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Why I Eat 4-5 Meals a Day, Not Just 3

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Clemson chapter.

As part of my commitment to eating and living healthier, I’ve started eating 4-5 meals a day. Just to be clear, I’m not stuffing my face all day. They’re smaller meals and have lots of veggies and protein. But I’ve noticed great changes in my body and how I feel, and it’s definitely a habit I want to keep up!

The first thing I noticed is that I’m not hungry as often through the day. I eat every 2-3 hours in the day, and I’m usually up for 12-14 hours. So I stay comfortably full for the whole time I’m awake. I also don’t snack as much because of that, which keeps me away from tempting junk food, like chips or soda.

I also noticed that I started drinking more water, which kind of surprised me. I stopped ordering sugary drinks with my food. And if I start feeling a little hungry in between meals, I just sip water for a while and I’m usually okay. I also started drinking a cup of water 15-30 minutes before meals, so I could feel fuller when it was time to eat and get used to smaller portions. But drinking more water has had lots of other health benefits, including clearer skin and fewer headaches through the day! Definitely a plus.

And finally, I dropped almost two pounds within the first a few days. Two. Pounds. Part of that was losing the water I retained from all the salty junk food. And the other part was just eating better, higher quality foods, a lot of which can help boost your metabolism. Whatever the reason, watching that number on the scale drop felt so good!

These were just the immediate effects of eating more meals with smaller portions. There are also a bunch of lifestyle changes that came along with it, like exercising more, eating healthier foods, and just generally taking better care of myself. But with these results, this is definitely a habit I want to keep up!

I'm an Honors Biological Sciences major here at Clemson University. I love science, theater, poetry, and music and am incredibly passionate about world events, especially what's going on in the Middle East. I love meeting new people, trying new things (especially food), and sharing new experiences with the people I love!
Caitlin Barkley is currently a senior at Clemson University pursuing a degree in both Biology and Psychology. In 2016-2017, she served as the Campus Correspondent and Editor-in-Chief for Her Campus Clemson after joining her freshman year. She is also an ambassador with the Calhoun Honors College, a teacher with Clemson Dancers, and a member of Tiger Strut Dance Company. Caitlin is a colonizing member of the South Carolina Beta Chapter of Pi Beta Phi, and she serves as the current Chapter President. A few of her favorite things include coffee, her Clemson ring, and fuzzy blankets! Follow her on Instagram @c_barkley19