Anybody just eats 3 meals a day and NO snacks - what times do you eat

[Chestnutx3]

Once I start snacking I just can't stop and I only snack on healthy things often just sliced meat, seeds, veg & houmous but I think its habit and just adds calories and I'm eating because I'm bored/anxious etc..

As a 70s child I remember when people didn't snack/graze all day and were thin.

So far I have successfully cut out the morning snack, so eat breakfast at 7.30am and lunch at 12.30/1pm but dinner is usually 7.30pm as thats when I can sit down with DH. I know DH would get pissed off I didnt eat dinner with him most nights (tried this by eating with the kids and it doesn't work for him).

If you eat only 3 meals a day what are your timings, do you eat lots of carbs at lunch?

Don't want to go into the debate of 3 vs 5/6 meals a day - read lots of the grazing being natural etc... but my digestive system seems better if I give it a rest for a few hours and I feel more energetic the less often I eat. Everbody is different.

I eat three meals and one snack as I am starving by 6pm when I get home from work.

Why not have a protein snack to keep you going until dinner. I have a small piece of hard cheese, or some smoked mackeral or similar. Just enough to tide me over.

My conclusion is that unless I were to overeat at meal times, I am hungry after around 4.5-5 hours. Fine from breakfast to lunch but I don't want to eat dinner at 5.30pm.

My problem is that when the kids are having their tea at 5pm I end up eating the leftovers and picking at the food while cooking it I have yet to work out ways of avoiding this. If I eat a snack before I prepare their meal I still end up picking at the leftovers. I think ideally I would eat with them as thats when I am hungriest.

I work part time. On my working days I have a snack when i get in at 6pm, I am totally starving and I weigh it out, put it on a plate and take it upstairs so no chance to have more. Today was 20g cheddar, a few cherry tomatoes and 60g smoked mackerel.

On days that I don't work I often have my snack (again weighed out on a plate) when I am preparing their meal say 5pm but I generally manage not to eat theirs as I am not starving and I let myself snack on cucumber, celery or other veg with negligible calories. I would allow myself to eat leftovers if protein eg steamed salmon or chicken but not tempted with pasta / rice etc.

Even if you eat at 5pm I thin you'd be hungry for a snack at 9pm which would defeat the point - as you'd still need a snack.

I have breakfast at 7am, lunch between 12.30-1.30 and then dinner at 6.30ish, but sometimes as late as 8.30

Lunch is often two courses though - so omelette and salad followed by fruit and yogurt. Or melon followed by fish and salad or avocado followed by salmon and salad.

If I am cycling, say 30 miles and a swim then I will have a piece of fruit or a bar of something on the bike to eat half way through

Breakfast at 7.30am
Lunch either at 11.30 (with kids before nursery) or 1.30.
Tea at 5pm or 8pmish.

I will not snack in between because once I start I can not stop.
I drink water inbetween meals to help fill me up.

I am slowly coming to the conclusion that I am not eating because I am hungry, I am eating because I am bored.

I'm eating a bag of McCoys as I type but I very seldom snack - I have breakfast as late as I possibly can; if I'm not working or working from home I'll leave it till 9.30. That keeps me going till lunch - 1ish. Then eat with the DCs at 6.15.

How about making your evening meal as usual then splitting into 2 smaller portions. Eat one portion with the kids and then one with dh.

Eat with the kids! He gets pissed off? Meh!
I eat 7:30, 12 and 5.

Thanks for your help - yes I eat out of boredom/anxiousness. I do find that if I eat with the kids then I don't snack before going to bed and I'm hungry for breakfast at 7.30ish when normally I'm not.

Looking forward to the summer holidays will push to kids to eat at 6pm rather than 5/5.30pm and DH will try to get home in time.

can you not give the dc a small snack at tea time and then let them have supper with you and dh?

Earliest we could eat together would be around 6.45pm during term time which is too late IMO for 3 & 5 year olds who have had lunch at school at 12 and I would have very grumpy children who will want to fill up on biscuits before then.

I often eat no or few carbs at lunch which can't get me through til 7.30/8pm when I eat dinner with DH. Also I don't think my breakfast and lunch are big enough but I am trying to stop eating when I am full which leads to quite small portions.

Thanks for your help I will keep muddling through.

Chestnuts Check out Paul mckenna his WOE (it's not diet ) works because you ONLY eat when you're hungry but you must also eat till satisfied slowly and consciously (you eat less but never feel deprived and i've lost 3 stone on it I combine it with healthy eating though).

In 'Master you Metabolism' by Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser trainer) she says you should eat every four hours, so for most people that would equate to breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, otherwise lunch til dinner is WAY too long and you'll send your blood sugar on the floor... I agree with the protein snack - even a protein shake in the afternoon

Also, if you added a slow release carb at lunch (like brown rice or pasta) you'd last a lot longer...