and then having a very carb heavy dinner at night, I wouldn't say I eat loads but what I do eat is a load of shite. Very little veg/fruit/protein. The thing is I like all these things when I do have them however, my cravings for carbs take over and so I don't ever fancy veg/fruit/protein. Everything I eat is processed, stick in the oven, I don't know how to cook from scratch and don't know where to begin. I am also on a tight budget.

I have been watching a few people at work and speaking to some naturally slim friends and have noticed that they all eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some snack, some don't but always 3 square meals. I always skip breakfast as I'm not hungry and find it counter productive to force myself but am I missing a trick? Should I force myself to eat? If so can anyone recommend any healthy, tasty, easy, quick breakfast ideas? Any advice on how to cook dinner from scratch cheaply?

If you eat crap then you will continue being hungry. Your body still needs proper nutrition (good fats, protein). So will continue to signal that you need to eat.

Learn to cook, learn some basic nutrition. It's really not hard, promise!

I don't think there's anything wrong with skipping breakfast if you're fasting (ie 16 hours or so between food) as that'll help. But the main thing is your meals have to be based around vegetables. Carbs and protein are added in not the main.

What are you favourite vegetables? Start from there.

Have you seen a registered dietician op? They can help with a food plan. Many of them specialise in insulin resistence.

The way to loose weight is to consume less calories than you work off (be calorie deficient).

Say you burn off 2000 calories a day then you need to eat less than 2000, whether that's over 3 meals or meals and snacks and how you do it is down to your own preference.

You could have 1500 calories made up of chocolate but it wouldn't be sustainable because you would be hungry!

It would be helpful if you listed food on a normal day, absolutely honestly
And we can help from there

The secret is finding a regime that works for you and that you maintain forever. For some people that involves 3 meals, but not for everyone. If you're not hungry in the morning there's no need to force something down. Your problem is what you eat and not when you eat it.

I do truly believe that eating regular meals is better for the body in all kinds of ways than having one massive one in evening and keeping hunger at bay until that point. My MIL compares your body to a car engine sometimes (LOL) and says you have to keep it topped up and make regular checks it’s running okay. I think not looking after it could lead to disease but that’s just my opinion (and I say this as someone who was obese and have fluctuated in weight throughout my entire life). I go through periods of being so good and then think to hell with it. Trying hard to change my lifestyle at the moment and it’s been 4 months of being good now. You can get this right OP. :)

Three meals a day, limit processed foods as much as possible, wholemeal carbs, sensible portion sizes and snack on fruit if necessary.

I'm 58 and holding steady at bmi of 22. Feel good with plenty of energy.

I think to start with getting into a rhythm of eating breakfast lunch and dinner and eating veg and protein and small amount of carbs isn’t a bad way to start.

Porridge with fruit, a wrap with chicken and veg for lunch or soup. Just a normal bowl of veg soup.

And then grilled chicken or fish or baked with roasted veg mixed through half a bag of microwaved brown rice.

The thing with breakfast is, it literally means to break your fast, and you can do that at any point as long as you break it with a nutritious meal. Breakfast doesn't have to be eaten at 7am if you don't feel hungry then. For me N eating window of 11am-6pm works well. I usually get two meals in. Snacks of I fance them. And I'm flexible if e.g. I go away or go out for the evening. Bit it's finding what works for you.

Intermittent fasting works amazingly for me anyway. Only eat 12-7ish meals on smaller plate to minimise portion normal healthy meals don’t cut out any food groups limit snacks. Lost the 2 stone I needed in 2019 and remained a size 10 for 3 years now.

Michael Mosley’s Fast800 way of living works for me. It combines intermittent fasting along with low carb, high protein and good fats, plenty of water (min 2L daily), no snacks or processed foods, plenty of most types of vegetables and limited fruit (berries, apples, pears - most fruit is very high in sugar).

Carbs convert to sugar which won’t be helping your weight control so perhaps have a look at the principles of this way of eating. You can choose to eat 2 or 3 meals a day doing this but if you don’t eat breakfast then that’s even better with this as your fasting period will be longer.

Different things work for different people though so explore the options and see what is workable for you.

I also had PCOS which has disappeared and I have no symptoms whatsoever anymore.

I have always been slim but never concerned about dieting, calories counting etc. For me, health and fitness is my driver and if you get those two elements right, the chances are you won’t be overweight. Much easier said than done, I know! I have always loved my food, but I respect it and don’t abuse it or use it as a comforter. I eat three meals a day never skip a meal. I love carbs, probably too much but a calorie is a calorie at the end of it. Fuel is essential. My focus is on movement, activity, building strong muscles and maintaining my bone density. All of this requires energy so I need those meals.

I also do intermittent fasting, I find it easier than calorie counting 3 meals a day. I eat between midday and 8 pm.Two meals and one or two snacks (fruit/ yogurt/ actimel).
We cook everything from scratch in our house. We enjoy researching new recipes.

OP first you need to learn how to cook simple nutritious meals. All the information you need is online and free. Your GP / practice nurse can support you with your weight loss, and might be able to point you in the direction of practical help too.

I do intermittent fasting (16/8 eating between 10am and 6pm each day). I have a big brunch, then a couple of snacks then dinner around 5pm. This has worked brilliantly for me - both in terms of losing weight and maintaining that loss). Been doing it for years and finally broken the yoyo dieting cycle.

I know it's not the same, but I had gestational diabetes in my last pregnancy and noticed when I had 3 protein rich meals a day, my levels were much much better than when I skipped a meal. I had things like omelette/ scrambled egg for breakfast, chicken salad for lunch and then basically whatever I was making for the family for dinner, except my carb portion was the size of my palm rather than the full plate! For things like spag bol, chilli and stir fry, I replaced the pasta/rice/noodles with extra veg as a healthier carb. I've since lost about 24lbs since having the baby pretty much following this (although incorporating a few treats here and there). Also no snacks ALTHOUGH I found a protein snack before bed (Greek yoghurt or peanut butter on a banana) made my fasting level in the morning much much better. We do eat dinner early though due to small kids so if you eat later you may not need that.

Seems there are a few of us! Wish I had discovered Michael Mosley IF earlier! Can’t believe how wrong I had been used to always have carby breakfast then I was weak and shaky by mid morning so would scoff biscuits which I now know was a carb crash.

Now I have nothing except tea coffee until brunch or early lunch and I don’t even get hungry! That’s hundreds of calories each day just not consumed

I need 3 meals a day, sometimes with very small high protein snacks in between.

If I let myself get very hungry I binge carbs, even after a meal. Regular meals and enough protein keep me on track.

I lost weight when I switched to eating my main meal at lunchtime. A light breakfast, something like bran flakes with fruit. A "proper" dinner - main meal and a pudding (excellent work canteen), a sandwich or similar in the evening.

@A580Hojas

I'm 2.5 stone overweight and obese. I eat 2 meals a day, no snacks. There's no easy answer.

There's no secret! I also eat 3 meals a day, rarely snack (1/2 times a week, usually protein based snack like hard boiled egg or cooked chicken or cheese) and weigh 22st

Calorie counting works for everyone. The way you do that is up to you

How though? Is it portion size?

I've always been slim and have 3 large meals a day. Often don't snack but do sometimes. Never eat after my dinner at around 6. The main thing is a healthy relationship with food which I know sounds easy.

@scandihouse

I've always been slim and have 3 large meals a day. Often don't snack but do sometimes. Never eat after my dinner at around 6. The main thing is a healthy relationship with food which I know sounds easy.

Have you been through menopause yet? I was like you, a proper old fashioned size 8 and could eat anything. Things change as you get older.

Eat when hungry. Exercise.
Eat mainly unprocessed food. No low fat, no low sugar.
Lots of fruit and veg. Protein.
Cut back on refined carbs (particularly white bread)
Have a treat if you fancy one.
No alcohol.
Think long term, no crash diets or faddy/complicated plans you can’t stick to.
Food is fuel. Put good things into your your body.