Spacing of calories!

nicolemontagna22
nicolemontagna22 Posts: 229 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I eat about 200-300 calories for breakfast. Then for lunch I bring two items totaling 200-250 calories. I have a single item snack at 3 pm about 100 calories then a decent size dinner about 500 calories and another small snack or two. 100 calories each. Instead of eating a big breakfast and two items at lunch would it make a difference if I divided them up an ate every hour? Keeping only dinner as my big meal? What do you do?

Replies

  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    meal timing only effects how full you are throughout the day. i dont eat breakfast, have 3 small meals (300 cals or under) and one large dinner. some people eat one big meal, others eat 5 small ones. its all a matter of preference
  • daynerz
    daynerz Posts: 227 Member
    Its all math Calories in Vs Calories Out

    Your body doesn't care if you stuff it every two hours, at the end of the day, you will still have eaten the same # of calories. Less you Intermittent fast (IF) of course.

    I eat only at night in a 4 hour window ( warrior diet)
    my body burns fat during the day (only available energy source) then I feast at night (still counting calories)

    If you IF there is benefit. But like I said. Its all math.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Meal timing is personal preference, do what works for your lifestyle. I eat 1 or 2 meals a day works great for me, if eating lots of smaller meals works for you that's great. It's all about total calories in vs out. Keep it simple
  • KateK8LoseW8
    KateK8LoseW8 Posts: 824 Member
    My goals are:

    Breakfast 400
    Lunch 500
    Dinner 750
    Evening Snack 250
    Dessert 300

    If I burn more than the 2200 that adds up to, usually dessert gets a bit bigger.
  • nicolemontagna22
    nicolemontagna22 Posts: 229 Member
    Last night I ate around 6 and ate most of my calories before 7pm then I got really hungry around 9 and couldn't feel satisfied. Ate about 450 over my goal. :/
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    It doesn't matter, you should do what makes you happiest.

    I hate mini-meals and have never really snacked (other than when I decided to eat donuts someone brought into the office or that kind of thing, but never out of actual hunger). Therefore, I eat 3 meals. Usually 350-400 calories for breakfast (I get up really early and usually eat an hour or two later), 400-500 calories for lunch, and whatever is left plus maybe dessert for dinner. I also usually eat dinner late (no kids). There's some flexibility in this--on weekends I often have even larger breakfasts and sometimes I feel like a larger lunch or save calories for a special dinner or dinner out.
  • AbsolutelyAnnie
    AbsolutelyAnnie Posts: 2,695 Member
    So much of what we do is a matter of trial and error, learning from others, and doing the best we can.

    How you spread the calories across the day may only make a difference in how you feel hunger wise. But also consider that small meals might not be very satisfying. Remember that there should be a certain amount of pleasure in eating. And a 200-300 calorie breakfast or lunch is barely any food.

    When I get "too" hungry throughout the day, I can be ravenous in the evening. It helps a lot if I make sure that I am getting enough protein in each meal. And I try to have a snack about an hour before dinner. That way I am not over hungry at that meal.

    Go ahead and try eating every hour. See if it helps you to feel better and or stay on track. You may find that it causes you to feel overly fussy. You'll figure it out.

    ((You don't mention your calorie goal or what you are burning. You could be hungry because you are simply not getting enough food if your goal is at 1200 and/or you are not eating back enough calories.))
  • nicolemontagna22
    nicolemontagna22 Posts: 229 Member
    I have two thoughts of what could have happened. I ate 150 calories at dinner of tostitos which aren't a filling food. Or it's because I ate so early. 7pm when I usually eat at 830

    I am at 1290. I burn (according to mfp so it's overestimated) 163 doing 20 minutes of circuit training on jillian michaels ripped in 30. (5xs a week). 1290 was given to me at sedentary wanting to lose .5 a week. If I put lightly active it gives me 50 more at 1340 and was not losing until I bumped it to sedentary. And I haven't been hungry on it until last night. The weird part it those 450 calories were what I felt I needed to eat to feel satisfied. I eat something wait an hour then still be hungry so I'd have more literally saying "I'm sick of eating I just want to sleep". (I can't sleep when hungry)
  • nicolemontagna22
    nicolemontagna22 Posts: 229 Member
    You think 200-300 is low for breakfast? I usually feel satisfied after. I try to go no higher than 300 (at 8am) then lunch is early at 1130 pm and I do 200. Snack of 150ish at 315pm. Those are half of my calories. Then I do dinner at 730 or 830. 400 or 500 calories. Then a last snack of 100-200 calories (depending on what is left over) at 9pm.

    Most people dot snack so much and eat more earlier in the day maybe. But I feel satisfied on the smaller meals and like if I save the calories till the end I earn a snack. It's kind of the only thing that keeps me in check throughout the day. If I eat a lot of calories early on I get discouraged that I don't have as much freedom later on and then I go over to create that freedom.
  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
    It doesn't matter when you eat really. Just do what you feel is best for you.

    I personally can't stand the whole eating small meals every X hours.
    I stuff myself between 6pm and 10pm. But that fits me !
  • AbsolutelyAnnie
    AbsolutelyAnnie Posts: 2,695 Member
    You need to do what works for you. I should have said that 200-300 is not a lot of food for ME for breakfast. Apologies.

    Logging your food in the morning or, better, the night before might be helpful for you to have the assurance that you will have plenty of room at dinner and later in the evening.

    Again, trial and error and you will land on something that works great for you.
  • amberj32
    amberj32 Posts: 663 Member
    You should be fine eating at any time. I have to spread my meals out and eat every couple of hours to keep my blood sugar level since I have type 2 diabetes and I'm on medication for it.

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