When to eat your biggest Meal?
 

I am looking to see when you should eat my biggest meal? I have 22 points a day.

If I eat an nice size breakfast: 1/2 cup low fat Cottage cheese, 1/2cup fruit, 1 egg, 1 peice of ham, and 1 toasts. = about 6 to 7 points. Then I don't eat until lunch.
At lunch I like a salad with low fat dressing and chicken or a sandwhich of some kind. I try to keep it around 5 points.

I like to snack around 3pm (this is were if I am going to blow it I will!) I have gotten everything out of my house that is tempting. I have lots of fruit, rice cakes, love low-fat popcorn, 1 point popsicles, strawberry smoothies to get in my milk.

Then dinner 5:30pm with the rest of my points. I don't eat after 7pm I don't like to snack before bed. I get bad heartburn.

But I was thinking I have tryed to eat less in the morning and still feel hungy around 10am. I have also tryed more at lunch to stop snacking at 3pm. What should be my biggest meal????
I also like to eat more in the morning because I feel I can work it off better thru the day. This was a big thing to me since I never ate breakfast before.

I would love to hear what others do so maybe I can find a better way to do things.

Thanks,
Jen

Id like to know what other people do/think too. Ive tried different things. I take an antidepressant that suppresses my appetite a bit. So, when I wake up, Im not that hungry. So, for the past week, Ive tried eating an apple right when i get up. Then, an hour or 2 later, ill eat something else, like oatmeal. I eat a late lunch and late dinner. I want try lunch as my biggest meal of the day then a light dinner. That way I dont feel so full and bloated before bed. I dont know if it will help me but i guess its all about finding what works. Sorry I couldnt help more.

Love,
Deanne

I'm no expert but my opinion is that it will differ for everyone according to lifestyle etc. but I thinkour biggest meal should be in the morning, then a moderate sized lunch and a small to moderate size dinner, because I believe we eat backwards we eat our smallest meal in the morning when that is when we need to eat the most to get us ready for the day, and we have all day to burn off the calories from it, supper however were going to be going to bed afterwards and dont have as much time to burn it off so it sits in our stomachs, so I think supper should be a smaller meal and if were hungry afterwards before bed have fruit or something, I also think it is good to have a cut off time, like 2 or 3 hours before bed, that again that will differ with everyone with preference.

Personally the meals you are are going to be more preference than anything.

I spread my points as follows:

BREAKFAST - 4 poitns
MIDMORN SNACK - 1-2 points
LUNCH - 6-8 points
MIDAFTERNOON SNACK - 1-2 points
DINNER - 8-12 points
EVENING SNACK - 1-10 depending on what I ate during the day

Trixie...I like the way you explain the backwards meals. It makes sense. I might have to try this. Big breakfast, small lunch, small dinner. How should I spread my points if I do it like that? I have 22.

love,
Deanne

Maybe you should split your breakfast into 2 meals, say the cottage cheese and fruit at 8 am and the egg, toast, and ham at 10 am. The eat lunch around noon, have a piece of fruit or a lite yogurt at 3pm, then put gum in your mouth so you can't snack. (I use the Crest white strips-they are on for 30 minutes and you can't eat!) Drink more water until supper time and then have the remaining points for supper. Best of luck!

The crest white strips is a great idea!

This is more personal preference than anything (yes I realize you said but I am just expounding on the thought) because your body does not really know if it is 3am or 3pm or 5am or 5pm or 12mid or 12noon. You also burn a minimum of 50 calories an hour even sleeping and it all boils down to calories in and out for a 24 hour period.

BTW many people do their meals like this:

BREAKFAST of King
LUNCH of a Queen
DINNER of a Pauper.

I completely agree with Kelly S! :)

Here is an article on eating at night:

It’s a Spanish tradition: Have your last meal late at night, about 9:00 P.M., not long before you head to bed.

Eating right before bedtime? Isn’t that an invitation to obesity?

Evidently not. There’s now scientific evidence that you don’t gain more weight if you eat late at night. Several studies confirm that when you at has no connection with weight, and survey by the Department of Agriculture has demonstrated that evening eating in particular has no more effect on your weight than morning eating.

It’s the total number of calories consumed daily and expended in activity that makes – or breaks – weight gain. Apparently, the time of day when you consume those calories or burn them is really not an issue. The calories in your bedtime snack will be burned when they are needed. Even sleep burns about 50 calories an hour.

Dr. Howard M. Shapiro


But again this is individual because some people get heartburn or don't sleep well eating later in the evening.

Very interesting! Although it won't be an invitation to snack at midnight, I can at least rest assure that when I can't make dinner by 5:30pm, not to beat myself up over it..! :)

It might make a difference how active you are at different times during the day. If you are more active in the morning or afternoon, you probably want more in the morning. I have a pretty low-activity job, and I like to get my exercise and gardening in after supper in the evening, so I feel better if I have 4-5 points for breakfast, 5-8 for lunch and snacks, and 9-11 for supper. On Saturdays, where I tend to be more active throughout the day, I feel better if I have a larger breakfast. Of course, I'll get more AP's, so I usually eat more on those high-activity days anyway.

I too eat my biggest meal at breakfast I start off w/ Protein and a little fat. Which keeps me fuller longer. Then I have 5-6 pts for lunch and another big meal at dinner which keeps me satisfied til breakfast.

I also eat 22 points per day and this is my daily intake

Breakfast - 4
Snack- 2
Lunch-5
Snack-2
Dinner-7
Snack-2
Eating cut-off time 8:00 due to kids sports

Hope that helps.
Stacey

stacey....i like your spread of points throughout the day. I might try that. Its hard for me to get in that many snacks though.

Love,
Deanne