How many calories should each meal be?

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Replies

  • crunchienugget
    crunchienugget Posts: 54 Member
    I have read you all say eat what you like and make up for it at the gym but does that really work? I can be really good, exercise loads and put weight on. I'm a big eater of fruit so I think the sugars were keeping me from hitting my goals but I still exercised loads. I am just confused by the whole thing!
  • Valm0n
    Valm0n Posts: 88
    This week I usually had a 3-400kcal breakfast, and a 4-500kcal lunch; that allows me to have some snacks during the day and a sufficient-though-not-too-much dinner, and to stay under my 2000kcal limit :tongue:
  • MissSusieQ
    MissSusieQ Posts: 533 Member
    i'm on 1200 calories per day. i do three meals of around 300cal and then 300cal of snacks. works for me!
  • Kagami_Taiga
    Kagami_Taiga Posts: 124 Member
    I can see people disagreeing with me already, because I have quite a lower calorie count for a guy, but here goes.

    I never eat breakfast because I'm not hungry in the morning, just a glass of water and either cod liver oil or a vitamin pill. This is just a personal preference, not everyone likes to take supplements. If I've got classes that day then I usually grab a 6 inch sub that's about 300 - 400 cals. I eat dinner at 6pm, which is usually 600 cals or under.

    If I'm at home that day then lunch and dinner will be 600 each, sometimes lunch is a bit less, say 500 cals. I also have set times when I eat. 12noon for lunch and 6pm for dinner. If I've got classes then I try and eat lunch whenever I have the time.

    PS I personally believe that drinking your calories is pointless(unless it's from soup). So I only drink water and green tea. sometimes I have a black coffee.

    But it depends on what your goals are. Just divide your daily goal by how many meals you have. If you snack then decrease your meals by a little so that you have snack calories free too.
  • nadiarrxo
    nadiarrxo Posts: 4 Member
    I don't think you should allot a certain amount on calories per meal as it takes away the fun. eat what you like, in moderation. have healthy filling meals, lots of salad/veg to fill you up :) i do like to have 1/2 my calories for tea (600cals) so i'll have around 200cal breakfast, 300cal dinner and 100cal for snacks. but that's just an estimate sometimes they will be more or less :D the more you use MFP the more used to it you'll get!
  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
    I eat whenever I have time and/or when then mood hits me because my schedule isn't the same everyday. My diary is set up in time ranges so it isn't odd to see1100 in one block the other 1000 in another. As long as I hit my calorie goal and try to meet my macros I'm satisfied
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
    I do intermittent fasting because I really like to eat one or two big meals and a few little snacks, or some days like today, I literally ate all my calories in 2 big meals (with a coffee shake that barely counts separately). That's what makes me feel best!
    Sammmmeeee :)
    I also get off to the idea of blowing peoples mind when I tell them that I dont eat breakfast...or lunch..or snack...
    "But breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" Yeah, just like saturated fat is bad for you. Whatever.

    Dont worry about having to calculate meal size - its more about WHAT you're eating and how much witing a 24 hour period.
  • Shezziixo
    Shezziixo Posts: 3
    I need some advice I started my weight loss challenge 2 years ago at 9st7
    In a year I lost a stone just by exercising and reached 8st7 .. I was so much happier and then I started eating healthy and lost more weight dropping to 7st11 I was also put on an exercise plan by my personal trainer at the gym ..
    Recently I've become more strict with my diet and fell to 7st5 and now I am scared of gaining weight! ..
    I am happy with my body but people keep telling my I am too slim and don't eat enough I aim to not exceed 800kcal counting food and drink and currently exercise 6 days a week with a daily burn goal of 500kcal .. Recently I've been told to eat more and I've increased my diet to 5 meals a day eg, breakfast, fruit, lunch, fruit and main meal, sometimes a low kcal hot chocolate and I feel so guilty I'm now consuming about 1000kcal a day and I'm scared ill gain .. Cause anyone advise me on what's best eat less stick to my 3 meals 800kcal limit or increase to 1000kcal 5 meal? :)
  • stines72
    stines72 Posts: 853 Member
    I do intermittent fasting because I really like to eat one or two big meals and a few little snacks, or some days like today, I literally ate all my calories in 2 big meals (with a coffee shake that barely counts separately). That's what makes me feel best!
    Sammmmeeee :)
    I also get off to the idea of blowing peoples mind when I tell them that I dont eat breakfast...or lunch..or snack...
    "But breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" Yeah, just like saturated fat is bad for you. Whatever.

    Dont worry about having to calculate meal size - its more about WHAT you're eating and how much witing a 24 hour period.

    i used to not eat breakfast bc it made my stomach hurt and i never had an appetite before i started exercising but now i have to eat or i wont be able to make it thru my workout. i usually work out 3 hours after i eat.
  • cbirdso
    cbirdso Posts: 465 Member
    I have read you all say eat what you like and make up for it at the gym but does that really work? I can be really good, exercise loads and put weight on. I'm a big eater of fruit so I think the sugars were keeping me from hitting my goals but I still exercised loads. I am just confused by the whole thing!
    I have the following posted where I can read it often:
    Exercise does not give you permission to eat whatever you want, and slashing calories doesn’t mean you don’t have to work out. Despite the calories in, calories out relationship essential to weight loss, they are not opposites; they, in fact, work together. Calories are fuel to get you through your workout, your workout is not a way to get rid of the food you eat.

    A good, intense 30 minute cardio session will burn around 250 calories. That burger you just had? Upwards of 1,000 calories. That means you’d have to hit the treadmill for two solid hours just to cancel out that indulgence. Those two hours will do nothing to get you towards your goals, because you are just trying to get back to where you were before that dinner. You Can Not ‘out exercise’ a Bad Diet.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    Mmm just broke my fast with an almost 1k calorie meal (I'm around 1500/day)

    Love it :)
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
    This week I usually had a 3-400kcal breakfast, and a 4-500kcal lunch; that allows me to have some snacks during the day and a sufficient-though-not-too-much dinner, and to stay under my 2000kcal limit :tongue:

    I like how you know its kCal... not many people know that. Labels all put "Calorie" because kiloCalorie scares people.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I have read you all say eat what you like and make up for it at the gym but does that really work? I can be really good, exercise loads and put weight on. I'm a big eater of fruit so I think the sugars were keeping me from hitting my goals but I still exercised loads. I am just confused by the whole thing!

    Not sure where you saw that but I don't think that's what anyone said. The gist of the conversation is that how much you eat at any one time is determined by preference and gym performace. That doesn't mean eat what you like and make up for it at the gym. It means take in the calories and macronutrients in your plan whenever you want in a day. If you like to eat 6 times or just one big meal to get your calories for the day, do it the way you want. The timing and how you divvy up you goal calories is irrelevant in terms of any "rules" or weight loss advantage. Simple really.
  • MzStarrQueenB
    MzStarrQueenB Posts: 194 Member
    i've read places that meals should not be larger than 300 calories but it's hard to eat that little per meal and feel full... tonight i had an 800 calorie dinner once all the fruits were counted up that i ate along with dinner (i decided to eat a large dinner bc i was feeling really weak and cramped at the gym). geez... so how many calories do YOU think each meal should be, personally?

    also how many calories ARE your meals?

    About 300 cals per meal but I never eat that many for breakfast....




    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/8987-serious-diet-support-group
  • Krystle7136
    Krystle7136 Posts: 3
    My situation is a lilttle different since im a night worker so my day everyda begins at midnight which will be like a snack instead of a meal like cambells soup under 200 calories. I work out at 3:00 till 4:45 everynight 5 nights a week my breakfast usually is under 400 calories...breakfast is very important!!! I usually sleep through lunch and get up around 4 or 5 and dinner is always under 500 calories. A snack before work at 10:30 and a coffee which is under 300 for the two. So im always under 1200 calories and im losing 2 pounds a week. Individually you have to find what works for you! But 200+ mins of exercise and strength training per week and nevever skipping breakfast and count those calories...you cant go wrong!!!
  • KateK8LoseW8
    KateK8LoseW8 Posts: 824 Member
    100% up to you. I eat one meal a day that's 1000-1300 calories, and use the rest for snacks.

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