Biggest meal of the day?

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2

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  • decu68
    decu68 Posts: 78
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    What happens is we as society eat too much and too much at one time. For many they eat a large supper however are the least active after supper. Over time, especially as we get older when our metabolism slows down, we start to put on extra weight as our body doesn't need all of those calories for fuel so stores it as fat instead.

    I had my most success when I broke out my daily needed meals into 5 to 6 equal meals. This allowed my body to efficiently burn the fuel it need throughout the day. Nothing was being stored extra as fat and when my body needed extra fuel to perform higher energy tasks, my body effectively burned fat. This is something I am planning on going back on as I know it works. However since I had gotten away from this, typically my lunch was my largest meal.

    The reason I came to this site was for this reason, to look at my diet to see where I have some failings so that I can fix those things and go back to eating these 5-6 meals a day. I know there are probably others on here but my goal isn't to lose weight but to gain better calories and eliminate bad calories so that I can grow; become bigger and stronger.
  • craek
    craek Posts: 201 Member
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    Dinner for sure. I love all the food dinner has to offer so it is very tough for me!!!
  • Agglaki
    Agglaki Posts: 105
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    My meals get smaller as the day goes on:

    Breakfast approx 700-900 cal
    Snack 1 - Fruit
    Snack 2 - Fruit
    Lunch 300-500 cal
    Dinner 300-400cal

    Ideally I would love 6 meals a day, but given my current schedule I cant do that so I'll opt for the couple of snacks instead.
  • gingerfoxxx
    gingerfoxxx Posts: 267 Member
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    I try to make lunch the biggest because its when i need the most energy to finish my day. It doesn't always work out that way of course, but i try :D
  • hhenehan
    hhenehan Posts: 4
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    I think whatever works for you is the correct answer.

    For me, I prefer to eat a protein-packed breakfast that will last me until lunch time. Usually some egg beaters with 1/8 cup 2% cheese and either toast or oatmeal. Then I eat a light lunch and an even lighter afternoon snack. My snack helps me to not over-eat at dinner time, when I have a moderately sized meal. This is how I have eaten in the past following the Weight Watchers program. We'll see how well it works for me on MFP:ohwell:

    I think if you prefer to have your biggest meal at dinner, though, it should be an early one so you have time to burn through some of it.
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
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    From what I've read, it should be around your workout, since that is when your body needs the fuel to feed your muscles, but mine usually depends on different social activities. If I go to dinner with my girl friend, or kids, it usually becomes my biggest meal. If not, it is usually my post workout shake.
  • ImperfektAngel
    ImperfektAngel Posts: 811 Member
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    Mine are all pretty balanced with lots of snacks inbetween
  • parvati
    parvati Posts: 432 Member
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    All of your meals should be around the same...
    For me they are usually in between 300-400 calories per meal. Eating that way still allows me to have 2 sensible snacks daily as well. I eat every 2-3 hours & make sure my meals are as balanced as possible.
  • parvati
    parvati Posts: 432 Member
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    From what I've read, it should be around your workout, since that is when your body needs the fuel to feed your muscles, but mine usually depends on different social activities. If I go to dinner with my girl friend, or kids, it usually becomes my biggest meal. If not, it is usually my post workout shake.

    Directly after your workout, within 20 mins is when you need to replenish your carbs because they are depleted after your workout. Simple carbs are best, but your body turns those carbs immediately into energy so they don't stay with you. (this is the reason low carb diets are bad).

    Within an hour after your workout it is good to consume protein. (but the carbs are more important).
  • sushilicious
    sushilicious Posts: 53
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    I eat one time which is usually right after my workout. So to be a bit more descriptive, I give myself a 4 hour window each day to get my allotted nutritional goals, the rest is spent fasting. Pretty much just intermittent fasting, I guess.
  • SlowlyLosingLolita
    SlowlyLosingLolita Posts: 93 Member
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    Mine is almost always lunch. In the morning, I get sick if I eat too much so my breakfast is usually pretty light. Same with dinner. If I eat too much too soon to trying to sleep I get a really upset stomach.
  • msrjmcp
    msrjmcp Posts: 14
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    I am just wondering does it matter? I would think that as long as you have not gone over your recommended calories to achieve weight loss, why would it matter? Logically it makes sense in my mind that if you body uses fat as an energy source when there is a shortage of calories coming in then you would want have your body going to that fat during the day when you are active and have the calories that you consume used when you are less active. But of course that is just how my (il)logical mind works. I'm certainly no doctor or expert in nutrition science. lol ;D
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
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    I am just wondering does it matter? I would think that as long as you have not gone over your recommended calories to achieve weight loss, why would it matter? Logically it makes sense in my mind that if you body uses fat as an energy source when there is a shortage of calories coming in then you would want have your body going to that fat during the day when you are active and have the calories that you consume used when you are less active. But of course that is just how my (il)logical mind works. I'm certainly no doctor or expert in nutrition science. lol ;D

    For most people it doesn't matter, but we are all different, and have different reactions to different things. That's why some diets don't work for everybody. I've noticed, even the experts disagree on a lot of things relating to nutrition. Find what works for you, then do it..
  • msrjmcp
    msrjmcp Posts: 14
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    I am just wondering does it matter? I would think that as long as you have not gone over your recommended calories to achieve weight loss, why would it matter? Logically it makes sense in my mind that if you body uses fat as an energy source when there is a shortage of calories coming in then you would want have your body going to that fat during the day when you are active and have the calories that you consume used when you are less active. But of course that is just how my (il)logical mind works. I'm certainly no doctor or expert in nutrition science. lol ;D

    For most people it doesn't matter, but we are all different, and have different reactions to different things. That's why some diets don't work for everybody. I've noticed, even the experts disagree on a lot of things relating to nutrition. Find what works for you, then do it..

    Makes sense to me! I agree with you! Everyone is different and each individual needs to find what works for them!
  • lisa35120
    lisa35120 Posts: 230 Member
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    I've heard it should be breakfast, because you burn a lot more calories during the day when you're active.

    Mine is almost always dinner though. I barely eat in the morning or afternoon. If I ate a big breakfast I would have no calories left for dinner and I LOVE to cook in the evenings... so it just works out best for me this way. I always try to eat by 8 though.. I was eating at 10 or 11, pretty much right before bed, so that's an improvement for me!
  • jcl1981
    jcl1981 Posts: 60 Member
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    dinner is always my biggest but not always the most calories, i eat lots of veggies so sometime 4 cups of broccoli is loads of food and i pair it with a lean protein but i eat and equal amount for breakfast calorie wise but the food itself is smaller.
  • Eve1972
    Eve1972 Posts: 297
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    Breakfast for me. I try to keep Dinner the smallest of the three...
  • katberz
    katberz Posts: 123
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    I know the common wisdom is to keep breakfast as your biggest and work backwards but I just can't do it. I will always have a big dinner regardless of how big breakfast and lunch were. I guess it's a psychological thing so I've given up fighting it. Small breakfast, small lunch and big dinner. It's what works for me.
  • TwiFan5
    TwiFan5 Posts: 419 Member
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    I physically can't eat a big breakfast, I fill up on 3 weetbix, milk and sugar at about 7:00 - 8:30 am and that keeps me going until 12:00 - 1:00 pm where I eat a sandwich or a sandwich and fruit or chocolate then dinner at about 5:30 - 8:00 pm with snacks in between.
  • ashkaps
    ashkaps Posts: 32
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    Tend to eat 3 meals a day with 2-3 snacks of fruit/nuts in between. Seeing as I do my workout after work usually around 5-6pm my biggest meal is dinner so I can eat back some of the calories that I have burned. I don't think it really matters so long as you are not starving yourself throughout the day!

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