3 meals a day catching on in diet world?

gettheweightoff · Post by **gettheweightoff** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 9:49 pm

This is more of an FYI post.

In doing research about treating binge eating I have found the following "diets" revolve around only having 3 meals a day... so this anti-snacking is catching on!

The Crave Diet
Mega Mayr Diet
The Leptin Diet
Overeaters Anonymous A Plan for Eating
An eating disorder book (can't remember the name, sorry) I leafed through at the bookstore.

I'm sure there are others but it is interesting to see that these "diets" aim at curing weight problems and eating disorders with only 3 meals a day. Of course, none give us the advantage of S days and don't really adress eating "forbidden foods". That is where No-S makes more sense because you can't deny yourself sweet foods forever unless of course you have no natural desire for anything sweet.

Anyways, I didn't find much in the way of help for binge eating other than links to passages from these books so I'm just sticking with No-S because when I do it, I definitely feel like I have an advantage over this nasty problem.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:36 pm

3-4 meals daily seems to be the norm around the world. Maybe diet programs are finally recognizing the wisdom of old patterns and ways of thinking -- and eating.

I think there are a few others that encourage 3 meals daily and DO allow treats -- but they make them sound negative. There are two books by different authors called "The Cheater's Diet" -- but "cheating" is a negative thing. There's another one, too, but I can't remember the name of it.

chentegt · Post by **chentegt** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 3:09 am

Bodybuilding world has also said good bye to the old '5 or 6 meals a day' mentality from last decade. They call it now obsolete 'broscience' (pseudoscience).
Bodybuilders say now that meal timing doesn't matter and they are more open now to any kind of system for losing fat (like Intermittent Fasting) as long as you dont eat so much (it's a matter of calories in vs calories out, they preach now). Amazing he! Check out bodybuilding forums in their nutrition sections and you will see how everything has changed in the last years! Many of them are now eating 3 (no-s-type), 2 or even just one meal a day! (just still making sure they get enough protein though).

yoozer · Post by **yoozer** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:17 am

The "frequent small meals" approach has never appealed to me. I find that it keeps my appetite too stimulated, and I'm always thinking about the next snack or mini-meal. And that's the other thing - the meals are inevitably frustratingly small.
With just three meals a day, or even two, they can be nice and satisfying, and then you have an actually quite pleasant period between meals where you're not obsessing about food.

Post by **reinhard** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:50 am

I'm very gratified to hear this -- I hadn't noticed. I hope this trend lasts long enough for people to realize how much sense it makes and becomes more than just a passing fad.

Reinhard

yoozer · Post by **yoozer** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:08 pm

If this is one of the diets we're talking about, it does sound an awful lot like No-S:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/dieta ... Day-1.html

It does take a lot more words to say it than "no snacks, no sweets, no seconds, except on S-days", but to be fair it does go into some of the rationale behind it, such as the observation that our prehistoric ancestors probably got by on 2 or 3 meals a day.

Over43 · Post by **Over43** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:49 pm

I think it will "come around". Men's Journal just ran an article "Everything You Know About Dieting is Wrong", but suggested to "snacks" a day because "people just have to snack!" (Paraphrase)

I do remember the 70's-80's-90's bodybuilding scene and the "eat 6 meals a day" and protein powder shakes, etc.

So the prevailing wisdom seems to still be the prevailing wisodm.

I think a lot of people are going to 3 meals a day for one basic reason, economical. They can't afford special mixes, snack bars, weigh-ins, etc. Some are just cutting back naturally to save cash.

marygrace · Post by **marygrace** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:02 pm

The Today Show was talking about the death of Jack LaLane (I'm sure I'm spelling that wrong) earlier this week and they cut to a clip of Anne Curry interviewing him a few years ago. For some reason, he was offered some kind of food on set and he refused it. He said he never eats between meals.

Nicest of the Damned · Post by **Nicest of the Damned** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:15 pm

marygrace wrote:The Today Show was talking about the death of Jack LaLane (I'm sure I'm spelling that wrong) earlier this week and they cut to a clip of Anne Curry interviewing him a few years ago. For some reason, he was offered some kind of food on set and he refused it. He said he never eats between meals.

From an obituary of Jack LaLanne:

http://newsok.com/health-fitness-guru-j ... le/3534984

He felt proud every time he fulfilled his promise to himself to never eat between meals or not to eat sweets.

myshell · Post by **myshell** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 7:42 pm

Yes, I saw the reference to Jack LaLanne's interview on NBC. I think it was his birthday or something so they offered him a slice of cake and he said he never ate between meals! I really like eating 3 times a day and when I'm actually hungry. It took a little while to get there.

I agree with you, Yoozer, frequent mini meals drove me crazy. It was expensive and all consuming.

Nicest of the Damned · Post by **Nicest of the Damned** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 8:01 pm

myshell wrote:I agree with you, Yoozer, frequent mini meals drove me crazy. It was expensive and all consuming.

If you don't plan your meals, they're more likely to include junk food and not include things like vegetables. I don't like planning meals in advance, but I do it, because I know we eat better when I do.

I have enough trouble planning two meals per day (breakfast is usually just cereal). Now I'm supposed to plan and make four or five? Ain't gonna happen.

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 11:31 pm

Yoozer - I couldn't have put it better myself! I always avoided the "eat frequent and often" eating plans for precisely the same reasons you stated in your post.
Too much thinking about food/planning involved and too much scope for bingeing!!