Too many calories left at supper, do I try to eat them all?

Synamin
Synamin Posts: 80 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a crazy unpredictable job. While I always pack a healthy lunch and snacks, I often don't get to eat them. I also rarely drink water because I often don't have a clean and safe place to go to the bathroom during the workday.

So in the evening, I'm often left with 600-800 calories and 4-6 glasses of water to get down in order to meet the 1200 calories limit I'm aiming for. I have over 50lbs to lose. It can't be healthy to eat that many calories so late in the day. I'm not sure if I should just eat 400 calories for supper and just stay under my goal or start trying to increase breakfast calories. I've been eating about 300 calories for breakfast. I guess that two 600 calories meals is out of the question?

Replies

  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    When you eat your calories has no effect on weight loss. My dinners are routinely 600 calories or more because that's the big meal in our household.

    Since your schedule is unpredictable and you don't always get to eat lunch, it's perfectly fine to eat a large breakfast and dinner, and have small snacks during the day. This is about doing what works for you. I would double check your calorie intake, 1200 is the absolute lowest limit MFP will allow, and very few people meet that criteria. You can probably eat quite a bit more and still see weight loss.

    This is a good link for info: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • amynoelhall1
    amynoelhall1 Posts: 12 Member
    I tend to eat less during the day, so that I can treat myself with an awesome dinner and sometimes dessert. I usually have 600-800 kcal left before dinner. It hasn't slowed my weight loss to eat this way.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    It's totally fine to eat "that many calories so late in the day" or at any other time of the day for that matter. WHEN you eat matters not. HOW MUCH you eat is what matters. I routinely eat 600+ calorie dinners and quite often another 100-200 after dinner before bed.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    I'm wondering why you don't have a "clean and safe place to go to the bathroom"?
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    600-800 cals isn't a big dinner...

    If eating during the day is unpredictable, I'd definitely increase breakfast too, and have two bigger meals, perhaps including a couple of snacks?
  • Rosannajo88
    Rosannajo88 Posts: 212 Member
    I always save at least 1000 cals for my dinner, love a big hearty meal at the end of the day, so dont worry about eating late, it does you no harm :) x
  • SwankyTomato
    SwankyTomato Posts: 442 Member
    My advice would be to eat if you are hungry. If you are not hungry at the end of the day no need to eat those calories to get it all in.

    You might find that you will eat more breakfast and your snacks at work. Play around with it.
  • laceandbits
    laceandbits Posts: 12
    I'm wondering why you don't have a "clean and safe place to go to the bathroom"?
    [/qusote]

    Perhaps because she doesn't work in an office? Just because she's a she doesn't mean she can't be working on a building site or other out of office activity. And if her places of work are usually male oriented, that could be why the toilet facilities leave a little to be desired.

    The one I have trouble with is this insistence on multiple glasses of water. Most of the medical profession now agree that the human body nearly always knows when it is thirsty and needs liquid. They also agree that liquid going into the body can be in any form - water, soup, fruit, in fact all but dried foods hydrate your body. And they agree that even drinks with caffeine in nearly always give the body more liquid in than their diuretic action will remove, so if you would happily drink a cup of tea rather than water, go ahead. The only exceptions are sometimes with illness or the elderly, where their thirst response is compromised.

    If you don't take enough fluid you will know about it other ways apart from being thirsty. It took me many years to realise that the nights I had leg cramps were the same ones where I'd not had much in the way of liquids during the day. Yesterday was one of those because my car broke down, and I was AA relayed home and I chose not to have as much to drink during the afternoon and evening as I usually would, as in the same way as OP, I wasn't sure when a loo would be available. Today I will consciously drink more and eat moist foods such as soup for lunch.
  • KateK8LoseW8
    KateK8LoseW8 Posts: 824 Member
    It can be perfectly healthy to eat that many calories late in the day. I eat all my calories (1300-1800 depending on exercise) after 6 PM. See my ticker. It's fine. Eat your calories.
  • Synamin
    Synamin Posts: 80 Member
    I would like to thank everyone for their responses. Your support means the world to me. I've increased my calorie intake a bit and feel more energized today. I'm actually really good at losing weight but I've never been good at maintenance. This is the last time I want to do this.

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