Amount of Calories per meal...?

happydayzz

Hey everyone!

I've been perusing round the forums in search of an exact answer, but I haven't been able to find one yet...

So I'll ask myself! So I'm entering maintenence mode, and I'm eating about 1400-1500 calories per day now But I don't really have time to "snack", sotospeak, and I was wondering if it would be okay to just eat three meals a day, about 500 cals per meal? Some people on here were saying that big meals make your metabolism slow down......and that at dinner you'll feel bloated and overly stuffed. But isn't it true that it doesn't matter how often/much you eat at each meal, you'll still lose weight so long as you have a deficit!? :O


Thank you all who answer ^_^

LorinaLynn

The majority of my dinners are around 800 calories, so to me, 500 calories never qualifies as a big meal.

Ernestern

I tend to eat nothing or very little for lunch and breakfast and I end up eating one big evening meal of 1200-1400 calories as that is when I'm hungriest regardless of what I eat earlier. I pretty much have to make myself eat anything for breakfast and lunch as I'm just not hungry then.

I hear that this isn't the best method and by eating earlier in the day one's metabolism will increase, so I'm slowly trying to force myself to increase my intake during the earlier meals and decrease my evening meal. But it is proving difficult trying to "unlearn" such an ingrained eating habit.

stephabef

I think you should do whatever it takes to stay in your calorie limit. For me, that means the opposite - I've always been a grazer. Big meals make every bit as much sense if they work for you!

lalalazzz

Calories are calories, doesn't matter when you eat them or how often. But some people find eating small meals makes them less likely to binge etc. It's all about YOU. I am also in maintenance, but I eat over 2000 usually. Are you like 5 foot? I would lose 1-2 lbs a week on a 1400 cal diet. I am 5'7 and 119 lbs. I usually have a 400 cal breakfast, 400 lunch, 600+ dinner and lots of snacks.

lalalazzz

Also I don't consider a 500 cal meal a big one!

UponThisRock

Correct, deficit is all that matters. You could eat 1 meal a day if you wanted to.

carrie_eggo

Correct, deficit is all that matters. You could eat 1 meal a day if you wanted to.

^^This. It doesn't matter when you eat the calories.