Scheduling my Meals

I have a friend who eats her meals on a very strict schedule, to the point that I like to make fun of her about it and I ask her about it in total disbelief. She has breakfast every morning at 8am, not any earlier because then she will be hungry before noon when she has lunch. She has her snacks in between and then dinner always at 5. I am amazed that someone can live with such a strict schedule and yet, she is thin and does not complain about being ravenous and over eating. As I am learning more about the importance of snacking and eating on a regular schedule I am thinking that there is something to her schedule of meals and snacks and I can learn from her.

I have very little schedule in my life so I find myself eating whenever I want or whenever I am hungry. I will be working on my computer and stop for breakfast when I feel like it, eat something healthy and nutritious and then a little while later I may feel a twinge of hunger and then get something little to eat. But then in a little while again I may have something little again too. Or I will go out and not pay attention to eating and then find myself feeling ravenous and wanting something to eat NOW! Of course since I was feeling ravenous I think I must eat a lot of something to satisfy that terrible hunger I am feeling. Of course then I will overeat with most of it being high fat, sugar or salt foods to the point that I feel stuffed and bloated and naturally unhappy with myself.

Now I have created a schedule (although not as strict as my friend!)for myself around eating that has made a big change in how I think about eating. I eat in the morning shortly after I get up, then I plan my snack for several hours later and lunch several hours after that, I do the same for a midday snack and then dinner as well. I write down all my meal plans so I know what it is I have planned on eating for my snacks and meals. So now when I am feeling a little hungry mid morning, but before my snack time I can just remind myself I will have a snack shortly and I am content to wait, the same goes for the other meals as well. I feel much better because I am not overeating and my food choices are much healthier too.

Do you have a schedule for your meals and snacks?

Helen