Question: Spreading food throughout the day

[cypressgirl]

I understand and adhere to the concepts of regularly fueling your body throughout the day, eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are comfortably full.

My question is: When you aren't full and you eat a higher caloric load at one time (general consumption range stays the same for the entire day, just spread differently), does this impede fat burning by storing up that "overload"?

I find that there are just times that I am more hungry and it takes more and times where I am really just eating because it has been way too long since my last mouthful. Not always, but there are those days!

Should I continue on this way or try to do something differently? Love to hear your thoughts on this!

[Moochiecat]

Listen to your gut.
If it takes a bit more food to satisfy you sometimes, then so be it...just as long as you are eating till satisfied, and not till stuffed.
If you are having a 'hungry' day, eat one plateful then stop. Wait a little while to see if you really are hungry for more and then have some. I used to get a little panicky at dinner time when I'd stop at one plate full, so I'd tell myself if I was truly hungry I could go back for more later on as the food would still be in the fridge. Some nights I can be found rifling around in the fridge an hour after dinner, but many nights I end up being fine and wasn't needing anything else after all.

I wouldn't worry about 'overload' if this was something that happened once in a while. If this is happening regularly I'd be more concerned about your blood sugar levels than fat burning being impeded.
Especially if you saved all your veggies and ate them all at one sitting..then you're probably looking at an insulin spike and your blood sugars going off kilter.

Remember that a snack or a 'small meal' doesn't have to be very big. A boiled egg (or a devilled egg) or a piece of cheese with ham wrapped around it or something similar in size is fine if you are not very hungry but know you really should have a little something. Never force yourself to eat a plate of something just because it's time to eat. A few bites to top off the tank is fine.

[Zuki]

Also, remember that most people mistake thirst for hunger, so if you are still hungry after a good meal, make sure you've had enough water so far. If not, drink about a glass full, and then see what happens.

Alot of "extra" hunger goes away if you are getting your water in daily.