Does portion size still matter if you're under your cals?

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lemonsurprise
lemonsurprise Posts: 255 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
From going from 5000 cals a day, I'm now doing up to 1,200 and just finding it surprisingly easy. I'm actually enjoying it and the guilt of logging a chocolate bar is way more than it's worth. I think part of the reason that I'm finding it is also that I'm still having big-ish meals. I wouldn't say big enough to fill a plate but certainly not small.
Everybody says you should eat little and often to loose weight but I'm eating all my calories in 2 meals, lunch and dinner. Would spreading them all out have more benefits?

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  • AvonBell
    AvonBell Posts: 107 Member
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    For weightloss, only calories in/calories out matter. Frequency of meals and portion size don't matter if you are tracking calories. That said, it's important to remain flexible and not get to attached to two meals per day because this is (hopefully) the rest of your life.
  • cuckoo_jenibeth
    cuckoo_jenibeth Posts: 1,434 Member
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    Nope. Timing has no effect on weight loss. Eat your allotted calories in the way that best works for you! ????
  • bethanyka
    bethanyka Posts: 159 Member
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    for ME, maybe not everyone... I am totally with you - i would rather have 2 larger meals than a bunch of little ones.

    you will get a lot of input on here in agreement- eating more times/ not eating after certain hours does not equal successful weight loss.

    I have learned that for me... having a satisfying meal, is a key to not depriving myself. if you are satisfied/ happy/ enjoying your meal... you won't be picking and cruising the cupboard for what else is available . for me, it can help avoid binges and losing control.
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
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    I only have 3 or 4 meals a day, usually. Bigger meals keep me more satiated than smaller. Everyone has their own preference. Timing and frequency is all personal preference.

    That said, why would logging a chocolate bar make you feel guilty?
  • theotherblackguy
    theotherblackguy Posts: 19
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    I'm exactly the same, gone from around 3000 a day to 950-1200 a day & as you said I'm finding it very easy.

    Also only having lunch & dinner due to the time I'm awake. So a lunch around 2pm, dinner around 7.30 & little healthy snacks in between.
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
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    Why is everyone eating so little? Serious question.
  • Siigh_duck
    Siigh_duck Posts: 161 Member
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    I usually have a teeny breakfast and then have most of my cals in 2 meals, it's all good :) and yummier that way
  • theotherblackguy
    theotherblackguy Posts: 19
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    @BombshellPho

    I was on 850 to start with & realized that was too little, then went to about 1000, now about 1200, If I feel full I stop eating, no point in making myself feel sick in order to get extra calories in.
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
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    @BombshellPho

    I was on 850 to start with & realized that was too little, then went to about 1000, now about 1200, If I feel full I stop eating, no point in making myself feel sick in order to get extra calories in.

    Seriously? Then maybe you need more calorie dense foods avacado, nuts, whole milk, quinoa, peanut butter, ice cream, a cookie?

    You may not feel bad at first, your body is very good at adaptation, that doesn't mean it's necessarily a good thing, or that you're getting proper nutrition. With only 1k or even 1200, it's very difficult to get adequate nutrition, let alone depending on your stats, you could be risking muscle loss in the process.

    I'm 5'3.5" 120 lbs and female and lose at around 2000. If I were sedentary, I'd still lose a decent amount at 1650.

    I'm assuming the goal is fat loss and not muscle loss. But again, only assuming
  • lemonsurprise
    lemonsurprise Posts: 255 Member
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    I don't know why I feel guilty really, and have actually questioned whether that feeling is a healthy one?! Does anyone else have the same thing? I'll happily eat 350 cals in roasted chickpeas, just not chocolate or crisps etc.
    It's keeping me really motivated though. I'm lazy on the exercise front, and not eating chocolate is a good thing, plus I'm in the transition to vegan (ethical reasons, not health) so it seems to be best for me.
  • bethanyka
    bethanyka Posts: 159 Member
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    that is "diet" thinking
    that food is either "good" or "bad"
    No food is bad! Calories!
  • JeralynSh
    JeralynSh Posts: 139 Member
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    Nope. Timing has no effect on weight loss. Eat your allotted calories in the way that best works for you! ????

    Yeah ^ that.

    I'm finding that a small breakfast, small lunch, teeny mid-afternoon snack, and most of my allotted calories at suppertime works for me. I eat back SOME of my exercise calories, but often not, because I'm just not hungry. I'm now eating to fuel myself and not just eating for the sake of eating.

    Eat to live; don't live to eat.
  • elliotg06
    elliotg06 Posts: 7
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    meal timing has nothing to do with body composition.
    When you said you went from 5,000 calories a day to 1,200, thats WAY to big of a cut in calories. (unless I read it wrong) For example if you were eating and maintaing around 5,000 calories and wanted to start losing weight I would have you start at around 4,500 calories
  • lemonsurprise
    lemonsurprise Posts: 255 Member
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    Well, a Saturday would be 5,000. I suppose a weekday would average out to about 4,000. I literally had no idea either until I worked it out on MFP, I was horrified.
    1,200 seems to be working ok for me for now, what are the signs that it wouldn't be? And how come it's too much of a drop? I was getting nearly all my calories from full fat mayo and chocolate, completely cut them out and I've been left with about 1,200 cals, would this still mean it's unhealthy?
  • marcellomoo
    marcellomoo Posts: 107 Member
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    As others have said, meal timing/ calorie distribution has no real impact.

    Why do you feel guilty logging a chocolate bar? I log all manner of sweets, desserts and pastries and put chocolate chips on my cereal. I eat my 1550, lost 3lbs in the last 7 days and have hit my macro goals for the week dead on 45c/30f/25p with reasonable micros. You can make it work.
  • vegaspfmf
    vegaspfmf Posts: 40 Member
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    read up on intermittent fasting.
  • lemonsurprise
    lemonsurprise Posts: 255 Member
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    I think by saying "guilty" it's made it sound like I have some inner battle every time I see a chocolate bar! It's not like that at all. The thought process goes from "should I eat it?" To "I don't want to log it" to "no" and it's as easy as that.
    Before I've said to my parter that there can't be chocolate in the house, he can't eat it in front of me or even mention it and now I'm just so fine with it. When he was stuffing a chocolate muffin in his mouth the other day I almost felt smug about how fine I felt!
  • lemonsurprise
    lemonsurprise Posts: 255 Member
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    read up on intermittent fasting.

    This is exactly what I wanted to hear! And I was convinced someone was going to say about skipping breakfast, I am SO happy to read that breakfast isn't a must after always hearing (but never abiding) that it is with dieting.
  • theotherblackguy
    theotherblackguy Posts: 19
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    I never eat breakfast & am losing weight fairly quickly, wouldn't worry about it too much.

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