Eating habits

[Newbie777]

Hello,

I eat 3 times a day, breakfast at 8.00am, lunch at 12.00pm and Tea at 6.00pm (although this may change to 5pm).

I have snacks inbetween meals every 2 hours, which will include an apple, upto 12 almonds, 2 oatcake crackers with loads of cheese and occasionally a piece of brugen toast with peanut butter.

I am surprised to find out that some people only eat twice a day, like breakfast and tea. Is there a big benefit doing this (please note, not implying that this wrong, everyone to their own) just curious if this can help with BG levels?

So how many times do you eat and how often do you snack?

 

[grovesy]

I now eat 3 times a day last meal around 6pm and breakfast between 7-8 am. I try not snack. I have occasionaly eaten twice a day but can't maintain it long term. I don't eat nuts as 1) I can overeat on them 2) them have a bad effect on my IBS. I don't eat oatcakes either as again I would overeat them too.

 

[Newbie777]

I now eat 3 times a day last meal around 6pm and breakfast between 7-8 am. I try not snack. I have occasionaly eaten twice a day but can't maintain it long term. I don't eat nuts as 1) I can overeat on them 2) them have a bad effect on my IBS. I don't eat oatcakes either as again I would overeat them too.

Oh, sad to hear of the IBS.

You are very good with no snacks though.

The oatcakes are very moreish and at 3.7g of carbs not that bad, but I limit myself to 2 a day, but I am killing it on the cheese front though, about 60g per day (maybe a bit more)

 

[jill-mc]

I eat 4 meals a day now as I have reduced my portion sizes at each meal. Occasionally also have a mid morning or mid afternoon snack with my coffee/tea(de caff) such as a keto cookie or nut bar. Dont think I could only eat twice a day!

 

[Newbie777]

I eat 4 meals a day now as I have reduced my portion sizes at each meal. Occasionally also have a mid morning or mid afternoon snack with my coffee/tea(de caff) such as a keto cookie or nut bar. Dont think I could only eat twice a day!

4 times a day that interesting,

how big or small are the meals and approx what are the carb amounts please.

 

[Iwillgetthere]

I have found that since having to rethink how and what I eat that I only eat when hungry. Sometimes that's 3 times or once a day, mainly it is twice and I don't tend to snack. I drink lots of water and fruit/green teas or black decaf coffee. I also try to keep within an 8 hour period to eat in ( so nothing but drinks after 6pm until after 10am). I am currently following a keto diet with a Max of 20g carbs per day because I still have weight to lose. This all seems to be working to keep my blood glucose levels fairly stable daily and decreasing slowly.
I think the thing is to find what works for you, and this is a great place for ideas and help.

 

[Drummer]

These days I do not get hungry but I tend to eat as I have to cater for my husband.
By testing I found that eating a meal with a small amount of carbs, like 10gm, stops my BG levels rising in the morning. I can then go 12 hours drinking only water and with no need to eat. In the evening I have a few more carbs, with a maximum of 40 for the day. I do sometimes have a coffee with cream with my meals, but not always. Sometimes I make a large pot of fruit flavoured tea and drink that through the day, especially in hot weather.

 

[Ditto]

I am trying to eat only two meals a day at around 12 and 5ish 6ish. Breakfast is bad for you apparently and fasting is good. I can do this it's just that I'm lazy and don't apply myself. I will tomorrow (famous last words). 🙂 I only drink water but have the occasional early Nescafe with single cream as coffee is supposed to be good for the liver.

 

[rebrascora]

Usually just 2 meals a day for me and often not large meals but I will have a snack of nuts or cheese or pork scratchings or half a square of dark 75+% chocolate with a spoon of peanut butter.
Breakfast can be a 2 course affair, so this morning it was a bowl of butternut squash soup with a dollop of cream cheese in it and then a small bowl of creamy Greek natural yoghurt with some sour cherries, cocoa powder and mixed seeds and I always have a coffee with double cream to start the day, even if I don't have breakfast. Then I had some roasted peanuts at lunchtime and tonight I had a pot of mixed olives with feta cheese with a gin and tonic followed by a plate of lettuce leaves with cucumber, 4 cherry tomatoes (normally only have 2 but they will waste if I don't eat them) and a big dollop of cheese coleslaw about 2 hours later.
Oh, I also had 2 prunes (approx 10g carbs) this morning before breakfast to bring my BG levels up because I was too low and another 10g carb snack this afternoon whilst I was working at the stables because I dropped into the red again.
My meal times vary enormously so breakfast will be between 6.30 am or 10am or I might skip breakfast altogether and have brunch instead and evening meal can be anywhere from 5pm until 11pm... usually something light and very low carb if I am eating very late. Like @Iwillgetthere I eat when I am hungry and I have the time to cook something or I can psych myself up to cook something. About 9pm is my usual dinner time. Tonight I have been preparing food for tomorrow night's meal.... a kind of goulash with swede and carrots instead of potatoes, which has all gone in the slow cooker so I just nibbled at my olives whilst I prepped and cooked and then had my salad afterwards.

I am not a routine sort of person. I worked rotating shifts for a lot of years so even my sleep patterns are not regular and sometimes I will be awake all night and sleep half the day. My body tells me when I need food or when I need to sleep and whilst I have spells where I try to conform to a "normal" routine, I can't manage to maintain it for long before I lapse and I can get quite stressed trying to maintain it.

What amazes me is that since I reduced my carb intake right down and increased my fat intake, I rarely feel hungry/craving and I eat so much less food in general. I used to always be thinking about what I would eat next,(it was an unconscious obsession looking back at it now), so being free or that constant "urge" for food is very liberating!

 

[Kaylz]

3 meals a day

Don't snack unless I have to, meaning if I'm hypo or low I'll have glucose chews and if I'm low at bedtime I'll have some either digestive biscuits or hobnobs, whichever ones I have in my tub at the time lol
xx

 

[jill-mc]

4 times a day that interesting,

how big or small are the meals and approx what are the carb amounts please.

I don't count/weigh my food(Not good with numbers so that would do my head in!). However I stick rigidly to very low carb foods and use keto recipes. Breakfast is usually Greek yoghurt with few berries and chia seeds and a dollop of double cream, lunch is usually a bowl of salad loaded with cheese and nuts or tuna and avocado. Dinner is something like a 2 egg cheese omelette or salmon/mackerel fillet with half plate of mixed veg, few celeriac fries. Supper is something like 1 oatcake,and cheese, olives, nuts and a stick of celery with mushroom pate.

 

[Newbie777]

I have found that since having to rethink how and what I eat that I only eat when hungry. Sometimes that's 3 times or once a day, mainly it is twice and I don't tend to snack. I drink lots of water and fruit/green teas or black decaf coffee. I also try to keep within an 8 hour period to eat in ( so nothing but drinks after 6pm until after 10am). I am currently following a keto diet with a Max of 20g carbs per day because I still have weight to lose. This all seems to be working to keep my blood glucose levels fairly stable daily and decreasing slowly.
I think the thing is to find what works for you, and this is a great place for ideas and help.

That's really good well done

I am also impressed that you are sticking to the keto diet, 20g a day, that is hard going as there carbs everywhere even in salads!

 

[Newbie777]

I am trying to eat only two meals a day at around 12 and 5ish 6ish. Breakfast is bad for you apparently and fasting is good. I can do this it's just that I'm lazy and don't apply myself. I will tomorrow (famous last words). 🙂 I only drink water but have the occasional early Nescafe with single cream as coffee is supposed to be good for the liver.

Oh, gosh don't you struggle with no food from after 5.00pm to 12.00pm, I probably would feint

 

[Newbie777]

Usually just 2 meals a day for me and often not large meals but I will have a snack of nuts or cheese or pork scratchings or half a square of dark 75+% chocolate with a spoon of peanut butter.
Breakfast can be a 2 course affair, so this morning it was a bowl of butternut squash soup with a dollop of cream cheese in it and then a small bowl of creamy Greek natural yoghurt with some sour cherries, cocoa powder and mixed seeds and I always have a coffee with double cream to start the day, even if I don't have breakfast. Then I had some roasted peanuts at lunchtime and tonight I had a pot of mixed olives with feta cheese with a gin and tonic followed by a plate of lettuce leaves with cucumber, 4 cherry tomatoes (normally only have 2 but they will waste if I don't eat them) and a big dollop of cheese coleslaw about 2 hours later.
Oh, I also had 2 prunes (approx 10g carbs) this morning before breakfast to bring my BG levels up because I was too low and another 10g carb snack this afternoon whilst I was working at the stables because I dropped into the red again.
My meal times vary enormously so breakfast will be between 6.30 am or 10am or I might skip breakfast altogether and have brunch instead and evening meal can be anywhere from 5pm until 11pm... usually something light and very low carb if I am eating very late. Like @Iwillgetthere I eat when I am hungry and I have the time to cook something or I can psych myself up to cook something. About 9pm is my usual dinner time. Tonight I have been preparing food for tomorrow night's meal.... a kind of goulash with swede and carrots instead of potatoes, which has all gone in the slow cooker so I just nibbled at my olives whilst I prepped and cooked and then had my salad afterwards.

I am not a routine sort of person. I worked rotating shifts for a lot of years so even my sleep patterns are not regular and sometimes I will be awake all night and sleep half the day. My body tells me when I need food or when I need to sleep and whilst I have spells where I try to conform to a "normal" routine, I can't manage to maintain it for long before I lapse and I can get quite stressed trying to maintain it.

What amazes me is that since I reduced my carb intake right down and increased my fat intake, I rarely feel hungry/craving and I eat so much less food in general. I used to always be thinking about what I would eat next,(it was an unconscious obsession looking back at it now), so being free or that constant "urge" for food is very liberating!

Gosh, there is some changes in your routine, but you are organised and prepared, I like it very nice.

You are very precise too, two cherry tomatoes, I wouldnt think twice about it!

I agree going on low carb, sounds weird but you don't get as hungry as I normally would, lesson learnt there.

 

[Newbie777]

3 meals a day

Don't snack unless I have to, meaning if I'm hypo or low I'll have glucose chews and if I'm low at bedtime I'll have some either digestive biscuits or hobnobs, whichever ones I have in my tub at the time lol
xx

Oh okay make sense, very sensible

Not sure if tried the hobnobs, I could resist just one or two, annoyingly we have the milk chocolate variety at home

 

[Newbie777]

I don't count/weigh my food(Not good with numbers so that would do my head in!). However I stick rigidly to very low carb foods and use keto recipes. Breakfast is usually Greek yoghurt with few berries and chia seeds and a dollop of double cream, lunch is usually a bowl of salad loaded with cheese and nuts or tuna and avocado. Dinner is something like a 2 egg cheese omelette or salmon/mackerel fillet with half plate of mixed veg, few celeriac fries. Supper is something like 1 oatcake,and cheese, olives, nuts and a stick of celery with mushroom pate.

Ahh, I see now, very nice and practical.

I like the idea of your supper and your diet is low carb.it's also nicely balanced and can see you won't go hungry either.

I guess my snacks! 3 or 4 times a day make up my 4th meal then.

 

[Newbie777]

These days I do not get hungry but I tend to eat as I have to cater for my husband.
By testing I found that eating a meal with a small amount of carbs, like 10gm, stops my BG levels rising in the morning. I can then go 12 hours drinking only water and with no need to eat. In the evening I have a few more carbs, with a maximum of 40 for the day. I do sometimes have a coffee with cream with my meals, but not always. Sometimes I make a large pot of fruit flavoured tea and drink that through the day, especially in hot weather.

Oh my goodness, you have your work cutout, it must be very difficult.

I think your discipline is fantastic, do not worry about very low BG?

 

[adrian1der]

I usually eat a light lunch and then my main meal in the evening. If I'm really busy I sometimes only eat in the evening. Yesterday I was on a call until 13:00, made my son lunch when he finished his morning lessons and then raced back upstairs for a call at 13:30. Mind you, I was hungry by tea time!

 

[Kaylz]

Oh okay make sense, very sensible

Not sure if tried the hobnobs, I could resist just one or two, annoyingly we have the milk chocolate variety at home

When I was trying to gain weight I did snack but was things I didn't need to inject for so boiled eggs, whether it be hen or duck, cold meats and cheese

I don't buy branded hob nobs, just cheap shop own brand versions, prefer Morrison's to Lidl's ones but Lidl's digestives beat any other brand by a mile!
xx

 

[Newbie777]

When I was trying to gain weight I did snack but was things I didn't need to inject for so boiled eggs, whether it be hen or duck, cold meats and cheese

I don't buy branded hob nobs, just cheap shop own brand versions, prefer Morrison's to Lidl's ones but Lidl's digestives beat any other brand by a mile!
xx

Yes, I have tried some if those too and yes there are just as good as the main brand, I always had a biscuit with a cup of tea, now its just tea

Although I eat 1 or 2 boiled eggs a day,I think they add constipation