Calories per Meal

sheneverfails · January 2012

When I was on WW, it was easy to know "oof, that's 11 points, I should definitely not eat that" for example, but I can't seem to wrap my brain around the same idea with calorie counting.

Does anyone have any suggestions regarding how many calories would be best to consume for each Meal.

I regularly eat breakfast lunch and dinner, and I usually also have a morning snack of some kind.

Current Weight: 350
Short-Term Goal: 299
Long-Term Goal: 190
Daily Calories: 2,290

MaraDiaz · January 2012

Divided into four equal parts your calories per meal is 572.5. Now decide if you prefer to eat more at a particular meal. Say, breakfast. Then count those calories and eat a smaller lunch, dinner and snack. It's going to vary by person.

Of course, if you'd rather not plan it out and do the math, just log it as you go through your day. Was breakfast 800 calories? Well, MFP will tell you how many you have left for the rest of the day. So work within those limitations.

Did breakfast not hold you, leaving you famished at lunch and ready to kill and eat slow moving relatives by bedtime? Try less calories at breakfast and more later in the day. The important thing is to figure out what works for you while you track every bite you put in your mouth so you know whether you're over, under, or right on target.

busyPK · January 2012

For me I like to get some carbs and protein in my body in the morning as it makes me feel full and let's me get through my morning workout and then 4 hours at work. I typically have an english muffin w/pb on it or a hard boiled egg. Somtimes I'll add yogurt to it as well. I also have a late morning snack of an apple or banana. Lunch is always different for me, but anywhere between 400 and 500cal. I have a later afternoon snack around 150cal (laughing cow cheese wedge and crackers, string cheese, yogurt, fruit, veggies and dip, etc.) and dinner is my biggest meal at around 500cal and includes lots of veggies and usually chicken.

Again, this is just works for me.

agthorn · January 2012

Pre-log your food and exercise in the morning - then there's no surprises and you already know if you plan to have a bigger lunch, then you need to eat less at breakfast and dinner to compensate.

galvodka · January 2012

Pre-log your food and exercise in the morning - then there's no surprises and you already know if you plan to have a bigger lunch, then you need to eat less at breakfast and dinner to compensate.

I agree....I plan out all my meals in advance, that way I can plan accordingly around social events and my schedule. If I know I'm going out to lunch with co-workers I'll plan a smaller dinner that night. I generally consume approximately 35-40% of my calories between breakfast and morning snack because I find that it makes me feel fuller during the day and gets me going and feeling more energized in the morning.

pupcamper · January 2012

Not an expert but if I were eating around 2300 calories a day I would probably go:-

Breakfast around 400
Snack no more than 200
Lunch around 500
Snack no more than 200
Dinner around 700
Snack no more than 200

At least when your calorie intake reduces you can shave calories off without starving yourself!

I usually plan my week around my schedule and when I can get to the gym. So calories in and out would obviously vary! Good luck!

megansoriano · January 2012

I usually eat most of my calories at lunch with a BIG salad (usually 400 calories) with loads of delicious toppings. I eat below 200 calories for breakfast. Have a snack below 100 calories between breakfast and lunch. Between lunch and dinner I snack on a ton of carrots (100 calories). Then dinner I eat maybe a chick breast / fish fillet with lots and lots of veggies (250-400 calories). If I am feeling really hungry I may eat rice or something.

chicklidell · January 2012

Not an expert but if I were eating around 2300 calories a day I would probably go:-

Breakfast around 400
Snack no more than 200
Lunch around 500
Snack no more than 200
Dinner around 700
Snack no more than 200

At least when your calorie intake reduces you can shave calories off without starving yourself!

I usually plan my week around my schedule and when I can get to the gym. So calories in and out would obviously vary! Good luck!

Just a quick hint on that breakdown..it makes no sense to consume that many calories so late in the day, unless you have a real kick a** workout planned late at night..reverse those numbers...you'll see results much quicker...breakfast high, snacks really should never be over 150cals. lunch lighter then dinner the lightest...carb watch after 2-3 in the afternoon concentrate more on protein...just my two cents

agthorn · January 2012

Not an expert but if I were eating around 2300 calories a day I would probably go:-

Breakfast around 400
Snack no more than 200
Lunch around 500
Snack no more than 200
Dinner around 700
Snack no more than 200

At least when your calorie intake reduces you can shave calories off without starving yourself!

I usually plan my week around my schedule and when I can get to the gym. So calories in and out would obviously vary! Good luck!

Just a quick hint on that breakdown..it makes no sense to consume that many calories so late in the day, unless you have a real kick a** workout planned late at night..reverse those numbers...you'll see results much quicker...breakfast high, snacks really should never be over 150cals. lunch lighter then dinner the lightest...carb watch after 2-3 in the afternoon concentrate more on protein...just my two cents

Science doesn't support this. Meal timing/calorie division is purely personal choice (i.e. what works for an individual person's schedule and preferences) and at the end of the day (fairly literally, it's really more over 48-72 hours but having a daily goal is easy for people to track) total calories are what matter.

pupcamper · January 2012

I work full time, have to work out mostly at night and love to eat at night - this for me in a lifestyle change and I like to enjoy my evening meal with my family to reverse my numbers wouldn't really fit in with that goal - like I said I am not an expert just offering my opinion on what I would do. It was merely a suggestion based on her question and my lack of knowledge on her circumstances it was not intended to a hard and fast best practices - everybody is different but the only way they can find out what work is to try something!

chicklidell · January 2012

Not an expert but if I were eating around 2300 calories a day I would probably go:-

Breakfast around 400
Snack no more than 200
Lunch around 500
Snack no more than 200
Dinner around 700
Snack no more than 200

At least when your calorie intake reduces you can shave calories off without starving yourself!

I usually plan my week around my schedule and when I can get to the gym. So calories in and out would obviously vary! Good luck!

Just a quick hint on that breakdown..it makes no sense to consume that many calories so late in the day, unless you have a real kick a** workout planned late at night..reverse those numbers...you'll see results much quicker...breakfast high, snacks really should never be over 150cals. lunch lighter then dinner the lightest...carb watch after 2-3 in the afternoon concentrate more on protein...just my two cents

Science doesn't support this. Meal timing/calorie division is purely personal choice (i.e. what works for an individual person's schedule and preferences) and at the end of the day (fairly literally, it's really more over 48-72 hours but having a daily goal is easy for people to track) total calories are what matter.

Again..like I said...my two cents It works for the ladies in the bodybuilding profession, and not for everyone in general..science may not support it...but sometimes someone success is enough....I was simply trying to help.

galvodka · January 2012

Not an expert but if I were eating around 2300 calories a day I would probably go:-

Breakfast around 400
Snack no more than 200
Lunch around 500
Snack no more than 200
Dinner around 700
Snack no more than 200

At least when your calorie intake reduces you can shave calories off without starving yourself!

I usually plan my week around my schedule and when I can get to the gym. So calories in and out would obviously vary! Good luck!

Just a quick hint on that breakdown..it makes no sense to consume that many calories so late in the day, unless you have a real kick a** workout planned late at night..reverse those numbers...you'll see results much quicker...breakfast high, snacks really should never be over 150cals. lunch lighter then dinner the lightest...carb watch after 2-3 in the afternoon concentrate more on protein...just my two cents

Science doesn't support this. Meal timing/calorie division is purely personal choice (i.e. what works for an individual person's schedule and preferences) and at the end of the day (fairly literally, it's really more over 48-72 hours but having a daily goal is easy for people to track) total calories are what matter.

Again..like I said...my two cents It works for the ladies in the bodybuilding profession, and not for everyone in general..science may not support it...but sometimes someone success is enough....I was simply trying to help.

It does make sense though....you're eating to fuel your body...so why would you consume most of your fuel a few hours before going to sleep when you don't need it?

SarahMorganP · January 2012

I get way less calories than you but here is how mine are spread most days...

300 breakfast
400-500 lunch
500-600 dinner

I don't do snacks most days but if I do they will be 100-200 calories and then I will make lunch or dinner (or both) 100-200 less that day. Or I will work out more so I earn more calories.

Sidesteal · January 2012

You should let personal preference dictate this as it won't effect your results outside of how it effects performance. As far as carb timing, that's basically myth. I regularly eat 1500+ calories right before bed as do many others on IF.

I would actually recommend trying smaller breakfast and lunch and larger dinners for comparison sake.

HMonsterX · January 2012

For me, its:

Breakfast: 0 cals
Lunch: 400 cals
Dinner : 1000 cals
Snacks: As and when i fancy them.

total cals: 1600-2400 depends on the amount of burn i get that day. As others have said, in terms of metabolism WHEN you eat is totally irrelevant for those of us without any medical conditions. It's all down to personal preference.

Stylistntenn · January 2012

I usually break mine down something like this: Breakfast 350, Lunch 500, Supper (as we like to call it in the south ha!) 600, then maybe 250 spread throughout the day for snacks. (Right now I get about 1700 a day). I saw the discussion about eating larger meals at supper as opposed to eating breakfast as the larger meal. It does make sense to eat the bigger meals earlier in the day. I always heard- Eat like a King at breakfast, a Prince at lunch, and a pauper at supper (dinner)... BUT for me... if I start out eating more early in the day, it just makes me want to eat more and more throughout the day. So, I don't overeat at supper- but it is my larger meal.

Calories per Meal

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