If you’ve been reading my blog for any extended period of time, then you’ve probably noticed that I’m a huge fan of snacking…
Aaaand I’ve just successfully managed to make myself extremely hungry. Nice. But I digress.
The point is, I’ve always been a snacker. As far back as I can remember, I’ve never been a fan of eating big meals, preferring to have smaller ones a lot more often. It wasn’t actually until I started recovering from my eating disorder that I starting bulking up my meals in order to gain weight, adopting the more traditional breakfast – snack – lunch – snack – dinner – snack eating template in the process. Before that, most of my ‘meals’ just resembled really big snacks and I ‘snacked’ a lot in between.
Why am I bringing this up? Well, a few readers have commented that my ridiculously ravenous days might be caused by the fact that my meal portions are on the smaller side, and that it would be a lot easier to feel satisfied for longer if I just bulked up my portions a bit. Fair enough. Wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot.
In all honesty, eating bigger meals and snacking less is something that I’ve been considering trying out for a while now. As much as I love to eat, sometimes it’s just plain annoying to feel like I have to grab something that often; and it doesn’t help that there are days where I feel like I’m constantly hungry and unable to concentrate on anything other than snacking.
So it’s time for another eating experiment. It’s time to see if eating bigger meals as opposed to constantly picking away at smaller ones throughout the day makes a difference in my satiety levels, or if those ravenous days are just unavoidable. Either way, I’ll be keeping you guys updated with how things go.
Happy Friday!
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Are you a constant picker/snacker?
Do you find that eating bigger meals less often helps keep you more satisfied?
I’m looking forward to seeing how this works for you! Ever since I started work one year ago I’ve been having a very hard time figuring out the eating schedule that works best for me. One work days I eat more structured meals (3 main meals + snacks) but I suspect I don’t eat enough because I’m too hungry at the end of the day! On the other hand, on days I work at home I snack too much and am still hungry at the end of the day because I don’t feed my body the nutrients that it truly craves since I snack on random things too much. Ahhh it shouldn’t be this complicated! I don’t actively think about it, I just always notice how I feel at the end of the day. Good luck girl!
I am a serial snacker too. Even worse when I’m nervous. My stomach is like a ball that refuses to accept more than a few bites at the same time so I have to go back to eating every 2 hours or so.
I remember you posted about your snacking habits a few times before. I remember one post particularly well – the nightly noshing one. I even tried to use the term in a conversation with somebody. I. Am. Never. Going. To. Do. It. Again. If you ever go to the UK, never, I repeat NEVER talk to a guy about nightly noshing. That was one of the most embarrassing moments in my life 😀
Good luck with the experiment!
Haha okay, I can’t help but ask… what happened?! What does it mean in the UK?
Just leaving this here…
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Nosh&defid=5515231
(Don’t kill me. You asked.)
😆 I had a feeling it would be something like that. Omigosh you poor girl.
I usually have 3 substantial meals, but I have a pretty big snack when I get hungry between lunch and dinner, and a satisfying bedtime snack as well. Of course this all doesn’t include the fruit I eat during the day. It all keeps me going!
I have the same problem when it comes to meals. Some days I find myself ravenous and it’s because my meals aren’t big enough. I’m adding more things to my meals so I don’t have to always run to the supermarket downstairs to grab a snack. It gets expensive! (FYI, I work above a supermarket. It’s dangerous.)
I’m so happy you’re giving the bigger meals thing a try. As you already know, this approach has helped me tremendously! I don’t feel peckish throughout the day, and when I do reach for something (usually a piece or two of dark chocolate), it’s not because my stomach is growling, but because I want a small taste of something sweet. 🙂 Not only do I feel more satisfied, but my digestion has improved ten-fold as well. I think my body is relieved that it finally knows how much food to expect at various times throughout the day. I’m looking forward to hearing how this goes for you! <3
I love this post because I’ve pondered the same question: To snack or Not to Snack? Big meal? or Small meals? And I think I’ve learned that even though I LOVE snacks and all the variety and opportunity that exist there, but I’ve noticed that when I eat bigger meals, I have better nutrition… not as many cravings, more energy, etc. Good luck with your experiment!
I don’t know where I would be without my snacks. They are kind of a big deal in my life.
I don’t kow where I would be without my snacks. They are kind of a big deal in my life.
I definitely snack ALL the time. For me, right now, it’s easier for me to eat constant small snacks than sit down and eat large meals because the “full” feeling is not something I enjoy; however, maybe the “full” feeling I feel is the normal feeling for most people when they are just satisfied.
I find it’s a challenge (for me) during recovery to remember what it feels like to just… eat. I’ve completely lost the feeling of being “satisfied” and portion sizes.
Oh, and is the little ball of deliciousness the protein bites you used to have on your blog? It looks very, very yummy!
Yup! Those are still the same cookie dough bites http://www.runningwithspoons.com/for-spoons/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-protein-balls/ 🙂
I’m a snacker, for sure. And it works out perfectly fine for me until I’m out and about with friends. Then it becomes more of an annoyance and harder for me to blend in with what they’re doing. Ultimately, however, I think it’s about what works for YOU and what YOU want. I know snacking WORKS for me but I’ve also been trying to increase my meals because snacking tends to get in the way of work and relationships.
Where is watermelon in my life lately? That is one of the best snacks. Need to find some ASAP!
There’s nothing wrong with eating smaller meals and snacking more if that’s what works for you! I mean, as long as you’re eating enough calories, who cares how you eat?
That being said, I’m a fan of bigger meals and smaller snacks. I like the feeling of being quite full after my meal because if I finish a meal feeling not totally full, I just won’t be able to get food off my brain until I AM full. 😛
That’s actually exactly why I’m switching things up – the feeling of fullness doesn’t last long enough so I end up constantly having food on the brain 😕
Can’t wait to hear how this challenge works for you. Fingers crossed you figure out how to help your endless hunger days =)
I’m definitely a 6 meal type of person. I find that when I eat bigger meals I actually get more hungry throughout the day. That’s just me though. I think it’s just how your body reacts, and what your body needs Everyones different 🙂
Hmmm this is an interesting experiment! I know everyone works a little differently and sometimes it takes time to figure that out. I personally was brought up in a house that’s very “3 square meals a day” + a little dessert, but no snacking. It really doesn’t work for me – I just can’t fit that much food into my stomach at once for some reason. SO i eat small-ish meals but also snack a lot. My best friend on the other hand eats 3 meals a day andd a bedtime snack. One time we calculated it and it turns out we both eat basically the same amount of food! So it’s really more about your body’s rhythm. And who knows, maybe bigger meals might be the answer for you to really fine-tune your rhythm (which you’ve already done a great job with!). I’m definitely looking forward to seeing all the delicious bulked up meals you come up with. And you can just send those english muffins with jam and AB right over to this snacky girl over here…. 😀
What might that concoction of a snack be in the 7th picture from the top?? It looks amazing!
That might be Greek yogurt mixed with a banana, a chocolate muffin, and almond butter on top. Was very amazing 🙂
I’ve been a reader for a long time… and have always loved your posts! This one is a great inspiration…. because I’m an eternal snacker too (though for me it’s a bit of lingering ED tendencies). Your post might have given me a little oomph to try something new!
When I’m at home all day (not often), I tend to be more of a grazer, enjoying the smaller snacks often and the smaller meals. However, that isn’t even close to being an option at work, so I make the breakfast-snack-lunch-snack-dinner-snack model work. I have to say that mentally, I’m okay with both scenarios because logistically, they make sense. There’s no way that on a work day I could have a small breakfast and make it FOUR hours to snack. Not gonna happen. On the days when I’m home, it goes a little more intuitively, but make sure that I still get in all my exchanges (plus compensation, if necessary, and it usually is) before the end of the day and reasonably well balanced (no “saving” and then “forgetting” 😉 ). I’m still at a point where I need to follow a meal plan regularly, and that’s okay. To each their own.
But I think that if you think this will work for you, give it a shot!! I know that you’re at a point where you won’t be purposefully undereating, so I have faith that whatever decision you decide to stick with will be what’s best for you. 🙂
I did the small meals/snacks thing for about 15 years (!!), and only a year or two ago I decided to try three squares and no/minimal snacking. I love it, and I will never look back! Not only did it not make my metabolism slow down as my silly brain thought it would, but it gave me the opportunity to eat hearty, satisfying meals and not have to think about it in between. It actually helped my digestion too. With IBS you’re always told to eat small meals, but for me, giving my body a rest between meals has been key. Good luck with your experiment!
Thanks, Sarah! I’m hoping that I have the same luck with it as you did 🙂
I try not to snack too much and keep my meals larger, but sometimes I just love snack foods more. I guess for me it depends on the day. Hope your experiment goes well! 🙂 Have a great weekend!!
I am like this as well and am curious to hear how your experiment goes! Good luck 🙂
AH I can so RELATE to this. When I was snacking, it was because my meals were smaller, but to be honest, I really hated feeling like I always had to have food with me. Thus, like you, I bulked up my meals and it made a WORLD of difference. Now I am a solid 3 meals a day girl and have never felt more satisfied 🙂
That’s really encouraging. Thanks, Kailey!
I am a constant snacker especially at night. although I eat three meals a day – at night it’s all downhill – I eat like three snacks before bed!! It’s my favorite time to snack – I guess during the day I’m too busy but once I’m home the snack attack hits!! By the way I approve of all of your snacks – especially the trail mix. Almonds are a particular favorite of mine!!
I do three large meals and 2-3 snacks.#runnerproblems
It’s funny because I’m the exact opposite! I hate snacking, I’d rather just have a large meal where I can eat a larger amount and feel ‘full.’ Whenever I snack, I feel like it stimulates my hunger and I just end up eating all day, and I am constantly thinking about food all day.
I prefer to space out my meals, every 4 hours or so. I don’t really get hungry in between meals, and when I do eat, I get to really eat a lot until I’m actually satisfied. This has been somewhat of a problem with me lately, going back to school and all, since my family is big on grazing throughout the day and having a HUGE dinner at night, so to adjust to their lifestyle I would have tiny meals and save up all my calories for dinner. With school and living on my own, this doesn’t really work since I don’t prepare myself huge dinners, and I’m more active during the day. To increase my energy I’m trying to incorporate snacks, but it’s annoying because they do make me hungrier! I guess it’s a good thing though, keeps your metabolism up!
I’ve found that I was having the same problem with snacking – it would just make me hungrier. Good for the metabolism or not, it’s annoying to be thinking about food all day and unable to concentrate on anything else. Fingers crossed that larger meals will help!
Oh geez, I’m the same way. Any longer than 2.5 hours I feel like I’m gonna hulk out on someone unless I get some food.
If I truly listened to when I was hungry I think I could get by easily on 3 meals per day because my portions are so large, and I am a total volume eater. I still have to, most likely unnecessary snacks per day to try to prevent bingeing though, because managing this particular eating disorder means that I am so, so scared of getting too hungry to the point of it triggering a binge that I do end up stuffing myself too full sometimes. Lesser of two evils, perhaps, but I could actually do with switching eating styles with you for the sake of my digestive system! I have so many GI problems which I am sure could be solved by coaxing my stomach gently, and eating little/often.
Good on you for giving something different a try – I really do respect you for that. I can’t imagine many other bloggers (including myself) being so open to experimentation for the sake of their mental/physical health. You’re a star.
xxx
Your snacks are always so beautifully photographed (just like all of subjects in your photos, but particularly the snacks, haha).
I eat 6 mini-meals a day, as per instructions from my gastroenterologist and general practitioner/doctor (since eating small meals more frequently helps me manage my Crohn’s and keep my blood sugar levels stable).
I think that’s partially because snacks are my favorite
My eats when I was sick were basically snacks because they were so tiny… but now that I’ve been recovering, I realized that if I do tend to eat smaller meals that resemble snacks, I’m constantly thinking about food because I’m hungry just 1 or 2 hours later. Being hungry that often is annoying and not fun, especially if you work or go to school and have a lot going on where it’s just not convenient to keep picking at snacks. So to avoid that and just to feel more at ease, I tend to eat “normal-sized” meals, not just like half a sandwich for lunch and a bowl of veggies for dinner, and it’s definitely made things easier!
Let’s face it, the less you eat, the more hungry you are. If you eat small portions, you’re going to get hungry quicker! It’s a no-brainer to me 😉 So I’m hopeful you’ll feel a bit better too with this new experiment 🙂
I have recently increased my portion sizes and it really helped. I also upped my fat and protein intake!