How many calories at one meal should you eat?

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  • alisiaendris
    alisiaendris Posts: 213 Member
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    Typically:
    Breakfast 200-300
    Snack 100-200
    Lunch 300-400
    Snack 100-200
    Dinner 400-500
    Snack 100-200

    So... 1200-1800 cal.

    I am working on maintaining now, so I strive for the higher end and may tuck in some extra calories at the end of the day to get closer to the higher end. When I was at 1200 I did stay with the lower cal intake for each 'meal'. I do find that 6 'meals' per day works best for me.
  • Luv2ChewBaca
    Luv2ChewBaca Posts: 15 Member
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    I think it would not matter how much you eat per meal as long as you do not go over your daily goal. However, that can cange if you have a workout that requires you to fuel up in adavance. For ex, if I go out for a 30-40 mile bike ride, I like to eat a larger breakfast. And for sure need to bring snacks.

    During the work week, I eat the same Breakfast nearly every day (I LOVE MFP's Remember Meal feature) which is just under 400 cals. Then most of the time, the same Lunch which is around 300 cals (unless I go out with work friends). Snacks are usually 100-150 cals. Which leaves 600-650 for dinner. Dinner is determined by what I ate for lunch but is typically my largest calorie meal. Breakfast may change slightly on weekends, so meal totals can vary but the daily goal total ends up the same.

    Breakfast ~400
    Lunch ~300
    Snack ~100-150
    Dinner ~600-650
  • rawhidenadz
    rawhidenadz Posts: 254 Member
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    As many as you like . . .?

    I do IF and regularly consume 1000 calorie or more meals (still staying at an overall deficit for the day, of course) and it's worked very well for me
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
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    does anyone else feel that they are eating way too much even thought they stay within their calorie limit

    Never.

    And why would you want to? You have to eat to lose.
  • tam_a_ram_a
    tam_a_ram_a Posts: 52 Member
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    i eat lower calorie meals for breakfast and lunch and tend to eat more for dinner. Tonight was a 700 calorie + meal, which is not common for me, but if I have the leftover calories, I allow myself to splurge at dinnertime since nighttime is when I want to eat more. It all depends on your preference is. I'd rather not eat so much at night, but I do and I still manage to lose weight.
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
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    I try to stick to the old maxim:

    Break fast like a king, Lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper, but it doesn't always quite work like that - lunch always seems to contain the most cals even though I have 3 eggs and toast for brekkie.

    The way I see it, they fuel me for the day wheres dinner only fuels me for sleep. Although I do have an outdoor job.
  • ambernjody
    ambernjody Posts: 1
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    do you work off that many calorie in a day ?
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
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    I prefer to eat light during the day with a heavy calorie load in the evening.

    Me too. I think it's because I like to make myself a nice healthy dinner and take my time with it. My lunches are small and boring because I'm at work and don't have the time like I do in the evening.
  • deearess
    deearess Posts: 28 Member
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    I change it up based on what workout I'm going to do that day and what time it is. I also change it up based on how hungry I am (novel, I know). Though most days, I wake up hungry so I like a pretty calorie dense breakfast and then a small snack a couple hours later
  • jrline
    jrline Posts: 2,353 Member
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    no more than a third to half unless you are trying to become a Sumo wrestler

    29509743.png
  • LongfeiZhao
    LongfeiZhao Posts: 2
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    I am a total newbie here. I read somewhere that the daily consumption portion of three meals are:
    breakfast 30%~50%; lunch: around 50%, dinner: around 20%.
    It is a general idea, and snacks may belong to the closest meal. The dinner is the least since the body cannot all consume much at night as in the day time.
    Anyone have some comments on that, is it reasonable?
  • MsHarryWinston
    MsHarryWinston Posts: 1,027 Member
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    I am a total newbie here. I read somewhere that the daily consumption portion of three meals are:
    breakfast 30%~50%; lunch: around 50%, dinner: around 20%.
    It is a general idea, and snacks may belong to the closest meal. The dinner is the least since the body cannot all consume much at night as in the day time.
    Anyone have some comments on that, is it reasonable?

    This is crazy sauce. I'm a night shift worker so I eat almost all my calories at night, so there goes that theory.
  • CloudySunshinee
    CloudySunshinee Posts: 18
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    I try not to eat more than 400-500 for a meal. Your calorie intake is higher than mine, so that would be different for you. Maybe 450 a meal? Somewhere around there. Then, whatever snacks or anything else you eat.
  • saracantthink
    saracantthink Posts: 49 Member
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    I am much hungrier (and more likely to cheat) in the evenings, so I eat a larger dinner and a snack- if I have leftover calories- in the evening. I keep it light in the morning with a 300-400 calorie fruit smoothie for breakfast and it is plenty.
  • asciident
    asciident Posts: 166 Member
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    Meal timing and frequency don't matter unless you have a medical condition or a specific training regimen. It's all personal preference after that.

    For example, my daily calorie goal allows me to eat plenty, but most days I prefer my breakfast to be very small - about 150g of greek yogurt. The kind I eat is about 160 cal. It's what works for me, but it would be too much for some and too little for others.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
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    ETA: I notice other people have been giving opinions & anecdotes.
    How about some science, research, facts, etc.?
    I was wondering, how many of your daily calories should you eat at each main meal? Like breakfest, lunch, dinner.
    Let's say you have 2000cal to eat a day. How should you break that up? How many calories at one sitting break,lunch,dinner should you eat?
    Eat about half your calories for breakfast for the best weight-loss effect.
    So 1000 breakfast, 650 lunch, 350 dinner.


    This study compared eating a small breakfast, medium lunch, and large dinner, [200, 500, 700 cal]
    with eating a large breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner [700, 500, 200 cal].
    "The [large breakfast] group showed greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction ... fasting glucose, insulin [&] triglycerides ... decreased significantly to a greater extent in the [large breakfast] group."
    In addition, hunger was less and satiety was greater.
    Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957
    Full text:
    http://genetics.doctorsonly.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jakubowicz-at-al-Obesity-2013-oby20460.pdf


    "subjects assigned to high caloric intake during breakfast lost significantly more weight than those assigned to high caloric intake during the dinner"
    Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467926
    Full text: http://www.tradewindsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nutrient-Timing-and-Obesity-2014.pdf


    "data suggest that a low-calorie Mediterranean diet with a higher amount of calories in the first part of the day could establish a greater reduction in fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity than a typical daily diet."
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24809437


    "Breakfast is associated with lower body weight ..."
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24898236



    Also, eating higher protein & lower carbs leads to more weight loss
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-08-09-high-protein-diet-685553
    Try 45% carbs, 20% fat, 35% protein

    "Compared with low protein diet the high protein diet was associated with better weight maintenance when individuals with greater body mass index and waist circumference were analyzed."
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24992329

    "Emerging scientific evidence suggests that a diet rich in high-quality protein is a beneficial dietary strategy to prevent and/or treat obesity."
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24645300

    "A high-protein breakfast promotes weight loss"
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24923232
    (granted, they were only studying obese Chinese adolescents)

    "reductions in total carbohydrate intake, increases in protein intake, and adoption of a Mediterranean diet seem to be more effective in inducing weight loss than reductions in fat intake"
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24911982

    "Evidence points to a higher protein intake in combination with resistance exercise as being efficacious in allowing preservation, and on occasion increases, in skeletal muscle mass with dietary energy restriction aimed at the promotion of weight loss."
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24791918

    "Diets high in protein and/or low in carbohydrate produced an approximately equal to 2.5-kg greater weight loss after 12 wk"
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15113737

    Here's a table showing the recommended daily intake for macronutrients.
    http://www.iom.edu/Global/News Announcements/~/media/C5CD2DD7840544979A549EC47E56A02B.ashx
    Page 4 has protein.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    Break it up however you want. There's no right or wrong way, as long as you stay within your calorie goal limit.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
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    It really depends on what's going to work best for helping you maintain your goals, and help fuel your workouts. For example, some people prefer to workout fasted, and some people really don't.

    In short, it's just about preference and adherence.

    I'd like about 3/4 of my daily calories for a big brunch, with the remaining calories for an evening meal, but that tends to be difficult to do during the week.
  • Strange_magic
    Strange_magic Posts: 370 Member
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    400 is the exact number per meal for optimal weight loss.

    If you go over or under you will gain a pound a day
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    Break it up however you want. There's no right or wrong way, as long as you stay within your calorie goal limit.

    Exactly. You need to find an eating pattern that is sustainable for you. Meal timing, frequency, etc., are all irrelevant except for how well you'll be able to maintain that schedule. Setting yourself up on a plan that doesn't fit your lifestyle and you won't stick to is pointless.

    So...when are YOU most hungry? Least hungry? Figure that out and portion your calories out accordingly. Best of luck!

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