Calorie portions

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StevenHaley
StevenHaley Posts: 76
in Food and Nutrition
Not sure if thats the right heading but I am wondering if it is important how you split your calories between brekky, lunch and dinner. Should you have more for breakfast then less for lunch and then less for dinner? My allowance is just under 2000 cal a day, should it be assigned proportionately?

Someone said to me one to eat like a king for breakfast, like a lord (or something) for lunch and like peasant for dinner. Are there any guidelines concerning this?

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  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    I tend to turn that on its head. Breakfast like a pauper, lunch like a prince, king like a dinner. That said, I just prefer to graze throughout the day and slowly watch the calories approach my target. What ever you do, you don't want to end up using up all your calories by 6pm and wondering what to eat when it's 9pm.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    It's only important for how it makes you feel. Do what is comfortable for your own body.
  • Tonnina
    Tonnina Posts: 979 Member
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    Different cultures do different things with meals. Germans have tiny breakfasts, huge lunches and small dinners. French people eat small meals throughout the day. I think you should eat what you want when you want and when it's convenient to you and your life style. Personally 90% of the time I have just a bowl of cereal for breakfast a light-ish lunch and a huge dinner because I find myself starving at bedtime if I don't. I also include snacks throughout the day to keep me going like apples or cheese.
  • RunsOnEspresso
    RunsOnEspresso Posts: 3,218 Member
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    I think it is mostly how you feel. I tend to eat a larger breakfast, medium lunch, and a medium to large dinner. Recently I have been eating a large breakfast, light lunch and medium dinner.

    There has been several articles I've read where dinner should be your smallest meal but I tend to workout after work and am quite hungry then at dinner.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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  • 23Brandy
    23Brandy Posts: 20 Member
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    I find I have to save some calories for after dinner snacks.
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
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    Not sure if thats the right heading but I am wondering if it is important how you split your calories between brekky, lunch and dinner. Should you have more for breakfast then less for lunch and then less for dinner? My allowance is just under 2000 cal a day, should it be assigned proportionately?

    Someone said to me one to eat like a king for breakfast, like a lord (or something) for lunch and like peasant for dinner. Are there any guidelines concerning this?
    Do what works for you, I eat 6 times a day because it works for me, others who've lost a shedload of weight eat only twice a day,
    Go by what works for you.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    I doubt it really makes a difference. I tend to eat 5 or 6 smaller meals. I find that it's better for me this way because I don't overeat. I used to have a tiny breakfast (or nothing), a gigantic takeout lunch at work, then a gigantic dinner at like 9pm. No more! I usually have meals of 200-300 calories every few hours/as time allows.
  • Stacey3981
    Stacey3981 Posts: 5
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    In order to get your body to burn the calories you take in, rather than store them as fat, it's best to eat 6 small meals a day. To keep insulin levels steady, you should aim for 200-400 calories per meal, depending on your daily goal, and try to include some protein with each meal. This keeps your metabolism in "burn mode" and keeps your energy up all day long.
  • ladybug4233
    ladybug4233 Posts: 217 Member
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    In order to get your body to burn the calories you take in, rather than store them as fat, it's best to eat 6 small meals a day. To keep insulin levels steady, you should aim for 200-400 calories per meal, depending on your daily goal, and try to include some protein with each meal. This keeps your metabolism in "burn mode" and keeps your energy up all day long.

    Thanks for posting this. I don't like to eat a lot at one time so this works great for me. It is good to know that this helps.

    Candie
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
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    Science will say it doesn't matter how you portion them...

    my experience says that smaller meals throughout the day help me keep my belly full of more healthy foods like lean proteins and high fiber fruits and veggies.

    No way I'm getting all my calories from goods foods if it's from 1 or 2 sittings.

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