Is it better to eat most of my calories earlier in the day?

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Leanbean65
Leanbean65 Posts: 176 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I find that by dinner I'm starving, would it be helpful to eat more calories earlier? I'm eating around 1300-1500 total per day depending on if I'm exercising or not.

I try to leave around 500 for dinner, mostly because I feel like I'm too close to my limit if I don't, and have no "wiggle room" to eat enough to be satisfied.

I'm busy at work all day so I'm OK not eating too much but by the time dinner rolls around I'm really hungry.

I'm just worried that leaving less room to eat in the evening will not give me enough calories to be full. My pattern has been to snack in the evening after dinner and I'm trying to eat a substantial dinner to off set that tendency.

Does this make any sense?
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Replies

  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    timing of your meals really doesn't matter.

    I personally eat about 750-1000 calories per night within a couple hours of going to bed.

    What matters is
    1) how many calories you eat versus how many you burn.
    2) making sure you are getting decent nutrition with your food choices.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,068 Member
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    for some its easier, for some its harder. just do what you need to to keep in a calorie deficit.

    i personally dont eat until after noon most days since i like having large dinners
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    I will, however, caution that if you are starving at dinner time, then you are pretty likely to overeat and make bad choices. This is a mental thing, though.

    Physiologically, there is no reason why you can't even save ALL your calories and eat them IN BED as you try to go to sleep - doesn't matter.
  • DerekVTX
    DerekVTX Posts: 287 Member
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    for some its easier, for some its harder. just do what you need to to keep in a calorie deficit.

    i personally dont eat until after noon most days since i like having large dinners

    Like BigT I eat very lean throughout the day and have a good dinner and even room for snacks at night. Its much easier for me to go witout food earlier in the day than at night.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
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    Maybe its not about eating more calories earlier, but about what you are actually eating. Are you eating fiber rich and high protein foods that keep you full?
  • remieres93
    remieres93 Posts: 45
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    As long as you're within your calorie range, i don't think it really matters. for me personally, if i can, i like to spread out my calories heavily throughout the day-- i heard eating smaller proportions 6-8 times a day builds up your metabolism versus eating a lot of calories in one sitting.
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
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    I save most of my calories for the night hours, and it works great for me.
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
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    As long as you're within your calorie range, i don't think it really matters. for me personally, if i can, i like to spread out my calories heavily throughout the day-- i heard eating smaller proportions 6-8 times a day builds up your metabolism versus eating a lot of calories in one sitting.

    Your metabolism is constantly running, so meal frequency does not matter.
  • Remo_Williams
    Remo_Williams Posts: 73
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    As everyone else said, calories in calories out, don't worry about timing. However, I would look at what you are eating and make sure that you are picking foods that are filling. Protein sources & vegetables will take you a long way. Eat sugar and you'll be having cravings in no time.
  • eggomylegos
    eggomylegos Posts: 146 Member
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    timing of your meals really doesn't matter.

    I personally eat about 750-1000 calories per night within a couple hours of going to bed.

    What matters is
    1) how many calories you eat versus how many you burn.
    2) making sure you are getting decent nutrition with your food choices.

    This.

    Same here. I don't have time to eat much during working hours and prefer to stuff my face at dinner anyway.
  • focusedonfitness2015
    focusedonfitness2015 Posts: 240 Member
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    Not sure what kind of job you have but I would recommend snacks during the day so you aren't so hungry at night. I'm like clockwork....almonds at 10, jerky at 2, snack when I get home at 5, gym then lean and healthy dinner afterwards. The snacks keep me from eating the kitchen or hitting fast food on the way home from work. Good luck!
  • swilkinson0705
    swilkinson0705 Posts: 40 Member
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    I find preloading what I plan to eat for the day very helpful so I know I won't go over. So maybe list what you think you will have for dinner first and work your way backwards to breakfast since you don't mind not eating much during the day.
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
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    I find that by dinner I'm starving, would it be helpful to eat more calories earlier? I'm eating around 1300-1500 total per day depending on if I'm exercising or not.

    I try to leave around 500 for dinner, mostly because I feel like I'm too close to my limit if I don't, and have no "wiggle room" to eat enough to be satisfied.

    Meal timing doesn't matter, but if you're starving by the time dinner comes and you don't want to eat more, you might need to add more protein and fat to your breakfast and/or lunch. Protein and fat are what keep us satiated. I'd try switching what you eat for breakfast and lunch to try to keep you satiated rather than eating more during the day. I also usually keep a light snack for the afternoon to keep my satiated until dinner, but that's just because I'm not as good at getting protein for lunch as I am at getting it for breakfast.
  • alexuh
    alexuh Posts: 108 Member
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    I have most of my calories by 1pm. It's just what I prefer and what works for me. I luhhhh my food in the mornings. :blushing:
  • jseeke
    jseeke Posts: 11 Member
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    I work out in the morning and I usually eat the majority of my calories before dinner. Breakfast is my biggest meal, then lunch then dinner. I rarely eat after 7PM and for me it makes all the difference. I have done a lot of reading on this and when you are sleeping your metabolism slows down, so your body is not breaking down and digesting the food as quickly as it can.
    I find that if I eat after 7pm my sleep suffers and I do not rest well.
    I think it is all individual preference as well. It just takes time to figure out what works best for your body.
  • Surly71
    Surly71 Posts: 8 Member
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    Some sensible stuff on here.

    For me I gave up breakfast months ago and never looked back.
    Here's my typical day
    -Get up
    -Cup of tea - Glucosomine tablet for knee + vitamin tablet
    -8 mile bike ride to work whilst sipping from a 1 litre bottle with BCAA's in
    -arrive at work then shower
    -I sip on the rest of the bottle throughout the morning, then refill it for the afternoon with more BCAA's
    -Dinner time, its usually a banana or a porridge hot pot
    -work all afternoon then 8 mile ride home finishing off the water with BCAA's
    -have a cholesterol yoghurt as soon as I get in, then shower
    -Meal time is then a protein rich meal, such as Quorn with mixed veg in a tomato and garlic sauce with some chillis
    -Then maybe a ham salad sandwich before bed
    -throughout the evening my pudding of choice is Mr Freeze ice poles ...lovely and refreshing
    -Then bed

    Its the keeping busy and drinking coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon which keeps my mind off food.
    25lb lost so far
    It won't work for everyone - but its working for me.
  • remieres93
    remieres93 Posts: 45
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    As long as you're within your calorie range, i don't think it really matters. for me personally, if i can, i like to spread out my calories heavily throughout the day-- i heard eating smaller proportions 6-8 times a day builds up your metabolism versus eating a lot of calories in one sitting.

    Your metabolism is constantly running, so meal frequency does not matter.

    Well thank you, thats good to know, because like you i usually eat most of my calories at night, BUT i like to do what I mentioned above if and when I can.
  • Remo_Williams
    Remo_Williams Posts: 73
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    Some sensible stuff on here.

    For me I gave up breakfast months ago and never looked back.
    Here's my typical day
    -Get up
    -Cup of tea - Glucosomine tablet for knee + vitamin tablet

    Depending on what you are trying to get out of your vitamin, spend some time checking whether it would be better to take it with food or not. Bioavailability can vary.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    I believe it's a matter of preference. I like the traditional breakfast/lunch/dinner set up. I really don't understand how people can go without breakfast. I'm not human till I've had my honey cheerios. I usually try to get my carbs in earlier in the day. But that has more to do with having the fuel to be active during the day than any real weight loss concerns.
  • Leanbean65
    Leanbean65 Posts: 176 Member
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    I should probably be eating more protein. Breakfast is usually a boiled egg, Ezechiel toast and berries, lunch is a big veggie salad and protein ( usually chicken), I eat some kind of fruit for a dessert then I eat a Kellogs Vector bar for a snack around 3 pm, but I think it is too high in sugar and not enough protein. But I love it, it gives me my chocolate fix :)

    Dinner is some kind of meat ( chicken or beef) a starch like sweet potato and more veggies. My evening snack is usually a small piece of chocolate or a handful of jujubes.

    As I'm writing this I'm seeing too much sugar, sigh......

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