Calorie Consumption

tdc8557
tdc8557 Posts: 16 Member
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
Hello! If you don't mind me asking, how many calories do you eat per day and how do you break them down with your meals/snacks? My daily goal is 1,860 and I'm usually pretty good about keeping it low by substituting vegetables as my carbs and eating fuller snacks so I don't eat as much between meals.

What's your strategy? I'm curious!

Replies

  • Lezavargas
    Lezavargas Posts: 223 Member
    I shoot for 1200 because Im trying to lose. I like to eat alot so i make sure I pack in a large number of low cal foods
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Currently 2000, had been at 2200; lowered it to 2000 because I do TDEE method (set calorie goal with exercise included in the calorie goal number) and I haven't been exercising this week due to midterms. I'm at a small deficit for maybe half a lb a week.

    I don't really break my calories down anymore. I used to have 3 meals a day eating 1/3rd of my cals each meal, and this all just got too regimented and strict for me. I now just eat however much I crave for breakfast and lunch, although I find that I do best when I eat at least 400 cals for breakfast. I keep breakfast higher protein (and fat) for satiety reasons, when I work out I keep lunch low fat and usually only eat a few hundred calories since I work out in the afternoon (too much fat and calories makes me feel gross working out), I tend to eat higher carb in the evenings. I will eat 3-7 meals a day. Or just.. eat 3-7 times a day. I don't really "snack" but instead I Just... eat when hungry? This works best for me. I don't replace carbs with low-carb veggies though. I still eat plenty of calorie-dense food.
  • nadiabooboo
    nadiabooboo Posts: 8 Member
    I am doing the 21 day fix - so I should be eating 1500 calories. But I hardly ever do that. I am usually below. They say that you should not eat less then you are suppose to. Hard concept to follow - though I do understand why.
  • makingmylifebetter
    makingmylifebetter Posts: 37 Member
    I'm aiming for 1500-- my guideline is 300 breakfast, 400 lunch, 500 dinner and two 150-calorie snacks (afternoon and nighttime), with any leftover calories available to me late at night, when I especially appreciate them. At first I was trying to do 400 each for breakfast-lunch-dinner, but I wanted enough calories at dinner to be able to go out if I chose to. None of this is rigid, of course, but it does help me as I'm trying to do some basic meal planning and cut down on my grocery bill.
  • roxielu0422
    roxielu0422 Posts: 102 Member
    I don't break mine down by meals. I do have a guideline. 400-450 breakfast, lunch and dinner, 200 snacks (2) per day.
  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
    1800 with an open diary
  • zipa78
    zipa78 Posts: 354 Member
    Lezavargas wrote: »
    I shoot for 1200 because Im trying to lose.

    Lose what? Your sanity or your will to live?
  • Sydking
    Sydking Posts: 317 Member
    1800 at the moment. Will creep up to 2000 after next week
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    zipa78 wrote: »
    Lezavargas wrote: »
    I shoot for 1200 because Im trying to lose.

    Lose what? Your sanity or your will to live?

    ^this X a million.

    I care more about WHAT I eat than the calories because, for me, the food matters. The way I currently eat is sustainable for the rest of my life. I no longer log very often but I'm around 2000 calories but ideally should move more and eat more.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • frendy21
    frendy21 Posts: 49 Member
    The way i do it is i tend to eat the most calories in the morning that way i could burn those calories during the day. My goal is 3,600 cal a day
  • zipa78
    zipa78 Posts: 354 Member
    frendy21 wrote: »
    The way i do it is i tend to eat the most calories in the morning that way i could burn those calories during the day.

    Meal timing has pretty much no relevance to anything. There is no calorie counter in your body that magically resets itself at midnight.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    2600 at the moment.

    Volume breakfast
    Moderate lunch
    Volume evening meal
    Snacks in between
    Use my leftover calories/macros for whatever I fancy before bed, usually a bowl of chocolate, oats, nutbutters, yogurt, ice cream etc.
  • ScalySquash50
    ScalySquash50 Posts: 41
    1200

    Main meal is breakfast,

    medium lunch

    small supper

    If I'm under than I have a snack of raisins or a piece of toast depending on what I need
  • Michelle_Padgett13
    Michelle_Padgett13 Posts: 417 Member
    I net about 1800 per day.

    I eat back exercise calories, so with those, I usually gross about 2200-2500 per day.

    I eat about 400-500 for breakfast, whatever I want for lunch, then I plan dinner and snacks based on what's left.

    I lose about 1-1.5 pounds per week this way.
  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
    I aim for 1200 per day to lose as well. I try and eat nutrient packed food high protein and lots of fruits and veggies.

    I go for around 300 in the morning with coffee and a light breakfast like 1/2 cup of greek yoghurt

    around 300-400 more for lunch and snacks (fruit, veggies, chicken)

    that leaves me between 500-600 for dinner and a treat at night if I have the calories. My low calorie dessert is SF jello...if I have more calories, I can have pudding! :-)
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I'm at 1800 and transitioning into maintenance/winter hibernation for a bit. I eat 6 times a day. Usually about 300 for breakfast, 200 calories before lunch, 400-600 calorie lunch, afternoon snack around 200, dinner around 400, and the rest is dessert.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    My goal is set to 1500. I eat 350-400 calories for breakfast and then 400-500 for lunch and dinner. But it varies depending on what it is. I usually eat a snack in the afternoon of some sort like100-200 calories. If I have extra calories left over at the end of the day I just eat a bigger dinner usually.
  • rozford
    rozford Posts: 1
    this is all very new to me. This App tells me to eat 1350 per day. I'm on day 3.
    I spend 4-5 evenings at the gym so this gets increased by 300-500 cal... so anywhere between 1350 and 1850.

    gonna have to start eating oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast again.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    rozford wrote: »
    this is all very new to me. This App tells me to eat 1350 per day. I'm on day 3.
    I spend 4-5 evenings at the gym so this gets increased by 300-500 cal... so anywhere between 1350 and 1850.

    gonna have to start eating oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast again.

    Why? What are you eating now?
  • Oncebittentwiceshy38
    Oncebittentwiceshy38 Posts: 127 Member
    I'm set at 1750 and I eat back my exercise calories whenever I want to. I set aside 800 calories for when I get off work (supper and a snack) and eat breakfast, lunch, and a snack at work.
  • daw0518
    daw0518 Posts: 459 Member
    I'm at about 1570 +/- exercise calories. I shoot for a lower calorie breakfast and lunch so I can enjoy a higher calorie dinner & some delicious snacks or treats in the evening.
  • tdc8557
    tdc8557 Posts: 16 Member
    I never paid much attention to the calories I ate at a specific meal until I started using this app and now I'm like wow I tend to eat the same amount of calories per meal every day without trying...weird. Anyway I was just a little nosy on how people go about their health routines!
  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
    1240 calories here. My diary is open if you want to check it out. I don't log my couch to 5k or insanity calories, or my 30 day challenge calories, because I have no idea how much I'm burning. As you'll see though, I usually have one meal a week where I go over for my calories, so I'm assuming it evens out. I try to eat mostly whole foods, although every now and then my in laws bring junk over to our house, so you'll see a few snacks thrown in. I aim to have each meal and snack at about 300 calories each, although some days it's 250, 250, 500, with 200 as a snack. I eat a lot of vegetables and (aside from yesterday) I try to stay away from bread and pasta.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    I track macros not calories. I eat most of my carbs around training (night time), and have higher fat meals earlier. Protein is kind of spread evenly over however many meals I have (2-5)....I dont worry about how many cals they are, but I tend to have bigger meals rather than lots of little ones.
  • TickledPinkTeri
    TickledPinkTeri Posts: 6 Member
    Akimajuktuq wrote: »
    zipa78 wrote: »
    Lezavargas wrote: »
    I shoot for 1200 because Im trying to lose.

    Lose what? Your sanity or your will to live?

    ^this X a million.

    I care more about WHAT I eat than the calories because, for me, the food matters. The way I currently eat is sustainable for the rest of my life. I no longer log very often but I'm around 2000 calories but ideally should move more and eat more.

  • TickledPinkTeri
    TickledPinkTeri Posts: 6 Member
    I was MFP had me at 1200 to loose 2 lbs a week. My trainer said to go between 1200-1500 depending On my exercise. Well not with the update MFP has me at 1030 calories and that's too low. Even MFP says not to go under 1200. What's going on? Anyone else have this issue? Have a great
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