Can I eat most of my calories for dinner?

mommyoftwins05
mommyoftwins05 Posts: 645 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Will it hurt me if I eat most of my calories at dinner?? And for snack after?

If I eat light all day. Meaning Breakfast, snack, lunch snack.. but light

will it hurt me if I consume all those calories at once?

Replies

  • Airbear3
    Airbear3 Posts: 335 Member
    I've rerad your body can only burn so many calories at once! how many i do not know. sorry i couldn't be more help. just curious why you want to eat most at night and oh watch out for loaded opinions on this...there are many!
  • bluellies
    bluellies Posts: 82 Member
    You'll get conflicting opinions here, but for me personally I try not to. I do have dinner as my largest meal, but I try to eat at least over half of my cals for the rest of the day. I'm on 1200, and I prefer to have 500 cals for dinner and a second PM snack if I need it. If I eat a heavy or too large meal at the end of the day I always feel hungrier the next day. No science to back it up, just what happens to me personally.
  • wildeone4
    wildeone4 Posts: 204 Member
    We usually eat a lot of our calories at dinner! The thing is tho, how much time after dinner until bedtime? And how active are you until then? I think there are many of us that do eat a larger dinner and smaller meals earlier in the day (I am no exception)! But you only have so much time to burn those calories. They suggest usually 4-5 small meals a day! And if that doesn't work having a larger lunch! Or just trying to portion your dinner so you are not eating the majority of your calories then!
  • Ashalahn_LMT
    Ashalahn_LMT Posts: 342 Member
    There are differing opinions on this. Both have valid arguments. I haven't noticed adverse effects of eating a large meal at night and a snack as well. Though I do try to keep it very light on carbs. Granted my workouts are in the evening, so I am refueling after exercise. Others will say the complete opposite (eat big in the morning and decrease during the day). What works for you? Try eating a big meal at night for a few weeks and measure. If the scale or tape isn't going the way you want, try a small meal in the evening for a few weeks. Ultimately it's what works for YOU.
  • CapnWain
    CapnWain Posts: 10
    I tend to save as many calories for dinner as I can.

    I don't have any scientific data to support my choice. For me, I want to save the calories for the meals that are part of our entertainment. Cooking at home is together time for my wife and I. Eating out is also part of our entertainment dollars.

    By giving up the extra junk food/snacks/fast food lunches during the day, I can eat my dinner without guilt or worry for the most part. Not that you can eat everything in sight and however much you want, but it isn't like you have count every green bean you eat.


    A better question for me is, can I save most of my calories for beer in the evening? J/K
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    I tend to save as many calories for dinner as I can.

    I don't have any scientific data to support my choice. For me, I want to save the calories for the meals that are part of our entertainment. Cooking at home is together time for my wife and I. Eating out is also part of our entertainment dollars.

    By giving up the extra junk food/snacks/fast food lunches during the day, I can eat my dinner without guilt or worry for the most part. Not that you can eat everything in sight and however much you want, but it isn't like you have count every green bean you eat.


    A better question for me is, can I save most of my calories for beer in the evening? J/K

    I do this on purpose every day. There is science to back up doing it for fat loss and I love to eat in the evening.

    Chronobiological aspects of weight loss in obesity: effects of different meal timing regimens. Chronobiol Int. 1987;4(2):251-61.
  • mommyoftwins05
    mommyoftwins05 Posts: 645 Member
    I've rerad your body can only burn so many calories at once! how many i do not know. sorry i couldn't be more help. just curious why you want to eat most at night and oh watch out for loaded opinions on this...there are many!

    It just kinda happened today.. I ate light.. wasn't very hungry ..and did my wii fit today and cleaning ect.. so I'm high on calories
  • mommyoftwins05
    mommyoftwins05 Posts: 645 Member
    There are differing opinions on this. Both have valid arguments. I haven't noticed adverse effects of eating a large meal at night and a snack as well. Though I do try to keep it very light on carbs. Granted my workouts are in the evening, so I am refueling after exercise. Others will say the complete opposite (eat big in the morning and decrease during the day). What works for you? Try eating a big meal at night for a few weeks and measure. If the scale or tape isn't going the way you want, try a small meal in the evening for a few weeks. Ultimately it's what works for YOU.

    Ok thanks so much!
  • mommyoftwins05
    mommyoftwins05 Posts: 645 Member
    We usually eat a lot of our calories at dinner! The thing is tho, how much time after dinner until bedtime? And how active are you until then? I think there are many of us that do eat a larger dinner and smaller meals earlier in the day (I am no exception)! But you only have so much time to burn those calories. They suggest usually 4-5 small meals a day! And if that doesn't work having a larger lunch! Or just trying to portion your dinner so you are not eating the majority of your calories then!

    Yeah not very active at night.. Im thinking I shouldn't make this a regular thing...
  • Airbear3
    Airbear3 Posts: 335 Member
    don't get me wrong i eat my biggest meal at night and it hasn't hurt me! but i eat the same way everyday breakfast 300 cal, snack 150, lunch 300 snack 150 dinner 300. although tipically i don't use my all my snack cals so i use them for a larger dinner. I guess i thought this was a change that you wanted to do longterm...and for that i have read on here people that do that w/ scientific backup that says it works but i count cals and read the body can't burn 1300 in one meal.
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