How many times a day to eat

[Seren]

I have been reading a lot recently that it is better to eat all your food during the day in small meals/ snacks rather than three meals a day. I think this way is probably so much easier than having to try and make a raw meal?

I was just wondering, is this the way most raw foodists eat?

Also, I am trying to limit my fruit intake to the morning/ early afternoon and just have veggies later, but I am finding it hard to make appealing raw food in the evening with just veggies, and so then I tend to eat something non-raw. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make appealing veggie snacks, that are light (ie nothing like hummus or nuts?). I have a very poor imagination when it comes to food.

Thanks in advance

Love Seren x x x

[RawChicky]

Some people eat in bigger meals, some eat more often in smaller meals, some eat just when they are hungry, its up to you how you want to eat. See which way makes you feel the best throughout the day.

Yeah it's hard to eat veggies without dipping them in something, for me at least. You marinade them but I don't know how people do that, maybe search in the recipe section? I usually just have veggies in a salad with a little raw dressing or lemon juice.

Good luck!

[shine72]

Have you tried making the zucchini hummus? I don't find that to be as heavy as the chick pea hummus.

Also, I eat when I'm hungry. I eat what my body says it's wanting. That's it. Some days that means I graze all day long, just picking at this and that. Other days it means I may have a smoothie, then eat a HUGE meal later, then nothing else. I suggest listening to what YOUR body says YOU need and going from there.

[Seren]

Thanks for the ideas!

No I havent tried the zucchini hummus, I may try that - I made the chickpea hummus before and it tasted, to me, very horrible! The taste of the chickpeas overpowered the garlic. Zucchini has a pretty mild flavour though so I shall try that, thanks for the idea!

You are both right, it is obvious that I should just eat when Im hungry lol. I can be so dumb sometimes. Problem is these days since I went back to non-raw, Im not all that sure when Im hungry and when I just want to eat for no reason!

I think I will try eating little and often - maybe a handful size of food every four hours or so. I heard that if you leave it lomger than this your metabolism slows way down? Or is that not true once you eat mainly raw?

Love Seren x x x

[shine72]

Thanks for the ideas!

No I havent tried the zucchini hummus, I may try that - I made the chickpea hummus before and it tasted, to me, very horrible! The taste of the chickpeas overpowered the garlic. Zucchini has a pretty mild flavour though so I shall try that, thanks for the idea!

You are both right, it is obvious that I should just eat when Im hungry lol. I can be so dumb sometimes. Problem is these days since I went back to non-raw, Im not all that sure when Im hungry and when I just want to eat for no reason!

I think I will try eating little and often - maybe a handful size of food every four hours or so. I heard that if you leave it lomger than this your metabolism slows way down? Or is that not true once you eat mainly raw?

Love Seren x x x

Seren - When I first went raw, I just ate when I "felt like it" but would stop when I felled filled. Not stuffed, but a little more than satisfied. After a couple of weeks doing that, I have been doing what I posted earlier. I eat differently every day, and there are some days where I do like I said with the huge meal. There has not been not one week since I started raw that I HAVEN'T lost weight I don't think. If so, there couldn't have been more than one and that was probably during my girlie time. I started Dec. 27th and have lost 45+ pounds since then. So I don't think eating that way has slowed my metabolism one bit. HTH!:D

[Seren]

WOW 45+ lbs since xmas??!! That is amazing. And good evidence to go with the point!

I like the idea of eating differently every day, keeps things interesting.

Are you 100% raw? How do you get your veggies in? lol, sorry bout all the questions!

Love Seren x x x

[Stina]

My body is still trained to "normal" patterns for now but it's working for me. I have green lemonade for breakfast, maybe a salad for lunch, snack on fruit later, a simple dehydrator receipe for supper, and a must-have dessert in the evening. I eat a lot. I'm slowly losing weight. I'm happy and satisfied. And nothing is set in stone, I switch around according to my appetite. I love LOVE eating Raw!

[shine72]

WOW 45+ lbs since xmas??!! That is amazing. And good evidence to go with the point!

I like the idea of eating differently every day, keeps things interesting.

Are you 100% raw? How do you get your veggies in? lol, sorry bout all the questions!

Love Seren x x x

Seren - Not a problem hon! I am 100% since December and LOVING it! I don't deprive myself of anything! LOL! I LOVE salads, so I get veggies that way. Also, enchiladas have veggies, calzone that I'll be eating here in a minute has some, Mock salmon pate has some, the pizza crust has 'em too for cryin' out loud! There is NO shortage of getting veggies in this house. Angle Hair Pasta w/Marinara, Fettucine Alfredo......I think you get the point.

Take today for example. I wasn't all that hungry upon waking, so I didn't eat. Then I had a shake with coconut water, maca, goji berries, cacao nibs, bananas, strawberries, and agave nectar. The calzone will be ready here in a minute (heck, it's probably already ready), and the kids will be having that. I'll have some the next time I get hungry. IF I'm hungry later after that, I'll probably have some cherries or some oranges, something sweet and juicy. Since I won't have gotten my usual amount of veggies in today, I'll probably have a HUGE salad tomorrow after TKD. My salad is the size of a RATHER LARGE mixing bowl. And I'll probably end up making my new favorite dressing, Alissa's Honey Mustard.

And yes, 45+ pounds since I started two days after Christmas. So I'm happy. And I haven't worked out nearly as much as I would've liked due to moving, unpacking, and then over-straining my left hamstring last week when I finally DID get back to working out.

Hope this answers some of your questions!:D

[dreamrawalwz]

I'm sorry if I hijack the thread, but what if you don't GET hungry and when you feel "starving" the feeling goes away with 1/2 an apple. Do I just need to follow that and hope my body resets the hunger signals?

[barose]

For me it depends. Some days I crave raw "meals" (at home or at a raw restaurant) and some days I crave small mono meals and snacks. No two days are alike. It depends on how long I've been raw overall, my energy level, the weather, what "time of the month" I am, activity level. The days I do a lot of running or weights, I eat more of course.

I also drink green and fruit smoothies between meals. My appetite is too large to eat simply yet.

[Springtime]

dreamrawwaltz: that happens to me sometimes. a typical day for me when i tried to the ole listen-to-your-body thing was to feel full from having half a green smoothie in one day.
well.
it kind of didnt work.
i ended up feeling miserable, couldnt get any work done and slept really bad. so i have decided to go the other way around: eat anyway.
i know for a fact that if i have not decided to go into a fast and prepared my mind and body for that, i need a certain amount of calories each day to function. if my stomach doesnt get hungry the way my brain thinks hunger feels like, well, then ill just have to re-think. i want to be able to work, move, smile and sleep. so i eat, three times a day or more.
i dont stuff myself, i dont feel bad about "not listening to my body". i just feel like im doing myself a favour when i eat, because if i dont i cant do anything.

i think my body is still somehow programmed from being more or less ill from an eating disorder, so ive decided not to listen, and to teach myself to be healthy.

love
/r

[dreamrawalwz]

dreamrawwaltz: that happens to me sometimes. a typical day for me when i tried to the ole listen-to-your-body thing was to feel full from having half a green smoothie in one day.
well.
it kind of didnt work.
i ended up feeling miserable, couldnt get any work done and slept really bad. so i have decided to go the other way around: eat anyway.
i know for a fact that if i have not decided to go into a fast and prepared my mind and body for that, i need a certain amount of calories each day to function. if my stomach doesnt get hungry the way my brain thinks hunger feels like, well, then ill just have to re-think. i want to be able to work, move, smile and sleep. so i eat, three times a day or more.
i dont stuff myself, i dont feel bad about "not listening to my body". i just feel like im doing myself a favour when i eat, because if i dont i cant do anything.

i think my body is still somehow programmed from being more or less ill from an eating disorder, so ive decided not to listen, and to teach myself to be healthy.

love
/r

The ED could have something to do with mine. If I do listen for the hunger signals, like you, I get very dizzy, light headed, uncordinated, absolutely no energy, etc.

[Springtime]

just eat something hun, and i GUARANTEE you will feel better.
like, i read this really great book about yoga, and the dude who wrote it talked about how the body, the self and the mind are like three different things. so i figured, the ED is in the mind, right? so if i just let it do whatever my self can have fun with my body while my mind is sulking. you can just decide not to be bothered and hav fun instead.
so, i order you to have something to eat, and leave your mind alone when it's in a bad mood...

/r

[freelive]

I am trying to eat just three times a day(at least 4 hours between meals), because I believe it is better for digestion, but in practise I eat probably 4-5 times day. Mostly at the end of the day. In the morning 20 oz. of veggie juice satisfies me till midday.

[Seren]

Shine72, Yes it did answer my questions, thankyou very much!

Hope you all have a great day :D

Love Seren x x x