Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Metabolism- Eating 3x A Day Or 6x A Day?



Recommended Posts

My surgeon, among others recommends limiting meals to 3 times per day once you are on solids.

This conflicts with every nutritionist and personal trainers recommendations I've got pre-sleeve- the rule has always been to eat smaller meals (obviously the sleeve takes care of that) consisting mostly of Protein every 3 hours (roughly 5-6x a day), because beyond that point your metabolism can drop.

Is there a reason we are typically recommended to limit our intake of food to 3 "meals" a day and avoid the snacking?

I don't ask this because I wish to nibble throughout the day, but because I'd like to be on a track that will keep my metabolism as high as possible and get me to my goal the quickest.

Obviously, these people with normal size stomachs who adhere to eating 5 small balanced portions get results- I do work with celebrities and people in the fitness community here in LA, and they look great and all adhere to small frequent portions.

So, what is the theory? Are we now wired a bit differently because our body can only take in small portions? Does anyone have a surgeon who encourages eating every 3 hours?

I am at week 3 right now, I've yet to get to the point of "meals" as everything I consume is blended or liquid. The concept of a meal or being full is still foreign to me.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I asked the dietician that in the hospital because I thought it sounded odd too. In fact, the nutritional booklet that they gave all the bariatric patients had meal plans for both 3 and 6 meals a day.

Here was her logic, and after she explained it to me it made sense: since you have to stop drinking 30 minutes before and after each meal and since it should take about 30 minutes to eat a meal, that means you have 90 minutes x number of meals every day that you can't be drinking fluids. For 3 meals a day that's 4 hours off, for 6 meals that's 9. Considering a lot of us have trouble staying hydrated in the beginning I think it's a reasonable concern.

One of the things they pushed hard on during our healthy eating class was breaking the "snack mentality", and there is concern about eating small amounts multiple times a day leading to all-day grazing and never really feeling full.

That being said, the dietician did mention that some of her patients come back after a month or so and complain that they feel hungry all the time, in which case she suggests they add in an additional fourth meal, but just keep track of everything.

I don't know much about the research relating to metabolism -- I know mine is low due to a lifetime of no exercise -- but I've heard that muscle building can help raise it as well, since it takes more calories to maintain a pound of muscle than a pound of adipose tissue. Until I get my asthma under control enough to do cardio I plan to do some light weightlifting to help with muscle toning.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I eat 6 times times a day and im hungry 6 times a day.I asked my surgeon and he said its normal but to.make.sure I stick to mainly Protein so I don't risk weight gain after my body has adapted to my sleeve.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My doctor, PA, and nutritionist all said same thing - three regular meals a day avoid snacking to avoid putting weight on. Once I started back at gym/trainer I was put on higher caloric diet to compensate avoid to fast of a weight loss and to keep stamina up.

Prior to surgery you needed the metabolism boost to weight loss, you don't need your metabolism burning all the time now lest you loose to fast.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think I have just been so stuck in the "eat frequently to keep your metabolism high" thing, that it's hard for me to adjust to the idea of it being more productive to actually limit the meal times.

I am eating my first "real food" as we speak- a small filet of tuna I grilled. =0 it feels so exciting to chew again! LOL

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My boyfriend is a martial artist, personal trainer and licensed nutritionist. So, he really helps me out a lot with my meal planning (he even does all the cooking, which I love). He feels like I eat so little, it is important for me to have healthy Snacks. He packs my lunch for me every day, and always includes a healthy morning and afternoon snack. That is good for me, because it keeps me from hitting the snack machine and munching out on chips and candy bars. I am a snacker, I know that, so if I am going to do it, at least I make sure it is with healthy foods. He also believes that it helps keep my metabolism up as well. And, of course, he makes sure I drink a ton of Water too.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Not all surgeons recommend the 3 times a day. Mine recommends 3 small meals of 100-200 calories each plus 2 100 calorie Snacks (approx). One of those snacks might be a Protein Drink.< /p>

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Good to hear!

I find myself compelled to eat 4 tiny "meals" a day, some days I'll have a bite of something (some Babybell cheese, some cashews etc.) when I'm too busy to sit and eat.

I work out a lot, and I just find it impossible to wait for a "meal" right after. I am still getting under 800 calories a day, 50+ grams of Protein, and all my Water. I'm also 131 lbs according to the scale at my gym...I can't be doing everything wrong!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I eat 5-6 "mini-meals" a day. I don't really count anything as far as calories or Protein or whatever--I guess if I did pay attention to that, I might be losing faster, but I'm pretty cool with things "as is." I do eat a Protein food at each mini-meal, sometimes only the protein food, depending on what it is.

This might be one of those things that's pretty individual--but you should follow your doc's instructions. Mine didn't give me any. :-)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Good to hear!

I find myself compelled to eat 4 tiny "meals" a day, some days I'll have a bite of something (some Babybell cheese, some cashews etc.) when I'm too busy to sit and eat.

I work out a lot, and I just find it impossible to wait for a "meal" right after. I am still getting under 800 calories a day, 50+ grams of Protein, and all my Water. I'm also 131 lbs according to the scale at my gym...I can't be doing everything wrong!

this might be a really dumb question, but I have to ask...you were just sleeved 3 weeks ago and you are already 131 pounds....were you not overweight to begin with and just did the sleeve as a precaution? It seems you are already slim....sorry but I"m always a bit interested in why people have done the surgery. Kudos on your workout routine! I so need to get into a better habit with working out!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had the sleeve 3 weeks ago 4 weeks ago- some time has passed since the original post. Not a dumb question! My surgery was November 7th.

I don't know of a surgeon that would perform it on a non-obese person, but my BMI was 31 at surgery (164 lbs), I was obviously on the lighter side of obese.

I lost about 20 lbs prior to surgery as well, a 31 BMI for me (164 lbs) was me at the lightest I've been. So at 131 lbs with a normal BMI now I'm ecstatic!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My NUT says i should only eat 3 meals a day. When i asked her why, she said something like, there trying to break me of old habits of eating constantly. i understand what she means. so i'm going with it. but i understand also why others say otherwise

kathy

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I wasn't getting enough calories in with 3 meals per day. I went to 4 after talking with my surgeons office. They agreed I needed more calories or my body was going to stay in starvation mode. Even with 4 meals a day it is still hard to get 1000 calories a day.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 2 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×