In an Instagram post, I mentioned that I eat two meals a day. So many people were surprised, and I realized from the questions I received that there’s a lot of confusion about this. It’s one of my favorite topics, so here I’ll explain.

How many meals should we eat?

A few years ago, if someone had told me I could have breakfast at 12 noon, I would have laughed. It seemed too far-fetched to be true.

A few years ago, on my way to the hospital for a general check-up, I realized I wasn’t hungry, but I didn’t believe it. Normally, for me, the time it takes to go somewhere on an empty stomach, park the car, and give blood was a disaster. My hands would tremble uncontrollably due to hypoglycemia, and I’d be furious. I’d calculate the time it would take to park the car and try to wake up as close to giving blood as possible. Even that one hour in between would be unbearable for me. I was someone who couldn’t tolerate morning hunger to that extent. Three years ago, again on my way to giving blood, I had put on my war paint and left the house… I arrived at the hospital, parked the car, spoke with the doctor, gave blood, and I could still laugh and talk like normal people; I was completely normal. “I must be sick,” I said, because it was extremely unusual for me.

That day, I was very surprised by my condition, but for a while longer, I continued to rush to my breakfast, which I had prepared the night before, as soon as I woke up. During that time, I was frequently researching intermittent fasting. While thinking, “It’s impossible for me to do this,” one day I felt like trying it. “If I can’t do it, I’ll have breakfast whenever I want, what’s the big deal?” I thought. The first day I tried it, I was very surprised again. I managed to go without breakfast until 11. I tried this for 2-3 days and realized that I really didn’t wake up hungry, and my blood sugar didn’t drop anymore. For so many years I had been having breakfast as soon as I woke up that I was on autopilot. I hadn’t even bothered to check what my body was feeling, whether it really wanted to eat or not. But my body has changed over the years, and I haven’t noticed.

Sometimes we eat without thinking, as if it’s a chore, simply because it’s time to eat. However, the truth is: just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, everyone’s body needs and habits are different. Two main meals might be good for one person, while for another, small, frequent meals are better. Even within a person, no two days are the same. One day two main meals are enough, the next day even three aren’t. Season, psychology, stress, the satiety time of what we eat – all play a role. For example, three years ago I ate five meals a day, now I eat two, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be able to continue like that in two years. Listening to our bodies and shaping our diet according to their needs is the best approach.

There are many dietary trends, with different information everywhere. Some say “one-meal-a-day eating is good,” some recommend 16 hours of fasting, some say “eat every 8 hours,” and others recommend three main meals and three snacks. Classifying billions of people with unique fingerprints into just 5-6 dietary trends is neither easy nor understandable. Everyone’s life, working hours, rest times, and habits are different. My request to you is to listen to your body. Notice how much food makes you feel full and when you get hungry. When you realize this, you will decipher the code your body has written specifically for you, and life will be much easier and freer afterward.

Right now, when I wake up, I realize I’m not hungry. I drink my only filter coffee of the day when I wake up, and I can comfortably work until 11:30-12:00 with just water, sometimes vegetable juice. This works very well for me. Around 12, I have a solid breakfast and lunch combination, around 16:00 a.m. a fruit snack, and then I zip my lips shut. For many years, I’ve eaten my dinner around 18:30-19:00. I like to fall asleep with my stomach rumbling or that feeling of lightness. I used to get hungry around 9 PM when my hypoglycemia was very active. At that time, I would eat a bowl of yogurt, but now I don’t even get hungry at that time anymore. Believe me, my body gets used to it. In this way, my insulin resistance has been eliminated, and my hypoglycemia has completely disappeared.

Of course, this routine changes on weekends. I don’t restrict myself from social life by saying, “I’m going to do this!”, but I know my body’s needs and limits. I have weekend breakfasts with my spouse and family, even if I’m not really hungry. On these days, the number of meals can even increase to three, but as long as it’s balanced, I don’t mind it. I just enjoy it.

The human body and mood are very changeable. They don’t even match from day to day or hour to hour, let alone fit into a dietary pattern… It’s impossible…

Therefore, without stressing ourselves out, without saying, “I need to eat at these times” or “I need to go without food for this many hours,” if we first listen to the signals from our bodies and understand what they are trying to tell us—in other words, if we practice “mindful eating”—then happiness in nutrition will be ours…

Nutrition should not be about obligations, but about areas of freedom where we can enjoy ourselves.