When and how much? Calorie:meal proportions

RunTimer

As an MFP newbie what I most dig about the site is the Food Diary. I have learned a lot about my eating habits by entering in my dailies, and I have notice a trend;


I consume the bulk of my calories at breakfast, slightly less at lunch (discounting snacks) and less than a third of my total at dinner.


So now I am wondering:

• What are your proportional caloric intake habits ?
  
• Are there better times to consume more/less based upon fitness goals? (I am trying to gain muscle weight)

Input heartily welcomed!

jacksonpt

Overwhelmingly, the most important thing is that your calorie and macro targets are tailored for your goals, and then that you hit those targets.

Secondarily are your workouts... they should also be tailored based on your goals, and you should be doing everything you can to maximize your performance/efforts in the gym (or on the track, or wherever).

Beyond that, there can be some very minor benefits to nutrient timing, but they are almost irrelevant in the bigger picture for most people.


The majority of my calories come in the evening after I get home from work. Not for any real reason other than it's more convenient for me that way, and I've found that, generally speaking, it helps me stay on track with my calorie/macro goals.

dieselbyte

Caloric intake habits will depend on personal situtation. To build muscle, one needs to be in a caloric surplus, train heavy with a focus on progressive overload, and get sufficient protein and rest. Meal timing and frequency are irrelevant in this equation - but are hugely relevant to personal performance.

If eating a meal before you train gives you more energy and allows you to push harder and lift heavier, then continue to do so for optimal performance. If eating a meal before you train makes you feel sluggish and upset, then there is no reason to eat prior to training if your performance will suffer.

Personally for me, I train at 5am in the morning fasted. I do not have the time, nor the energy or willpower to wake up any earlier and make a meal. However, in order to fuel my session, the majority of my calories and carbs are eaten at night. I find this is the most optimal intake habit for my current situation.

RunTimer

Thanks @jacksonpt and @dieselbyte.
These tips are very informative. As an early AM runner I've kept to small dinner portions, so as not to feel to full to fly. With 'load before you lift' insight I may try varying the exercise cycle rather than increase any one meal time.

Once again, thanks!

JoRocka

eat when and how it suits you so it's sustainable.
I can't do breakfast- I'm hungry the rest of the day- and I'll blow my calories.

So I do a form of IF (which I didn't even know was a thing till long after my method of eating was established)... and I eat my first 'big' meal around 1- Usually I have a preztle or two as a nibble snack along with my coffee- but I don't really eat till well- now.

Then I have a snack between 3- and 4- gym is around 445-5 PM- so a nice little something to get me through that. Then I have my big meal around 11 PM.

Francl27

I think everyone is different, but I'm a lot like you... typically I've eaten 60% of my calories by 1pm.

RunTimer

Thanks, @Franci27, nice to know where one stands.

JoRocka wrote: »

eat when and how it suits you so it's sustainable.
...So I do a form of IF (which I didn't even know was a thin..

@JoRocka, what's IF? I tried Googling it but only came up with the Rudyard Kipling poem (which, was great rereading, by the way )

esjones12

jacksonpt wrote: »

Overwhelmingly, the most important thing is that your calorie and macro targets are tailored for your goals, and then that you hit those targets.

Secondarily are your workouts... they should also be tailored based on your goals, and you should be doing everything you can to maximize your performance/efforts in the gym (or on the track, or wherever).

Beyond that, there can be some very minor benefits to nutrient timing, but they are almost irrelevant in the bigger picture for most people.

+100

For me personally I find this best suits my training efforts and lifestyle/schedule:

6am breakfast = 400-500 kcal
10:30am snack = 150 kcal
12:30pm lunch = 300-400 kcal
3pm snack = 150 kcal
6pm dinner = 500-700 kcal
8pm snack = 100 kcal (optional, amt depends on workout)

Total = 1500-2000 kcal

I train for mud runs like Spartan Races. My macro breakdown is 50% carbs, 30% fats and 20% protein. I average around 100g of protein a day. I spend 8-10 hours at the gym a week doing a mix of cardio and cardio based strength training (think HIIT, supersets, etc).

JoRocka

intermittent fasting- its' a way to describe a restricted window for eating.

I don't know why other people do it- I do it because it fits my needs and the way my life is and how I manage my hunger.

A lot of people will use like 1-8 as a window- so they don't eat anything until 1 pm- and they stop at 8 PM.

I know some people who have used 4 hour windows- but I can't do that.

edit Rudyard Kipling... that is a good poem- although I I think my favorite is the Female of the Species.

ana3067

I eat no less than 1800 calories. Ideally eating at least 1900-2000 calories for loss.

I eat ~ 1:1:1 ratio of calories. 1/3rd of my calories 3x a day. I do not do well on small dinners. I eat when I'm hungry or when I have the time. Yesterday I ate a late breakfast and an early dinner, and was not hungry again until after 11pm - that's about 7 hours after my meal.

I do need to eat at least a few hours before I workout. If I eat too soon before then I get nauseous. Too much time passes and I don't have enough energy for squats and deadlifts, which are my two heaviest lifts (although I do better on deadlifts than I do on squats despite lifting just shy of 200 for DLs, so I'm guessing it has to do with push being more tiring than pull for me).