Has anyone tried having small dinners ?

Baileysgirl6
Baileysgirl6 Posts: 10
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
I typically like to have my largest meal at dinner. 1 maybe 2 day out of the week I eat out w/ friends at dinner. My problem is that lunch and dinner were both ending up large! I've known a couple of people who have told me they eat their smallest meal at night for dinner and they've lost weight/kept it off. Anyone else take this approach at eating?

I am thinking of cereal w/ almond milk and strawberries for dinner prob around 250 cals max. So I will eat most of my calories at breakfast/lunch. Am I setting myself up for disaster? I am thinking I'll be hungry but if I eat most of my calories prior to that, maybe not?
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Replies

  • jr235
    jr235 Posts: 201 Member
    My biggest meal has always been dinner and I've never had trouble keeping weight off or losing weight when I have my act together. Meaning I'm exercising and not eating too many calories throughout the day.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Meal timing is personal preference. Do whatever you feel is going to help you achieve your goal.

    ETA: Play around with the amount of calories in each meal and find which approach will work better for you.
  • FrankiesSaysRelax
    FrankiesSaysRelax Posts: 403 Member
    My biggest meal has always been dinner and I've never had trouble keeping weight off or losing weight when I have my act together. Meaning I'm exercising and not eating too many calories throughout the day.

    Same.
  • SkinnyMsFitness
    SkinnyMsFitness Posts: 389 Member
    I typically like to have my largest meal at dinner. 1 maybe 2 day out of the week I eat out w/ friends at dinner. My problem is that lunch and dinner were both ending up large! I've known a couple of people who have told me they eat their smallest meal at night for dinner and they've lost weight/kept it off. Anyone else take this approach at eating?

    I am thinking of cereal w/ almond milk and strawberries for dinner prob around 250 cals max. So I will eat most of my calories at breakfast/lunch. Am I setting myself up for disaster? I am thinking I'll be hungry but if I eat most of my calories prior to that, maybe not?

    Ideally, breakfast should be the biggest, lunch a little smaller and dinner the smallest. Try eating a healthy, more fulfilling lunch...i.e. chicken!! You'll feel soo full during the day, you couldn't possibly eat a huge dinner!! I know this is difficult b/c I struggle with it too! My dinners are usually the biggest, but that's not ideal. If you cannot avoid large dinners, eat small breakfasts and lunches...that's what I've been doing...and drink plenty of water!
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
    Experiment until you find something that works for you ....... that's the beauty of this :drinker:
  • fourfiftythree
    fourfiftythree Posts: 203 Member
    I tend to eat light during the day and eat a big, hearty dinner. If I only had 250 cals for dinner, I would essentially be going to bed hungry - and I would feel over stuffed during the day trying to make other meals larger. But that is just me. No harm in experimenting and finding what best suits your lifestyle.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    I typically like to have my largest meal at dinner. 1 maybe 2 day out of the week I eat out w/ friends at dinner. My problem is that lunch and dinner were both ending up large! I've known a couple of people who have told me they eat their smallest meal at night for dinner and they've lost weight/kept it off. Anyone else take this approach at eating?

    I am thinking of cereal w/ almond milk and strawberries for dinner prob around 250 cals max. So I will eat most of my calories at breakfast/lunch. Am I setting myself up for disaster? I am thinking I'll be hungry but if I eat most of my calories prior to that, maybe not?

    Ideally, breakfast should be the biggest, lunch a little smaller and dinner the smallest. Try eating a healthy, more fulfilling lunch...i.e. chicken!! You'll feel soo full during the day, you couldn't possibly eat a huge dinner!! I know this is difficult b/c I struggle with it too! My dinners are usually the biggest, but that's not ideal. If you cannot avoid large dinners, eat small breakfasts and lunches...that's what I've been doing...and drink plenty of water!

    Actually, some people practice intermittent fasting and do not eat breakfast at all. So, no, breakfast does not have to be the biggest meal of the day and yes, dinner can be the biggest meal of the day.
  • Tum22
    Tum22 Posts: 102 Member
    Its OK but what if you eat a big bf and lunch and then lose willpower and still eat the big dinner!? I also think a big dinner helps one sleep better at night.
  • lorenzovonmatterhorn7549
    lorenzovonmatterhorn7549 Posts: 495 Member
    Yes, I eat small meals throughout the day. I'm very happy with it and am consistently losing weight.
  • bound4beauty
    bound4beauty Posts: 274 Member
    It's calories in vs calories out. It doesn't matter what time of the day you eat. That's just another gimmick to sell diet books. Do what works for you and learn to be flexible. If you know you're going out for dinner then have a smaller lunch so you have extra calories for dinner.
  • curly1986
    curly1986 Posts: 98 Member
    Dinner is my biggest meal. I tend to eat out of boredom and if I am sitting at night after my daughter has gone to bed I can get bored. So if I eat a nice big dinner (anywhere from 700-1000 cals of my 1500 allowance) I'm not interested in eating later on. But if you're not a night time snacker/grazer that might not be an issue for you. I also dont like going about my day feeling full, so prefer to eat a bit lighter during the day. You have to do whats best for you and what you think works for you.
  • HeyGoRun
    HeyGoRun Posts: 550 Member
    think about like this what are you gonna be doing in the next 3 hours? If sleeping then smaller meal if being active then bigger meal.
  • Nachise
    Nachise Posts: 395 Member
    My breakfast tends to be one of my larger meals. For me, personally, it curbs a lot of urges and cravings. Lunch the smallest, and to appease my husband, dinner is a close contender to breakfast. There are some days that dinner does tend to be the smallest. This works for me. I cannot guarantee that it works for everyone.
  • FerretBuellerr
    FerretBuellerr Posts: 468 Member
    I've heard from friends (but never looked up any information on it to see if it's accurate or not, and the consensus on MFP is very divided) that it depends on what time you eat dinner, not necessarily how much. I've been told not to eat anything after 5 or 6 pm (which is pretty much impossible right now due to my schedule), so then your body uses up the calories you've eaten rather than eating a meal right before bed and your body digesting but not really burning anything.

    That being said, I think a big meal at dinner is okay, but only if you are up for enough hours after you eat. My meals of the day are fairly even calorie wise, but I try to eat heavy for breakfast - I hear a LOT of people on here say you don't need to eat breakfast, but I find if I eat a large breakfast in the morning, it gives me more energy and I don't need to eat as heavy or as much through the day.
  • carefulkate
    carefulkate Posts: 34 Member
    There is research to suuport all of the things on here i.e some people say breakfast should be biggest meal but just recently research showed it made no difference I think it is all about finding what works for once you get that sorted the weight will come off
    Good luck x
  • sealevels
    sealevels Posts: 123
    I'm an early morning exerciser, so I hate having anything in my stomach when I run/work out. I've tried - my stomach is killing me afterward. So I eat a hearty dinner the night before. I usually have no problem completing my workouts with energy.

    I have a big dinner because I'm not usually hungry in the early hours. I have been trying, however, to make my breakfasts larger as well as my lunches.
  • HotAshMess
    HotAshMess Posts: 382 Member
    I've always wanted to, but honestly....I like to sleep in and it makes it very tricky.
  • lambchristie
    lambchristie Posts: 552 Member
    I typically like to have my largest meal at dinner. 1 maybe 2 day out of the week I eat out w/ friends at dinner. My problem is that lunch and dinner were both ending up large! I've known a couple of people who have told me they eat their smallest meal at night for dinner and they've lost weight/kept it off. Anyone else take this approach at eating?

    I am thinking of cereal w/ almond milk and strawberries for dinner prob around 250 cals max. So I will eat most of my calories at breakfast/lunch. Am I setting myself up for disaster? I am thinking I'll be hungry but if I eat most of my calories prior to that, maybe not?

    I find I need to spread out my calories throughout the day, 3 larger type meals and then snacks in between or I get to hungry. I would not be satisfied with a 250 calorie dinner because I work out 5 mornings a week PLUS 3 to 4 nights a week and I am super hungry after working out.

    Each person and body is different like many others have stated ... experience with what works for you and then stick to it! :wink:
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
    Yes, I eat small meals throughout the day. I'm very happy with it and am consistently losing weight.
    ^^^ Yup. Right there with you. I try to keep them fairly close to even all throughout the day.
  • horrorstory
    horrorstory Posts: 125 Member
    I eat a very small dinner. Usually a protein shake with banana, and then some sort of small snack a little later in the evening. It works great for me because Im more active during the day, and not very active in the evening.

    You just have to find whatever works for you!
    :)
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