Do you eat by the clock or by hunger?

[asim]

I just wanted to ask this question to maybe spark some debate. Also to see what everyone does and how it affects their physique.

Do you eat by the clock? As in every 2-3 hours must take something in regardless of how you feel.

Do you eat by hunger? As in just whenever you feel the need to eat.

I've stopped eating by the clock lately, I feel better, look better physically and am stronger.

Hopefully you guys will chime in on this.

 

[Kaiser]

I was always by hunger.

 

[Zuke]

I started off eating by the clock. Now my body has gotten used to it. If i don't eat something every 2 - 2.5 hrs I start to get stomach pains. So everything works out great. By feel and the by the clock happens to be the same for me.

Your body never adjusted to eating every few hours? You dont get hungry every 2hrs?

 

[marbalizer99]

I'm hungry all the time so I eat by the clock

6am
9am
11:30am
1:30pm
3:30pm
6pm
9pm

 

[donveto]

I do a combination of both. my body is so used to eating now every three hours that my hunger runs like clockwork

 

[km2000]

I eat both ways,

When I first started my bodybuilding i would eat every 2 hrs no matter what, if I ate a huge steak and pasta 2 hrs later i ate again. that lasted for a while until i started to feel like SHIT. i was so backed up and always felt sick!
now I eat 4-6 times/day in the off season plus a shake or 2, If i go out and eat at a resturant and get my grub on, I will wait until the food has properly digested and moved out of my stomach to eat again(usually 3 hrs or so)
I have a hard time putting on weight due to a fast metobalism, so i have to really watch what I eat and make sure my body is able to digest it, fast food will back me up for days! and make me feel like shit

 

[Ashop]

I just wanted to ask this question to maybe spark some debate. Also to see what everyone does and how it affects their physique.

Do you eat by the clock? As in every 2-3 hours must take something in regardless of how you feel.

Do you eat by hunger? As in just whenever you feel the need to eat.

I've stopped eating by the clock lately, I feel better, look better physically and am stronger.

Hopefully you guys will chime in on this.

9 times out of 10 I go by the clock. diet is the most critical factor in bodybuilding.

 

[gettnlarge01]

Always by the clock.I hate to feel hungry!! LOL

 

[Big Bapper]

Always by the clock. I am a gready Pig.

 

[Queefer]

You have to use common sense. If you drink a shake or eat a small meal, you probably want to eat again in 2-2.5 hours. If you eat a huge meal, you might want to wait 3 hours or so. It also depends on what kind of protein and if it's shorter or longer lasting.

 

[doug1]

I think is someone is trying to gain weight the clock would be more appropriate. I f someone is trying to lose fat then hunger would be a better gauge, but the stack and clen can really throw that off quite a bit.

 

[Mach .78]

I go by the clock because don't like feeling hungry. Hungry turns into dry mouth, bloodsugar drop,headache, mood change, ok why am feeling hungry right now? I have to go down a container of Cottage Cheese and go to bed. Good night.

 

[JETHRO TULL]

I MAKE THE BEST GAINS WHEN I EAT BY THE CLOCK...

..BUT, THAT ONLY IF I AM EATING SMART TOO. SMALLER HIGH NUTRIENT MEALS.....IF I AM A DUMBASS AND OVEREAT...STUFF IN A BUNCH OF FOOD....THEN NO....I DON'T EAT AGAIN UNTIL I AM HUNGRY. I AM STUPID AND EAT TOO MUCH SOMETIMES....AND THEN I FEEL BLOATED AND TIRED...LAZY.

THE BEST THING FOR ME IS TO EAT ENOUGH SO THAT I AM HUNGRY AGAIN IN THREE HOURS...6, 9, 12, 3, 6, 9.......PROTEIN DRINK AGAIN AT 3AM WHEN I WAKE UP TO USE THE RESTROOM.

THIS WORKS BEST FOR ME EVEN WHEN TRYING TO GROW...AND THEN OF COURSE WHEN I WANT TO RESTRICT CALORIC INTAKE AND GET LEANER.

 

[FutureFreak]

My eating is so dialed in now that I eat by the clock, yet Im still hungry for each meal. Meaning I eat every 2-3 hours throughout the day. The meals are of perfect size for proper digestion and assimilation so Im never stuffed, and ready to eat again when the time comes. I have experienced with force feeding etc... for mass and it is a ridiculous concept. The body will not turn the last bit of chewed up meat chugged with water into muscle at that point. It will most likely be wasted or stored in less favorable places. I am staying really, really lean this year and look better, feel better and overall I realize it is what's best for the body. Protein, than essential fats.....than carbs when necessary. I just think "bulking up" is a cop out for being lazy and eating like shit because "I will just cut up" in a few months. Not a good idea. Fluctuations and adding on bodyfat is pointless and has no benefit. Also, staying lean allows you to really see if a certain diet or nutrient works for your physique as well as a supplement. When fat isnt covering your body you have a clear gauge to whats happening with your system. For the competitor I feel staying lean is of great advantage and lets you get "used to" being lean year around so dieting or dialing it in for a show is cakewalk and perhaps cardio at that point can be used as a tool to increase calories and "eat up and grow" into the show. If anyone wants details of what my diet is like right now I would be happy to lay it out. Sorry for the long post, Im just excited to how lean I am right now since my last show was in july. I'm staying 3-4 weeks out all the time I think.

(Shit, sorry guys, my response got totally off-topic, I apologize for the hijack)

 

[fatsuperman]

I rarely feel hunger, when I do it is too late!

My body typically will respond with a blood sugar crash before telling me I'm hungery. This was the primary culprite for me being a skinny dude all the way until my 30's.

I now eat by the clock, I can't trust my body to tell me when it needs calories or protien.

 

[buselmo]

I also eat by the clock, but i space my meals out according to calories..
if i eat a meal with 500-600 cals in it, i'd wait around 4 hours til the next meal. but if it's 300-400 cals, i'd eat a meal 2-3 hours after it.

 

[BearStrengthWithin]

i eat whenever the hell i want too. I dont look at the clock. I used to eat every 2 hours and look at the clock that just made me feel like shit and i would be stressed if i was like half an hour too late with eating. The only difference i notice between looking at the clock and eating when i want is that i get less fat eating when i feel like it and have less stress worring i have to eat 15 minutes from now or whatever. Gains are just the same.

 

[Big Danny]

You have to do it by the clock. If not you will end up eating once or twice a day. Those bussy days , you know what I mean, when the diet is your last priority.

 

[Mach .78]

All good posts. I wanted to add that jamming food down for me doesn't always work to my advantage either. I will be looking into Liquid beef Aminos that Phil and others swear by. I got turned on to it from a member from here and another forum. I'm a 202 ecto. looking for 20 or more lbs. Just started D.C. training and I'm happy to be here. Good forum, good folks and solid advice. Thanks