My mom think 600-700 calories is a normal sized meal. Is it? Or, is that too much?

[Anonymous]

Like my mom is always worrying about people eating too little. She thinks no meal should be below 600 calories, 500 at the VERY least. She acts this way whether we're eating a healthy meal, or a not so healthy meal. For example, on a not so healthy day if I were to make one of those frozen tv dinners for like 300 calories, she'd say "300 isn't enough, you should eat 2 of them." (But, seriously 2 of those dinners is like an abnormal amount right?) Or, another example would be a healthier meal. Like if she'd make chicken breast, peas, and baked potatoes, she's make everyone have 2 potatoes because "potatoes are healthy" and "that's not a lot of food". It's the same when we eat out (which is rare.) she refuses to order anyone smaller because the largest are "only 200-300 calories more". Like is this a crazy amount of food or what? by the way I'm not anorexic or under weight, I just think this is a crazy amount of food for one meal.

600-700 calories is completely normal for a meal, and it's not too much.

600-700 calories per meal is about what I eat, and not too much.

600-700 calories is a lot for a meal!

A meal should always be less than 500 calories.

600-700 calories would still be considered a small meal.

300 calories for a meal is wayyy too small. Your moms right and 600-700 is more normal.

[lyannamormont]

350 for main courses, 100 for snacks. My schedule is 7:30 Breakfast/10:00 Snack/12:30 Lunch/15:00 Snack/17:30 Dinner/20:00 Snack. And I sleep around 10:30 since I wake up early can feel like shit during weekdays if I sleep less than 8 hours.

600 for one main course is too much. That makes 2100 if you eat thrice a day. A woman who is 60 kilos needs 24 * 60 =1440 calories a day (on average) for basal metabolism to maintain weight. If the woman is active, the calorie intake need may go up to 2500 calories (5 times a week intense cardio let's say).

If you simply not moving around, getting 2100 calories a day when you need 1440, it means you gain about 1 kilo each week.. Road to become overweight.

Also, the nutritional intake is important too but in my assumptions, I thought 600-700 contains high carbs and trans fat, which are the major causes of being overweight. I mean if you cook at home, even if you are a meat eater, there is no way your meal will be 700 calories, when you use quality but less oil, consume fat-free stuff, and processes food, and food including HFCS.

[Azara]

depends some people are small or inactive and maintain weight on 1200 calories a day. others like athletes are very active and need 12,000 calories a day. most people get by on 1600-2,400 a day with basic activity.

there's no set amount for a meal there's no set amount of meals. some people eat 100 calories 15 times a day. others ay 1500 once a day. others split it into two meals. others not 5 others 3. it doesn't matte how much or when you eat. it matters what you eat and that overall its enough for YOU. which won't be what someone else needs.

two people can be the same size one can maintain at 1000 other at 3000 . depends on so many factors. anyone who says there is one amount to eat is full of shit.

[Azara]

none of your answers are appropriate. the right amount is whatever the person needs. not a certain amount.

[Anonymous]

Unless your mother is athletic, she's on a fast train to weight gain. That many calories in one meal is too much, especially for dinner, because you won't have enough time to burn them off. The food just sits in your stomach and turns into fat.
1 frozen TV dinner is 1 serving, fit for a single person. To double that would mean you're overeating, which will make you gain weight.

If someone has 700 calories for all 3 meals, every single day, they are consuming 2,100 calories per DAY (and this doesn't include any snacks). I don't know about you, but that's way too much for me. With my age and weight, I should only eat 1,500 a day.
Tell your mother she can eat much less.

[0112358]

Really depends on activity. My 14 year old daughter needs 2500-3000 a day.

[Opinion Owner]

@0112358 Obviously activity does play a role in calorie consumption. The more active they are, the more they need.

[redeyemindtricks]

"especially for dinner, because you won't have enough time to burn them off"

Nope. False. Totally completely wrong.
The later in the day people eat most of their calories, the easier weight management becomes.

Here's one of the many studies that prove this:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21475137

Eating most of yr calories early in the day is the worst thing you can possibly do, for at least 4 different reasons.

1) You'll get the dreaded "afternoon slump", which comes from blood sugar crashing after digesting that big breakfast.

2) A big meal physically expands yr stomach. If that happens at breakfast, then, once you digest that food, you'll be physically hungrier ALL DAY, because yr stomach will literally be bigger. (If yr biggest meal is dinner, you'll sleep through this effect.)

3) Eating food makes you sleepy (we all know how we feel after Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, right), so, you'll be sleepy during the day when you

[redeyemindtricks]

need to be alert.

4) An empty stomach fucks up sleep quality, so, you'll get worse and less refreshing sleep, and you'll be more likely to wake up in the middle of the night or (in extreme cases) even develop insomnia.

[Opinion Owner]

@redeyemindtricks Interesting points. Thank you for your input.

[redeyemindtricks]

Np.

If limiting total calorie intake is difficult, then, the easiest way should be fasting early in the day (i. e., skipping breakfast) -- which SHOULDN'T produce uncomfortable hunger, and can actually help with blood sugar regulation (i. e., make a person less likely to become diabetic).

If you travel much, you'll also note that, among developed countries, the countries with the LEAST obesity are exactly the countries where people eat the smallest breakfasts -- with the least carbohydrate at breakfast -- and the biggest dinners (often as late as midnight).

[Opinion Owner]

@redeyemindtricks Here's where I have to disagree. "The countries with the LEAST obesity are exactly the countries where people eat the smallest breakfasts." A lot more goes into a diet and fitness level than a breakfast size. The countries with higher obesity rates tend to be countries that snack a lot, eat very late at night, and buy large quantities of processed food items (loaded with calories and carbohydrates). Yes, I'm looking towards the U. S. when I say this.

In countries that have a very low number of obese people, they are usually very active and have a diet of "fresher" foods." They also keep a tight schedule. In other words, they do not wake up in the middle of the night to shove junk food down their throat.
Yes portion sizes are a factor, but the lifestyle that those people live makes all the difference.

[redeyemindtricks]

Those are also factors, yeah... but, as I pointed out before, people are MUCH more likely to wake up in the middle of the night with irrepressible munchies if they typically eat most of their food earlier in the day.

On average, Americans eat bigger breakfasts and eat dinner earlier than just about anyone else in the whole world, **which is a big part of why** there is such an obesity problem here.

[BeeNee]

For an average adult female, you need between 1200-1800 calories a day, more if you are extremely active. I think the problem is more her forcing extra food on you. It sounds like there is something psychological behind that like perhaps when she was a kid food was scarce or she was deprived in some way so her way of showing her love to you and taking care of you, is feeding you, even beyond your hunger point because if you're over stuffed, you'll at least always be full.

I think it would be worth it for you to talk to your mom about the food thing and about eating proportionately. An average dinner is about 400-600 calories if eating healthy.

[howzit2015]

I think women are suppose to eat less than 2000 calories a day. A woman is suppose to eat around 1200-1500 calories a day. By eating that amount she is putting strain on her liver, vascular system, pancreas, and digestive tract. Even if she is only eating 12-1500 calories a day. That means she is eating 2 BIG meals a day. However, metabolism and lifestyle need to be taken into consideration. I eat around 8000 calories a day, because I weigh 250lbs, and exercise 5 days a week. People who also have jobs that require constant vigorous thinking will burn more calories a day, because their brain is working harder. 50-60% of the glucose you ingest is used simply to keep your brain functioning, which is a lot.

[Hidden_P]

No. A woman is supposed to eat 2,000 calories a day. A man 2,500.

The amounts you are talking is for weight loss.

Dude. Please google before you talk crap.

[howzit2015]

@Hidden_P Umm okay? That's why I said metabolism and lifestyle need ti taken into consideration, and I guess. Next, Maybe you shouldn't fly off the handle over getting one piece of information wrong.

[howzit2015]

And I said I think*

[Hidden_P]

Well no, I didn't fly off the handle. It's just fact. If you google it, it will confirm what I said.

Not debating different people and lifestyles need different amounts. Just saying that comments like can lead to girls reading through here and going OMG IM A PIG and getting eating disorders. Your very first sentence was incorrect.

Sorry if I don't want the next question to be "I listened to howzit2015's opinion and now I have anorexic, help please?"

[howzit2015]

@Hidden_P omg, you are clearly over exaggerating. Based on the W. H. O. it is suppose to be 1900 calories, WHICH IS under 2000! I meant to put a question mark in the second statement, because I was postulating. Now go direct your ire, and acrimonious behaviour elsewhere.

[Spiorad_Aisce]

The way I look at it is that I think the normal range for people is 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day so a having a good base solid meal in there (dinner) of 600 to 700 makes real sense to me. You have a couple of smaller meals to take up maybe 70% of calorie intake then snacks and drinks provide the rest.

[samhradh_leannan]

Your caloric needs vary based on your individual metabolism and your activity level. If you want to count calories, you need to talk to a professional nutritionist who can help you assess your daily needs so that you can plan healthy meals that are right for you. Otherwise, counting calories is a bad idea. It's healthier to simply eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full, and choose balanced meals that include protein, veggies, and healthy fats.

[BarbaraP]

I don't know about you, but if I eat something like 700 calories all together I'm going to feel sick. A meal should be less than 500 for me, but it also depends on your metabolism and how many meals you eat per day. If you need around 2100 calories and you only eat 3 times a day then it's fine.

[mmlover]

It depends on what kind of food you're eating and if you eat snacks. 500 calories is where you should aim for each meal. If each meal is 500 calories, then you'd have 1500 a day which isn't enough calories unless you eat snacks, which would make it between 1600 and 2000. Also it's not entirely about amount of calories... It's about how healthy those foods are.

A TV dinner isn't very healthy so you'd definitely want to only eat one of those.

[Azara]

1500 is enough for some people. everyone is different. some people gain weight on 1500.

[mmlover]

@Azara I was speaking on average... for most people..

You can always go to a calorie calculator that allows you to put your height/weight/activity level and tells you about how many calories you should be eating to maintain a healthy weight.

[Azara]

i know how many calories i should be eating. and i dont eat 3 meals a day., so calories per meal is meaningless to me:)

[Azara]

and calculates only are a suggestion you still need to observe your eating and weight to get a good idea of what you need. even at the same size height etc seemingly similar activity level people still have different metabolism. plus they do not really get specific about the kinds of activity you do its very general. its a guide but the only way to know is toggle your own experience. not a number someone else arbitrarily gets attached to.

[AdamThomas]

It's normal. The average woman needs about 2000 calories per day, if you have three meals with a small breakfast of say 600 cals and two other meals of 700 cals, that's 2000 cals. I think a lot of people get mixed up about how much calories are in a meal. Two chicken mayo sandwiches (one slice of bread) is about 500 calories - that's not much is it?

[AdamThomas]

I mean 2 slices of bread.

[Hidden_P]

Depends on the bread - White, brown, whole meal, thin/medium/thick cut...
A medium slice of white bread is about 100 calories. I think thick is 120 and thin is 75?

[Hidden_P]

Bear in mind most people don't drink only water all day - some is milk, coffee, tea, fizzy drinks, juice, etc. So if we are being honest, let's say 2 slices of toast for breakfast, that's at least 200kcal. Sandwich of same bread plus a meat say 400kcal max and a bag of crisps 100kcal. That's 700kcal. It's unlikely someone will eat 1,300kcal dinner (at least every night) and extra calories will come drinks.

[AdamThomas]

@Hidden_P Yeah it varies, I was going off of what I usually eat and calculating calories off of that. When I started to count calories I was surprised how much calories there were in certain foods, so to some 700 calories probably sounds like a huge amount of food when it isn't really.

[Hidden_P]

Absolutely. I agree. And thank you for taking my comment as useful, not aggression.

[Hidden_P]

Your voting thing I didn't feel helped.

Personally, I have a small breakfast - 200/300 calories. My lunch is 300-500. And my dinner is probably about 500-800 calories depending what it is.

Every meal that large seems a bit OTT to me.

[Kurmo]

Counting calories is literally the worst thing you should do for your body. You need to take into consideration everything in your meals. The sugar, salt, fat, vitamins, etc. not just one simple number.

[Azgeda]

700 calories is... nothing to me.
Then again you're talking to someone who finishes an entire 12 inches pizza with a side of cheesy bread and 2 plates of pasta by himself so I could be biased.

[Belgie]

A healthy woman should be eating around 2000 calories a day. Three meals a day with no snacks, puts your mother in the okay zone for a non-sedentary lifestyle.

[samhradh_leannan]

2000 is a lot for a woman, unless she's a serious athlete.

[Belgie]

@samhradh_leannan That's just not true.

www.webmd.com/diet/estimated-calorie-requirement

[Cosytoasty]

For a woman that's about right, assuming a normal level of activity. For a guy it's a tiny bit on the low side actually.

[Jxpxtxr]

It seems quite a lot but if the meal doesn't consist of the healthiest foods exactly it easily sums up to that amount.

[ryanfyfe]

Depends how many 600-700 cal meals you're eating a day.

3 meals of 700 cals is pretty high for female and you'll most luckily gain weight.

So many variables.

[SS-rated]

it depends, you shouldn't eat dinner with more than 300 calories i guess it's fine for breakfast and lunch

[larosie]

A good, healthy meal for me is usually around 250-350 calories.

[larosie]

I usually eat 8 of these per day.

[IVoidWarranties]

Depends on what your build is, I eat 3000 calories a day ( no processed food )
clean gains ! high metabolism & Mad Dog 357 hot sauce to go with my food.

[Puppylove94]

it depends on a lot of things... height, activity level, weight, if you snack etc

[Skadouchebag]

dahuq? Where did your mom get that idea? You should tell her to put that idea past a dietician.

[ihatethiswebsite]

assuming she isn't snacking a lot that's a normal amount. Ends up being about 2,000 calories a day which is fine.

[anonman32]

since a man needs 2500 calories a day i dont plan on eating 5 meals of 500 calories.

[RationalMale]

Maybe I'm weird but a 700 calorie meal for me is like... stuffing my face after fasting all day.

[AdamThomas]

You live on 700 cals a day?

[RationalMale]

@AdamThomas no. I eat small meals. Some days I fast and only eat dinner.

[Jessicocoa]

As long as your meals are balanced and nutritious 600-700 isn't too much.

[Anonymous]

you're supposed to have 2000 calories a day. so, if you ate 666 calories 3 times a day, you'd be around 2000

[Jeffrey_archer]

Its just right for a woman but height, weight and build matters too for a guy its less

[Mesonfielde]

I think 700 calories sounds like a small meal

[mrfoox]

It is an normal amount don't you worry!

[EmpatheticLady]

Yes, that's fine for a meal.

[fauchelevent]

600 - 700 calories per meal is fine.

[BelleGirl21]

That's completely normal for a meal.

[ShaeNielson]

It's normal for a large meal like dinner.

[babeeeone]

It's a bit much. I think around 500 is better.

[bcromartie]

700 x 3 = 2,100 therefore iti s fine.

[jamesdegod]

600 cals is like a sandwich and a snack

[Heytherelol]

Its a lot for a meal...

[iFarted]

Sounds fine to me

[Anonymous]

ITS NORMAL