How do you spread out your calories?

Options
stevepax
stevepax Posts: 86 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I mean, how much do you eat for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks?

I see so many people who put together a decent, healthy lunch for 350 calories or so. But I'm noticing that if I eat a 300 calorie breakfast, a 300 calorie lunch, and a 500 calorie dinner, that leaves me a whole ton of other calories I need to eat in order to keep from starving to death, or from passing out at the gym from not eating enough.

So lately, I'm trying to do about this:

300 Breakfast
500 lunch
500 dinner
500 snacks (usually 2 or 3 throughout the day)

How do you spread your calories to make sure you aren't left with a ton at the end of the day you can't eat?
«1

Replies

  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Options
    I do:

    0 calorie breakfast
    1000 calorie lunch
    1000 calorie dinner
    0 calorie snacks

    I'm never hungry until around 11 or 12 so I never eat breakfast. I don't find the need to snack because my lunch and dinner is so big.
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
    Options
    Until this week, when I've gone to a rather radical cyclical ketogenic diet, I had tried to spread my calories out fairly evenly throughout the day in 5-6 mini-meals. Somewhere between 250-400 calories at a time. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less, but my body got used to being fed very regularly and my metabolism really did speed up. I was never hungry (not that I am now but this is not the norm).
  • michellechawner
    michellechawner Posts: 892
    Options
    I'm changing mine up at the moment because of doctor recommendation... i'm doing about

    300 cal breakfast
    200 cal snack
    300-400 cal lunch
    200-300 cal snack
    400 cal dinner

    the lunch and snack gives me 200 leeway for night snack.

    I need to eat smaller meals because of digestive tract issues, so I'm trying to break it down throughout the day more evenly.

    I used to do:
    200 cal breakfast
    600 cal lunch
    200 cal snack
    400 cal dinner
  • jojeh2011
    jojeh2011 Posts: 46 Member
    Options
    mine is something like:
    200 calorie breakfast - 9am
    500 calorie lunch - 12pm
    200 calorie snack - 2pm
    200 calorie snack - 5pm
    400 calorie dinner - 7pm
    200 calorie snack - 9pm
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Options
    Until this week, when I've gone to a rather radical cyclical ketogenic diet, I had tried to spread my calories out fairly evenly throughout the day in 5-6 mini-meals. Somewhere between 250-400 calories at a time. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less, but my body got used to being fed very regularly and my metabolism really did speed up. I was never hungry (not that I am now but this is not the norm).

    Your metabolism did not speed up...
  • KimJohnsonsmile
    KimJohnsonsmile Posts: 222 Member
    Options
    I don't plan my meals around the calorie count, but I've been faithfully logging for about a year and a half and I'd say that I pretty consistently do 350/breakfast, 400/lunch, 400-500/dinner, and then a couple low-cal snacks throughout the day. It's worked well for me so far.
  • khannickwechanged
    khannickwechanged Posts: 77 Member
    Options
    I am currently eating 1200/day and trying to work up to my TDEE of 1900. Currently, I aim to follow this:

    6 am Breakfast: 200
    12 pm Lunch: 300
    6 pm Dinner: 500
    9 am and 3 pm Snacks: 100 each

    I'll probably add a little to everything except dinner as I bump up my intake. And I never end up eating EXACTLY that number of calories, just a rough guide to keep things in check.
  • shaleyn
    shaleyn Posts: 125 Member
    Options
    Couple hundred for breakfast, anywhere from 300-500 for lunch, then about a thousand for dinner and beyond, depending on what my all-knowing fitbit says when I sync it after getting home from work.
  • seniorbug2003
    seniorbug2003 Posts: 67 Member
    Options
    I am aiming for 2000 a day.
    I know my breakfast is 250-300 depending on what I choice (I have 3 go to breakfasts)
    Then try to stay under 600 for lunch.
    I know my dinner is going to be large my husband is a great cook so I budget if for 1000 each day.
    Anything I have left I put in some to snacks.
  • pbsilva1968
    pbsilva1968 Posts: 5
    Options
    I divide my calories by 4 and stick close to that. 1/4th for each meal, then another 1/4th to use for snacks.
  • pippywillow
    pippywillow Posts: 253 Member
    Options
    I don't think too much about how I divide my calories, and there's probably a better way.
    Usually it ends up being:
    100-200 breakfast
    100 snack
    300-400 lunch
    100 snack
    400 supper
    100-300 dessert
    I like ice cream :laugh:
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Options
    Usually:

    300-400 Cal breakfast
    300-400 Cal lunch
    300-400 Cal dinner
    300-400 Cal dessert *yeah, that's right, I have my cake and eat it too :tongue:*

    Lately, because I have three fine dining special occasions coming up in the next two weeks (one is tonight) and I'm saving Cals so I can enjoy without feeling guilty or having to compensate after the fact:

    100-200 Cal breakfast
    400 Cal lunch
    400 Cal dinner
    100-200 Cal dessert
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    Options
    Generally speaking, I have:

    300-400 cal breakfast
    400-500 cal lunch
    400-500 cal dinner
    100-200 cal snack (in just one snack, sometimes in the evening if I am under on calories by quite a bit but sometimes it's "dessert" eaten directly after lunch)
  • kjoy_
    kjoy_ Posts: 316 Member
    Options
    I'm on 1200 because I'm short but usually

    Bfast: 200
    Lunch: 300
    Dinner: 500
    Snacks: 200
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    Options
    My only criteria for that is convenience and what I'm in the mood for at the moment. Sometimes the main meal is in the middle of the day, sometimes at night, anywhere between 2 and 9 p.m. Sometimes the main cal intake is at breakfast. The only thing I pay any attention to is total calories at the end of the day. I'm set at 1700 but always eat less than that, sometimes a little less, sometimes a lot, depending mostly (again) on what is convenient.
  • Nefetete
    Nefetete Posts: 343 Member
    Options
    I eat anywhere between 1700 to 1900 a day and here is how most of my days look like.

    0 Breakfast ( ok 10 cals for coffee x 2 haha)
    300 -500 2pm lunch
    100 - Snack
    800 - 7pm dinner
    500 - Evening snacks (usually after dinner)

    I am never hungry in the mornings and its always go go. However I spend time w family in the evenings and its usually lots of food. So customized my calories to fit my lifestyle even if that means eating at midnight :))
  • PippiNe
    PippiNe Posts: 283 Member
    Options
    I am eating 1200 - 1350 calories a day:

    Breakfast: 325
    Lunch: 425
    Supper: 450-550
    Pre or Post workout snack: 100 (usually a yogurt or cheese stick)
  • Tony_Brewski
    Tony_Brewski Posts: 1,376 Member
    Options
    I mean, how much do you eat for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks?

    I see so many people who put together a decent, healthy lunch for 350 calories or so. But I'm noticing that if I eat a 300 calorie breakfast, a 300 calorie lunch, and a 500 calorie dinner, that leaves me a whole ton of other calories I need to eat in order to keep from starving to death, or from passing out at the gym from not eating enough.

    So lately, I'm trying to do about this:

    300 Breakfast
    500 lunch
    500 dinner
    500 snacks (usually 2 or 3 throughout the day)

    How do you spread your calories to make sure you aren't left with a ton at the end of the day you can't eat?

    Yes please do what everyone else does because that is exactly what will work for you. Find what fits your style and go with it. Some people need bigger breakfasts and smaller lunches or visa versa. Find what fits you.
  • Ajjf
    Ajjf Posts: 27
    Options


    Yes please do what everyone else does because that is exactly what will work for you.... Find what fits you.

    Totally. My spread usually varies depending on the structure of my day. After breakfast all bets are off. and if I find myself at a deficit at the end of the day and I'm not hungry? To heck with it. I'm not going to eat just for the sake of it if my body doesn't need it.

Categories