5-6 small meals a day good?

I have been thinking about grazing throughout the day as I find that I don't have much energy during the afternoon and that naturally I am always starving an hour before the next meal, which I usually don't eat a bunch of stuff:

My old meal plan
Breakfast: (6:30am during school)
Cereal and a piece of fruit

Lunch: (11:00-11:30 at school)
Sandwich
A piece of fruit
Muffin

Dinner: (4 or 5 pm)
Something high-protein and low carb (Usually small)

Snack before bed:
Some ice cream or something else small

I am also very Audrey Hepburn-ish thin and have a high metabolism. I also tend to feel dizzy or have a headache if I haven't eaten in a few hours. So is it good to graze in my case?

 

Eat when you're hungry...but it depends on if you want gain weight or not. Eating several small meals speeds up metabolism. But if you want to gain weight you can still eat several meal, you just have to supplement them.

 

They are now telling us that it's better to slowly graze and eat many small meals throughout the day (snacking is apparently better than mealing now) than to eat three bigger meals during the day...I think it's because you're more likely to get a wider variety of foods that way...of course, it's easier to snack on cookies and crackers all day than to eat cookies for one meal, crackers and cheese at another, ice cream at the third...So the only reason why it can be healthier, is you are also expected to still make healthy choices...Like, instead of big lunch and big dinner...have small meals, and in between, have some fruits...that kinda thing...

That is...if I remember from foods class properly.

 

I'm going to this local nutritionist who is doing my meal planning for me. I have diabetes and need to watch my food intake. She has me eating 3 meals and 3 snacks a day (4 snacks if I'm up past 12). I lost 4 lbs in the first week (I'm on week 2 now) and I've cut my meds in half (with doctors knowledge of course). I also drink 6 - 20oz bottles of water a day.

 

I went from 2-3 meals a day to almsot constantly eating throughout the day and i feel so much better. I have a lot more energy. I eat a banana or rye toast and eggs for breakfast, and then an apple or some fruit around 10am, and then lunch which is usually rye bread with chicken and a spinach salad with vinagrette (switch to vinagrette from creamy dressngs, a lot healthier!) and then maybe some nuts or more fruit or carrots and hummus before dinner. Dinner can be whatever, but try to keep it healthy. Eating bad stuff once in awhile is NOT anything to beat yourself up about though. Then again a snack in the evening. Drink lots of water!@

 

It's healthier because your body doesn't have to work so hard to digest and process the food. It's like trying to do 100 pushups 3 times a day as opposed to 50 6 times a day. Whatever is easier on your digestive system is better for the organs like your liver and you end up absorbing more of the nutrients.

 

Grazing=good, that's what I keep hearing. I have to get back in that habit. I tend to devour food and then regret it.

 

eating multiple times a day helps keep blood sugar levels more regular instead of spiking during large meals and dropping between meals...

besides controlling blood sugar levels.. multiple meals a day will help you lose weight like others have said... eating 300-400 cals every 3 hours would be a good start