I know most of you are trying to eat intuitively, according to appetite by deciding when, what and how much to eat. This is a must-have skill to enjoy a positive relationship with food. Another important factor is your style and frequency of eating. Are you a nibbler, nosher, grazer, night snacker, 1 meal-a-dayer, or someone who eats by the clock? Do you eat when your tummy rumbles or hold out until a planned mealtime?

The question of when and how often to eat—our eating frequency footprint, if you will—is something to consider as you move toward becoming a “normal” eater. If you’re to deepen your connection with your appetite, it’s vital to get a sense of when you’re hungry, how long you usually wait to eat between meals (or food interactions such as a piece of fruit, protein bar, or handful of nuts). We each have an eating frequency footprint, another word for habit.

I’ll tell you mine, which I am not saying is the right way to eat. On the contrary, the timing of my eating has evolved over decades, shaped mostly by my childhood when my family ate meals by the clock, my current client schedule, my food sensitivities, and the fact that I’m a habit-driven person. On client days, I pretty much eat at 9a,12p, 3p, 6p and between 8 and 10p while watching TV or reading. 

If I’m hungry between these times, as sometimes happens, I grab a small snack so I’ll be up to eat at mealtimes. My mostly vegan husband consumes two large meals a day, so on client days, we don’t eat together. On weekends, my eating schedule is flexible depending on what I’m doing and on vacation I enjoy eating whenever I feel like it.

Okay, that’s me. Now, how ‘bout you? How often do you like to eat? Between what hours? Experts offer various theories about when and what to eat and it’s useful to know what scientific research says is best for us. But it’s more critical for you listen to when your body wants food so you’ll be ready to enjoy it. 

Make everything in your life disappear for a moment except for your preferred feeding schedule. Fill in this sentence: “If I had my druthers, I’d eat at these times . . .” Consider why you’re choosing these specific times and, for now, don’t worry about what to eat. If you have kids or others to feed, factor them into the equation as well. Now figure out, as best you can, how to balance your own preferences for eating times with others’ food needs and set a plan to eat a meal or snack then as often as possible. If things change in your life, you may have to re-calibrate meal and snack times, but the one constantwill be knowing from experience when your body and mind are happiest eating.

Best,

Karen