Lunch or dinner?

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jesiniccole
jesiniccole Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm trying to lose weight and have a 9-5 job with an hour lunch. I tried eating less at lunch ( granola bar, yogurt, and apple) and devoured the fridge when I got home. Today for lunch I ate at a local Coney Island and when dinner came around I wasn't really hungry. What does everyone else do for lunch or dinner? When do you eat more or less? What works for you? I'm curious

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  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    Eat more for lunch so you aren't so hungry when you get home. Then have something which is very quick to prepare when you get home. Do you own a crockpot? Or pressure cooker?
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Try eating more protein at lunch. It tends to be more satiating. Eggs, chicken, tuna, etc. Yogurt is ok but not that much protein compared to all the carbs in your granola and apple. Most commercial yogurt has a lot of sugar in it too, adding to your carbs. (Nothing wrong with carbs per se, but in balance with lots of protein too.)
  • jesiniccole
    jesiniccole Posts: 17 Member
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    Im also not a big meat eater .. that's why I'm lost .. I always had an option to eat at home now I'm at work all day I can't come home
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
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    My biggest meal is between 11am-noon. That works best with my IF schedule and my eating preferences.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    I eat my biggest meal when I am hungriest. Sometimes I am really hungry at lunch and sometimes I'm not. This will be something you'll have to play with to determine what works for you.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    edited August 2017
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    I have a very active job so ill bring a small packet of flavored tuna with me when i work incase we work long and i need it, But most days i just drink black coffee on the way and most of the time i dont need my snack. Once i stopped trying to make a full proper meal for my work food i felt beter. For example i used to bring tuna and crackers and then i realized why bring crackers tunas a fine snack on its own and the crackers didnt help me any. But thats really because i love coming home and having a big delicious meal and snack. I find when i dont eat in the morning i can easily go to 6-7 pm and not even be hungry if im not bored and staying active. Not for everyone :p Really depends on what you prefer, Id definatly go for something more satiating at work though sounds like alot of semi empty calories if your in search of something satisfying. Again though whats satisfying to you is very individual
  • rmgnow
    rmgnow Posts: 375 Member
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    I eat more at dinner.
    Usually 400 to 600 Cal's for lunch
    700 to 1000 for dinner
  • GottaluvFood
    GottaluvFood Posts: 65 Member
    edited August 2017
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    I've found that I need a minimum of 400ish calories for lunch. Otherwise, I suffer consequences just like you. If lunch is just 400ish, then I need a 200ish calorie snack between 3 & 4 pm. If my lunch is closer to 500 calories, I go without the snack without any consequences.

    My dinner is larger--closer to 700 calories. My breakfast around 400. (I strive for 1800ish a day)

    Funny thing about calorie counting. It kinda goes both ways. I note if I'm being too stingy with the calories for lunch or snack & will consciously increase what I eat. This fights of binge eating.

    My point is not the specific calorie number examples. But to learn what numbers are the minimally acceptable to last you to the next meal. Also learn the maximum acceptable numbers to allow you to have a decent meal the next meal.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Planning my meals and being prepared by always having available a variety of foods that are easy to combine to create a delicious, balanced meal, and being flexible with meal timing/calorie distribution, works for me.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    "Dinner" by definition is the biggest meal, so what you should be asking is which of "lunch" and "supper" is the biggest meal.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    jesiniccole wrote: »
    So I'm trying to lose weight and have a 9-5 job with an hour lunch. I tried eating less at lunch ( granola bar, yogurt, and apple) and devoured the fridge when I got home. Today for lunch I ate at a local Coney Island and when dinner came around I wasn't really hungry. What does everyone else do for lunch or dinner? When do you eat more or less? What works for you? I'm curious

    I usually have 300-500 calorie lunch and 500-600 calorie dinner. I have a 100-300 calorie breakfast and maybe a small afternoon or evening snack.
  • lexington88
    lexington88 Posts: 29 Member
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    I think it varies person to person, so there may be some trial and error while you work out how to spread out your calories.

    For me, I'm always hungry in the evening, no matter what I eat for lunch, so I prefer to have my biggest meal in the evening.

    For lunch, I usually grab something low-calorie (usually about 200 - 400 calories) but satiating, like a tuna nicoise salad or a veggie soup from Pret, or a Itsu Hot Coconut Chicken noodle pot. I also try to avoid going straight home, preferring to take my gym clothes to work so I can go there straight from the office, or taking a long walk around the neighbourhood. That way, if I do want a snack before dinner, I'll know I have the exercise calories to cover it. I also tend not to binge because it feels like I'll ruin all my hard work.

    But I'm not even a month into this particular weight loss journey, and I may find I need to adapt and adopt new habits as time goes on. It's about what works for you, and what you'll be able to keep at in the long term.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
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    I have more at dinner time, just a small sandwich and fruit for lunch (plus fruit and a cereal bar as a snack). If you have a whole hour for lunch why not go for a walk for part of it and have something mid-afternoon with the calories you've earned.
  • narspips
    narspips Posts: 48 Member
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    I enjoy cooking in the evening and my partner is a late-night snacker, which means I also often end up also being a late-night snacker ;) With a daily goal under 1500 calories, I try to ensure I don't eat more than 700 calories for breakfast and lunch combined, as that leaves up to 800 spare which is good wiggle room for a decent dinner and some snacks. Delaying breakfast, eating as much protein as possible and having a filling snack for the inevitable 3-4pm munchies are all helping, but as I don't get home until 7:30 (and therefore can't eat before 8:30 at the absolute earliest), it can get pretty tough! When I get absolutely starving, I'll take one of the post-dinner snacks and have it pre-dinner instead.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    I only eat 2 meals. Lunch if I remember is fairly light, 600-650 cals? Then I eat a large dinner.
  • magster4isu
    magster4isu Posts: 632 Member
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    I spread my calories throughout the day. I usually have 300-400 calories for both lunch and dinner. I also have 100-200 calories for breakfast and at least 2 snacks a day. And I always end my day with a fudge bar :smile:
  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
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    Treat your calories like a budget and portion your calories through the day based on what helps you feel satiated and meets your needs. You can experiment and add, remove, or move from one meal to another.

    Personally, I like to have something for breakfast but not heavy. Just enough to hold me over until lunch. I like a heavier lunch since I tend to work later, so protein and a lot of vegetables for bulk with possibly some starch. Dinner I like to be lighter (and quick to prepare) so protein and vegetables.

    I can adjust as needed based on what I'm doing that day, so if I want a heavier dinner I can adjust lunch or breakfast by taking something out of that. Snacks are optional, but I like to leave something for the evening. It just takes a little planning and experimentation.

    So now that you've recognized that a very light lunch (apple, granola bar, yogurt) leaves you feeling hungry late in the day, but a big heavy diner type lunch does not (you didn't say what you ate at the coney island, but it's an easy bet it was 3-5x the calories of your light lunch). Try to aim for something between that and split the difference and see how that works for you.



  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    jesiniccole wrote: »
    So I'm trying to lose weight and have a 9-5 job with an hour lunch. I tried eating less at lunch ( granola bar, yogurt, and apple) and devoured the fridge when I got home. Today for lunch I ate at a local Coney Island and when dinner came around I wasn't really hungry. What does everyone else do for lunch or dinner? When do you eat more or less? What works for you? I'm curious

    Eat a little more for lunch, then have a snack later in the work day (or even on your way home).

    If I were eating in your first scenario, I would add a sandwich or salad with protein (chicken, tuna, etc) along with the yogurt and fruit, then save the granola bar for a snack later so you aren't as hungry when you get home.
  • MommaGem2017
    MommaGem2017 Posts: 405 Member
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    I have a small/mid size breakfast and lunch, a small afternoon snack and a slightly larger dinner. That's just the way it feels best for me to take in food. Although I may move breakfast a little later because it's a long stretch from 7am to Noon.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    I like to graze for lunch, so I usually pack stuff that I can snack on over a couple of hours: cheese, meat, lots of fresh fruit and veggies, crackers, etc. I eat about 500 calories for lunch and 550 for dinner. I've noticed that if we eat dinner a little later than usual, I need a snack around 5 to tide me over. There's no right answer, but I'll echo what others have said - figure out what works, and don't try and skimp your calories. If you're hungry, eat something, log it, and learn what your body needs. It's trial and error - when I'm hungry I often reach for salty things like chips, but they aren't filling so I eat way too many, feel sick, don't want dinner, and it's just not fun. Cheese and olives is my go-to snack now - just a little goes a long way. You will figure it out for yourself if you give yourself time.

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