all your calories for dinner?

LaurN326
LaurN326 Posts: 99 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So, my dad is trying to lose weight also. He is not on mfp because he says he doesn't have time to log everything he eats.
he's been eating a bowl of healthy cereal for breakfast, a protein bar for lunch, and maybe a yogurt or something light for snacks. But he eats a ton for dinner... I don't think that that is a good idea. To eat all your calories in one meal like that... idk
what do you guys think?
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Replies

  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I don't think it really matters if this works for him
  • ErnieM88
    ErnieM88 Posts: 146 Member
    if it works for him and he's not hungry the rest of the day then I don't really see the problem tbh
  • fenrirG
    fenrirG Posts: 21
    From what I know, I think it is a really bad idea. It will put his body in what is known as a starvation mode accumulating most of the food eaten in one meal as fat since the body expects to not get any (sufficient) food for the next 24 hours. His basel metabolic rate will also reduce dramatically.

    Again, this is to the best of my knowledge, I could be wrong.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    "Starvation mode" Doesn't apply when he is eating other meals (even if they are very small) and still getting enough calories.
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
    Its fine. I pretty much only eat 2 meals a day, a large lunch and a large dinner. Hasn't stopped me from losing weight, hasn't stopped me from dropping body fat and HAS stopped me from feeling miserable and deprived every day because I can only eat 300-400 calories per meal.

    There is no evidence that what TIME you eat or how OFTEN you eat matters EXCEPT if those things affect your ability to stick to a diet. If eating more often keeps you from binge eating, then eating more often is a good idea. if allowing yourself to eat at night causes you to shove a bunch of mindless snacks in your mouth, then cutting off night eating is a good idea.

    if you don't HAVE those problems, then it really does not matter. Many people just plain feel better eating more of their calories early in the day. Thus, they should do it. There is no magic schedule. Everyone is different. Do what makes you feel good and your body work right.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    I typically eat 350 cals between 6:30 am - 8:30 am
    200 or so around 11:30
    100 around 2:30

    then... 1900 & 2100 between 6:30pm - 9:30 pm. Work for me, in fact I prefer it this way. Unless you have digestion issues (heartburn..) it doesn't matter when you eat. Don't let the clock dictate your feeding. I often walk down the hall way to bed chewing my last bite of food. Love it.

    The reason most people buy into the "don't eat at night" myth is that they've already eaten their calorie allowance for the day by then, so they eat at night and gain weight. It's calories in & calories out that matters.

    -M
  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
    As long as he's not diabetic it shouldn't be a problem. If he's diabetic, he's probably going to have problems stabalizing his blood sugar. Is he losing weight?
  • gtwin
    gtwin Posts: 290 Member
    Shouldn't really matter. At the end of the day, it's all about hitting your calorie goal.
  • jjennyb4
    jjennyb4 Posts: 1,581 Member
    My biggest meal is dinner @ 8:30 pm. I know it sounds bad but it works for me. :smile:
  • doubglass
    doubglass Posts: 314 Member
    calorie wise it does not matter a lot. but , if he is overweight, inactive and subjecting his body to wild swings in blood sugar he is increasing the risk for diabetes, other health problems.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,421 Member
    From what I know, I think it is a really bad idea. It will put his body in what is known as a starvation mode accumulating most of the food eaten in one meal as fat since the body expects to not get any (sufficient) food for the next 24 hours. His basel metabolic rate will also reduce dramatically.

    Again, this is to the best of my knowledge, I could be wrong.

    This is not true. Research Starvation Mode. It does not mean what you think it means.


    To the OP: I tend to eat like he does. It is the only thing that works for me long-term. I've tried the eat-five-times-a-day thing, and it just pisses me off. I've tried eating three calorie-balanced meals. Doesn't work. In both those scenarios, I worry too much over making everything balance out. . .

    What works for me is a smallish (300 cals) breakfast, a large meal in the late afternoon (like up to 1300 cals) and a small snack late night (200-300.) It's the only way I feel satisfied, not hungry, and able to maintain my loss.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    As long as he's not diabetic it shouldn't be a problem. If he's diabetic, he's probably going to have problems stabalizing his blood sugar. Is he losing weight?

    This!! I am a type 2 diabetic and my meals are spread out over 3 main meals and 3 snacks.... This is to regulate my blood sugars and keep me from crashing....
  • chnkytim42
    chnkytim42 Posts: 127 Member
    the biggest issue with eating that much at night, is your body doesnt get a chance to digest it as well before you go to bed, that and you tend to burn most of your calories during the day when your active, so eating more in the morning keeps you full and full of energy without the sluggish feeling, with that being said, if he is getting results, and staying with the healthier living plan, then let him do what works. at the end of the day weight loss and his health are all that matters
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    nothing wrong with this.
  • lauz45
    lauz45 Posts: 243
    My brother has been doing this and has lost quite a bit of weight.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    If he is happy, energetic, sticking to it, and losing weight, let him be.

    If he is dragging during the day because he's hungry, there might be an issue.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
    Good or bad is certainly up for debate, but I have very little hunger before 3-4 PM in general and have great luck with eating one large meal end of day with a light snack around lunchtime.
  • msmartsmart
    msmartsmart Posts: 5 Member
    It takes 18-24 hours to fully digest a meal.

    It is perfectly fine to eat all your calories in one meal. Will your stomach hurt afterwards? Maybe. Will it affect body composition in a negative way? Nope.

    Starvation Mode only comes into play after prolonged periods of fasting (3-4 days).
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,247 Member
    From what I know, I think it is a really bad idea. It will put his body in what is known as a starvation mode accumulating most of the food eaten in one meal as fat since the body expects to not get any (sufficient) food for the next 24 hours. His basel metabolic rate will also reduce dramatically.

    Again, this is to the best of my knowledge, I could be wrong.

    It will do nothing of the sort, what made you come to this conclusion?

    OP if he likes eating that way, I wouldn't worry in the slightest, it is not as if he is eating zero all day and then stuffing his face at night anyway.
  • fenrirG
    fenrirG Posts: 21
    Ok, so I did a little digging last night and long story short, I was wrong before, there is absolutely nothing wrong with eating all your calories in one meal as long as you are still meeting your macros.

    Based on The Teaching Company's audio book "Medical Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths: What We Think We Know May Be Hurting Us" - Chapter 4. Btw, highly recommend everyone to listen/read the book.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Also consider that humans, as omnivores, can be classified as "opportunistic eaters". Historically, homo sapiens ate whatever food was available at the time, when it was available. Our digestive tracts are not sensitive like many animals who eat a small selection of foods or who only feed at certain times of day.
  • ttaylor68913
    ttaylor68913 Posts: 320 Member
    eating the biggest cal for dinner doesnt seem like a good plan..... does he work out after dinner or go sit in the chair (my dad) and then go to bed? when does the body have a chance to burn that meal off it just gets stored
  • wells0707
    wells0707 Posts: 251 Member
    I personally eat light all day and use the majority of my calories for dinner with my family. It has been working great for me.
  • jknottage
    jknottage Posts: 64 Member
    As long as he's not diabetic it shouldn't be a problem. If he's diabetic, he's probably going to have problems stabalizing his blood sugar. Is he losing weight?
    [/quote

    I was going to say this too, as others have stated, supposedly it is better to balance things out across the day, it's easier for me that way personally, but everyone is different. But, being diabetic makes it a whole different story...
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
    I see many people who use most of their calories at the end of the day b/c they have those snack cravings or would rather enjoy their big dinner. since he's eating all day long and not just fasting I would say there is nothing wrong with it if it works for him.
  • rdchick
    rdchick Posts: 49 Member
    There's a diet called Caveman power... basically the first few weeks it encourages you to eat small amounts of fruit until the end of the day and then eat what ever you like... the next few weeks eat nothing during the day then eat a healthy meal at the end of the day...

    to me that sounds like torture.
  • Fit4Evolution
    Fit4Evolution Posts: 375 Member
    its a bad idea! your body uses approx 300 calories every 3 hrs , then you are hungry again , unless you are working out within that window you will not burn off those calories.. you metabolim will slow during the day when you arent feeding it , then you dump 1000-2000 calories into your body , you sit on the couch burn up 300 and the remaining calories go to stores (fat)
  • EmmaR84
    EmmaR84 Posts: 103 Member
    I'm another one who has most of their calories in the evening. I eat breakfast and lunch and usually 1-2 snacks a day but they are generally quite light and then I will make a larger (not huge and within my calories) meal in the evening which is when I generally feel hungrier.

    If I'm hungry in the day of course I'll eat more but it is rare.
    If this works well for your Dad, he's losign weight and not causing him any problems let him eat how he wants.
  • Sp1nGoddess
    Sp1nGoddess Posts: 1,134 Member
    Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper....

    Of course it doesn't always work out that way. I have more time to cook a nice meal in the evening so it's easy to eat too large a dinner.....
  • jenalderman
    jenalderman Posts: 411 Member
    I did it for a long time and it worked for me. When I started out I had a lot of calories to use up. I had light breakfast, snack, light lunch, snack and then ate dinner with my family. I still lost like crazy and .... it put my big meal after my workout which seemed to work well for me. As I've progressed and have fewer calories, I have found that I need to even them out more. He'll find his niche. The important thing is just getting started.

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