BIG BREAKFAST......or not????? HELP!!!

Options
Hi Everyone :D
I have been counting calories with MFP for almost 2 months now and I was losing weight but now I have gain 8 pounds :(
My choices in food before werent the best before but I have always been under my calories. I haven't been eating all my calories, I have been working out again and noticed that I was missing lunch most days. I am thinking of eating a huge break....like this morning I had leftover pasta from last night to get my calories up.....what do you think? WIll this maybe help or will I gain more weight eating a huge breakfast and a little lunch? Should I be eating back the calories I burn at the gym or not? After the gym should I be eating protien bars or shakes??
I need advice!!! PLEASE HELP! :D

Replies

  • SenseiCole
    SenseiCole Posts: 429 Member
    Options
    hi there

    you should be eating breakfast, lunch and dinner plus snacks

    I eat most of the cals from my exercise

    some say
    breakfast like a king
    lunch like a queen
    dinner like a pauper

    i hope this helps
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    Meal timing is irrelevant to weight loss. As long as your overall calorie intake is right you should space out your meals however you prefer.

    In what time frame have you gained 8 pounds? Do you use a food scale and log everything?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Options
    You're probably not eating enough, or not measuring things properly. Can't say without looking at your diary.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Options
    Calories in VS Calories out, doesn't matter when you eat. Do you weigh and log absolutely everything?

    ETA:Your calorie allowance is a goal you are supposed to reach, not stay under :flowerforyou:
  • Susan_fessler
    Susan_fessler Posts: 56 Member
    Options
    If I don't eat the calories I burn at the gym or running I do not lose weight at all so I use almost all of them.
  • HeatherOberholtzer
    Options
    For I have noticed that if I stop eating after a certain time at night (6pm for me) I do a lot better. Also the type of calories have made a difference for me (candy vs fruit) I also benefited greatly from a heart rate moniter. MFP calculated the exercise calores way too high and I ruining the work I was putting in...plus I only eat back about half of what I burn. You will get there. I have gained 8 lbs in few days but lost it just as fast...you could of ate a lot of salty foods, time of the month...etc...it will all work out :)
  • TedStout
    TedStout Posts: 241
    Options
    Meal timing is irrelevant to weight loss. As long as your overall calorie intake is right you should space out your meals however you prefer.

    In what time frame have you gained 8 pounds? Do you use a food scale and log everything?

    I disagree somewhat on this. Yes, its true that calorie in vs calories out is what mattters overall, but....!!!! At least for me, eating smaller meals with snacks in between works the best. Big breakfast, healthy snack, medium lunch, healthy snack, lighter supper. It just keeps an even keel on the day. When I skip a meal, I get very hungry and then tend to eat too fast and too much to make up for it. Just my opinion and what works for me. There are a lot of success stories on here with people using different approaches, so find what works. One thing for sure...eat!

    And drink water! Again, just my opinion and what works for me.
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
    Options
    Some of it is what works for you to feel good while eating a reasonable intake. There are people here who do well with intermittent fasting and only eat in a 4-6 hour window the whole day. Then there's me - small meals, spread throughout the day.

    I stay with my calorie goals while eating breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, dinner and an evening-snack. I did that even while losing, though the foods were less calorie dense then.

    Shoot for high protein or high fiber/complex carb foods that will keep you full longer. Veggies and fruits fall in the second category. I never counted fat. Paying attention to your calories will ensure your fat numbers don't get too high - in fact watch to be sure they don't get too low.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    Meal timing is irrelevant to weight loss. As long as your overall calorie intake is right you should space out your meals however you prefer.

    In what time frame have you gained 8 pounds? Do you use a food scale and log everything?

    I disagree somewhat on this. Yes, its true that calorie in vs calories out is what mattters overall, but....!!!! At least for me, eating smaller meals with snacks in between works the best. Big breakfast, healthy snack, medium lunch, healthy snack, lighter supper. It just keeps an even keel on the day. When I skip a meal, I get very hungry and then tend to eat too fast and too much to make up for it. Just my opinion and what works for me. There are a lot of success stories on here with people using different approaches, so find what works. One thing for sure...eat!

    And drink water! Again, just my opinion and what works for me.

    To me that goes under personal preference. I do it much the same way, but for those who prefer one or two big meals what matters is the overall energy balance. Intermittent fasters, for example, eat in a very small window of time. Many of them say that they are less likely to get hungry throughout the day that way. Personal preference means that you should choose whichever method works best for staying within your calorie allowance.