What should be the biggest meal of the day?
jade097
Posts: 9 Member
Bigger breakfast and lunch or a big dinner?
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Replies
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My lunches and dinners are pretty close. Play around and see what works best for you. When do you notice you're most hungry?0
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Whatever works best for you. Mine is usually dinner.5
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Technically, dinner is always the biggest meal of the day, whether it's eaten at either midday or evening. That's why you can have a big "Sunday dinner" right after church, and then a light "supper" in the evening. LOL, language nerd, that's me.
I prefer to have my biggest meal in the evening. But there's no hard and fast official rule about what "should" be the biggest meal. Whatever works for you.4 -
My biggest meal is usually in the middle of the day. For many people, breakfast is small or non-existent due to early morning rush, but this is not a good habit.0
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Whatever works best for your hunger and lifestyle. Mine tends to be breakfast or my bedtime snacks.1
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My biggest meal is usually in the middle of the day. For many people, breakfast is small or non-existent due to early morning rush, but this is not a good habit.
Meal timing has no impact on weight loss, and many people don't eat in the morning because it either makes them ill or they tend to eat more throughout the day.2 -
It depends on how many calories I have left at dinner time. I adjust accordingly (sometimes dinner can be pretty meager).2
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I like to have a bigger dinner or snack in the evening so I save a lot of calories for that because when I'm relaxing at home I want to snack and feel full. If that weren't true I'd likely eat a bigger lunch and smaller dinner so that I'm not full when I go to bed for digestion reasons.2
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It doesn't matter. I usually have a glass of soy milk in the morning when I'm in a rush, then a good-sized snack mid morning as well as an afternoon snack. If I have a couple of snacks during the day, I avoid hunger and cravings. And eating a light breakfast has had absolutely zero impact on my weight loss success.1
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It doesn't matter. For me I save most if not all of my calories for dinner and dessert/late night snacks. Works for me.2
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Alluminati wrote: »
Not sure which bit you're questioning but:
1) It has been suggested that breakfast should be a significant meal because it comes after the longest period of fasting (not eating) in each day. Many people seem not to have the time for it.
2) Most of my life has been Breakfast, Dinner, Supper, rather than Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Just the way it worked out for me, and I wouldn't change it now. I've also heard its not good to eat a very heavy meal just before going to bed. Some set a 7:00pm limit, some say 9:00pm. (Some are now starting to cook dinner at that time and eating at 10:00pm or later!!)0 -
Alluminati wrote: »
Not sure which bit you're questioning but:
1) It has been suggested that breakfast should be a significant meal because it comes after the longest period of fasting (not eating) in each day. Many people seem not to have the time for it.
2) Most of my life has been Breakfast, Dinner, Supper, rather than Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Just the way it worked out for me, and I wouldn't change it now. I've also heard its not good to eat a very heavy meal just before going to bed. Some set a 7:00pm limit, some say 9:00pm. (Some are now starting to cook dinner at that time and eating at 10:00pm or later!!)
There are people who fast for 16-20 hours and only eat in the afternoon/evening. It's still personal preference. As for eating heavy late, as long as it doesn't cause any issues while sleeping (such as GERD), that also isn't a problem. I rarely eat dinner before 7, and sometimes as late as 9:45-10.2 -
Alluminati wrote: »
Not sure which bit you're questioning but:
1) It has been suggested that breakfast should be a significant meal because it comes after the longest period of fasting (not eating) in each day. Many people seem not to have the time for it.
2) Most of my life has been Breakfast, Dinner, Supper, rather than Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Just the way it worked out for me, and I wouldn't change it now. I've also heard its not good to eat a very heavy meal just before going to bed. Some set a 7:00pm limit, some say 9:00pm. (Some are now starting to cook dinner at that time and eating at 10:00pm or later!!)
There are people who fast for 16-20 hours and only eat in the afternoon/evening. It's still personal preference. As for eating heavy late, as long as it doesn't cause any issues while sleeping (such as GERD), that also isn't a problem. I rarely eat dinner before 7, and sometimes as late as 9:45-10.
This. So much this. Meal timing has nothing to do with weight loss; meal timing is only relevant as it impacts adherence. If you find you do better sticking to your calorie goal with a big breakfast and smaller meals later in the day, do that. I'm the opposite, and my biggest meal is late in the day, usually around 8:30 or 9.
The leangains website is a good resource if you would like to learn more about people who load their calories into the later part of the day/evening. www.leangains.com/2011/06/is-late-night-eating-better-for-fat.html2 -
All of them
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I log the most calories to snacks.1
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My biggest meal is usually in the middle of the day. For many people, breakfast is small or non-existent due to early morning rush, but this is not a good habit.
My nearly 90 lb weight loss with almost no early morning meals, and normally only two daily meals, disagrees with your opinion. My body doesn't know what 'meal' I may or may not be eating.
And to the OP, like many others have said, you just need to figure out what works best for you.1 -
I save the majority of my calories for dinner and dessert. I'm always done with eating for the day by 6pm, because i don't really eat during the day I get hungry early, plus I'm usually in bed by 7-7:30 to read or watch tv in my bedroom.1
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depends. if i can't help myself and eat most of my calories for breakfast, i cook something very low in calories for dinner. if i'm having a light breakfast, i cook something with more calories for dinner.it changes everyday depending on my hunger .0
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It depends. Do what's working best for you. Doesn't matter. I eat half my calories for dinner. I too think the biggest meal is your "dinner"; timing and what you call it is not relevant.0
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Whatever works for you. For me, it's lunch.1
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I make sure that my meal with the highest amount of carbs ends up being post workout, and usually it ends up being the largest overall meal as well.
It's something I adopted when I was cutting and following intermittent fasting.1 -
The answers totally subjective some like a massive breakfast some like no breakfast at all (me). Personally I like my biggest meal to be my last meal for the simiple fact that it puts me in a relaxed mood and I enjoy eating big meals when I know I don't need to be up and about. *There are days when circumstances alter this scenario but this is my preference.3
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Do you guys think it would be more significant to body composition if you're at a significant surplus?0
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dissentingdude wrote: »Do you guys think it would be more significant to body composition if you're at a significant surplus?
Significant as in effective? Yes for sure. Why wouldn't you.0 -
Alluminati wrote: »
Not sure which bit you're questioning but:
1) It has been suggested that breakfast should be a significant meal because it comes after the longest period of fasting (not eating) in each day. Many people seem not to have the time for it.
2) Most of my life has been Breakfast, Dinner, Supper, rather than Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Just the way it worked out for me, and I wouldn't change it now. I've also heard its not good to eat a very heavy meal just before going to bed. Some set a 7:00pm limit, some say 9:00pm. (Some are now starting to cook dinner at that time and eating at 10:00pm or later!!)
1. I skip breakfast because I don't like it. I eat a large meal for dinner with dessert as late as 10pm and have lost 50 lbs this way.
2. That's your own personal preference and I'm glad it works for you but its not so for everyone.
You should do your own research before believing everything you hear .3 -
It's all a matter of preference. For me, it also depends on what I'm doing that day. If I'm partying with family, the biggest meal is whatever time we're eating that day.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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BarbellzNBrotein wrote: »dissentingdude wrote: »Do you guys think it would be more significant to body composition if you're at a significant surplus?
Significant as in effective? Yes for sure. Why wouldn't you.
I meant more as in putting on fat since you'd be loading up with the most calories right before not doing anything for 8 or so hours.0
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