Dividing up calories

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weaverc
weaverc Posts: 158
in Food and Nutrition
I get 1200 a day plus exercise calories. Is it reasonable to do 300 calories for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and 150 calorie snacks in between? I plan to divide up my exercise calories and add them back to my lunch and dinner. I guess I am not clear on if the meals should all be similar in calories or if I should have more calories in the beginning of my day and less at the end. I typically go to bed between 9 and 10. I try never to eat after 6:30, but I definitely don't eat at 7pm.

Replies

  • PoeRaven
    PoeRaven Posts: 433 Member
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    Hi! :drinker:

    Don't know if this works for everyone but I try to eat most of my carbs at breakfast. As far as calories go, I eat about equal amounts throughout the day...I think the 300 per meal plus 150 snack in between sounds reasonable.'

    Have a great day!

    Jan aka PoeRaven

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  • sazziecee
    sazziecee Posts: 143
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    It all depends on what you prefer.

    I have an allowance of 1230 cals and have around 250 cals for breakfast, 250-300 for lunch and at least 500 for dinner as I like to eat my biggest meal with my husband in the evening

    I only usually have one snack a day, its usually the exact same thing and is a 162 calorie dessert that I love and like to make sure I have enough calories for :)

    If I have exercised I will eat back about half of my calories too. Usually things like small apples at around 50 cals or a low-cal hot chocolate drink. Or occasionally a slightly larger breakfast, maybe scrambled eggs, turkey rashers and beans which keeps me full for ages.

    There is no truth in the idea that if you eat after a certain time you will gain weight, as long as you are within your calorie allowance for the 24 hour period then the times of the meals don't matter. The only reason to avoid food late at night is that it may affect your sleep quality if it's something heavy on your stomach etc.
    My diet and fitness club instructor teaches classes til 8.30pm and so 4 days a week she doesn't eat til 9pm, but she doesn't gain weight :)
  • dmags
    dmags Posts: 303
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    I know a lot of people on here would disagree with me, but I eat most of my calories at dinner. I am a teacher. I do not have a lot of time to eat during the day and the schedule is pretty rigid. I only have about 200 at breakfast. I have a very short lunch 17 minutes, so I keep it light. A salad with some protein, like a hard boiled egg. The I have a great dinner. Chicken and asparagus, or something like that. I even made a meatloaf last week. I do watch my carbs at dinner. I just like to have something really satisfying to look forward to when I get home. I also have 1-2 snacks during the day. If I work out, I usually have a snack at night. Like I said, not everyone agrees with my method, but I have been losing.
  • DogsRule666
    DogsRule666 Posts: 32
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    I try to eat 5 small meals a day. The mid-morning meal and mid-afternoon meal are a little smaller, but in general I try to keep them even.
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
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    I know a lot of people on here would disagree with me, but I eat most of my calories at dinner. I am a teacher. I do not have a lot of time to eat during the day and the schedule is pretty rigid. I only have about 200 at breakfast. I have a very short lunch 17 minutes, so I keep it light. A salad with some protein, like a hard boiled egg. The I have a great dinner. Chicken and asparagus, or something like that. I even made a meatloaf last week. I do watch my carbs at dinner. I just like to have something really satisfying to look forward to when I get home. I also have 1-2 snacks during the day. If I work out, I usually have a snack at night. Like I said, not everyone agrees with my method, but I have been losing.

    I am the same way. I can't stomach a large breakfast or I'll feel sick all day, so I only eat 200-350 for breakfast. Lunch is usually between 450 and 500 and dinner is between 400 and 700 depending on what I eat. Then if I work out I work my exercise calories into a late afternoon snack and an after dinner snack (I get 1340 calories a day before exercise) and it works for me. Like others have said, it doesn't matter what time of day you eat, so if you'd like to eat after 7, don't force yourself to get it all down before then (to the OP)
  • rschwa
    rschwa Posts: 27
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    Spreading your calories out is a very good idea. The more frequently your body sees incoming fuel, the more your metabolism will be willing to burn all the time. Eat only 2-3 times a day and you'll spend most of your time in starvation mode, hoarding energy in case there's no more coming, especially if you're running a deficit to lose weight.
    I have my 'meals' in MFP named 'Before 6AM', '6AM-9AM', '9AM-Noon', 'Noon-3PM', ' 3PM-6PM', and 'After 6PM'... I try to get 300-400 calories in each, whether it's meals, snacks, etc.
  • TessaL221
    TessaL221 Posts: 106 Member
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    That is a question I've been asking myself for a long time. I really enjoy a quiet dessert after my kids are in bed (I guess cause it's the only time I can actually enjoy it) and I usually do either strawberries with whipped cream or a snack pack pudding with whipped cream on top. I really don't know the answer still, but I guess I will try it for a while while keeping my calories within range and see. Thanks for the responses. It encourages me that it may be ok and I may not have to feel guilty about it.
  • sdmcgowan
    sdmcgowan Posts: 13
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    I'm getting better at spreading out my calories, but I still eat my biggest meal at dinner which is usually around 8pm for me. I go to sleep around midnight.

    I'm also one of those people that just doesn't like a big breakfast. I never used to eat breakfast at all, and am still getting used to having it which I know is a part of it. But I also like to exercise after breakfast and don't like to do it with my stomach full. So breakfast is usually around 200-250 calories.

    I try to keep my lunch, and after lunch snack around 200 calories each. That leaves me with about 400-500 for dinner. Depending on how many exercise calories I earn I can also eat another 200-300 as an after dinner meal, usually a bowl of cereal for me.

    In theory I understand about eating more of your calories early in the day, that way you can burn them off. But I'm just used to having a bigger dinner and like to save more of my calories for then. Plus I'm still losing weight so it's working for me now and I don't see the need to change it up yet.

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