Everybody keeps on telling me that i should eat 5 small meals a day… i was wondering what everybody idea is on that.
also does anybody drink meal replacement drinks?
I struggle with eating breakfast first thing in the morning so on weekdays I start my day with a slimfast shake. They’re not bad and they even have some low carb ones. Clearly not as healthy as some real food (fruit and yogurt would be a healthier meal) but better than nothing. As for 5 meals… it’s probably 3 meals and two snacks. My doctor has told me she doesn’t want me to go more than 3.5 hours awake without eating something. It keeps your metabolism working apparently. Depending on your calorie needs what you eat will vary but my plan is 2 carb servings and 1 protein serving at breakfast, 1 carb and one protein as a morning snack, 2-3 carb and 2 protein servings for lunch, 1 protein and 1 carb for afternoon snack, and then 2-3 carb and 2-3 protein for dinner. I’m still trying to make this work but it’s what they’ve given me based on a 1500ish calorie diet.
Ideally the five small meal a day plan is great… unfortunately its another time consuming chore on top of having type-1 which is already a full-time job. I’ve tried the five-a-day and realistically found some faults with it. One huge caveat is that if your eating your small meals within a three hour window of one another (likely to happen), you might find that your insulin dosing overlaps and your control actually worsens leading to more frequent highs/lows and anxiety.
I would approach a meal plan holistically and gear it towards your goals. It could very greatly if you want to lose/gain weight, maintain tighter BG control, or just be plain healthy. In terms of meal replacements, many of these supplement shakes are loaded with sugar to improve taste. The three primary ingredients in a Slimfast are: FAT FREE MILK, WATER, SUGAR (the lactose in the milk is also a sugar). I would recommend going to either a GNC, Wholefoods, or Vitamin Shop, and picking up a high quality Whey or Egg based protein powder that is carb free. This way you can control the amount of carbs and calories in the drink by choosing your own preferred mixer.
I’ll be honest here. I have an Atkins shake in the car on the way to work every morning. It’s filling, 160 cal, 2 grams sugar and comes in lots of flavors. I then will have a carb control yogurt with some almonds for a snack, sandwich/pita or salad for lunch, then a regular dinner. 5 small meals is impossible to keep up with.
You could think about 3 meals with two snacks. Keeping the snacks carb free, like a handful of almonds and a cheese stick. Or a bowl full of lettuce. Veggies are awfully low in carbs, and snack time is a great way to work them into your day. They fill you up much quicker than a bag of potato chips too! Eating more often is said to keep up your metabolism and make you not quite so hungry at meal time that you overeat. For diabetics, it can be trickier for the reasons Matt mentions.
I sometimes have a carnation instant breakfast, not for weight loss, but just as something on my way running out the door. There is one type that has 10 carbs, added to my milk makes 20 carbs. There is another bag that has 20 carbs, so you have to read each one.
If you are thinking of meal replacement drinks for weight loss, I am not a fan. They may help you with the weight loss, but they aren’t helping you change your habit of eating. So when you go off the drinks, the weight comes back as you go back to your old way of eating.