Why I don’t eat 3 meals a day

I used to eat three meals a day. I ate a hearty breakfast before I drove to work (usually oatmeal), ate a bagged lunch with my co-workers whom I didn’t really like, and at around three in the afternoon, famished and lethargic, I felt like I couldn’t complete the workday without eating SOMETHING so I typically bought pretzels or Skittles from the vending machine. After I drove home in gridlocked rush-hour traffic, I managed to drudge up enough energy to make a healthy dinner. After dinner, my husband and I would watch TV on the couch while mindlessly eating candy until we had stomachaches and sugar-highs.

When I started working with a personal fitness trainer I was shocked when he said I could no longer have snacks and I was to now eat six MEALS a day, not six times a day: six meals a day. “Won’t I get fat?” I asked. He promised that I’d lose weight and get to eat more. I did as I was told and lost pounds and inches. With this new eating plan I rarely overeat, have tons of energy and no longer have sugar-highs or lows. Now I eat two small breakfasts, two small lunches, and two small dinners every day. Each meal has protein (which most snacks have negligible amounts), whole carbs, and a small amount of fat, which is the perfect combination for any meal. I love that I get to eat all the time!

Photo: This is about the right size of a proper meal portion. Most restaurants overdo it.