Do you do 3 meals a day + snacks, or several small meals?

[JustWantToBeHealthyAgain]

BTW, I am not eating any food (still on clear liquid diet) and will not be eating until early January at least! This is more for the future but I am just wondering.

What's best when you are onto soft/regular foods? 3 square meals a day plus snacks or 5ish very small meals?

pre-op, I ate 3 meals a day (but overate at them!) and rarely, rarely snacked. The only snack food I like is yogurt and cheesesticks but I don't think I'd like to eat them everyday.

Like, what if I made a low carb dish and had lots of leftovers? Could I eat 1/4 and a bit for lunch and then have a little more 4 hours later as a small meal?

Just wondering.

[BigDogMom]

Congratulations on your success! I would recommend that you not be overly consumed with the number of meals, but rather focus on making sure that each meal really counts. Having a tiny stomach doesn't mean that you can eat whatever you want, just in small portions. No! You need to take this time (the first year really) to teach yourself good habits and good things to eat. I'm almost 14 months post-op, and I usually eat something 5 or 6 times a day. I'm sort of weird about my food though...I can eat the same thing everyday, for months. You'll find what works for you. Try different things, even stuff that you wouldn't guess that you'd like. Good luck!

[lornadoone629]

Congratulations on being UNDER 300!!! woot woot!! I think that it depends on your doctors plan for you and what you are comfortable with. When I started my soft foods, I tried to fit in 5-6 small meals. I realized that with the water restrictions of stopping 30 minutes before, 30 during and 30 after, I was either eating or drinking every minute... or planning my next bite or sip. There was no time in between the process. I do 3 small meals now, with a small snack in between, usually protein based. I admit, that at 4.5 months out, I don't adhere to the stop drinking times as much now and tend to sip a little bit during my meals. I just need that to help get the food in. You'll figure out your groove and what works for you!! continued success!!!

[Nursejackie83]

I'm on my first day of puréed foods and can eat a decent amount before I feel any type of discomfort. I know I shouldn't eat until I feel discomfort but I'm learning how much I can take in. So far today I was able to eat 1/2 cup of puréed beans and about a 1/2 cup of grits later in the evening. Do y'all think this is normal or is it too much? Sorry to high jack your thread but it was related

[bessie.marshall]

I have to do several small meals daily or I don't get my protein in. I think it depends on the person. There is a huge difference in "grazing" and eating every 2-3 hours. I never eat off.....but I do eat every 2-3 hours. A lot of folks don't do that, but it has worked for me....I"ve lost 76 lbs in less than 5mths. Best wishes for you.

[Whoopie]

My doctor has me eating every two hours. It may seem like alot but I eat about 1/2 of a greek yogurt and go back to the other half two hours later

[SuddenlySlimmerSusan]

My Doctor is very adamant on the 3 meals a day thing. I added 2 snacks of cheese sticks because I wasn't getting enough protein. Now that I am in stage 2 and allowed more options, I am switching out the cheese sticks occasionally for 2 pieces of shrimp or a few thin slices of lunch meat. (Less fat than the cheese.) I wouldn't call those meals, they are about half the size of my 1/4 cup meals. I have also made my breakfast "meal" into a kefir smoothie with about an 1/8 cup of fruit in it. Again I think my doc would prefer the meal be separate from the shake, but I am still trying to get my protein in.

[NancyN]

My nut suggested that once you are on actual food, aim for 5 meals of 200 calories each. You will not be able to finish them at this point, but by about 6 month you should be able to (you'll want 1000 to 1200 cal a day by then). Some of these meals can be shakes, but work toward your protein and cal goals with food. @NurseJackie, you're doing just fine. Don't over think it. There is no way you're eating too much right now.

[sociologist]

I eat some form of protein every three hours. It keeps me from getting lightheaded. Its a trial and error process.

[lgutenberg]

I am trying to do three meals and two snacks. One of my snacks is usually a protein shake so I can get all my protein in. I still can't eat enough at one meal to be able to only have three meals per day. I usually eat breakfast late, so I will have lunch, snack, dinner, snack. I try and space them out every 3 to 4 hours or else I get cranky!!

[SeasonsChange]

I have to eat several times a day, maybe 5, in order to get a decent amount of protein and calories in. If I did just 3 meals a day and no snacking I wouldn't even get close to my goal for protein. 2 bites of chicken or any protein for that matter and im done. I feel the tightness start and the lump in the throat if I go any further. This was my problem in the beginning. I thought I should've been able to eat more but my sleeve just wasn't having it and I paid for it with discomfort. So feel it out. What works for you may not work for someone else but in the end all that matters is what you need to make it work.

[Truffles]

I eat 6-8 times per day. Each time I eat, I view it as a meal and follow the guidelines accordingly.

My quantities are so small that I would be unable to get my nutritional requirements if I ate only 3 meals per day. Plus, I would imagine I would then try to push my stomach into stretching to fit more food in to meet the nutritional requirements, which would not be a good thing.

Eating multiple small meals per day removes the temptation, for me, to have "just one more bite" because I know I could always have another meal of that delicious item in a few hours time.

[Bufflehead]

My plan doesn't allow snacks between meals other than protein shakes until you reach goal. Meals are 3 meals per day, no more than 3 ounces each. We do get dispensation for "solid food" type snacks if we are traveling all day but that's it.

[drea29]

I was not a snacker pre-op and ate 3 meals a day with usually a snack at night. Now I eat breakfast and sometimes a snack before lunch. Then i eat lunch and have a snack about 3 p.m. Dinner and a snack at night. I prefer the 3 meals a day, but I was also concerned that I would have to eat too much and would stretch my sleeve. So it's 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. A snack might be an hard boiled egg white, 1/4 cup of almonds or some carrots. I still do a scoop of protein powder in my oatmeal in the morning so I get my protein in with no problem