How do you split your daily calorie allowance?

flow2512
flow2512 Posts: 74 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I was wondering how everyone, splits their calories up between meals and snacks, mine - I try and have breakfast - 250 calories, lunch - 350 calories, tea - 450 calories then the rest on snacks throughout the day.
What is yours?

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I don't purposefully split my calories ...

    I plan my meals around my protien and calories...log what I want to eat for the day (or for a couple of days) and adjust as necessary to get my protien in...

    I don't see the point of allocating specific calories by meals...some days I am more hungry in the morning so I eat up to 800 for breakfast..other days not so much so I have 350...

    Lunch and dinner same thing...
  • Spooky_Scully
    Spooky_Scully Posts: 73 Member
    I generally do the opposite - love my big breakfasts, medium lunches and then have a smaller dinner. I allow myself snacks whenever I need them throughout the day - and a large portion of my allowance is saved up for snacks! :laugh: That being said, I'm a shift worker (a nurse), so sometimes I'm having dinner for breakfast, lunch at midnight, or don't even get a meal break! So I've learnt to just kinda go with it, as long as I reach my macros and calories!

    I've had to work out systems that work for me. But different systems work for different people, and there is no right or wrong way of splitting up your calories! Find what works for you :)
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    I just eat whenever I'm hungry, but I try to leave 600-700 calories for the evening because I know I get hungriest after a workout.
  • wannakimmy
    wannakimmy Posts: 488 Member
    I don't generally split mine any one way.
  • lemur_lady
    lemur_lady Posts: 350 Member
    I dont split it the same everyday exactly but I do tend to have a small breakfast leading up to a big dinner.

    Its usually around 250 for breakfast, 600 for lunch, up to 1000 for dinner then a few hundred for snacks.
  • jbee27
    jbee27 Posts: 356 Member
    I try to split evenly. . 400 breakfast, 400, lunch, 400 dinner, 400 for snacks (usually one mid-morning, one mid-afternoon).

    If I don't hit the spread everyday, it's not a big deal, but I find that it keeps my energy and hunger levels somewhat even throughout the day. I used to be a big snacker in the evening, and I think it was because I wasn't eating enough throughout the day.
  • momofgilliam4
    momofgilliam4 Posts: 43
    Totally depends on the day. I try and leave myself about 500 calories for dinner, but sometimes a big lunch or breakfast causes me to readjust. I am more strict about the times that I eat rather than the breakdown of calories or nutrients.
  • gsgitu
    gsgitu Posts: 118 Member
    500 lunch
    1250 dinner
  • KayBallin
    KayBallin Posts: 111 Member
    Took me some trial and error to figure it out, but I am much more satisfied when I have a big breakfast, then lunch, then small snack, and a lite dinner.

    My breakfast ranges from 450-600 calories.
  • xdinmammasMFPx
    xdinmammasMFPx Posts: 10
    Very light breakfast (less than 150 cals), around 500 for dinner and then a whooping 500-1000 for evening meal. I take medications in the evening that trigger my hunger something fierce, so I need those calories at the end of the day.
  • eddiesmith1
    eddiesmith1 Posts: 1,550 Member
    I don't specifically split but most days i end up with 230-300 breakfast 450-600 lunch 450-650 dinner and snacks for the rest (after exercise i target about 1600-1700 calories - i don't much worry about going over on any single day I just make sure my week is on track and If I need to I do some more exercise)
  • BenPVolk
    BenPVolk Posts: 22 Member
    I eat between 70 and 150 calories for breakfast, up to 260 for lunch, and 120 for dinner. Most of my calories come from the two to three snacks between meals, each of which is about 100 calories. I try the best I can to gets carbs from breakfast to lunch, and proteins from lunch to dinner and to maintain between 1200 to 1300 calories per day. My goal is to never feel full, nor hungry.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    Breakfast 200-700
    Lunch 300- 700
    Dinner 500- 1000

    Just depends on how I feel, but I nearly always have most calories for dinner.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Weekdays:

    Breakfast 150-250
    Lunch 350-500
    Dinner 500-700

    Weekends: (more exercise)

    Breakfast 300-500
    Lunch 400-500
    Dinner 600-900

    ETA: I don't really do snacks at all. If I do, they're tacked onto my meals and included in the calories. For example today I'm going out to lunch and getting a 440 calorie entrée and then having 70 cal of cocoa almonds in the afternoon = 510 cal "lunch"
  • captainheadkick
    captainheadkick Posts: 27 Member
    I'm new to this food tracking thing so this is an interesting topic to me. So far I'm not worried about calories per meal. I'm trying to focus on daily total calories while hitting the right split of 40% protein / 30% carb / 30% fat. I'm finding that to be a challenge, and I think it's going to force me to find new foods to try, which is hard because I'm a classic meat and potato guy and a compulsive over-eater and deranged sugar junkie.
  • xero2099
    xero2099 Posts: 49 Member
    I like to have a small breakfast other than that i dont split it that much i just try to have a few hundred left after after dinner in case I want to have a few beers
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
    I don't really plan out calories either. I mean I know what I am going to eat for breakfast/lunch since I take it to work with me. But I really don't have a set schedule.

    On the weekends, I like to eat a nice big brunch because breakfast is my favorite meal....

    It really depends on the days and your schedule .... don't get too obsessive about it.

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