Eating most of the days calories at once/having a large dinner

Once a week I have a large dinner, I stay within my calorie limits but eat most of the days calories at that dinner. I've heard people saying that eating a large amount at once is going to be stored as fat and other negative things like that so I was just wondering, what are peoples opinions on this? Does it matter if the calories are consumed in a short amount of time at dinner rather than spread out during the day?

The trouble with an eating pattern where you eat most of your day's calories in one sitting is that you're not learning how to control your appetite and be happier with smaller portions.  You're overeating, just once a week instead of every day. 

The second problem is that if you eat next to nothing all day and then hit your body with a large amount of food it doesn't process the energy efficiently... you end up producing large amounts of insulin which acts as a 'gatekeeper' on your fat stores.   Plus, you've spent all morning and afternoon trying to function on very little energy... that presents problems of its own and could make it even more likely you overeat at suppertime.

Ideally you should aim to eat 'regularly'.  That doesn't necessarily mean eating six tiny meals or three big meals but try to get at least half of your daily calories before you sit down for supper.  If you were aiming for 1500 cals a day for example... a 350 breakfast and 450 lunch followed by a 700 cal supper would be fine.

I don't think that it's a problem from that perspective, but I do worry that if you restrict during the day to save up for this one meal, you'll be so hungry that you'll eat more in that meal than you would have, if it were spread over smaller meals.

And if you do stay within your calorie limits, are you able to eat normally the next day (you don't feel like you have to make up for the big dinner, even though it didn't go over your daily limit)? And are you able to get a good sleep on a full stomach?

So I guess my feeling is that as long as it doesn't create a restriction/binge cycle in your eating habits, it's not a huge problem - in the end, calories in vs out is going to be the key to weight loss, not exactly when you eat those calories.

If you're restricting yourself during the day and having a large dinner because of it, than that is a bad sign.

Like the others say, make sure you're practicing portion control. I use my food scale for just about every meal. Dinner is the BEST meal of the day for me, and sometimes I'll have seconds, but overall the meal doesn't total more than what I've consumed for the day before that (breakfast, snacks, lunch = more than 1 dinner meal).

Thanks for the replies. I am not restricting much at all during the day, I usually eat normally or a bit less. For that day I basically eat a bit over maintenance, I go by weekly calorie allowance rather than daily too if that makes a difference. I eat normally the next day, also.

I'm just wondering opinions on it's effects on the body/metabolism and it being stored as fat etc. :)

It is not the optimal way, but as long as you stay within your calories, you should be fine. The only things to avoid around bedtime will have to be fast digesting carbs.

Why is that?

Fast digesting carbs are more likely to be stored as fat since you will not have the time to burn them off before bedtime. Protein and fat are slower digesting and can be used for other purposes (recovery, etc).

Original Post by bettiebebop:

Thanks for the replies. I am not restricting much at all during the day, I usually eat normally or a bit less. For that day I basically eat a bit over maintenance, I go by weekly calorie allowance rather than daily too if that makes a difference. I eat normally the next day, also.

I'm just wondering opinions on it's effects on the body/metabolism and it being stored as fat etc. :)

 

 You could wonder about its effect on the body, etc., but I wonder about its effect on you psychologically, and why you would want to do that unless you enjoy the idea of eating so much food at one sitting, and that worries me because it makes me think you are yearning to eat that way regularly.

Original Post by bettiebebop:

Once a week I have a large dinner, I stay within my calorie limits but eat most of the days calories at that dinner. I've heard people saying that eating a large amount at once is going to be stored as fat and other negative things like that so I was just wondering, what are peoples opinions on this? Does it matter if the calories are consumed in a short amount of time at dinner rather than spread out during the day?

I hear what others are saying here, but my purely anecdotal experience as a big supper eater has not indicated that I put on weight as result of consuming the majority of the same amount of calories later in the day as I would have spread out through the day. The one problem I have encountered is that I am pretty hungry while preparing dinner and that can result in uncontrolled snacking while cooking. I try to counter this by making sure I have a snack at about 3pm (apple, yoghurt etc) and have healthy snacks on hand while cooking (crunchy crudites are good).

Its seems more sensible to space your calories but it doesn't work for everyone.

(edited -- see next post)

But now that I see the poster says she has it only one day a week -- that puts it in a different light. I can't imagine that one day a week would disturb any metabolic balance. So one day a week seems OK to me.

Unless your calorie intake is quite restricted you could try cutting back 100 calories a day to save up for your big meal.  That way you could eat more balanced on the day you have your big meal.  If you eat more that day you may even eat less on your splurge.

I do essentially what you do every sunday afternoon.  I go out to lunch/dinner with my son.  Since this has been a ritual for over 15 years, I am unprepared to change it.  Now, I don't eat pure crap, and I eat breakfast that day as well, but I "save" most of that daily calories for the one meal, with just a snack in the later evening.  Depending on where we go, I might allow a maintenance day (hard to be at 1200 per day when visiting the Spagetti factory).

I feel that it might actually work in my favor, changing up the calorie intake one day a week and this is for life, so we shouldn't feel like we are making changes that we can't live with.

Original Post by tinabobeena:

I do essentially what you do every sunday afternoon.  I go out to lunch/dinner with my son.  Since this has been a ritual for over 15 years, I am unprepared to change it.  Now, I don't eat pure crap, and I eat breakfast that day as well, but I "save" most of that daily calories for the one meal, with just a snack in the later evening.  Depending on where we go, I might allow a maintenance day (hard to be at 1200 per day when visiting the Spagetti factory).

I feel that it might actually work in my favor, changing up the calorie intake one day a week and this is for life, so we shouldn't feel like we are making changes that we can't live with.

 

 I agree with that thought. I usually know when I'm going out to eat and really need to learn to cut back that day and even before. thanks!

I was not concerned about the calories so much as the effect that eating a large amount at once, and at night has on the body but thank you all for the responses, it's interesting to hear how others have similar ways of eating. :) 

Original Post by bettiebebop:

I was not concerned about the calories so much as the effect that eating a large amount at once, and at night has on the body but thank you all for the responses, it's interesting to hear how others have similar ways of eating. :) 

 Well, I am not a nutritionist, but I do know that the body (my body) shuts down to a slow pace at night and if I load it with food before I go to sleep I am bound to have problems. How about you? Have you noticed something different or uncomfortable goes on that day that you eat a tremendous meal at night?

I eat most of my calories at night.  I enjoy a big supper.  I don't face any issues with this but everyone is different and they have to do what is best for them.

Thanks for the replies.

Jenniferar, How do you get through the days before your large meal at night? I was thinking to eat my big meal at night because nighttime is the problem area for me anyway.

cindiw1, the only reason I don't have trouble getting through the days is because I actually eat about 2300-2500 calories maintainance depending on my activity level.  I am very active and I suppose have a fast metabolism.  I eat 550-600 calories each meal and a 450-500 calories snack/desert about 1 hour before bed.  If you want to stay satisfied on less calories eat loss of high fibre foods.  Oatmeal with a tablespoon of pb is a great way to start your day and it keeps you full a long time.