This is a common question for anyone looking to get healthier, and the topic is covered well in an article on GoodRx, which you can read here. I agree with the article’s point that there’s no “magic” number of meals per day that guarantees weight loss for everyone. What matters most is tuning into your body’s signals—listening to your fullness cues and recognizing when you’re actually hungry.
Often, we eat not because we’re truly hungry, but because it’s mealtime, others around us are eating, or simply out of boredom. But how many times have we stopped to ask ourselves if we’re genuinely hungry?
For me, before I started my journey to better health, I rarely thought about how often I ate or whether my food choices were healthy. I was an “unconscious” eater. One of the biggest challenges I faced was learning to recognize my hunger and fullness cues.
A simple strategy that helped me eat more mindfully was to leave the table after finishing my meal and immediately get busy with other tasks. This prevented me from continuing to eat out of habit.
The biggest change in my journey was shifting from eating whenever I wanted to a routine of three balanced meals a day, focusing on portion control and healthier food choices. I also started reading nutrition labels on everything I bought, which not only educated me but also greatly improved the food choices I made for myself and my family.
If this is something you find yourself struggling with day to day, let’s work together to improve your ability to tune into your body’s fullness cues. Learning this skill can help you gain better control over your eating habits and overall health. Contact me today to get started!
Author: Cheyenne Buckingham, BS, How Often Should You Eat? What to Know About Meal
Spacing, According to Experts
Reviewed by: Karen Horav, MD, FAAP
Updated: August 15, 2024
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