No dinner diet.. a good idea or a bad idea?

chloejung89
chloejung89 Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys,
I've got a quick question for y'all-
I normally eat a very big portion of my breakfast daily and maybe a mid-sized lunch at around 12 and after lunch I don't eat anything until the next morning. It seems to be helpful to lose some weight so far but it's not fast as I wanted to see. My trainer told me that it'll put my body into a starvation mode so it's not going to help much. Any ideas?

Forgot to add: I exercise every single day. I do bootcamp three times a day, 1000 jump roping daily zumba every monday.

Replies

  • EmmieBaby
    EmmieBaby Posts: 1,235 Member
    What I do is I eat a small breakfast, small snack, small lunch, small snack, small dinner and then sleep. but I only eat when I am hungry (true hunger..not the blubber complaining Im not eating chocolate) if I'm not hungry I don't eat.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    The time of day that you eat is not going to impact your progress, unless maybe you are a body builder in the very advanced stages of building muscle (and I might even be wrong about that; clearly that's not my area of expertise, haha).

    As long as you are getting the appropriate number of calories per day (or even per week, some would argue) for your body size and activity level, and you feel satisfied (aka, not likely to binge before bed because you didn't eat dinner, adequately energized for your workouts, stuff like that), then consume your calories whenever works for you and your lifestyle.

    Edited to add: You are NOT going to go into "starvation mode" because you skip one typical mealtime per day. You can argue about starvation mode til the cows come home, but I think the vast majority of people on all sides would agree that that's just nonsense.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    Why??? If you eat all your calories during the first half of the day it will be OK - if you only eat breakfast and lunch and not enough calories, you will stop losing weight, have no energy for exercise and binge at some point because you are starving....Eating at a certain time of day will not make you fat if you stick to your calories....You can eat at midnight if you want too....
  • pghfan
    pghfan Posts: 119
    "Starvation mode" from skipping dinner? Get a new "trainer". :wink:
  • doubleduofa
    doubleduofa Posts: 284 Member
    Lots of people do a "fasting" type diet where they eat all of their calories in a fasting window (usually 8 hours) and then fast for 16. I find that if I eat a light dinner, I lose faster. If it works for you to eat big at breakfast and lunch, but no dinner, then go for it! As long as you are getting adequate calories, I see nothing wrong with it.

    For me, if I ate at midnight, I would gain weight. I know my body and I understand hormonal processes that take place during the day and night time. It is beneficial for me to not eat late at night - not only for digestion (who wants heartburn all night?), but for hormone health.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    Depends on how much you're eating otherwise. Getting in your calories? Able to function without dinner? Go for it. Meal timing is irrelevant.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Hey guys,
    I've got a quick question for y'all-
    I normally eat a very big portion of my breakfast daily and maybe a mid-sized lunch at around 12 and after lunch I don't eat anything until the next morning. It seems to be helpful to lose some weight so far but it's not fast as I wanted to see. My trainer told me that it'll put my body into a starvation mode so it's not going to help much. Any ideas?

    Forgot to add: I exercise every single day. I do bootcamp three times a day, 1000 jump roping daily zumba every monday.

    The timing of meals you describe above is not a problem if you are still meeting all your nutritional goals, including eating enough calories to fuel your workouts.

    Skipping dinner will not automatically put your body in starvation mode. Eating too few calories over a fairly long period of time does that, regardless of when you eat.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Hey guys,
    I've got a quick question for y'all-
    I normally eat a very big portion of my breakfast daily and maybe a mid-sized lunch at around 12 and after lunch I don't eat anything until the next morning. It seems to be helpful to lose some weight so far but it's not fast as I wanted to see. My trainer told me that it'll put my body into a starvation mode so it's not going to help much. Any ideas?

    Forgot to add: I exercise every single day. I do bootcamp three times a day, 1000 jump roping daily zumba every monday.

    The timing of meals you describe above is not a problem if you are still meeting all your nutritional goals, including eating enough calories to fuel your workouts.

    Skipping dinner will not automatically put your body in starvation mode. Eating too few calories over a fairly long period of time does that, regardless of when you eat.

    This ^^^^....also, the word "fast" and words "weight" and "loss" should never be used in the same sentence. Healthy and safe weight loss is SLOW, period.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Depends on how much you're eating otherwise. Getting in your calories? Able to function without dinner? Go for it. Meal timing is irrelevant.

    This.

    If your calorie goal is appropriate and you're meeting it regularly then eat whenever you want.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Skipping dinner won't make you lose more weight. If you aren't hungry later in the day and have consumed your calories earlier in the day than there is no issue. But if you are consuming far too little you need to add that extra meal
  • _Schatzi_
    _Schatzi_ Posts: 112 Member
    I read a really good idea in Bob Harper's book "Skinny Rules"... he suggests not eating carbs for dinner- just a lean meat and veg, and also to go to bed a little hungry. Apparently this helps you burn fat throughout the night, for free.

    Might be an idea you could use. Skipping dinner altogether sounds painful.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    It never ceases to amaze me how uninformed some personal trainers are when it comes to nutrition and eating.

    Eat enough calories a day to fuel yourself and you're golden.

    The next time your PT says "starvation mode," tell him to stick to looking at his watch and counting your reps.
  • MayaSPapaya
    MayaSPapaya Posts: 735 Member
    Starvation mode is when your body is not getting enough calories it needs for nutrition.
    If you meet your calorie goal, and don't eat dinner, you'll be fine. As long as you get in the proper amounts of nutrients, it doesnt matter what time of day you eat them.
    I don't really eat lunch the 3 days a week I'm at school because I don't have time. I usually eat a luna bar or a serving of dried fruit. But when I get home, I make sure I have a filling dinner and fruit later.
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    Get a new trainer.

    When we were evolving out on the African grasslands, our meals weren't perfectly timed.
  • oh_em_gee
    oh_em_gee Posts: 887 Member
    I generally stop eating around 4 or 5 and have no meal that people would call dinner. I find I don't need it. But, I eat 1500 calories a day. I'm not skipping dinner to cut down to an unhealthy level, just passing up extra food I reall don't require

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