When do you eat your calories? How to break it down?...

kerriBB37 · January 2011

Hi everyone! I just wanted to know when people eat their calories?! What I mean is, I get 1200 a day and I usually break it down to about 150-200 for breakfast 200-300 for lunch and then 2 snacks of about 100 cals. When it comes time for dinner I make something (healthy) based on how many I have left AND if I have exercise calories to eat as well.

Yesterday my boyfriend, who means well, told me he thinks that I am overloading myself at the end of the day. He has seen what I make and "how much" I eat and he thinks it could be part of why I only lost a half of a pound last week. It is true, sometimes I have 700 + calories to eat for dinner and a late snack. I know there is research re: the fact that it doesn't matter when you eat your calories...

I have a hard time planning what to eat earlier in the day because I don't want to "run out" of calories. Every day I go to the gym and every day it is a surprise as to what I do. I know I should plan better as to what I'm going to work out on/with every day but I like to have variety and change things up if I am getting bored (ADHD big time here!)

So basically I am just wondering if people (specifically peeps on a 1200/cal day) break down their calories into a 400/400/400 for 3 meals or WHAT!? I want to hear what people are doing and if anyone has anything to BACK IT UP that would be greatly appreciated! I am a nerd and am all about evidence based practice for things

Thanks so much in advance!

LuckyLeprechaun · January 2011

your tummy doesn't have a clock attached to it. I eat most of my calories for dinner, the same way you've described here, and I have lost 50 lbs.

The net calories are the important number, not what the clock has to say.

(the only caveat for this comment is, if you eat a lot right before trying to sleep, you'll disturb your sleep as your body works to digest instead of being able to shut down fully and go deeply into sleep. So to protect your sleep, not your waistline, try to stop eating a few hours before sleeping.)

kerriBB37 · January 2011

50 lbs! wow, congrats!!

I LOVE your dogs too! Thank you, I kind of wanted to keep my life as it was and not eat 1-200 calories for dinner, lol.

downtome · January 2011

I basically eat my calories when I'm hungry throughout the day but I do end up eating the majority of my calories in the evening at dinner and I try to save some for evening snacks as that is my downfall and is when I find myself most hungry. I know that I have read that it is best to eat most of your calories at lunch and lighter in the evening but I'm not sure if that is true or not or if it really matters. IT might make a difference on the scale as you would have more time to work it off but I can't seem to do that, it's just not realiastic for me since I'm a night eater. Good luck in finding your answer!

togden · January 2011

200 breakfast

100 snack

200 lunch

100 snack

500 dinner

100 snack

That is the schedule my friend uses then she alters them based on exercise and when she does it ... like early exercise allows her to up her lunch and or dinner ... etc etc

Spitfirex007 · January 2011

I try to eat about 2000 calories a day. So I break them down 500 for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Leaving me 500 for any snacks between meals or extra food I want.

hpsnickers1 · January 2011

tell him that as long as you are burning more calorie than you consume that is all that matters. it does not matter when you eat. dinner is my biggest meal. sometimes i will even eat something light before bed and i'm losing weight. eating throughout the day just keeps your blood sugar on an even keel and keep hunger pangs from kicking in.

Aimee_PD · January 2011

i do things the same as you and i've lost 50......but ive wondered if it matters because my weightloss has kinda stopped....i eat light all day long and save majority of cals for dinner because my husband is picky and hard to cook for!!

cerysrhi · January 2011

I tend to know what I'm having each day when you have 6 kids and a husband to feed you have to be organised part and part of the job (mum and childminder) I do tend to find I eat more cals for my dinner than I do for lunch and breakfast but because I eat dinner at 5pm I'm not too worried as I know I have plenty of time before I go to bed. if I eat after 5 it normally fruit or carrot sticks and I only drink water after 7pm x

misty1208 · January 2011

I wondered the same thing... Dinner tends to be my larger meal of the day, and i actually prefer it that way. Seems to be working just fine too!

Robin66 · January 2011

I've always eaten the bigger part of my calories for dinner and a later snack and It didn't seem to slow my weight loss. I say eat when your bodies needs to, I think most of us eat a bigger part of our calories for dinner.

cassidystreasures · January 2011

some weeks are going to be differnt than others also. Some weeks you might lose 2 lbs, some weeks you might lose none. Closer to your TOM may seem your weight loss is slowing or none at all due to bloating ect, but when it's over everything will take off again

taletreader · January 2011

I aim a little higher overall -- 1450-1500 cals -- but if you exercise, you should get the same with exercise calories on many days.

My approach is to try to get 300-450 calories at breakfast with a good amount of protein to set me up for the day. Then about 350-500 for each lunch and dinner, plus two 100-200cal snacks.

tross0924 · January 2011

I usually average about 2000 a day, and nearly 1000 of those come after 6:00pm when I get home from work. Usually a 500 dinner a 250 pre-workout snack and a 250 post workout snack. Worked for me so far. :-)

yolandita · January 2011

To be honest with you, eating a big meal on my last meal does reduce my weight loss. For example, I would lose .05 of a pound if I eat 500 cals in my last meal. However, when I eat a snack of 45-100 cals I tend to lose the whole pound. One day when I plateued, I just stopped eating after 6:00 and noticed consistent loss. I think everything depends on the person but there is truth to what your boyfriend told you, atleast for me anyway. Hope this helps:)

lodro · January 2011

I eat all my calories between 4PM and 8PM. Works fine for me to have one really good meal at the end of the work day.

ladyhawk00 · January 2011

I have 1500-1900, depending on exercise.

I try to get about 250-300 for breakfast, though I admit this is my least steady number and the one I have to work at the most.
About 350-500 for lunch
Dinner is usually 500-700.
Usually a 200-300 cal snack after my workout in the evening.

This works for me, as it gives me enough cals for the day, without much worry about going over or too far under.

I have seen nothing (that I believe is backed up) that indicates when you get your amount of cals matters, other than it effecting sleep, as someone else mentioned. The only thing that may make a difference is that it is a good idea to make sure to get some good protein and fats in the morning, and also after your workout. Other than that, I don't think the amount at a certain time of day matters, as long as you are getting a good spacing to keep blood sugar running and trying to follow the same kind of schedule each day. Just my opinion (based on the studies I've read.)

kerriBB37 · January 2011

Thank you all for the feedback

TMack3 · January 2011

I eat all my calories between 4PM and 8PM. Works fine for me to have one really good meal at the end of the work day.

Please explain? Are you saying you do not eat breakfast or lunch?

jkestens63 · January 2011

tell him that as long as you are burning more calorie than you consume that is all that matters. it does not matter when you eat. dinner is my biggest meal. sometimes i will even eat something light before bed and i'm losing weight. eating throughout the day just keeps your blood sugar on an even keel and keep hunger pangs from kicking in.

I second this - I actually eat close to 2000 calories a day because I burn so much through exercise. However, I'm hungriest at night and that is when I'm likely to graze/binge. So at 7 pm I have a piece of fruit. At 8 pm I have a veggie (usually tomatoes with onion and light dressing), eat my dinner at 9pm. Then I always have a snack before bedtime (11:30 pm) - usually skim milk with fruit or a 100 calorie pack if I'm craving something sweet or salty. And if I need to have another snack between dinner and my bedtime snack- I always build that in just in case the munchies start.

So while many are cringing in horror that I eat so much late at night, it certainly hasn't had a negative effect on my weight loss. I think it comes down to calories in vs. calories out. Have to burn more than you consume. Time of day does not matter. Quality of calories matters for health reasons and if you blow 500 calories on a sundae what happens when you get hungry later on, but I don't worry about the times.

Curves73 · January 2011

my trainer said to have 200-250 per meal( six small meals) Works for me. But I sometimes have more here and there.

lodro · January 2011

I eat all my calories between 4PM and 8PM. Works fine for me to have one really good meal at the end of the work day.

Please explain? Are you saying you do not eat breakfast or lunch?

That's what I'm saying, yes. It's a form of intermittent fasting.

mmbrockman · February 2011

I am on the 1200/day. I usually eat like you, 1-200 morn, 300 or so lunch, 500 for dinner and then rest is snacks throughout day or evening. One thing I will tell you, is also listen to your body and the hunger pangs...its good to feel a hunger pang. that is a sign that you are burning fat. If you never get hungry, then you aren't burning fat -- at least not as much as you could be. So hopefully you feel hungry before each meal. I know this is hard, because we have alway been told that hunger is bad...try to reverse that...look for your hunger signal and then you know, now is a good time to eat. Hope that makes sense. One time when I was on a weight loss program, I didn't count calories at all, I just didn't allow myself to eat UNTIL I felt hunger pangs...I dropped the weight like a rock. It was so cool. If you don't have time to count calories then that is the best way to determine when and how much to eat. Usually when people try this type of program, they have to wait 24 hours until they feel true hunger. :flowerforyou:

lodro · February 2011

Hunger pangs are caused by your stomach contracting. Usually, this happens after it has been empty of food for a good number of hours and when blood glucose levels are low. Hunger pangs in themselves are not a sign you are burning fat ("burning fat" for that matter is an erroneous concept, because the number of fat cells is not decreased). Also, real hunger pangs only start appearing after about 12 - 24 hours without food in your stomach. Hunger pains cease, if the stomach distends again. So, drinking a little will distend the stomach and stop hunger pains.

When do you eat your calories? How to break it down?...

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