When do you eat most of your calories?

2»

Replies

  • Jonesyuno
    Jonesyuno Posts: 17
    I eat small meals all day long. For instance, I eat at 7:30a, 9a, 10:30a, 11:30a, 1p, 2p, then dinner at around 5 or so. I am able to do this, so I am blessed in that way.
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
    I normally have around 900-1100 calories left after work. I will eat those between 7 and 10ish.
  • DontStopB_Leakin
    DontStopB_Leakin Posts: 3,863 Member
    As long as you don't feel "drained" or "tired" during the day, it absolutely does not matter if you eat the majority of your cals at night. If you DO feel drained (and it's not due to sleep deprivation), try sneaking in a few protein packed snacks (you said you were a vegetarian, not vegan, so I'd reccomended string cheese, greek yogurt, hardboiled eggs. All relatively portable items).

    Also, this nonsense about "stoking" your metabolism is just that: nonsense. You do not "jumpstart" or "stoke" your metabolism by eating breakfast/small meals throughout the day. Your body does not have a timer, and it doesn't stop burning calories simply because it has nothing to digest.

    Listen to your body. Eat when you're hungry, don't eat when you're not. If that means you eat almost all your cals at night, that's fine.
  • marias2gaa
    marias2gaa Posts: 118 Member
    Usually dinner time! but I have dinner around 4:30 ish With my daughters and a snack at around 7 or eight.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I eat most of mine in the evening, dinner and dessert.

    Me too. I usually leave myself around 500 calories for post-dinner snacking. Just be aware that eating late at night might effect your scale weight in the morning and some people find it difficult to sleep if they eat right before bed, but all other things being equal it won't effect fat loss.
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    My day is kinda similar, but I have 1600 calories, what happens is I have breakfast, have lunch, have dinner, and usually work out at night because I'm busy during the day, so if i've met my goals already then I still have to eat between 300 and 600 calories when I am done working out, so I eat those late at night, and it hasn't been an issue for me. I just try not to eat too close to when I go to bed.
    And make sure you eat throughout the day, because if you have breakfast, and then have a long time before you eat again, your metabolism will slow down.
    Maybe just increase your portions a little bit for your meals earlier in the day so you don't have to eat so much late
  • NeverGivesUp
    NeverGivesUp Posts: 960 Member
    I pretty much only eat at night, doesn't matter when you eat. You can even average your calories weekly. I save my calories till the evening time because that is when I am hungry. I am never hungry in the morning or in the daytime.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I eat small meals all day long. For instance, I eat at 7:30a, 9a, 10:30a, 11:30a, 1p, 2p, then dinner at around 5 or so. I am able to do this, so I am blessed in that way.

    blessed??
  • bwhitty67
    bwhitty67 Posts: 162 Member
    Sounds familiar! I seem to get majority of calories in the evening BUT am trying to have a 'loaded' protein shake for breakfast its around 500 calories once I add everything in. I try not to snack much, so I get about 350ish calories for lunch and the rest is at dinner.

    If life were perfect I'm sure it would balance out, but since its not :)
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    right before I catch the cotton mouse.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I try to eat 50% before dinner time. The other 50% for dinner and night time snacks.

    I don't try to do this, but it is usually true for me as well. I have a desk job and don't get too hungry during the day just sitting around. And I like to have a real "meal" in the evenings complete with a full plate of food and wine. And since I workout right after work and I'm usually starving after that, it works perfectly for me.
  • Bamacraft
    Bamacraft Posts: 175 Member
    When: breakfast, lunch and dinner are usualy close to the same, 400 - 500 each. morning and afternoon snacks vary but try and stay under 200. easy to do with fruit/veggies. if i need help with calories on high cardio days I opt for some high calorie snacks like apple w/ PB or a half bagel w/PB. I try not to make up a big calorie deficit late in the day just b/c i would be miserable and affect my sleep.

    Add some avacado to your salads and / or olive oil (good fats and high cals). Peanut butter and bagel or protein drink right after your workout would help too.
  • Razbet
    Razbet Posts: 14 Member
    Smallest meal is breakfast 200cal

    lunch about 400 cal

    snack 80-150 cal

    dinner 600 cal

    snack 80-150 cal

    This seems to work best for me.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    Meal frequency and timing have no impact on metabolic rate or weight loss.

    Your metabolism won't slow down just because you don't eat a meal. It averages out through the day.

    And you don't have to "rev up" your metabolism in the morning.
  • groversa
    groversa Posts: 450 Member
    i eat most of them while i'm awake

    Good to know! lol
  • peckish_pomegranate
    peckish_pomegranate Posts: 242 Member
    I eat my biggest meal at lunch so that when I workout in the evening I'm not too bloaty, but I have energy. It's fine to eat any time of day though, so long as you're meeting your calorie limit.

    A word of caution though, eating soon before bed can give you tummy trouble. Bleh.
  • Ramberta
    Ramberta Posts: 1,312 Member
    If you're at all prone to acid reflux/sour stomach, try not to eat any big meals at least 2-3 hours before you plan on going to bed for the evening. That being said, I don't really think it matters when specifically in the day you eat your calories. For me, since I work in the morning and am up very early, I'm starving by 10:30-11 a.m., so most of my daily calories are eaten in the window of 11-5, since I go to bed early as well. But everyone's different, and so long as you don't feel shaky or get headaches, eat whenever you feel like doing so.
  • OnionMomma
    OnionMomma Posts: 938 Member
    I don't like to be hungry in the evenings. So, I try to save as many as I can so I can pig out for dinner and feel full. Nothing like going to bed hungry, I can't stand that!!

    For me, breakfast is about 180 cals, lunch around 400-500ish and the rest is one snack and dinner.
  • danibu98
    danibu98 Posts: 281 Member
    I don't like to be hungry in the evenings. So, I try to save as many as I can so I can pig out for dinner and feel full. Nothing like going to bed hungry, I can't stand that!!

    For me, breakfast is about 180 cals, lunch around 400-500ish and the rest is one snack and dinner.

    I'm around 200-250 for bfast, 300 for lunch, and the rest for snacks/dinner. I try to save also so I'm not 'out of food' by the end of the day... It's a mental thing, I know, but I too hate going to bed hungry.
  • leeanneowens
    leeanneowens Posts: 319 Member
    Almost every day I eat the bulk of my calories between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. and I steadily lose a little over a pound a week. From personal experience, I don't think when matters.
  • cassandraforbes1
    cassandraforbes1 Posts: 5
    i eat most off my calories between lunch and breakfast

Categories