Eating when not hungry, good or bad?

[WeightLossChick]

I keep hearing alot of different thoughts about not eating when your not hungry, but then again I'm also hearing that people should be eating 5 to 6 meals per day even when your not hungry to keep you from getting hungry, so my question is should I be eating a snack in the afternoon, like a piece of fruit or vegeatables, even when I'm not hungry to keep my metabolism going? Here's an example of what I eat in a day..

Breakfast: I have either a bowl of regular oatmeal with a banana or strawberries and vanilla soymilk
Lunch: I have either aveggie burger with fruit or baby carrots, a salad with chicken, veggies and lowfat dressing, or a sandwhich with Hormel Natural Choice deli meat on double fiber whole wheat bread with a fruit or veggie
Snack: Usually an apple
Dinner: Varies....Usually some sort of protein.....

 

[indigoiis]

I have been trying to consistently eat between breakfast and lunch. Usually a banana or other piece of fruit. And then, at around 2:30, making sure I have an afternoon snack (raisins, a handful of nuts, an apple.)

I am not sure it's necessary, but it's a good way to remind yourself to eat fruits and veggies or fiber, between meals.

Consistency, I hear, is more important.

 

[myspare]

5 or 6 meals a day is a cornerstone of the program that I follow (BFFM) and it works well once you get into the routine of it. To qualify as a meal it should have a good balance of protein, carbs and fat. A snack such as a piece of fruit wouldn't count.

 

[KeeseeD]

There is a huge myth that has been floating around the fitness circles that eating more meals per day speeds up your metabolism, thus, helping you lose more weight.

It doesn't.

I am a fan of multiple, smaller meals. I, myself, consume 6-7 per day. However, this is not because of some magical metabolic change that occurs due to the number of meals consumed. I eat that many mainly b/c I have to pack in so much food in order to add muscle. Too, eating multiple times per day helps with macro/micro nutrient uptake, insulin regulation, etc, etc. It has its benefits, but aiding in metabolic rate and therefore weight loss is not one of them.

If you can't squeeze in that many meals per day due to schedule, don't sweat it.

I'm really new to all this, but I just read that and it answered it for me! Unless you're interested in uptake, insulin, or muscle building, don't worry!