How to Ration Calories

AMANDAJOY1104
AMANDAJOY1104 Posts: 36 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I want to stick with 1400-1500 calories per day.. I eat breakfast, lunch, (sometimes a snack here), dinner, (and usually a snack here)... How many calories should be in each meal/snack.

I'm not looking for a "dead set" answer... Just ideas.

Replies

  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    Have as many calories in each meal or snack that you want.

    Spread them throughout the day if you want. Some people have more calories in the earlier part of the day because that's when they are most hungry. Some save most, if not all of their calories for later in the day when they want more food.

    It all depends on what works best for you and your schedule

    If my husband if off work and we have a nice breakfast.. a good chunk of my calories will be eaten than with less later in the day. Some days we go out for dinner or go see friends where we have a few drinks so I eat lighter during the day to have calories for later at night. My calories and how they are spread out throughout the day depends on schedule, how hungry I am and what I have at home.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Pre-enter your day and see how it looks. Then if it's too much see where you can shave.
  • jzebracki
    jzebracki Posts: 112 Member
    What works best for me is:

    300 for breakfast
    100 for mid-morning snack
    400 for lunch
    500 for dinner
    100 for evening snack
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
    Have as many calories in each meal or snack that you want.

    Spread them throughout the day if you want. Some people have more calories in the earlier part of the day because that's when they are most hungry. Some save most, if not all of their calories for later in the day when they want more food.

    It all depends on what works best for you and your schedule

    ^^^^ this really, some will tell you that eating 5 times day, little & often, is a must and you will surely die if you do not follow their dogma, others will say you must have breakfast " to kick start metabolism" , with same dire result if you do not follow their mantra

    There is no magic, do what suits you and your life, the body does not have an inbuilt Swiss watch to regulate what you must have, go by your own schedule
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    Some people like to eat one meal a day, some people eat two in a 4 or 8 hour window, some people eat 5 or 6 snacky meals. Up to you, really.
  • cindylu35
    cindylu35 Posts: 43 Member
    Every day will change, but try to get most of your calories in with breakfast & lunch. Everyone is different and since you're just starting, it will change in time to what works best for you!

    I personally plan out my meals before I eat/prepare them and then the calories change as the meal ends. LOL

    Sending encouragement!!! :)
  • TracyJo93
    TracyJo93 Posts: 197 Member
    I log before I eat, that way I'm prepared.

    Generally, you'll want to eat a lot of calories at breakfast, less at lunch, and the fewest at dinner. Fruits make great snacks during the day :)
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    Enter everything the night before, and tweak it 'til it works.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    I have renamed my meals with target goals. For example

    Breakfast - 300
    Lunch - 700
    Snack - 200
    Dinner 850

    That way I have better feedback about how "on track" I am throughout the day. For example, if I have a 500 cal breakfast, I need to shave off 100 calories for lunch and have a banana as a snack, because otherwise dinner is going to be a struggle.
  • laceylucas86
    laceylucas86 Posts: 120
    Pre-enter your day and see how it looks. Then if it's too much see where you can shave.

    this!! that's how I roll :)
  • rahlpn
    rahlpn Posts: 551 Member
    I tend to go light for breakfast and lunch (200-300), have 3-4 snacks a day so about 400 calories goes to that then I have around 500 or so left for dinner depending on how much I burn during my workout.
  • TorrizzleWillSizzle
    TorrizzleWillSizzle Posts: 119 Member
    Check out my diary :) Im at 1535 but usually come in around 1500 or so and my stuff is pretty spread out :)
  • sylv1979
    sylv1979 Posts: 44 Member
    I have 200ish breakfast
    300ish lunch
    400-500 dinner and 400 usually on snacks throughout the day! Love my snacks :)

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