So with regard to "meal spacing" this an element of the 5&1 Program that is SO important to "get right" because it deals directly with keeping our blood sugar/insulin response levels stable throughout the day. I know a lot of emphasis is put on "what" to eat, but I'd like to shift the focus for today from "what" to "when".
Let's simply ASSUME that you have the "what" nailed down, because of course this is the first element of the program that we have to pay attention to and get RIGHT. And by RIGHT I mean that if we aren't adhering to the "WHAT" aspect, then the "WHEN" doesn't matter, the program won't work. But let's assume we have the "WHAT" mastered, which is WHAT to eat (sticking to the Quick Start Guide and the expanded Condiment and Healthy Fat publication, with NO MODIFICATIONS).
NEXT we need to master the "WHEN" because both the WHAT and the WHEN contribute mightily to keeping our insulin response/blood sugar levels stable throughout the day, which promote fat burning. If our insulin response/blood sugar levels drop too LOW (waiting more than 3 hours to eat your next meal) then a whole cascade of hormones begin to be released in your body which PROMOTE FAT STORAGE AND ENERGY CONSERVATION. This is completely the opposite of what we want to happen, and you don't want your body and your hormones messing up your otherwise on-track and on-plan day, do you?
So the WHEN.
The Program recommends eating your first meal within 1 hour of waking. Not 2 hours, not 3 hours, not "I forgot to eat this morning so I'll make my first meal at noon and eat every 2 hours until bedtime".
After your first meal, space every meal after that every 2.5-3 hours beyond that first meal.
This is my schedule for today, which I worked out with a few minutes of intentional thought and pre-planning while I was eating my oatmeal (because I had the time of my first meal set).
I happened to get up at 7:30, so I had my Medifast Maple/Brown Sugar oatmeal with a cup of coffee around 8:00 am. I plan the rest of my meals as I'm eating my breakfast, because my actial breakfast varies based on the time I woke up.
So, I jotted down on a sticky-note the timing of the rest of my meals:
8:00 am - Medifast Maple/Brown Sugar Oatmeal
10:30 am - Medifast Banana Shake
1:00 pm - Lean and Green
4:00 pm - Medifast Chocolate Shake
6:30 pm - Medifast Brownie Soft Bake
9:00 pm - Medifast Orange Blend Drink
At this point, I think about my day, my errands and activities, and decide where a little advance-action may be necessary. For example, I have my Advanced Therapeutic Diets class at ASU's Downtown Campus which starts at 4:30 pm, so I usually leave around 3:15. This means that my 4:00 pm meal will need to be pre-made and taken with me.
Sometimes I make adjustments to my food log if this isn't feasible, which is where the flexibiliy comes in. I may, for example, choose to swap out the Chocolate Shake with a Ready-to-Drink Chocolate shake for ease and convenience, or choose to change it to another type of portable meal such as a bar. If I do that, I'll alter my food log and make that decision first thing, or else alter my food log before I go to bed to accurately reflect what happened that day.
Today, however, I will simply prepare my shake with lots of ice in advance and take it with me in the TSFL Shaker Jar to drink on the road.
Lastly, I'll set my cell-phone alarms today to coincide with my mealtimes. For me, the program is like my "medicine" and I don't want to miss my dose or get the timing wrong, so this is important and allows me to "forget" about it until the alarm goes off. If I'm going out for the day, I'd just take all the packets with me, or if I was having the brownie make it in advance and put it in a ziplock bag with a plastic fork or spoon.
Timing is super-important on this plan. Not only does it mediate the insulin response/blood sugar control that will keep me NOT hungry, NOT craving, clearheaded and burning FAT all day, but it will also ensure that I don't get "brain fog" in the afternoon because I've gone too long without food (or water) and leave me prone to making a decision that will not work towards my health goals.
This comes from experience. I've been "stranded" without adequate food and water enough times where plans change and a few additional errands or obligations pop onto my schedule to KNOW that it is NOT WORTH IT to NOT be prepared and intentional. I don't want to be a "slave" to the program in the way where I can't be impulsive, or turn a 2-hour "garage sale morning" into a 5 hour "garage sale morning" if I want to. SO, I can still be flexible and adjust me "out and about" schedule if I want if I have put some thought into my day, and if I have a "GO-BAG" in my car or purse at all times.
WHAT IS A "GO-BAG"?
A Go-Bag is a gallon-sized ziplock bag which has 5 portable Medifast Meals in it (bars, puffs, bites, or pretzels) at ALL times, and a couple of 500 ml bottles of water. This is in my trunk ALWAYS and I utilize it when "life happens" and it still allows me to eat ON-TIME and ON-SCHEDULE no matter what life throws at me in any given day.
Again, experience has taught me that. I want to protect my plan, protect my goals and dreams, and so you will never hear me say "well I got caught out unexpectedly for much longer than I thought I was going to be so I was starving and just HAD to get something (not on plan)." Well, I can't say NEVER, sometimes I do forget to put my GO-BAG in my trunk after replenishing it, just like I lose track of my keys some days. It isn't intentional LOL.
But the times I have been caught out and had to sacrifice my plan's "WHEN" (timing of meals or water) have been drastically reduced since putting the GO-BAG into practice.
I also drink 90 ounces of water per day, at a minimum. I have a 48 oz water bottle that I fill up in the morning at breakfast with 2 Medifast Calorie-Burn Strawberry-Lemonade Flavor infusers, and I make sure to drink half of it by 10:00 and the other half by Noon. I then fill it up with ONLY water and a bunch of ice and work on that for the rest of the afternoon. Many times I'll finish it by 4:00 because it is ALWAYS with me, and I'll fill it up yet again for a total of 144 ounces (or a little over a gallon). It's important to drink your water throughout your day also, and tomorrow I'll explain WHY you want to keep yourself hydrated throughout your day.
Rinse and Repeat!
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