Does Anyone Else Stockpile Calories For Dinner??

13

Replies

  • shelbysp8
    shelbysp8 Posts: 131 Member
    I did, until I change over to using the TDEE method because it increased my daily calories so then I din't feel like I had to save them for dinner. I could eat a decent breakfast and a decent lunch without worrying about it.
    This is a good reference to explain it:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • reneeroberts_88
    reneeroberts_88 Posts: 31 Member
    You are not alone! I do it! Habit, planning, whatever. I don't want to eat all my calories and only have 300 or 400 for dinner when I am going to eat out with friends or my husband. Dieting is a lifestyle change, but the biggest change for me, is learning to plan so I can make healthier choices.
  • JenLindsey70
    JenLindsey70 Posts: 1
    I am soooo happy to hear that a lot of people do this and it has worked for them. I also have been saving my calories for the evening. When I am at work during the day, I am busy and don't think about food but as soon as I get home, the hunger starts. So during the day, I drink my ViSalus shakes with maybe a snack and then in the evening have a nice dinner. :wink:
  • MystikPixie
    MystikPixie Posts: 342 Member
    Mostly it depends on what I'm having for dinner. Like Friday is pizza night. It's always been pizza night, will always be pizza night no matter how I'm doing with losing weight. It's also my 'cheat' day, but I tend to only eat lunch and make it a small one then just fill up on water for the day so I can have the pizza and not go over to much on calories.
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
    Yes, quite often. I find it easier to be a bit hungry during the day while I'm busy doing other things rather than later in the evening when I'm home relaxing.

    There's a bit of an indulgence in nibbling at night and I like to have the caloric budget to "afford" it.

    I will also short change days so that I can have a bigger day after. I try to balance my calories by week's end.
  • rpapesr
    rpapesr Posts: 49 Member
    Let me first say that it is evident from the responses that everyone is different. I was drawn to this post because I heard about a diet based on the phrase "Eat like a King, a Prince and a Pauper". Which basically means eat your biggest meal in the morning, a medium size meal for lunch and a small dinner. I, like you, tend to save my calories for a nice meal at the end of the day but I have been toying with the idea of changing that around to see if it helps my hunger during the day. I am constantly hungry.

    I am attracted to the notion that this could change your metabolism. I know going to bed on a full stomach is bad so this would feed right into that theory. I think it gives your body a chance to burn the food off during the day and to me that seems logical. For me, working out is actually an appetite suppressant. Perhaps because I drink a lot of water right after which may fill me up. For many people they are really hungry after a workout and I believe that many trainers recommend replacing the nutrients right after. For me, I like to get a meal in an hour before I work out to give me the energy and fortunatly I have the ability to change my work schedule around to accomodate both my eating habits and my workouts.

    I saw one person on here that has had success with this Kind, Prince and Pauper theory, anyone else?
  • NurseEmmyRN
    NurseEmmyRN Posts: 10 Member
    I actually eat the most at lunch. I work out in the morning and by lunch my sugars are low and I need to get a good meal in. I don't have any medical problems but sugars tend to run low in my family (not dangerously, just annoyingly). By dinner I'm mostly just tired from the long day of work and school and not so hungry. I have a reasonable meal and call it a night. Granted, I can't do a 1200 calorie day for more than one day. Lol
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
    I know going to bed on a full stomach is bad so this would feed right into that theory.

    I would challenge this assumption.

    I will not say that there is no merit at all, but I think that it's pretty minimal and if one were to put effort into one's eating, putting that effort elsewhere could yield far more significant results.

    It's the sort of optimization to a diet which might yield an extra tiny bit of benefit in the form of burning a few more calories per day, but anyone focusing on that when they have 10's of pounds to lose isn't prioritizing very well.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    IMHO, bad idea for two reasons. First, you should eat consistently several times (5-6) per day - Small portions every 2-3 hrs.this way you stay neither full or hungry and are burning all that you need and you are not tempted to binge knowing that your next meal is just around the corner.
    The body senses hunger differently from person to person. Several meals to some may work and NOT work for others due to over consumption of calories.
    Second, you are consuming a bunch of calories close to the time when you will need them the least (sleeping).
    If you're within calorie limit, then it doesn't matter. Contrary to what you've heard, you still burn calories and have a metabolism when you sleep. In fact, you burn more fat at rest than when you exercise.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Yes
  • amalato
    amalato Posts: 3
    I tried this yesterday and it didn't go so well. I ended up eating 2x my allowed calories for the day when the night was done. Guess who is heading to the gym today? :) MEEEE!!

    I have realized I do best eating a moderate to heavy breakfast, then a small lunch (usually because I am still full from breakfast), then a moderate dinner with a snack thrown in somewhere.

    When I save calories I end up looking like one of those zombies out for blood only with food. Seriously, I think I ate a half of a PAPA JOHN'S pizza by myself plus breadsticks. Not pretty. :)

    I am the same exact way. It really goes to show that everyone has to diet differently. It really is a life style change though. I hope that this works for all of us. I still have a really long way to go, but I feel good about it this time. I work for an orthopedic surgeon and he said calories are calories, whether you eat 2000 calories of donuts or 2000 calories of pizza, it's really all about burning off the excess and then some. Hit that gym ;)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    I skip breakfast every day, eat about 500-700 at lunch and then 1000+ at dinner. During Holidays, I have a tendency to eat more at dinner, hence my weight goes up. Meh, it's my bulking phase anyway.:laugh:

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • griffga1
    griffga1 Posts: 31
    Me too :drinker:
  • griffga1
    griffga1 Posts: 31
    Looking forward to a nice hearty meal gives me a reason to live :)

    Me too :drinker:
  • cardinalsfootball
    cardinalsfootball Posts: 167 Member
    The only time I feel like I'm really "dieting" and become miserable is when I really restrict myself for dinner. For me, the only chance I have of making this a "lifetime" change is to have substantial, filling, satisfying dinners.

    Black coffee during the morning keeps me hunger free until 11am or 12pm. Then I have a reasonable lunch, maybe 1/3 of my daily calories, where I try to get most of my fruits and veggies out of the way.

    I'm usually nicely hungry by 6pm. And I've left 2/3 of my calories for a great, big, satisfying dinner, where I consume most of my daily protein. I'm usually hunger free throughout the night.

    It's really nice to read that so many other people are in the same boat and able to lose a lot of weight this way.
  • BootyShakingBadAss
    BootyShakingBadAss Posts: 350 Member
    I do this too! Mentally, I just feel more satisfied with saving my calories for later in the day. However, I make sure to eat throughout the day. Usually Breakfast, Lunch and a 3 pm snack
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I have found that I can't do that, if so, I will gorge myself at dinner time. The best way for me is that I make lunch my biggest meal of the day. It kind of does matter when you eat, unless you plan on working out really well before you eat all those calories. By working out before hand, you jump start your metabolism and it burns your calories better. Try not to work out after dinner, or all you will be burning off is dinner, not to mention the energy boost you get will have you bouncing off the walls all night. I hope this helps.

    "jump start your metabolism" :huh: Even if all that were true, what would be wrong with burning off dinner?
  • coolraul07
    coolraul07 Posts: 1,606 Member
    Yep. Usually it's not deliberate, but it's what happens. In theory, I'd like to be one of those "eat 5-6 smaller meals a day" people. However, that's too drastic a change from what I've done for decades so it would most likely not stick long term. On days that I work from home, I find that I often don't eat/drink until after 1-2pm because I'm so focused on what I'm doing. I'm more discipline when I go into the office because the work cafe has wonderful nutritious meals that are reasonably priced AND already in the MFP database! I'll eat lunch there around 1pm and it's usually 30-40% of my cals, thus saving 60-70% for dinner and snacks. I only work-out in the evening/night, so that's when I need the cals anyway. It's worked out great for me! YMMV
  • AmyS1975
    AmyS1975 Posts: 143
    I do that too, but I also work out as soon as I get home at suppertime, so that's when I need the most calories and am hungry after working out.

    Exactly what I do!
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
    I prefer to eat more during the day and then a lighter meal at night. I workout after work, so it helps to have energy/fuel throughout the day and then not overwhelm my stomach at night. Plus, for me, personally, I tend to see the biggest difference in the scale when I eat this way. If I eat a heavy meal at night, I'm usually still up when I weigh myself in the morning. I'm also hungrier during the day and not as hungry later at night.
  • Liatush
    Liatush Posts: 627 Member
    I do the same... I used to try and eat a healthy breakfast (oatmeal, etc.) but then I find I get hungry at lunch and then I dont have enough cals for dinner... so now I just have a fruit with coffee in the morning and save my cals for dinner, so I can eat with my family.
  • Fairysoul
    Fairysoul Posts: 1,361 Member
    I don't purposely stockpile calories for later in the day, that's just my natural preference. I graze on little stuff during the day then eat the vast majority of my calories between dinner and bedtime. That's just when I'm hungry, so that's when I eat. It works for me-I wouldn't do it that way if I was "forcing" myself to eat on that schedule - just as I don't force myself to eat more during the day just to eat less at night. It's much easier for me to sustain a pattern that follows my preferences.

    I do this too.
  • Arcane2013
    Arcane2013 Posts: 9
    I've always had a small meal for lunch and only rarely have breakfast so my dinners have always been the biggest meal. I was brought up doing this and I've just never changed.
  • XDiet_SlayerX
    XDiet_SlayerX Posts: 88
    My best reply to this is eat like a king for breakfast because you will most likely burn most of it off during the day, a prince at lunch and a peasant at dinner.
  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
    I dont do it intentionally but I also cook a full meal every night for everyone so I only have a light lunch. With four growing kids a salad wont go down too well especially in the winter.
  • chubbygirl253
    chubbygirl253 Posts: 1,309 Member
    Usually half of my calories are for dinner. The other half is all other meals including nighttime snacks. most of my calories are consumed after 4pm. It works for me. If I don't save those calories for when I'm hungriest then I will go over.
  • Chameleongal
    Chameleongal Posts: 34
    I have major problems going to bed at night and one of the remedies is a big meal. After I eat my 500 calories at night, I'm knocked out. Works pretty well for me!
  • hlavers
    hlavers Posts: 32
    NEVER!

    I always eat the majority of my cals in the morning and afternoon because it keeps my metabolism (and mood) elevated during the work day when I need the mental boost.

    It also makes sense to have more calories earlier in the day when you have more time to burn them off. When I'm planning a dinner out or want a bigger cal dinner I make sure to get in a good workout that day to make sure I have enough to eat.

    1200 cals a day doesn't sound like much, make sure you're not starving yourself which is counterproductive to weight loss :)
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    I used to but I'd be so hungry by night I'd not always make good choice. I increased my calories so I can still have a hearty dinner and fuel myself through out the day. I now eat 1700. 500-700 of that is usually dinner! X
  • xFamousLastWordsx
    xFamousLastWordsx Posts: 301 Member
    I actually save most of my calories for after dinner, as I am a night snacker :P.

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