How many calories at one meal should you eat?

LongfeiZhao

I am a total newbie here. I read somewhere that the daily consumption portion of three meals are:
breakfast 30%~50%; lunch: around 50%, dinner: around 20%.
It is a general idea, and snacks may belong to the closest meal. The dinner is the least since the body cannot all consume much at night as in the day time.
Anyone have some comments on that, is it reasonable?

MsHarryWinston

I am a total newbie here. I read somewhere that the daily consumption portion of three meals are:
breakfast 30%~50%; lunch: around 50%, dinner: around 20%.
It is a general idea, and snacks may belong to the closest meal. The dinner is the least since the body cannot all consume much at night as in the day time.
Anyone have some comments on that, is it reasonable?

This is crazy sauce. I'm a night shift worker so I eat almost all my calories at night, so there goes that theory.

CloudySunshinee

I try not to eat more than 400-500 for a meal. Your calorie intake is higher than mine, so that would be different for you. Maybe 450 a meal? Somewhere around there. Then, whatever snacks or anything else you eat.

saracantthink

I am much hungrier (and more likely to cheat) in the evenings, so I eat a larger dinner and a snack- if I have leftover calories- in the evening. I keep it light in the morning with a 300-400 calorie fruit smoothie for breakfast and it is plenty.

asciident

Meal timing and frequency don't matter unless you have a medical condition or a specific training regimen. It's all personal preference after that.

For example, my daily calorie goal allows me to eat plenty, but most days I prefer my breakfast to be very small - about 150g of greek yogurt. The kind I eat is about 160 cal. It's what works for me, but it would be too much for some and too little for others.

MKEgal

ETA: I notice other people have been giving opinions & anecdotes.
How about some science, research, facts, etc.?

I was wondering, how many of your daily calories should you eat at each main meal? Like breakfest, lunch, dinner.
Let's say you have 2000cal to eat a day. How should you break that up? How many calories at one sitting break,lunch,dinner should you eat?

Eat about half your calories for breakfast for the best weight-loss effect.
So 1000 breakfast, 650 lunch, 350 dinner.


This study compared eating a small breakfast, medium lunch, and large dinner, [200, 500, 700 cal]
with eating a large breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner [700, 500, 200 cal].
"The [large breakfast] group showed greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction ... fasting glucose, insulin [&] triglycerides ... decreased significantly to a greater extent in the [large breakfast] group."
In addition, hunger was less and satiety was greater.
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957
Full text:
http://genetics.doctorsonly.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jakubowicz-at-al-Obesity-2013-oby20460.pdf


"subjects assigned to high caloric intake during breakfast lost significantly more weight than those assigned to high caloric intake during the dinner"
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467926
Full text: http://www.tradewindsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nutrient-Timing-and-Obesity-2014.pdf


"data suggest that a low-calorie Mediterranean diet with a higher amount of calories in the first part of the day could establish a greater reduction in fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity than a typical daily diet."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24809437


"Breakfast is associated with lower body weight ..."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24898236



Also, eating higher protein & lower carbs leads to more weight loss
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-08-09-high-protein-diet-685553
Try 45% carbs, 20% fat, 35% protein

"Compared with low protein diet the high protein diet was associated with better weight maintenance when individuals with greater body mass index and waist circumference were analyzed."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24992329

"Emerging scientific evidence suggests that a diet rich in high-quality protein is a beneficial dietary strategy to prevent and/or treat obesity."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24645300

"A high-protein breakfast promotes weight loss"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24923232
(granted, they were only studying obese Chinese adolescents)

"reductions in total carbohydrate intake, increases in protein intake, and adoption of a Mediterranean diet seem to be more effective in inducing weight loss than reductions in fat intake"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24911982

"Evidence points to a higher protein intake in combination with resistance exercise as being efficacious in allowing preservation, and on occasion increases, in skeletal muscle mass with dietary energy restriction aimed at the promotion of weight loss."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24791918

"Diets high in protein and/or low in carbohydrate produced an approximately equal to 2.5-kg greater weight loss after 12 wk"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15113737

Here's a table showing the recommended daily intake for macronutrients.
http://www.iom.edu/Global/News Announcements/~/media/C5CD2DD7840544979A549EC47E56A02B.ashx
Page 4 has protein.

FatFreeFrolicking

Break it up however you want. There's no right or wrong way, as long as you stay within your calorie goal limit.

EvanKeel

It really depends on what's going to work best for helping you maintain your goals, and help fuel your workouts. For example, some people prefer to workout fasted, and some people really don't.

In short, it's just about preference and adherence.

I'd like about 3/4 of my daily calories for a big brunch, with the remaining calories for an evening meal, but that tends to be difficult to do during the week.

Strange_magic

400 is the exact number per meal for optimal weight loss.

If you go over or under you will gain a pound a day

Mischievous_Rascal

Break it up however you want. There's no right or wrong way, as long as you stay within your calorie goal limit.

Exactly. You need to find an eating pattern that is sustainable for you. Meal timing, frequency, etc., are all irrelevant except for how well you'll be able to maintain that schedule. Setting yourself up on a plan that doesn't fit your lifestyle and you won't stick to is pointless.

So...when are YOU most hungry? Least hungry? Figure that out and portion your calories out accordingly. Best of luck!

MKEgal

KenosFeoh said:

P.S. - When I'm not exercising and only have 1200 calories to work with, each meal is pretty close to the same calorie count (300). But the last 2 meals of the day are bigger if I've earned exercise calories.

1200 is low for most people, since 120 lb is only in the healthy weight range for people 5'7" and under, and even then it's usually toward the lower end of healthy.
And my doctor & dietician say you should not eat back exercise calories (at least, not as a regular practice). Most people underestimate how much they eat, and most machines (including MFP) overestimate calories burned.

You have to eat to lose

??
To lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn.
The healthiest way to do that is having a slight deficit (500 cal), but eating nothing will make you lose weight too.
No, that's not a good thing to do, and might result in you landing yourself in the hospital &/or psych ward.
But it is an extreme example of eating less than you burn.

GiveMeCoffee

no more than a third to half unless you are trying to become a Sumo wrestler

So since most of my daily calories are consumed at dinner typically 1200 for dinner... and 500 for a snack in the afternoon... I'm going to become a Sumo wrestler??? Really?

Meal timing is personal preference, what works best for you and what will you adhere to.

Serah87

does anyone else feel that they are eating way too much even thought they stay within their calorie limit

Nope!!

alska

My daily intake is 1310 n I try to eat around 300 (give or take) per meal ... so i have enough for a snack or two

My diary is open ... feel free to check it out (even add me if you want)

prattiger65

ETA: I notice other people have been giving opinions & anecdotes.
How about some science, research, facts, etc.?

I was wondering, how many of your daily calories should you eat at each main meal? Like breakfest, lunch, dinner.
Let's say you have 2000cal to eat a day. How should you break that up? How many calories at one sitting break,lunch,dinner should you eat?

Eat about half your calories for breakfast for the best weight-loss effect.
So 1000 breakfast, 650 lunch, 350 dinner.


This study compared eating a small breakfast, medium lunch, and large dinner, [200, 500, 700 cal]
with eating a large breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner [700, 500, 200 cal].
"The [large breakfast] group showed greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction ... fasting glucose, insulin [&] triglycerides ... decreased significantly to a greater extent in the [large breakfast] group."
In addition, hunger was less and satiety was greater.
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957
Full text:
http://genetics.doctorsonly.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jakubowicz-at-al-Obesity-2013-oby20460.pdf


"subjects assigned to high caloric intake during breakfast lost significantly more weight than those assigned to high caloric intake during the dinner"
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467926
Full text: http://www.tradewindsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nutrient-Timing-and-Obesity-2014.pdf


"data suggest that a low-calorie Mediterranean diet with a higher amount of calories in the first part of the day could establish a greater reduction in fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity than a typical daily diet."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24809437


"Breakfast is associated with lower body weight ..."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24898236



Also, eating higher protein & lower carbs leads to more weight loss
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-08-09-high-protein-diet-685553
Try 45% carbs, 20% fat, 35% protein

"Compared with low protein diet the high protein diet was associated with better weight maintenance when individuals with greater body mass index and waist circumference were analyzed."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24992329

"Emerging scientific evidence suggests that a diet rich in high-quality protein is a beneficial dietary strategy to prevent and/or treat obesity."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24645300

"A high-protein breakfast promotes weight loss"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24923232
(granted, they were only studying obese Chinese adolescents)

"reductions in total carbohydrate intake, increases in protein intake, and adoption of a Mediterranean diet seem to be more effective in inducing weight loss than reductions in fat intake"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24911982

"Evidence points to a higher protein intake in combination with resistance exercise as being efficacious in allowing preservation, and on occasion increases, in skeletal muscle mass with dietary energy restriction aimed at the promotion of weight loss."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24791918

"Diets high in protein and/or low in carbohydrate produced an approximately equal to 2.5-kg greater weight loss after 12 wk"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15113737

Here's a table showing the recommended daily intake for macronutrients.
http://www.iom.edu/Global/News Announcements/~/media/C5CD2DD7840544979A549EC47E56A02B.ashx
Page 4 has protein.

This is all well and good, however, without knowing what the study was "studying" or what the controls were, it is of little use for overall weight loss. Meal timing makes little to no difference. I agree that macronutrient ratio is important. I do not agree that low carb necessarily trumps balance. For the VAST majority, eat whenever you want, stay within your goals for both calories and macronutrients and enjoy life without overthinking it.

imonmyway7

I'm going through this as we speak and have even talked with a proper profesional trainer, we all have things that work for us and thing's that do not such as life.

As for for me I bumped my 1840 calories dieting program up to 2200 and the reason for this was due to my activity level and lifting of weights combined with daily activity (basically means my body is burning to much to fast which doesn't do well long term)
I've opted for heavy breakfest as I'm 38 years of age and feel my best times are in the first part of the day so consuming 550 to 750 calories for breakfest is ideal for me and also I still see the weight coming off and feel not hungry.

Snack - 200 to 250 -

Lunch - 500 to 700 as well and it depends for lunch but normally it's proteins and complex carbs with good fats.

Snack - 300 to 450

Dinner - 450 to 550

Snack - 120 to 250

There's an abundance of help all over the Internet but I find its best to eat whole foods rather then supplements such as whey protein shakes etc, mind you if your in a bind and running late a shakes better the nothing but remeber 1 can of tuna takes 54 seconds to open (I timmed it) splash in some real Lemon juice and enjoy. This way you have as whole food over a shake and your body feels great for and longer period

vespiquenn

The amount of misinformation in here is making me cringe.

How many calories you consume in a meal does not matter as long as you stay under your calorie goal. There are many folks here that take part in intermediate fasting which means they get most their calories within a 6-8 hour window, depending on the plan. No you will not gain eating more than 400 cals a meal, or my weight loss is a complete figment of my imagination. I usually eat 600-800 cals a meal, and breakfast only 300-500.

DeterminedFee201426

I don't really have a specific number of calories I eat at each meal.. but when I look back Mines is broken down like
500> breakfast
700 >lunch
600 >dinner
200-400> Snacks or drinks
My calorie goal range> 1720-2200-it varies from day to day (maintaining)

Francl27

I typically eat 75% of my calories by 3pm. On a good day I'll have 40% left for dinner, but that really doesn't happen much. It's funny because before losing weight, I was eating most of my calories in the evening and skipping breakfast, but I started working out in the morning and it's increased my daily appetite by a lot.

You just have to find what works for you.

DonaldBlinks

I think figuring out specifically what works for you is a huge part of sustainable weight loss. It's going to vary so much from person to person so what people say here may not apply to you (though it may be good to get some ideas to 'try out'). You might have to do some trial and error, and that can be frustrating because you I think a lot of us want to reach our goal as fast as possible. But once you find that magic combination (what and when to eat so that you're satisfied and within your calorie goal) that works for you specifically, weight loss isn't really hard anymore.

Hopefully that made sense, I'm having a hard time articulating this morning.

But my percentage breakdown is kind of like this:

10% breakfast
20% lunch
40% dinner
30% snacks

I have really light snacks during the day but the vast majority of those calories are around 9:00 in the evening (ice cream!)

lemurcat12

I was going to say it is completely personal choice, and depends on what you find most satisfying.

But then I realized the OP is from 2014!