I've read that eating several small meals instead of 3 main ones can help keep your metabolism going, but my doctor says no snacking between meals. I'm thinking this is to limit the calorie intake, but is there another reason I'm not thinking of? For example, I think it would be better to eat 5 small meals of 250 calories each (1250 total) rather than 3 meals of 400 calories each. But maybe there's another reason for this rule...

I guess all dr's are different. Mine recommends 3 meals a day and two protein based snacks.

Once your band fill has you in the green zone, you won't feel hungry for four to five hours between meals, therefore, you won't need to eat Snacks. (But you will still have to battle the head hunger demons!)

Good luck

All doctors are different and recommend different things, however Sage Tracey is correct. Once you are in the Green Zone you won't be hungry for Snacks. I think that's the logic for the surgeons who tell their patients not to snack, they won't need it so it's a good way to cut calories.

I see you're newly banded. Before I was in the Green Zone, I focused on calories not meals. I was always sure to stay within my daily calorie limits and never ate more than a cup of food per meal, but I knew there was no way I was going to make it 4-5 hours between meals without starving. So, I spread my calories out to allow me to eat every 2 hours. For me, it worked. I lost weight consistently even before the Green Zone.

Spreading out your meals as you state can temporarily help people lose weight but that's for the non WLS dieter. We're not on a diet although some still treat it that way. It's way too easy to go beyond snacking or eating just 250 calories. That's why they ask us to seek satiation.

The lapband technique is to become satiated with 3 meals a day. If you limit your intake to 250 calories/meal you probably won't be satisfied and will require the snack. This is basic training for all of us. We all have to strive to find that balance where we can eat a healthy meal and feel like we don't have to eat again in 2 hours. I confess to snacking some days but it's usually an apple, pear or pickle.

tmf

Isn't smaller meals spread throughout the day just a healthier way to live overall? I don't associate that advice with dieting tips necessarily...

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I love this site and how helpful everyone is.

Isn't smaller meals spread throughout the day just a healthier way to live overall? I don't associate that advice with dieting tips necessarily...

I don't see why? I recall that eating small meals all day long was a method to increase or maintain one's metabolism? If you enjoy being uncomfortable due to hunger I guess it would be acceptable but I wouldn't want to live like that again. I tried it before surgery for years and it never worked. I'm sure it works for some people but those are folks who seem to consistently have a handle on their intake. Most of us lost that ability to not overeat long ago.

I remember eating several meals a day and it got to the point I was living for my next meal. All I could think about was what my next meal would be? That's a lot of work and time consumed planning, making and eating all day. Why not eat 3 meals a day and simplify your life? Eating to live is more important than living to eat for me now.

One thing you will take away from this experience will be that to be succesful with the band, you will find your own way. And that could be eating 5 times a day. If it works, go for it. We all have adapted and modified our lives to make this band work. You will too.

tmf