When you're trying to lose weight, it's tough to determine not just what you should be eating but how to best space your calories throughout the day. Many Americans are used to eating a large dinner, which can easily pack in hundreds of unnecessary calories and prevent weight loss. But if you make smart eating choices throughout the day and pay careful attention to your calorie intake, there's no reason you can't enjoy a large dinner and still lose weight.
Saving Calories for Dinner
A large dinner may or may not hinder your weight loss efforts depending on how you eat the rest of the day. Skipping breakfast and lunch to leave most of your calories for dinner may help you limit your overall calorie intake, but that strategy can backfire; fasting all day can lead to headaches, dizziness and irritability, and slows down your metabolism so you burn fewer calories, Columbia University reports.
Making the Most of Your Calorie Intake
A large dinner can stall weight loss and even lead to weight gain if it means eating too many calories. Regardless of what time of day you eat, taking in more calories than your body burns will cause those extra calories to be stored as body fat. However, you can still enjoy a large portion of food and keep your calorie intake under control if you choose the right foods. Vegetables should fill at least half your plate, since they're low in calories and contain filling fiber. Ideally, the rest of your meal should consist of a lean source of protein, like chicken or fish, and a whole-grain food, like brown rice or whole-wheat pasta.
Finding a Strategy to Suit You
Most nutrition experts advise that you distribute your calories throughout the day in order to avoid becoming too hungry, which can lead to overeating. The most important thing when it comes to eating for weight loss is to find a strategy that keeps your body satisfied while staying within your calorie limit. Many people find that eating a larger breakfast or lunch and a light dinner works best for preventing hunger and staying energized, but the same may not be true for you. Listen to your body's signals and eat when you're hungry, choosing low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods that will help you stay full between meals.
Special Occasions
An occasional big dinner can easily be worked into a weight-loss plan, and may actually help you stick to your diet because it will prevent feelings of deprivation. Even when you're trying to lose weight, special events like weddings, celebrations and anniversary dinners are part of life, and there's no reason you shouldn't be able to celebrate by indulging in your favorite foods. As long as you limit these large, high-calorie meals to special occasions, you can enjoy them and still lose weight.
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