What percentage of calories do you eat at each meal??

jenifergotti
jenifergotti Posts: 325 Member
edited September 19 in Food and Nutrition
Ok all you successful people out there! How do you break up your calories throughout the day? I've been trying to stay under 200 calories for breakfast, but then I often over-eat at snack time! Then, the trend runs through the rest of the day! What do you all do to keep on track with your calories?
Please help.... Thanks

Replies

  • jenifergotti
    jenifergotti Posts: 325 Member
    Ok all you successful people out there! How do you break up your calories throughout the day? I've been trying to stay under 200 calories for breakfast, but then I often over-eat at snack time! Then, the trend runs through the rest of the day! What do you all do to keep on track with your calories?
    Please help.... Thanks
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member
    Ok all you successful people out there! How do you break up your calories throughout the day? I've been trying to stay under 200 calories for breakfast, but then I often over-eat at snack time! Then, the trend runs through the rest of the day! What do you all do to keep on track with your calories?
    Please help.... Thanks

    Pretty much here's my day .....5-6 mini meals a day...broken up according to how many cals you're alloted daily. I've seen folks on MFP share they do about 200-250 per mini meal. Doing more frequent meals keeps your metabolism nicely boosted, your blood sugar levels evened out better (so you don't get the munchies) and for myself I never get hungry going this route.

    Many share they pre-plan their day...the night before for example...I too like to plan the day before if I can, it helps knowing what the morning brings if you're in a pinch for time, pre-pack your lunch/snacks etc., so you don't run out the door then end up finding yourself starving and at a fast food place for lunch...etc.

    Hope something there gives you some ideas....
    Wishing you well:flowerforyou:
  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member
    I read somewhere that most women under eat for breakfast and then over eat later and that your breakfast should actually consist of 300-400 calories and include carbs, protein and fat to get your body going during they day. its also best to eat your carbs and fat in the first 2/3 of your day so your body can burn them off before going to bed. :happy:
  • Renae_Nae
    Renae_Nae Posts: 935 Member
    I change it up! I plan out ALL my food before I eat ANYTHING for the day! This helps me, otherwise I would be out of calories by noon!

    I have a hard time eating breakfast so it's usually two egg, a piece of toast, and apple butter.

    Then I have a snack since I have class from 10:30am - 1:30pm...usually a couple apples, some trail mix, or something.

    Then lunch, (usually about 300 calories) dinner at about 5:30 or 6 and then a late night snack (usually celery with Italian dressing)

    By planning out out I already know what I'm allowed to eat for the day WITHOUT exercising. Since I don't exercise til about 6 because I have to wait for a friend to get out of class and work...those calories go to a late night snack. I have been successful except for the week of Thanksgiving because I got lazy and tried to "eye ball it" and forgot to log in my 3-4 Mt Dews a day :ohwell:
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
    I do not really get hungry until noon, even if I am up and exorcising before 7am. So I have to force myself to eat breakfast. Even then, it ends up being no more than 250cals. I am so busy that lunch is usually a bowl of soup and a slice of pitta, amounting to another 250-300cals. That leaves me with a lot of snacking, because there is no way I want to cram 1000cals in for dinner (I usually spend about 500cals for dinner). I usually have two apples throughout the day and some carrot sticks.

    Hope that helps. It works for me.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    I have never planned out percentages...too much work for me. I don't even have time to log everything I'm going to eat, but I've been at this so long that I know what to grab with the right macro ratios and calories. I just eat larger meals when it's important-- breakfast, and before and after working out. Everything else is just eaten when I feel hungry.
  • GuitarJohn
    GuitarJohn Posts: 64 Member
    Mine is probably a little strange - and not necessarily recommended - but it works for me.

    I work nights, but I maintain a daytime eating schedule. I eat breakfast in the morning and dinner at night. I don't eat lunch during the week because I am sleeping during lunchtime. I don't eat lunch at night because:
    -It makes me sleepy
    -It throws me off and I start getting the midnight munchies on weekends
    -I usually don't have time

    So, to answer the original question, I eat about 40% for breakfast and about 60% for dinner.
  • Chellekk
    Chellekk Posts: 421 Member
    I used to eat 5 mini meals a day, which I loved because I am a snacker, but now that I'm on MFP, I am eating 3 solid meals, plus snacks and then a few days a week I tend to have to add a bowl of cereal to make up for missing calories. It'll be a non-planned work out and I have to eat those calories. Bummer...he he. :bigsmile:

    I eat any where from 300-500 at breakfast and take off from there. My lunch is always planned out and about 300-350 and then once I add all the to my daily total I know how much I can have for dinner. If I want a larger dinner...I have to work out.

    I think the main thing that has helped me is variety. I don't eat the same thing each day. I mix it up.

    Breakfast today. Yogurt, cottage cheese, strawberries, grape nuts on top.

    Tomorrow. Cereal, milk.

    Wed. 2 Eggs, 1 turkey sausage, milk.

    Thur. Oat meal, nuts, craisins.

    I rotate these all week. Some are 250, some are over 400.
  • jenifergotti
    jenifergotti Posts: 325 Member
    Thanks all :smile: I seem to be losing the weight, but am often hungry, so I will give some suggestions a try!
  • Phoenixflame
    Phoenixflame Posts: 560 Member
    Fiber and Protein are those two friends who will come over to your house when you're sick, cook you oatmeal, and watch Oprah with you.

    Seriously, they give you that warm, full feeling. Pack a meal full of them and your hunger will go away. Oatmeal with a spoonful of peanut butter works wonders. If you're really concerned about calories, maybe get some PB2. It's not as good as the real thing, but it's 50 calories per 2 tablespoons and tastes 20 times better than that godawful Better 'N Peanut Butter.

    But on that note, as long as you're not eating too little, getting hungry is a good thing! Your metabolism is working!
  • mlbfan528
    mlbfan528 Posts: 4
    I'm finding reading these helpful. I don't plan out numbers every day--my insane schedule kinda doesn't allow that. I've found there have been a couple of days recently tho, that I'll be like "ok I can only have X number of calories until tomorrow" so I clearly need to plan ahead a little in order to avoid going over or having to really watch the end of the day cals.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    I never plan it but I trend towards:
    breakfast 8%
    lunch 25%
    dinner 65%
    late night snack 16%

    And that is how I eat 114% of my calories. :noway:
    Lemme try that again, LMAO

    breakfast 9%
    124 cals
    lunch 21% ---- 300 cals
    dinner 55%
    776 cals
    late night snack 14%
    200 cals

    Alright, that one came up to 99%. Much better now that I worked my math correctly. But you can see my trend. Big dinner, late night snack. I am a night time eater all the way!
    This is all assuming I also got in a 200 calorie work out.


    Oooooh, and I usually get in my 8 glasses of water before 5pm, which helps to tide me over until dinner.
  • NewMK08
    NewMK08 Posts: 399 Member
    I never plan it but I trend towards:
    breakfast 8%
    lunch 25%
    dinner 65%
    late night snack 16%

    And that is how I eat 114% of my calories. :noway:
    Lemme try that again, LMAO

    breakfast 9%
    124 cals
    lunch 21% ---- 300 cals
    dinner 55%
    776 cals
    late night snack 14%
    200 cals

    Alright, that one came up to 99%. Much better now that I worked my math correctly. But you can see my trend. Big dinner, late night snack. I am a night time eater all the way!
    This is all assuming I also got in a 200 calorie work out.


    Oooooh, and I usually get in my 8 glasses of water before 5pm, which helps to tide me over until dinner.

    :laugh: :laugh: I love your math! That's how I feel!!
  • looovely_x3
    looovely_x3 Posts: 37
    Im not sure of the percentages, but:

    breakfast is normally under 100 calories
    lunch about 250 calories
    dinner about 400 calories
    snack 100calories?

    I don't really plan what I have though, I don't make my meals, just suggest things. So I am probably wrong, with the quantities.
  • Chellekk
    Chellekk Posts: 421 Member
    Im not sure of the percentages, but:

    breakfast is normally under 100 calories
    lunch about 250 calories
    dinner about 400 calories
    snack 100calories?

    I don't really plan what I have though, I don't make my meals, just suggest things. So I am probably wrong, with the quantities.

    I hope you are eating more then 850 calories a day! No matter who you are and what body type you have...you need more then that. Just a thought and concern. Hoping it's a "typo".
  • vanessadawn
    vanessadawn Posts: 249
    I use to have the same issue of starving for lunch, and wanting to eat it too early. So I have a high fiber or high protein breakfast to keep me full, usually 1 cup honey clusters fiber cereal with 1 cup almond breeze milk substitute which comes out to 240 calories. In between breakie and lunch a 50 calorie snack like fruit or veggies. Lunch is about 300 calories, and midafternoon another 50 calorie snack. I usually come home from work with 400 - 700 calories to play around with.
  • sunilshah123
    sunilshah123 Posts: 14 Member
    i have about 150 cals for breakfast often nothing for lunch, lots of tea during the day and then maybe 1000-1200 cal's for dinner....looking at this, i dont think that this is optimal but this is what works with my life style... I will try to get a gym session in at lunch or in the evening (5 X per week at the moment). I have also noticed that I dont drink much water...i am sure this is very bad but can anyone comment on this? And advice?
  • looovely_x3
    looovely_x3 Posts: 37
    Im not sure of the percentages, but:

    breakfast is normally under 100 calories
    lunch about 250 calories
    dinner about 400 calories
    snack 100calories?

    I don't really plan what I have though, I don't make my meals, just suggest things. So I am probably wrong, with the quantities.

    I hope you are eating more then 850 calories a day! No matter who you are and what body type you have...you need more then that. Just a thought and concern. Hoping it's a "typo".

    It's been more than that lately, but I make the calories up in fluids so it doesn't just stop at 850, i should have mentioned drinks in the first post but I forgot, and each snack I have is about 100 calories not so if i have 4 snacks a day food wise it would be 1150, and then fluid added on top, gosh I complicate everything.x
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