I think many, many people are either front loaders or back loaders. Count me as another back loader! I only do so by a few hundred calories though. I make sure that I head into dinner with a good 600 calories remaining to spread out between dinner and dessert. That's just the time of day when things happen. We eat out, friends call to eat over, we have pizza on a whim, Dairy Queen calls, etc, etc. I can pass up the brownies at work, but I can't pass up the ice cream cone in the evening. Or at least I don't choose to.
OMG! I thought I was a freak for saving up for dinner! I eat a light breakfast around 250(including my morning coffee), a light lunch around 300 and then eat a decent dinner and small snack at night. I stay between 1200-1400cal a day. Before I decided to follow this plan, I used to eat most of my calories in the daytime(because that's what the diet "gurus" have been preaching right?) and would eat a light dinner. I felt like I was starving. The thought of not being able to eat anymore would drive me to have one "small" snack after another.
Howdy,
I eat most of my calories at night with the family unless I have a function in the day. I want to blend into my family's routine, and others, as much as possible.
You're right, I don't feel lke I am dieting eating this way.
Geez, the more I read and browse through the posts, the better I feel. I am a night eater also and I have been trying to figure out how to not do that! I have never been a breakfast person which may be what helped me get to where I am but I now have started eating a breakfast sandwich that I make or if I am in a hurry I will have a slimfast or carnation instant breakfast. It seems to do the trick for me. I am usually out in town somewhere around lunch so my mom and I might grab something we think is low cal and not too fattening and then I have been cooking more for dinner but it's usually between 6 and midnight I get the munchies!
Hey has anybody seen or read and of the Hungry Girl books and tried the recipes? I am looking to get the 200 under 200 and try it out. What better way to count calories than to have a recipe book full of one serving meals that are 200 calories or less and that can be easily multiplied if need be! Just a thought
It's so good to hear I'm not alone! I've always been a BIG night-time eater, never really hungry throughout the day then binge at night. Now that I'm counting again i plan to eat most my calories in the evening and try to be done eating by 9pm so i get hungry enough to actually want breakfast. I agree with most of these post's in my opinion- it doesn't matter what time you eat it's calories in calories out period!
I know of many people here on the boards who begin counting their 24 hours' worth of calories or Weight Watcher points at the evening meal. This is one more strategy that enforces the idea to do what is right for yourself.
I'm so glad to see that I'm not the only one! I eat light during the day, so tonight when DH called from work and suggested bringing home Chipotle, I knew that I had the calories left for it. He's had a nasty cold this week, so I let him think it was a treat for him
Whenever I eat a big breakfast, I'm starving by lunch, and even more so by dinner. I'm fine with small amounts during the day, but I need something substantial at night or I feel deprived! My goal now is to start eating my cals earlier. We've been acting like italians and eating after 9pm!
I think it's affecting my morning weigh-ins, but I won't stop eating the bulk in one meal in the evening
I always save most of my calories for dinner. I never used to eat breakfast, so I'm not missing anything by having a low calorie breakfast now. I usually eat about 150 calories for breakfast, 300-350 for lunch, then the rest of my 1200 calories for dinner. So far it's working well. There is no time for mindless snacking iin the evenings because by the time I get home from work, walk my dog, run, then make dinner, it's already 7:30 or so. I am also too full to think about a snack.
Geez, the more I read and browse through the posts, the better I feel. I am a night eater also and I have been trying to figure out how to not do that!
How wierd that's exactly what I was thinking! I have always heard that you should try to eat the majority of your calories earlier in the day since you are still burning them off and at night you are just sleeping so your body isn't burning them. That made sense to me so I was trying for the longest time to do this but without any success. So now, I just adjust the 5 factor meals to be Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and snack. Instead of Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. I also try to do either a lowfat desert like a splenda sweetened popsicle or sugar free pop or else do a snack. This way I am not hungry going to bed and don't eat when I don't feel the need to! Also, I don't end up overeating because I am so hungry at night!
Thank you all very much, like others have said, I'm not weird after all. I can have my soy shake in the morning, PB sandwich and yogurt for lunch, then have a healthy dinner, save most of my calories for watching TV with a cheese stick or a bowl of cereal, something anything at night. I used to beat myself up over my eating pattern, now i am just one of the chicks here.
I am not alone anymore oh what joy to be normal after all.
Wow thanks for such an overwhelmingly positive reply!
This is really working for me, mostly because it 'tricks' me into thinking I am not on a plan and I can 'eat whatever I want' - which I think is a big emotional component for me, being terrified of the idea of feeling 'deprived'.
I do think there is a biological component too, though I have no proof to back that up LOL, except for a whole lot of anecdotal data.
I am all about what works and if it ain't broke...
I make sure breakfast and lunch are high-protein and high-fiber with some fat, so even modest portions keep me sated. The worst diet advice I ever followed was trying to make breakfast my biggest meal of the day--it had ZERO effect on my hunger in the evenings.
For me, saving the bulk of my calories for night times is an absolute lifesaver. I'm up and about teaching from 9-4.30 every day and being that busy I don't think about or care much for food. So breakfast is around 300, lunch 250 pre-gym snack 200 and then I have about 700 to play with for dinner and snacks. I love doing it this way - for me there's nothing better than curling up with a good book at 9pm and munching on a cereal bar and dried or fresh fruit
