Calorie Allotment

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juliejordan23
juliejordan23 Posts: 11 Member
in Getting Started
Hello,

I'm looking for advice on how to best use my calories in each day. If I have 1500 per day, how best should I spread them out over breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Do most people try to save a larger amount of calories for the largest meal they eat?

Thanks in advance!
Julie

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited January 2016
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    juliejordan23 wrote: »
    Hello,

    I'm looking for advice on how to best use my calories in each day. If I have 1500 per day, how best should I spread them out over breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Do most people try to save a larger amount of calories for the largest meal they eat?

    Thanks in advance!
    Julie

    Meal timing is a matter of personal preference, it doesn't matter for weight loss. I like a bigger meal at dinner, others like a bigger meal at breakfast.

    Just find what keeps you full and satisfied. You might need to experiment a little.
  • SoleilxStitch
    SoleilxStitch Posts: 95 Member
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    For me it depends where most of my temptation is socially and how I have to use my time. For example at Uni my meal is bigger because people will question what I am eating and sometimes I forget a packed lunch.

    Or if I have a full day, sometimes I go to work, uni and gym in one day, so the lunch time is where I have the biggest meal because I need to get through the day and I likely will be home late at night. Where as at home, my breakfasts are usually quite light a few hundred calories.

    Just find a way tailoring it to you.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
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    As the others have said, you should find what works for you. I like to save my calories and eat them all in the afternoon/evening. And this helps me stay within my calorie allotment. But this isn't for everyone.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
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    Just going to echo what the others have said: do what works best for you.

    For me personally, I get 1800 calories a day. I eat about 600 at breakfast, 500 at lunch, and everything else for dinner/dessert.
  • charbame
    charbame Posts: 13 Member
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    Agree, do what works for you.

    I tend to plan my dinner early in the day, and log those calories in the AM. Then I taylor the rest of the calories between breakfast, lunch and snacks. Or, I will log the largest meal I know I will have first; then plan around that.

    At the end of the day, if I have not eaten all I am allowed, I can then have a treat. Sometimes just a small square of dark chocolate, sometimes some pita chips (I love Stacy's Parmesan Pita Chips!)

    This works for me, but you will have to find a method that works best for you!
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    I eat around 200 calories at 11am ish, I never eat really early. Then I eat around 350 at lunch time 1pm-2. Dinner around 7pm is 500ish. Then I snack on around 600 calories between then and bed.
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    Different methods work for different people. Personally, I could not simply eat three meals a day and be done with it. I'm a snacker. If you look at my diary it's divided into Breakfast, Lunch, Mid-Day Snack, Dinner, After-Dinner Snack and Beverages. Typically I eat breakfast between 8AM and 10AM, lunch at 1PM, a snack at 3PM and 5PM, dinner at 8PM (I get home VERY late - long commute + gym time or errand time) and then, if I'm still feeling munchy, an after dinner snack. My beverages are typically only coffee because I drink mainly water.
  • marija09
    marija09 Posts: 24 Member
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    think about the way your metabolism's working, u need the most fuel during the day while ur working. most people have a really big dinner (to enjoy the movie they're watching, I guess). However, i prefer to have a big lunch cos then i'm not starving throughout the day, whereas after dinner I'm just doing light work and then head off to sleep.
  • juliejordan23
    juliejordan23 Posts: 11 Member
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    Thanks all! I really like the idea to plan my largest meal and work back from there. That seems logical to me.

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