saving calories for supper

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samanthabrandon
samanthabrandon Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok according to MFP. my calorie intake is 1200 a day...Is ok to save the majority of those claories for dinner time or am I sabotage myself scence I do little activaty when I get home from work?

Replies

  • PinUpMommy
    PinUpMommy Posts: 94
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    You may want to think about upping your calories a little bit. 1200 is the bare minimum a human should eat, and each persons needs are different. That being said, you should do your best to stretch your calories out during the day, not saving them for one meal.
  • TeacherAnge
    TeacherAnge Posts: 20 Member
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    I make sure to exercise in part to get more calories for the day. MFP gives me 1200 too, but with a workout I am usually allowed closer to 1600 - 1800 which is way more doable over the course of a day :)
  • husker_gal
    husker_gal Posts: 462 Member
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    I am allowed 1500 per day but I eat between 1200-1600 per day. I don't intentionally do so but usually I end up saving most of mine til the end of the day. I do eat through out the day to keep my blood sugar and metabolism up but it's mainly lower calorie foods or I work out before I eat supper so that I can eat more and eat richer foods :happy:
  • pittsblue99
    pittsblue99 Posts: 277 Member
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    It is difficult to do but you are actually supposed to eat the majority of your calories for breakfast so your body has enough energy to make it through the day.
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
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    I tend to eat more calories for dinner than my other meals, even before exercise calories (those usually become my snack(s)).

    I was doing 1200 calories a day, which I quit because it was making me insane, I can't function that low honestly. I'm MUCH happier now at 1400 calories before exercise.

    I ate about 300 for breakfast, 350 for lunch and then 550 for dinner. It was just a bear. Now I do about the same for breakfast and lunch but eat about 700 calories for dinner and I'm much happier plus my body knows I'm regularly eating and my blood sugar is more stable (important even if you're not a diabetic, which I am not). Then my exercise calories allow me a snack or protein shake of about 250 extra.

    It's important to eat back your exercise calories (at least some of them so you NET 1200 calories a day).
  • debbiequack
    debbiequack Posts: 275 Member
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    I think that stretching them out, is best, in general. Every once in awhile if I'm going out to eat or doing something special, however, I eat less early in the day so I can enjoy myself more later.

    Best,

    Debbie
  • bjohs
    bjohs Posts: 1,225 Member
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    Everyone is different, but I will share my meal plan which resulted in shedding the most weight:

    Breakfast = 450-500 cals
    Morning snack = 150 cals or under
    Lunch = 300-350 cals
    Afternoon snack = 150 cals or under
    Dinner = 250-300 cals
    Evening snack = 150 cals or under
    Minimum of 8 cups of water every day.

    Good luck to you!
  • schaney24
    schaney24 Posts: 11
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    I used to think that way, but no....it's not correct. Your biggest meal should be breakfast. Lunch should be smaller than breakfast, and dinner should be the smallest meal you eat a day. Something like 450, 350, 400. Or some variation of that. Dinner shouldn't typically be over 450 calories! I used to only try to eat a 180 calorie breakfast, but they you are hungry throughout the day and want a big dinner. Your body has all day to process breakfast, but little time to process dinner (usually workouts are over by then and you want to relax). Different mindset, but better for body.
  • lukeybum
    lukeybum Posts: 3
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    Definitley not going to sabotage you, but spacing your meals out not only helps with blood sugar levels, mood, and energy but gets your body's metabolism trained and leveled which is a HUGE part of losing weight. If you eat small meals through out the day your metabolism is constantly working. Which inturn burns more calories all day long. I am guilty of saving majority of calories for evening if I have something planned but you'll have better results all around if you try to eat around the same times (snacks and meals) through out the day.
  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
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    I have 1200 or so a day to eat and my meals and snacks are about 200 to 300 cals and dinner is about 300 to 600 calories. I adjust each day and know what i am going to eat before hand to be able to eat throughout he day. if i eat over then i have to workout more to make up the difference. you should try to eat more meals throughout the day instead of a massive meal once a day.
  • SarahLovesCheesecake
    SarahLovesCheesecake Posts: 520
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    It is difficult to do but you are actually supposed to eat the majority of your calories for breakfast so your body has enough energy to make it through the day.

    BS !!!!!!
  • taurie
    taurie Posts: 225 Member
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    I'm on 1,200 also... but I always end up around 1,300 sometimes more, so I end up eating a portion of my exercise calories. On a good day I'll have:
    breakfast - 280
    lunch - 280
    snacks - fruit, coffee w/ milk, or tea w/ milk up to 100
    dinner - 400 to 500
    wine - 65
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Dinner is almost always my biggest/highest calorie meal.
  • Mollfie
    Mollfie Posts: 8
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    1200 seems pretty low if you're exercising as well!

    I'd suggest you eat a large breakfast, medium lunch and small dinner, personally. Because you're using most of your energy throughout the day and less in the evenings, especially as you'll then go to bed after a while. It's what I've been told lots and lots. Or another way that was suggested to me by a friend who is a fitness instructor is to try and eat lots of little meals about the same size throughout the day, that's what he does and it works well for him.

    However, I tend to have lunch as my larger meal because that fits in better with my routine. It all depends on your lifestyle really.
  • chiyuu
    chiyuu Posts: 13
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    Dinner is my favorite meal of the day and I usually save most of my calories for it. But just like everybody said, it important to eat throughout the day. At least, just to avoid binging!
  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
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    You really can't save calories thru the day by not eating Breakfast and Lunch. You can keep the calories lower to have a bit more for dinner. But you want to keep meals to a max of 600 calories each. If you go over on one dinner you will be just fine.

    Remember to drink water and exercise!

    Enjoy!
  • samanthabrandon
    samanthabrandon Posts: 9
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    thanks everyone, I do eat regularly during the day I work full time so I preplan my meals and snacks for the day and all of my breaks are the same time everyday even doing all of that I still find it hard to eat 1200 calories a day.
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    Ok according to MFP. my calorie intake is 1200 a day...Is ok to save the majority of those claories for dinner time or am I sabotage myself scence I do little activaty when I get home from work?

    Absolutely fine to do this. Meal timing is irrelevant. Just ensure your daily cumulative totals (calories and macro-nutrients) are met and you are fine.
  • dustyhockeymom
    dustyhockeymom Posts: 537 Member
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    Obviously people have different opinions during the day. I tend to have my largest meal of the day for dinner. I feel ill if I eat too much breakfast and it slows me down for the day. And when I tried to have a smaller dinner I was so hungry during the evening I couldn't control my snacking. I think listening to your body is the key. I am much more hungry in the evening than at any other point in the day, regardless of how I have eaten earlier, so why wouldn't I plan my largest meal for then?

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