Say, if I plan to consume 2000 calories a day, how much calories should I consume for breakfast, lunch and supper? I'm thinking along the lines of 500 calories for each meal but what happens to the last 500 calories? Is 500 calories enough for each meal or should I start the day with a bigger calorie intake at breakfast then break down towards supper time?
Any opinions / knowledge will be greatly appreciated ;]
I mean, the general idea is to space it out like that... but one meal might be 400, one meal 600, etc.... just as long as it adds up to your goal. Some people like to have a more filling breakfast because then they don't feel as hungry throughout the day... others don't care. Me, personally... I have a lighter breakfast (around 300 cal) and then space the rest around the rest of the day.
I tend to eat heavier in the morning since I workout not too long after and can use the energy. The towards the evening I eat something lighter and protein dense. Do whatever works out for you! =)
I actually don't plan per meal at all. I graze all day long, and however my calories fall, they fall. I do try not to eat a huge meal at night, but I'm getting much better at listening to what my body wants.
I also found that by eating throughout the day, I don't get the insatiable hunger where I need to devour everything in sight by dinner time!
Another question... do you think 2000 calories per day are too much or little for me? I've been searching around on the internet and I came across a website which explains that you multiply your weight by 10 (or 11 for men, I don't remember what the 10 or 11 are for). At the moment, I weigh 236lbs so that means my calorific intake is 2360 per day. If I wanted to lose weight, I would have to reduce my calorie intake, so that's why I thought 2000 calories. However, I'm not sure if that's enough or too much for my weight!
I agree w/ everyone else, do whatever works for you as far as splitting your calories up! I don't have a set schedule for each meal...I just know for me personally, I always end up wanting something late at night, so I HAVE to leave enough calories to account for that. That's my only "rule."
I swear by the calorie calculator at freedieting.com -http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm. You can put in your height/weight/age there and it will give you a range of calories to stay within from max loss to maintenance.
I think 2000 is a good place to start. Then gradually your calories need to decrease, or your exercise needs to increase and close the gap.
As for spacing calories out, I find it better to have a bigger breakfast, you will burn most of those calories anyways. As compared to dinner for example.
I'd start at around 1800 or so at your weight... that's creating a calorie deficit of just over 500 a day which amounts to a little over 1 pounds a week.
My meals vary each day, so the # of calories per meal varies. But I try to keep it around 500/meal. Now, most days, my breakfast is smaller than that, which leaves room for a bigger dinner .
When I started, I checked as many calculators as I could find for a target calorie intake. If 2000 is where you feel comfortable right now, I'd go for it, Then, like cdemay said, you can reduce it and find out what works for you.
untamed - thanks for the link! It helped a lot ;D According to my age, weight and physical activity, I need to consume 1888 calories per day with little or no exercise. I'd noticed that the calorie intake increases if you increase the level of physical activity. Therefore, I can see what cdemay and cfmama are saying! I think I will be comfortable with consuming 1800 to 2000 calories per day, depending on the level of physical activity in the course of the week. I will gradually reduce my calorie intake as I lose weight along the way.
kuhrisuh - thanks for the luck! ;] I'm glad you're here because you're two years older than me and you weighed 10lbs heavier than me when you started the diet so I feel like I can relate to you! x) Just a question, how many calories did you consume when you first started?
I know, right!! I believe I started around 1800, and then once I started losing I went down. When I'm working out 5 days/wk I can eat 1400-1600 cals and still lose, though I try to keep it between 1300-1400 just because that's what works for me.
I need help with calorie count!
