Calorie budgeting strategies

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thegreatcoyote
thegreatcoyote Posts: 76 Member
in Motivation and Support
What are some of the hacks/strategies you use when budgeting?

One that works well for me is working in reverse. I log the most important meal first (bedtime snack) then my social meal with family (dinner) and then whatever is left is split up for the rest of the day.

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  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,341 Member
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    Well, what works for me is:
    - breakfast doesn't vary a whole lot: it's around 300-350 calories (or none at all, or a lower calorie alternative when anticipating a big lunch/dinner)
    - lunch usually between 600-750 calories
    - dinner varies a bit more (and not always known beforehand)
    - so my evening snack varies depending on how many calories I have left after the other meals
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    I haven't counted calories in a very long time, but I'm still mindful of them. Mostly, if I'm trying to drop weight, I cut back on snacking and don't drink my calories (most of the time)
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,773 Member
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    I almost never eat breakfast, so no worries there. I plan my dinners out a week in advance, taking into account work schedule, kids after-school activities, church/Scouts, etc. Based on the calories/protein in the dinner, I select a corresponding lunch to complement from available leftover meals to try to balance calories/protein intake across the week. On days I hit the gym, the only change made is adding a protein shake, which calories are more than offset by the workout. At the end of the day, the size of my leftover calorie budget determines, what, if any, dessert I get to have. Some weeks I get to have ice cream multiple times; other weeks, I go without.

    Special occasions (birthdays, holidays) I ignore calorie restrictions, though I still try to hit my minimum protein goals for each day.

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