Number of Meals

My surgeon's plan is for 3 meals a day with no snacks, and I'm doing that now fairly happily.  I do tend to have a piece of cheese or a SF popsicle at some point, but I'm still transitioning down from the 4 meals a day I had been eating before I was able to eat 4 ounces per solid meal.  (Although with the schedule I'm switching to in the fall, I figure I'll need to add an extra meal on Thursdays to be able to make it through the day.)  

Have any of you started off with 3 meals a day and then changed to more?  What caused you to make the decision to increase and how did it work out?  

My surgeon says 3 meals a day BUT that "some people" may need to add scheduled snacks. For me, eating smaller meals throughout the day makes more sense, so once I can eat more I plan to have 3 meals and 2-3 small snacks. Not sure how that will go but we'll see.

I have been having more from pretty much the get go.  My meals are typically about 150 - 200 calories and snacks are about 80 - 150 calories.  I would be too low on calories without my extra meals.  

My nutritionist said it isn't grazing if I plan it.  

I have to eat 5-6 small meals or meals & snacks because of blood sugar issues.  I just make sure that there is 3 hours between every "feeding" period.   Some days I do better than others 

I am only 4 weeks out so take this with a grain of salt but I have found that asking "why" my weight management program people are telling me something is absolutely critical.  They seem to devise these "one size fits all" plans but as anyone my size can attest, one size does not fit all.  It is one of the things that frustrates me about the program.  Numerous times in the last 7 months they have told me something and when I asked why and then explained my situation they have rescinded what they just said.

My guess is that if you ask why they want only 3 meals per day they will say it has to do with not wanting you to be grazing or that if you eat 4 meals you will be consuming more calories.  My further guess is that if you explain your situation they will tell you if you are cautious about eating slowly,  stopping when you feel restriction and have 4 smaller meals not 4 meals of the same calorie content of the 3 you are eating you will be fine.  Once you hear that from your program you won't be concerned about having a 4th meal. 

As I said, I'm pretty happy with my three meals a day :)  No concern here.  

I'm just curious to hear from people who did three meals a day and then had to increase.  Did that happen due to increased exercise?  Or needing more calories once maintenance was reached?  Or what?  

I tend to have 3 meals and 2 snacks. I tried three meals, but it just didn't give me enough energy through out the days that I worked out.

Do you tend to only have the snacks on days you work out?  

And, probably a weird question, what did "not having enough energy" feel like to you?  

The snacks are always on workout days (5-6 days a week, 3-4 of those days I take a spin class) and regularly on non-workout days. Also, the snacks help me hit my daily goal of 65-70g of protein. 

I feel exhausted late afternoon on my low energy days which is not appreciated by my bloodhound....who comes looking for a long walk around the same time. I'll grab a quick snack and be back in business.

Thanks!  This is super useful and I appreciate it!