Saving calories for the evening.

kittyinaz
kittyinaz Posts: 300 Member
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
So, I know it's best to eat more calories earlier in the day so your body has a better time burning them off, but is it bad to occasionally save your calories for when you know you are going to be eating a lot in the evening (for parties/company/etc)??

I dont mean not eating at at all during the day, but just eat super light (like 100 calories per snack or something) and save like 700 cals or so for your evening meal.

Replies

  • littlelol
    littlelol Posts: 539
    i often wonder the same thing xx
  • fitnessjch
    fitnessjch Posts: 449 Member
    I dont know if its a good or bad thing, but I do it too, especially for nights out.

    I just find it much easier to know how many calories I can have for dinner, and whether I can splurge out or not. (More importantly for me, whether I can have dinner AND pudding!) lol.

    I have been known to work out extra hard at the gym to make sure I have extra calories for the evening. Or I will burn 400 calories walking to and from the gym instead of taking the car!
  • Peep_chic
    Peep_chic Posts: 369 Member
    I don't see why not. I eat in the evening sometimes and it never hurt my weight loss.
  • bcpie
    bcpie Posts: 89
    wellll I do it pretty often. My boyfriend and I go out to eat quite a bit so I like to save the calories for it. I don't think there's that much harm in it.
  • skinnycoop
    skinnycoop Posts: 4
    It is really good to eat your sugars (fruits) in the morning. I eat the most for breakfast and it seems to sustain me better throughout the day. I would recommend a large HEALTHY breakfast and a lot of small meals throughout the day with lots of protein and veges and less sugar. :)
  • Jalachri
    Jalachri Posts: 47
    I do it almost every weekend! Im actually doing it tonight :) Enjoy!
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
    I'm going out tonight so I have kept the AM calories low.....it is a daily total afterall.
  • jrueckert
    jrueckert Posts: 355 Member
    Yeah...it's fine.
  • ejmcam
    ejmcam Posts: 533 Member
    To be honest, I eat the majority of my calories in the evening, and it has never affected me at all, I've managed to lose the weight I needed to lose without a problem! I eat pretty low cal although super healthy throughout the day, and I look forward to a good dinner. Wth that said, my dinner is always healthy, clean and natural as well, but usually contains anywhere from 350-500 calories, where as my breakfast and lunch are usually around 200-250 each (give or take). I get through my day and my workout knowing my reward is a good dinner! Plus knowing I am eating more at dinner gives me the extra push to not slack on my workout! If I find it starts to affect me, i will change that but it never has. I know some people say its not good to do, but I think it deoends on the person.
  • mnebres
    mnebres Posts: 3
    I don't see the harm...I do it on the weekends =)
  • kittyinaz
    kittyinaz Posts: 300 Member
    Thanks guys. I'm just having company over tomorrow and I'm going to work my BUTT off at the gym so I can pig out with them LOL. Teriyaki chicken, mashed taters and peas. Yum!
  • jfvasquezjr
    jfvasquezjr Posts: 2
    My wife and I will adjust for nights out as well. We are here to enjoy ourselves after all, so why not? However, if your body is craving food at night its always a good time to give it some lean protein (i.e. white mean chicken or fish) with some veggies. Your body does need fuel to rebuild overnight while you sleep, so go ahead and give it the best thing you can. Good luck!
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    It depends whether your goal is to use every trick in the book to lose as much weight as quickly as possible, or to have a life.

    If all the weight's not going to go straight back on afterwards, you're going to have to get used to developing strategies that work for you - and for me that includes getting into the habit of eating fruit regularly, even though it puts me over on sugars some days, for you it might be saving calories for the evening.

    Just imagine.. During your reducing diet, you decided to never go out in the evening because it's better to eat your calories earlier in the day. The consequence of that? Going out for loads of meals out as soon as you've reached your target weight.
  • kuhristeee
    kuhristeee Posts: 100 Member
    I do it every day. I eat lightly for breakfast, mostly because I can't handle a lot of food in the morning, then a little more for lunch, usually some light snacks between lunch and dinner, then the most of my calories come from dinner at night. My dinner can usually sustain me until I go to bed, so no late night cravings.

    Might not be the ideal way to go about it, but it works for me. :)
  • MoNiCaMaRieV
    MoNiCaMaRieV Posts: 50 Member
    i do it when it comes to the weekends because i am out every weekend and plus i think its fine to treat yourself with a little something once out of the week right?..i do make sure i dont go over board though
  • kawhitehead
    kawhitehead Posts: 1 Member
    I think as long as you don't do it consistently, it doesn't matter that much. However, I wouldn't make a habit of eating and going straight to bed - that'll keep weight on. I believe if you can go to bed a little hungry, (not starving), then you are the right path for losing weight. Although you are sleeping, your body burns a lot of calories while you are asleep (like up to 1200). So, if you go to bed with, say 700 calories you've just eaten, then your body has to work to burn that off, so then it makes the total burned over the course of your night 500, not 1200. If you're just a tad hungry going to bed, you know your body already has a calorie deficit and will then burn the extra fat (i.e. stored calories in your body), not the meal you eat right before going to bed.
  • beastmode_kitty
    beastmode_kitty Posts: 844 Member
    I tend to save my sugar allowance for in the morning, that way during the day it's easier to burn that off, but I do eat more calories towards the evening because I have a protein shake with dinner after working out at the gym.

    I have read that you should have your biggest meal at breakfast, but there is nothing being said about saving the biggest meal for dinner. In fact according to my food diary my biggest calorie consumption has been at dinner time, and I've lost 12 pds in total so far :)
  • amelia_atlantic
    amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
    It's all about balance! Whatever works for you!

    I would advised against doing it all the time though. Your body adjusts to whatever routine you put yourself in. Just be mindful of what you are "splurging" on. Try to make good, healthy decisions even if you have extra calories to work with. Enjoy yourself!
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    I usually skip lunch if I am going out in the evening. Or do a lot of exercise and give myself 600+ extra for the day.
  • JillyBean819
    JillyBean819 Posts: 313 Member
    I do that all the time!! In fact, I did it today. Only ate a Clif Bar and coffee so I can eat some Applebee's tonight.
  • bbbbb33333
    bbbbb33333 Posts: 1,107 Member
    I don't think is matters a bit when you eat the calories. It's the total number, not when you eat them.

    I usually spread them throughout the day fairly evenly, making sure to leave 2-300 for snacking at night. I tend to get very hungery late night. I keep at least 45 cal for a few almonds before I go to bed.
  • lilwashee
    lilwashee Posts: 222 Member
    well i think its fine well for me anyhow i eat till midnight if i have the caloreis to do it (not a bunch of junk) but i do eat cuz i am an evening eater ,metabolism is different for every person so what works for me may not work for others.i think its perfectly fine to save calories for dinner as long as it isnt everyday and you are eating something every 3 to 4 hrs.just my opinion :)
  • deadmittens
    deadmittens Posts: 536 Member
    I usually have about 600 calories left for the evening (if not more). I thought that's unhealthy because you just sleep on the food you ate at night :\
  • MrsZMartin
    MrsZMartin Posts: 165 Member
    I don't think is matters a bit when you eat the calories. It's the total number, not when you eat them.



    This is true. The reason you often hear the suggestion to eat more early in they day is so you're not starving. Many people try to avoid calories early, but then end up binging later because they're so hungry. If you're keeping track of your calories, it makes no real difference when you eat them. Experts even say that the whole "stop eating 3 hrs before bed" is only because most ppl have already eaten the calories they need at this time, not b/c you can't burn those calories once you hit the sack. Enjoy your calories!
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