How do you typically break up your calorie allowance

Was wondering how people tend to split their calories over meals, I recently upped my allowance from 1500 to 1650 to allow for a snack but I've been try to go by

Breakfast =400
Lunch =400
Dinner = 700
Snack =150

I tend to find I get hungry before bed so the extra allows for that snack at night
«1

Replies

  • thiosulfate
    thiosulfate Posts: 262 Member
    Depends on what I feel like eating that day.

    Am I going to spend 800 calories on half a pizza tonight? If so, it's something like

    Meal #1: 250
    Meal #2: 250
    Meal #3: 250
    Meal #4: 800
    Snack: 150

    If I'm not trying to save up for a huge meal, it's more like

    Meal #1: 250
    Meal #2: 400
    Meal #3: 400
    Meal #4: 500
    Snack: 250
  • girl_inflames
    girl_inflames Posts: 374 Member
    Breakfast = 200 calories
    Lunch = 200 cal
    dinner = 600
    snacks = 200
    total 1200
  • Megansmith112712
    Megansmith112712 Posts: 62 Member
    Generally each meal 400 calories and snacks all together about 400n calories.

    So breakfast 400
    Snack 200
    Lunch 400
    Snack 200
    Dinner 400
  • daniip_la
    daniip_la Posts: 678 Member
    Unless I'm reserving calories for a meal out, I tend to eat half my daily calories before dinner (breakfast, lunch, maybe a snack) and the other half for dinner, dessert, and a nighttime snack.
  • shrcpr
    shrcpr Posts: 885 Member
    300 x 5 is my preference.
  • chimaerandi
    chimaerandi Posts: 153 Member
    I eat like a snake, my wife always teases, so it's:

    No breakfast
    very small lunch (200-350 c)
    huge dinner (800-1,200c)
    snack (200 c about)

    I DOUBT this would be ideal for most people, but it works for me.
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
    I eat like a snake, my wife always teases, so it's:

    No breakfast
    very small lunch (200-350 c)
    huge dinner (800-1,200c)
    snack (200 c about)

    I DOUBT this would be ideal for most people, but it works for me.

    This is me!
  • blackaheep4288
    blackaheep4288 Posts: 41 Member
    I personally eat all day. It usually is something like this:

    Snack 100
    Snack 100
    Meal 300
    Snack 100
    Meal 400
    Snack 100
    Snack 100
    Meal 800


    2000 total calories is what I aim for. I try to prepare everything in the morning and have it all set aside ready to be eaten so I'm not digging through fridge.



  • lindalee0315
    lindalee0315 Posts: 527 Member
    My biggest meal tends to be breakfast, but that's a new habit--my coach has drilled it into me. 430 calories for breakfast, then 4 meals throughout the day, average tends to be about 250-300 calories. I just got a bump in macros, though, so now I've got to eat more. I will be at nearly 2000 calories a day for the first time in my adult life. I do tend to plan ahead, though. If I know I'm eating out, I look at the menu in advance figure out what the macros are going to be, and then plan the rest of my day around that special meal. It's not ideal in terms of muscle building, but it's also not the worst thing you can do either!
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    I only eat within an 8 to 10 hour window, usually 8. I wake up by 5 am, but never eat my first meal until around 9 or 10 after I've had a cup of black coffee, exercised, showered, and have gotten ready for the day. My calorie breakdown varies but it's usually:
    • Meal 1: 600 to 900 calories
    • Meal 2: 200 to 500 calories
    • Meal 3: 100 to 200 calories or skipped completely
    • Meal 4: 300 to 600 calories
    • Meal 5: 300 to 500 calories

    Everything changes based on how big the prior meal was, but I'm 5'3", 109 pounds, and I eat 1700 to 1900 calories per day on average. I'm trying to maintain but I'm still losing weight, so I've been trying to hit 1900 minimum every day this week which still leaves me with a 250+ daily deficit but I really can't fit in any more food so I have to adjust a bit more.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    breakfast: 100
    lunch: 250
    snack: 50-100
    Dinner: 800-ish
  • dlkfox
    dlkfox Posts: 463 Member
    I'm on 1200 calories a day. I eat the majority of my calories after 5pm. Exercise calories will add on to Dinner.

    Breakfast 150
    Lunch 300
    Snack 150
    Dinner 400
    Evening Snack 200
  • teetertatertango
    teetertatertango Posts: 229 Member
    Breakfast 400
    Lunch 400
    PM Snack - sometimes
    Dinner - whatever I have left
  • STEVE142142
    STEVE142142 Posts: 867 Member

    I'm still losing weight but very slowly somewhere in between half a pound a week and maintenance . These are the values mfp gives me based on my current weight.

    Maintenance approximately 2,500 calories
    Lose 1/2 pound a week approximately 2250 calories

    Breakfast. 400-500
    Lunch. 400-600
    Dinner. 400-600
    Snacks all thru the day is the rest of the balance

    The weird part is when I first started my lifestyle change I thought I would die on 1800 calories a day but now it's like 2500 I'm not even motivated to eat that much sometimes exciting how your life changes
  • justinlrhodes989
    justinlrhodes989 Posts: 7 Member
    Lunch: 900ish
    Dinner: 1000ish
    I eat both meals in about a 5 hour window.
  • st476
    st476 Posts: 357 Member
    I eat 1200-1300 calories a day.
    Typically it's around 250-300 for breakfast, 500 for dinner, 200 for dinner, and 200-300 for snacks.
  • saires_au
    saires_au Posts: 175 Member
    edited June 2016
    Depends on the day but
    Breakfast 250
    Lunch 400-500
    Dinner 400-600
    Snacks 200-400
    I have my snacks when I'm hungry
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Breakfast-300
    Lunch-300
    Snack-300
    Dinner-300
    Dessert 1-200
    Dessert 2-200

    Or something similar. I'm weird.
  • ObsidianMist
    ObsidianMist Posts: 519 Member
    I try not to go over 300 calories for breakfast, use just under half of what's left after that for lunch and save the rest for dinner. then if dinner ends up being something lower in calories I'll have however much dessert I can fit in with however many calories are left.
  • ejb499
    ejb499 Posts: 53 Member
    2000 calories per day

    Breakfast: 350-400
    Lunch: 300-400
    Dinner: 800-1000
    Snacks: 200-400
  • adoette
    adoette Posts: 181 Member
    The only time I ever bother with timing my calories is on a work day.

    Meal 1- 600 ish
    Early snack: 150
    Late snack: 150
    Meal 2-3 even split of leftovers or one is skippped.

    I often end the day with a bit leftover and I like to use it for a pat on the back well done for not murdering anyone snack. Which is usually peanut butter on bread. Yum
  • toe1226
    toe1226 Posts: 249 Member
    breakfast 400
    snack 250
    snack 250
    dinner 600
    snack 250
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    Meal 1 300-400
    Meal 2 400-600
    Snacks, etc 400+
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Lately it's been something like this:
    Breakfast: 400
    Lunch: 500
    Snack: 200
    Dinner: 1200
    Dessert: 400
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    Morning Coffee - sometimes black, sometimes 30 calories

    Meal 1 (mid-day) - 500ish

    Meal 2 (evening) - 750ish
  • WJS_jeepster
    WJS_jeepster Posts: 224 Member
    laur357 wrote: »
    Morning Coffee - sometimes black, sometimes 30 calories

    Meal 1 (mid-day) - 500ish

    Meal 2 (evening) - 750ish

    almost exactly what I do! I try to push lunch to 1:00 pm or so and then dinner around 6:00. If I have some exercise calories to eat back, I try to have around 900-1000 for dinner.
  • biggsterjackster
    biggsterjackster Posts: 419 Member
    Breakfast 200
    Lunch 800
    Afternoon snack 200
    Dinner none
  • jorae08
    jorae08 Posts: 13 Member
    Breakfast: 300
    Snack: 200
    Lunch: 400
    Snack: 100
    Dinner:400-600 *depending on my activity for the day, more activity makes me hunnnnnnngry!*

    My goal is about 1400cal/day