how do you divide your calories?

MichelleRenee13

The bulk of my calories I consume after 7pm.

Jules2Be

With my teeth and digestive system.

? Im sorry but why do you even bother posting if you are going to be a smart *kitten*?

People call them "jokes".

srsly! guess someone wasn't in line when they gave out funny bones.

Helloitsdan

A random question I just thought of.... How do you all divide up your calories between meals and snacks? More specifically, do you find that you eat more calories for one meal than others, or are you pretty even across the board? After looking at my food journal I notice I eat about even caloric amounts for breakfast, lunch and my two snacks combined. Then dinner is the remainder of my calories. I'm just curious to see how others do it and if maybe switching my heavier calorie meal to earlier in the day would be more beneficial. Any thoughts?

The most important thing to note is that personal preference should dictate your decisions on this. You aren't going to have any physiological benefit to making one meal bigger or smaller provided that we are comparing the exact same total intake.

That being said, I skip breakfast, eat a medium sized lunch, and then eat a buttload of crap for dinner.

Here Here!
I do the same.
Though the big sub at subway for breakfast looks yum yums on a lift day!

cardiokitten

I eat about 150 cals for breakfast, 300 for lunch, and then like 1,000 calories for dinner.

This ^

I try to do around 100 for breakfast, from 100-400 for lunch, then I always have a HUGE meal for dinner. And I work out between lunch and dinner so, when it comes dinner time, on a good exercise day, I can have up to like 2,000 calories for dinner

EmmaM2211

I usually eat around 200 calories for breakfast (my go-to meal is a bowl of cereal with almond milk and some strawberries).
Lunch is more varied, but usually doesn't go over 400.
Dinner can be anywhere from 300 to 600.
And I'm a HUGE snacker. This probably isn't the case for a lot of people, but I eat every 2-3 hours or so. I'm more likely to have 6 small meals than 3 large ones. My snack calories from yesterday totaled to 500. On days that I eat a really small dinner it's even higher :P

Very similar to me!

My breakfast is around 300cals, lunch around 350, dinner around 500 and snacks around 400 (this is 300 daytime snacks and 100-150 evening snack, I like something sweet before bed!) x

markysan

I do 200-400-600 for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I dont eat before 8am or after 6pm. Everyones different, but this is to stop me having munchies and better sleep lol

Asil02

I mostly eat about 5-6 small meals throughout the day and I try to make lunch my biggest meal with my carbs being mostly eaten during the morning and afternoon so I can burn them off. So about 300 cals per meal with lunch at times going as high as 500.

HerBravado

I eat about 200-300 for breakfast,
allot 400-ish for lunch,
& eat a hefty (but healthful dinner) which ranges in calories depending upon how many snacks I have during the day--which are usually not more than 100-200, about twice a day.
So I definitely save most of my calories for dinner!

iLoveMyPitbull1225

It kind of increases as my day goes on. I am on maintenance now, but I eat about 350 for breakfast, 400 ish for lunch, and about 500 -600 for dinner. Then a snack of about 100 calories. If I excersise, I eat back those calories as well.

macpacman

I follow this guide. It's not limited to those doing the P90X workout program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq_iE7qSw6c

BlackTimber

Between 300 and 400 six times a day. I'm never stuffed and never really hungry.

jstandfield

I eat the most calories for breakfast, then another big meal after I work out. My smallest meal is my last and I am usually not hungry.

Blueberry024

I have 250 for breakfast, 200-400 for lunch, 600-700 for dinner, and whatever is left for snacks and milk (which I drink in tea)

Silverkittycat

I'll eat when I'm hungry,
I'll drink when l'm dry.

thingal12

For me, it depends. And, like others have mentioned, personal preference dictates this.

For the most part my days are like this (and, it's largely based on culture) :

BREAKFAST on M-F is small (100-150 calories) and 500-600 calories on the Sat and Sun.

LUNCH on M-F is mostly 400-500 calories. Sometimes 600 calories (not a lot). Also sometimes 200-300 calories, if i'm going out at night or if I'm going to a party, or just want a bigger dinner.

DINNER from M-Sun is not too big, b/w 400-600 calories. I like ending my dinners at about 7pm. I don't like to eat too late. If I eat too much (over 700 calories) for dinner, it messes up with my stomach and I also can't sleep at night.

SNACKS probably make up most of my daily calories. I try to not let that happen, but it usually does. :ohwell:

NCJB

I eat all day, I'm on 2600 calories per day intake roughly so I just eat a ton of 300 calorie meals. If I go over on a few no big deal I just cut some snacking. It really depends on what I'm doing and how bad I screw up early in the day too(Ate a 1100 calorie dish the other day so I had to limit the rest of the day, also ate movie popcorn another day without knowing that it was so loaded with calories until I got home). Basically I know me, and I'm gonna eat all the time, especially when I'm bored, so if I have smaller portions I can feel like I'm always eating. If I try to eat 3 "normal" meals I'm just gonna have a bunch of snacks between them anyway..my profile meals have just one field "all day".

Also if I'm going to do something extremely active(fight sports, etc) I try to eat any big meal that I may be planning to have before it, rather than after. It could be in my head but I feel like I have more energy for what I'm doing that way.

muddyventures

I eat breakfast and depending on that calorie amount (usually 350 range but I've had 500 ) and then from that point on I determine what my other meals will be with what is left it doesn't always work out for me.

ChristyRunStarr

It's already been said but it depends on the person. I know some people swear by eating breakfast, others than say it doesn't matter and they save their calories. Me, I have about 1240 calories a day and when I run, I'll have some type of energy bar right afterwards and usually will have breakfast (so almost 450 or so calories there) then lunch will be about 300-400 then I have left overs for dinner. I try to keep them about the same but honestly it depends on what I have. I try to have a morning snack and afternoon snack as well if I had a small lunch or am planning a small-ish dinner.

PayneAS

I try to keep it at 300-400 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner then 150-200 for snacks throughout the day. But more often than not I tend to eat very little in the morning and my meals get bigger as the day gets older.

bagge72

During the work week when I have everything planned out, I do around 200 for breakfast, 400 for lunch, and 250-400 for snacks during the day depending on if it is a workout day or not, and then I usually have any where from 600-800 for dinner, and if I have room I have a snack after that is usually between 100-140 calories. If it's the weekend, I don't have a set plan, and really just eat when I'm hungry, and I usually burn a lot more calories during the weekend so I have a lot more to eat.

memomomokoko

I try to limit my meals to the following:

Breakfast - 200kCals

Morning Snack - 150kCals

Lunch - 300kCals

Afternoon Snack - 150kCals

Dinner - 400kCals

Total - 1200kCals

My Diary should be public, so feel free to flip through it if you want to take a look

Oh, and I like to plan ahead xD

HazenAllen

I try to stay around or a bit under 1500 calories daily.

For breakfast, I try to make this the largest meal of the day, mostly to get my metabolism a kick in the *kitten* and to lower my hunger throughout the day. They do say it is the most important meal :P I would say around 450-500 calories on a good day.

Lunch I eat a decent lunch, usually with a decent amount of carbs and protein a little bit after working out to help rebuild my body. I don't go overboard on calories though. Usually around 300-350 on a good day also.

Dinner I try to eat about the same amount I did for Lunch, probably around the 350-400 mark if possible, I try to omit as much fat and simple carbs as I can, and get a good amount of protein and complex carbs.

Snacks usually consist of a protein shake which is around 140 calories which I consume immediately after working out, and another snack which is light, maybe a light yogurt, which I would say is around 80.


I don't really plan my meals, and I am learning more and more as I go along, so I am by no means perfect at this, some days I will have like 350 breakfast cals, have 550 lunch calories and 220 dinner calories. I usually try to aim for what I listed above, I drink the suggested 8+ cups a water a day, sometimes way more.


1320-1470 calories with my estimations above, not too shabby. This is what works for me personally from what I have seen thus far. I have lost around 24 pounds in less than a month, though, I always tend to lose weight fast, especially initially. We should all do what benefits us personally I love to read different approaches and ideas on things and maybe implement some ideas into my own way. Good luck to everyone :]


*Edit* Sorry to bump an old thread, I didn't even notice T_T