Is the collective calorie count more important than timing??

seaillusion7

Hi! Recently I've been trying to eat fewer calories during the workday since no matter what, when I get home I tend to binge and eat a ton of calories. Is this okay as long as my total collective calorie count is close to my goal? Or am I messing up my metabolism?

Any input is greatly appreciated!!

Also feel free to friend me! I need all the support I can get

Thanks!!!

kit_katty

So long as you're not starving yourself during the day, then that's fine from what I understand. I also tend to do the same type of thing. I don't control dinner so it's usually more calories than I would like so I offset that by spacing smaller snack type meals throughout the day.

StephenLangford

Seems to work for me as well. I eat whatever, whenever as long as I do not exceed my daily calorie limit. Perhaps you should eat a little more for lunch to avoid binging at night, although, if nighttime eating is your norm...then saving those calories for night time is a wise move on your part. Best of luck!

Sidesteal

Disregard nutrient timing outside of personal preference and athletic performance.

It will not help/hurt your metabolism.

Focus on end-of-day totals.

myshell26

I tend to eat a lot more calories for dinner since I workout right before dinner. I am still seeing amazing results. I would say as long as you're losing the weight go ahead. If you notice the pounds aren't coming off then switch it up to see if it makes a difference. If you do switch to make the calories more even throughout the day, make sure to add snack in between and drink a lot of water to help with the hunger binge.

Rae6503

Yeah, doesn't matter. I also eat a ton after lunch.

mamitosami

I, too, do that. I am not as hungry during the day, and dinner tends to be higher in calories so I save more for the end of the day when I have a harder time controlling my cravings. I have to have a treat at the end of every day when my kids go to bed and when I sit down at the end of a long day to finally relax. I stopped doing that for one week, thinking that I could use the calories for healthier foods. But then I started bingeing. So now I just save some calories for my treat at the end of the day (and eat as healthily as possible throughout the day). I have done this from day one when I started losing... I had a steady weight loss journey and I have had absolutely no problem maintaining for 6 months.

Matttdvg

Timing is totally irrelevant. Ignore anyone that says eating big meals first thing in the morning boosts your metabolism. That is a myth.

seaillusion7

Awesome!!

acfkaren

I think whatever works for you is important. Since doing MFP I have noticed I eat a small breakfast about 9.30 am, a decent lunch (about 500 cals) get absolutely starving at 3pm so have healthy snacks then, and try and have dinner before 7.30 which is usually something small. I feel better eating little and often and if I eat too much late evening dont sleep very well.

Hope that helps!

ElizabethRoad

when I get home I tend to binge and eat a ton of calories.

I agree with what was said before, that it doesn't matter about the timing. But since you describe it as a "binge", what are you eating? If you're overly hungry and end up eating a bunch of crap at the end of the day, it's not good for you even if it's within your calorie limit. But if it's healthy food then no worries.

AdAstra47

Sigh. Once more, with feeling: EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.

I respect the opinions of everyone who's on here saying "It doesn't matter." I'm sure that, in their experience, it doesn't matter TO THEM. But that's not to say that it won't matter for you. It just depends on how fast & how efficiently your body is able to use, process, store, and retrieve the calories you eat.

IF you have the right kind of metabolism, you don't have to worry about timing at all. But if you have a slow metabolism, or if you have any level of insulin resistance, or if you have hypoglycemia, you DO have to pay attention to timing. For some people, their bodies have a more difficult time processing large amounts of carbohydrates at once. For some people, once calories are stored as fat, their bodies have a more difficult time retrieving it, so it's best to never let it get stored in the first place. For people with these types of metabolisms or conditions, it's better to spread out your meals and not eat so much all at once.

If you're having no trouble losing, while eating only the one big meal, then you must be one of the lucky ones who doesn't have to worry about it. If you're on here asking the question because you've had problems losing weight, and you think that eating all your calories in one sitting may be a contributing factor, then you should probably experiment with spreading out your calories & see whether that helps you lose more. But no one (except maybe a doctor who has a run some metabolic tests) can decide that for you: it's your body, so just do what works for you.

Good luck to you!

neanderthin

Disregard nutrient timing outside of personal preference and athletic performance.

It will not help/hurt your metabolism.

Focus on end-of-day totals.

this.