Time of day versus when you consume your calories

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I know that the accepted rule is to consume your calories during the day at regular intervals however I find I struggle with this. I find I need to consume half my calories during breakfast, snack and lunch, and save the remaining half for dinner and snacks at the end of the day - is there any advice on choosing this method? Does it really make a difference?

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Replies

  • benw
    benw Posts: 211 Member
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    I try to eat right after a workout, giving my body good protein.
  • melville88
    melville88 Posts: 137
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    I'm a bit like that too- I don't think there is a specific guideline as to when you should eat your calories. If you're hungry then eat I reckon- I tend to have breakfast and a very small lunch and try and save as many calories for dinner and evening snacks as I can. I'm still losing weight so it's all good!!! xxx
  • leanmass24
    leanmass24 Posts: 304 Member
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    I like to eat the most calories at breakfast. but I work nights so my breakfast is between 6-9pm. I usually eat a protien/nutrition bar and a banana when i wake up aroung 2pm .then go to the gym, come home drink a chocolate protien shake around 4pm, get to work for 6pm. eat a big meal and snack between 6-midnight, then between midnight and 3 I eat a small meal and maybe a snack later if i am hungry.
  • renae5
    renae5 Posts: 393 Member
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    Eating throughout the day is supposed to help keep your metabolism at a steady burn, and I really do 'try' to do this. I think what is MOST important is trying to keep your daily calorie intake at a good level and trying to make wise and healthy food decisions. Make the calories (however many there are or when you eat them) count towards making your body healthy!
  • leanmass24
    leanmass24 Posts: 304 Member
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    In theory, it is probably best to eat the most caloires before the work out since that is when you will, be using the most calories, but If you eat a big meal before you work out you probably wont push yourself as hard because you will be full and not feel like working out. That is why I eat my high calorie meal after the workout when your metabolism is still pretty high. On my days off I try to eat calories evenly throughout the day.
  • mab0669
    mab0669 Posts: 29
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    I eat most of my calories at supper time and I've lost consistently. As long as you stay with your calorie goal for the day it doesn't matter what time you eat them at all.
  • thedreamhazer
    thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
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    I read a lot about how you should consume most of your calories at the beginning of the day, and then eat fewer for later meals. However, this simply doesn't work for me. I'm like you: I save about half of my calories until the end of the day. But, I eat the bulk of them at dinner, and then save a bit for an evening snack. I've lost weight consistently doing this.

    (I also make sure that my breakfast and lunch, despite being small and low-cal, are SUBSTANTIAL foods with lots of fiber and protein!)
  • agaw0211
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    In theory, it does not matter at all what time of day you eat the majorityt your calories. Really the only thing that matters is KCALS IN vs. KCALS OUT = WEIGHT LOSS OR WEIGHT GAIN. The reason that its usually a good idea to try to have an even intake of calories throughout the day is so you never really get that "bloated/ tired" feeling that you get your after a big meal. If you get that feeling you will be less motivated and have less energy for movement or a workout during the day. Also, that "bloated/tired" feeling comes from your body having to commit the majority of its blood flow to aid in digestion after a big meal. If you eat smaller meals and snacks then your body will have to commit less blood to digestion and will be able to commit more to your skeletal muscle. If you have more blood flow to your skeletal muscle then you will have more energy for movement. Personally what I do is eat the majority of my calories during the end of the day after I workout. A good rule of thumb is to eat the majority of your calories after your hardest workout of the day. Hope this helps!! Feel free to ask me more questions.

    Thanks Andrew
  • jkapp100
    jkapp100 Posts: 34
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    Thank you so much everyone - all your advice helps put me at ease.

    I really appreciate your knowledge and this community feel......will be sending a friend request your way :)
  • LaChanchita
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    I do the reverse to all of you , I have many doctors and dieticians, and they ALL have said the same thing to me, that the meals should decrease in size and caloric value, for example, I have a large breakfast, and medium size lunch and a very small dinner.

    For me this works very well for the following reasons,

    1. In the morning our bodies need to wake up and needs enegry! for brain function, bowl movement, and stamina through out the day. I could not loose because I would eat a smaller breakfast and medium lunch, and bulk up all the rest of the calories at dinner time, thus this leads me to my next point.
    2. When we sleep our bodies are at rest mode, if we eat alot of foods, and or most of our calories at night, then we go to bed a few hours later, our metabolic rate slows down, and we have all this food just 'there' in our bodies.

    So I have the largest meal of my day in the morning, sometimes, as I have been doing in the last few days, I have a medium meal in the morning (because I have been feeling a little sick in the mornings) and I have a medium to large lunch, and a very small dinner (with almost no carb intake)

    This has worked tremendously well for me, and many other people I know.

    I hope this helps.
  • weelissa
    weelissa Posts: 89 Member
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    I'm exactly the same! Half my calories for breakfast, morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack, then half my calories at night for my dinner and evening snack. I don't eat massive portions for dinner, but I usually find that 'dinner foods' have higher caloric contents. Although it works for me, I'm trying to evenly distribute them now to see if it makes a difference. I'm a big loser and it didn't affect my loss so I wouldn't worry too much about it.
  • Kate_UK
    Kate_UK Posts: 1,299 Member
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    Now I know that this is not the best way to loose weight and that I am going to get shot down in flames for saying it. But I am NOT a breakfast person. If I try to eat before 11 at the earliest then I feel awful. I don't recommend that anyone skips breakfast, but I just cant eat it. So instead if I'm in work (and therefore up earlier) I have a yogurt at 10:30, if not I have lunch at 12, a small meal at 4pm with my toddler and then my dinner at 7:30ish once she is in bed and then I snack throughout the evening. I stick to my cals and so far its worked for me. I think you have to go with the way that YOUR body is programmed not what the experts recommend. Just my 2penny (C) worth.
  • Holton
    Holton Posts: 1,018
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    My goal is to eat over 1/2 my calories before 3pm each day (not necessarily very successful at this though); this includes breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks. Typically when I am successful at doing this, I find that I really am not hungry (not that doesn't mean I still don't eat when at home alone, ha ha!) in the evening hours. I have found for me spreading my food out over 5-6 meal periods works best for me, whereas I used to skip breakfast, eat lunch and then pack in the food all night long when I got home after work. I do think it is key to find what works for you.
  • wlkn4him
    wlkn4him Posts: 28 Member
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    A book I recently read (either "YOU on a Diet" or "The Best Life Diet") said to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. I've had to rearrange my intake around a bit but the pounds are coming off way faster, especially when I stay out of the kitchen a few hours before bed. It's been an adjustment but well worth retraining my body to be in control. Hope this helps. Good luck!
  • jsecret
    jsecret Posts: 606 Member
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    I try to get a good 300 calories in for breakfast then a small early lunch, a small later lunch, and a minimal calorie dinner (again around 300). I just don't feel comfortable knowing I'm eating a ton of calories for dinner and then going to bed shortly after to let them sit all night. Of course there are times when it happens but I try my best not to.
  • LaChanchita
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    Now I know that this is not the best way to loose weight and that I am going to get shot down in flames for saying it. But I am NOT a breakfast person. If I try to eat before 11 at the earliest then I feel awful. I don't recommend that anyone skips breakfast, but I just cant eat it. So instead if I'm in work (and therefore up earlier) I have a yogurt at 10:30, if not I have lunch at 12, a small meal at 4pm with my toddler and then my dinner at 7:30ish once she is in bed and then I snack throughout the evening. I stick to my cals and so far its worked for me. I think you have to go with the way that YOUR body is programmed not what the experts recommend. Just my 2penny (C) worth.

    Wow , I was the same, I could not stomach breakfast AT ALL, never ever. If i ate in the mornings I would feel so horribly ill and sometimes even throw it all up by lunch time. This was hard for me to overcome.

    I tried everything to begin losing the weight, and nothing was working, so I was sent to specialists and dieticians, and had a few tests done, and all concluded that I HAD to eat breakfast. So I had to start. I tried for too many years to loose weight with how MY body is programmed, and MY way and my bodies own programing was the reason I was still obese.

    Not all experts talk rubbish, and after seeing so many, you kinda come to see which ones are baloney and which ones are not.

    Alot of the weightloss drop for me has been a combination of a few things, when I have learned to eat at the right times, the right amounts, the right foods and the right amount of physical activity. I had to learn to eat in the mornings in order to kick my body into wake up mode.

    Though, I know not everyone is the same, and well it may be safe to say that, the doctors I have been to have treated me as an individual, looked at the way my body was programmed, and worked out what was wrong with that programing, and I worked very hard to fix it, and now I eat breakfast every single morning, and have lost 20 kilos in about 4 months.

    But everyone is different.
  • jkapp100
    jkapp100 Posts: 34
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    It has been wonderful hearing all these stories, this kind of info is just like the best kind of motivation for me and everyone seems to have found what works for them and the best bit - ITS ALL DIFFERENT :)