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Let’s Break it Down

Let’s Break it Down

Lisa Eirene

About Lisa Eirene Lisa lost 110 pounds through calorie counting and exercise. She swims, bikes, runs, hikes and is enjoying life in Portland, Oregon. Her weight loss story has been featured in First Magazine, Yahoo Health, Woman's Day and Glamour.com.

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13 Comments

  1. Amber from Girl with the Red Hair

    I’m not counting calories or tracking my food anymore but I would estimate I average between 1,800 and 2,100 calories every day. I have been TRYING really hard to focus on intuitive eating lately and only eating when I’m hungry and I’ve been mostly successful. I haven’t seen a gain (yet) but I also haven’t seen a loss!

    I like to have a BIG breakfast though! I’d say my breakfasts with coffee and everything are usually close to 500 calories. I like to have a big enough breakfast that it holds me over till lunch and then I will usually have an afternoon snack as well as a little treat/snack after dinner!

    1. Lisa Eirene

      If you aren’t gaining on Intuitive Eating then you’re doing something right, right? Big breakfasts are a good option, especially if they are packed with protein.

  2. Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin

    It’s interesting to see how other people break their calories down. My calorie spread is pretty similar but I always think in terms of points rather than calories.

    Breakfast = 5-7 points
    Lunch = 6-10pts
    Dinner = 12-16pts
    Snacks = 4-5pts

    I get 29 a day. My food tends to vary a lot from day to day because I cook at night a lot, but my breakfasts are usually the same for the whole week, and lunches are leftovers from dinner the night before. It works for me!

    1. Lisa Eirene

      It works for me too. I’ve tried to eat smaller dinners and eat bigger lunches but it just doesn’t work for me. Especially if I go out to dinner.

  3. Brie @ Brie Fit

    This was really interesting! I am sooo different from your breakdown–maybe I should post something about this too.

    For me:
    Breakfast: 400ish calories
    Lunch: 600ish calories
    Snack: 150-200 calories
    Dinner: 300-400 calories
    Dessert: 150ish calories

    I find that if I have a big lunch, I snack less throughout the day on things I shouldn’t be. And I’m really not that hungry at dinnertime because it’s after my workout, so I try to keep that a little lighter.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      It’s interesting how everyone’s calorie distribution is different. This works for me. I’ve tried in the past to eat less calories at dinner time but that’s always going to be my biggest meal.

  4. Aj

    I definitely have become a believer in not avoiding foods altogether because otherwise they lead to giving up on calorie counting and exercise and feeling like a failure. Since I’m counting calories now, if I know we’re going out for dinner, I’ll budget throughout the day or exercise a bit longer (or both!). I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, I really love salty treats, but I do sometimes wants just a little something sweet (I think those cravings have a monthly cycle!). I recently found that Endangered Species Chocolate has individually wrapped squares. 4 squares is 200 calores but since I get the dark chocolate (it’s vegan) I find that just one square is super rich and is exaclty how much “sweet” I need and for 25 calories I’m not blowing my budget. We found them in our regular supermarket.

    My personal breakdown is
    ~400 breakfast (I workout before breakfast so I’m famished at breakfast)
    ~500 throughout the day (snacks and lunch)
    ~500-600 dinner

    This is low since I’m trying to lose weight. When I’m on maintainence I’ll definitely increase my calories…although I’m certainly not starving now, nor am I denying myself anything, so I’m not sure where they will go.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Yep! I do that too. If I know I’m going out to dinner I’ll skip the extra snacks during the day and save the calories for dinner. I love dark chocolate and I’ve completed converted to that. You’re right, it doesn’t take much of the dark chocolate to satisfy the craving.

      Your calories look good for losing weight. What is your typical breakfast after working out?

      1. Aj

        I eat a serving of oatmeal with a tablespoon (or two!) of almond butter and ta tablespoon of ground flax for omegas. Trite, but true. It really fills me up. If I’m feeling really hungry, I’ll add a cup of frozen fruit to my oatmeal while it cooks. Frozen mixed berries are my favorite and they turn the oats a pretty color. Oh and a mug of piping hot coffee, black. On weekends I eat before working out and then it’s an english muffin PB&J.

        1. Lisa Eirene

          I need to try adding peanut butter or cashew butter to my oatmeal. I’m sure that combo is super filling!

  5. Suzanne @WorkoutNirvana

    NICE!! Chica you are on the right track with everything. I am glad to hear you don’t eat those damn Lean Cuisine too often. I am so anti-frozen dinners. I used to eat them too… little did I know they were totally effing up my stomach! I admire you lady, you really walk the walk.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Thanks Suzanne! The healthier I get the less processed food I want to eat. It’s like my body rejects it. Some days I think about giving up everything and living on a farm!

  6. Lori Lynn

    I try to exercise 5-6 days a week, but it sometimes just depends upon my schedule.

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