170 How Often Should You be Eating In a Day?

<p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>Do you eat twice a day, three times a day, or maybe you snack a lot and eat 6 or more times a day? This week I explain why how often you eat is just as important as what you eat.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --></p> <h3 id="heading">Why do we need three meals a day?</h3> <p><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>There is a saying about three square meals a day, comes from sailors who used to eat their meals from square plates. However, they definitely didn't eat three times a day and more likely had one or two meals per day.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>Three meals a day seems to fit with modern times, we eat before work, at a break in the middle of the day, and then again once we return home. However, we don't have to eat three meals a day what is more important is the space between our meals.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --></p> <h3 id="heading">How many times are you eating in a day?</h3> <p><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>When I discuss meal plans with clients, I will often encourage them to eat three meals a day. However, it isn't the number that's important, it's the time between meals that is. And a meal is any kind of food that you eat.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>Typically, people are eating several times a day, even if they skip breakfast. As a biscuit, a piece of fruit, or even a milky coffee is food. And I find that by encouraging clients to start with a good breakfast and have a filling lunch, it is easier for them to skip the snacks in between, thus actually reducing the times they eat although it might be increasing the quantity.</p> <p><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>Ideally, I recommend that you have at least 3 hours between each meal, and stopping eating 2-3 hours before bed. So if you are up early and eating breakfast you could eat up to four times a day, however it's also totally fine to eat just tw