big lunch vs big dinner

Candice83

Sooo is it better to have more calories at lunch time or dinner time? All my dinner meals seem to be much higher in calories... im wondering if i should eat dinner meals for lunch and my lunch meals for dinner... this wont be practcal when i start working next week... but should i do it when i can? weekends and such?

kaitlynnesmommy

My lunch is usually higher in calories than dinner...I feel like it gives my body more time to burn those calories

Krisengel

I have a bigger meal for dinner, otherwise I feel like I want to snack before bed.

it_be_asin

I have a bigger meal for dinner, otherwise I feel like I want to snack before bed.

Me also.

juliesummers

The general tip is "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper"


(I generally have a big late lunch -- a big raw salad with lots of veggies and beans - at 2 or 3ish, and that fills me up for the rest of the day)

MissFit0101

Different things work for different people so just do what works best for you. Make sure you don't have a 600 calorie dinner then go straight to bed though, haha. Just make sure you have time to digest. Dinner is always my biggest meal of the day.. otherwise I will snack constantly after dinner up to bedtime. It works for me. Might not for someone else.

EmmaBielefield94

I usually have a big breakfast, and the same sizes for breakfast and lunch. It gives my body time to burn calories, and keeps my metabolism going.

CallieDerenthal

yeah, you're supposed to eat the majority of your calories earlier in the day (large breakfast, medium lunch, small dinner). HOWEVER, i can't bring myself to do this... i'm the exact opposite! i hate going to bed hungry so i tend to hoard my calories so i can have a big dinner. i still see the weight loss i'm supposed to according to this site (actually, i'm losing a little more!) so i figure it really can't make that much of a difference. at least that's what i tell myself.

HMonsterX

As long as you maintain your calorie deficit, it doesn't matter when you eat, or how much at each meal.

Personally i skip breakfast, have a small lunch, a few hundred cals, then have a great dinner, 800-1k.

When you eat the calories has been proven to be largely irrelevant. In theory you could eat your entire daily amount IN bed, and as long as you keep that deficit, you'll lose weight.

servilia

I love my big dinners so I save most of my cals for then. Hasn't affected my weight loss and I feel great during the day.

JuliaMarie_87

I think it comes down more to personal preference. I used to eat a larger supper. Now that I eat several (smaller portions) a day, my supper is usually pretty small. Lunch or even breakfast brings in the most calories for me now.

TheBraveryLover

It doesn't matter. You burn calories 24/7.

chrisdavey

The Primary Laws of Nutrient Timing
The First Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
The Second Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.

it_be_asin

Different things work for different people so just do what works best for you. Make sure you don't have a 600 calorie dinner then go straight to bed though, haha. Just make sure you have time to digest. Dinner is always my biggest meal of the day.. otherwise I will snack constantly after dinner up to bedtime. It works for me. Might not for someone else.

I have a 600 calorie dinner and go straight to bed. That's what works for me.

it_be_asin

The Primary Laws of Nutrient Timing
The First Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
The Second Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.

The third law of nutrient timing is...

it_be_asin

yeah, you're supposed to eat the majority of your calories earlier in the day (large breakfast, medium lunch, small dinner). HOWEVER, i can't bring myself to do this... i'm the exact opposite! i hate going to bed hungry so i tend to hoard my calories so i can have a big dinner. i still see the weight loss i'm supposed to according to this site (actually, i'm losing a little more!) so i figure it really can't make that much of a difference. at least that's what i tell myself.

I am a calorie hoarder for the end of the day also. If you find yourself waking up hungry, trying to shift calories to earlier in the day 'because you are supposed to do that' will lead to midnight snacking so you can get some sleep that will push you over your calorie goals for the day. So I say phooee to the 'breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper' brigade.

chrisdavey

The Primary Laws of Nutrient Timing
The First Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
The Second Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.

The third law of nutrient timing is...

hehe have a guess

Take a read of this. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/365661-the-most-shocking-diet-myths-slideshow This and many other dieting myths busted.

razorspells

In my case, I have more lunch than dinner. I could sleep better when I'm not so full. This is just me and might not work for everybody.

mzjessicab

I've noticed that big lunches help me eat smaller dinners, because I am not so hungry in the evening!

nettleboo

hello i have smaller brekkie and lunch and a slightly higher cals dinner i tend to get hungry before bed if my main meal isnt a bigger size im mananging to lose weight really well so i suppose it depends what works for you.