How to help cats adjust to new meal times?

I am trying to get my two boys onto a 2 meal a day routine. They are used to getting 1/4 cup dry food in the morning, which sometimes they chow down really fast if they did not like their wet food from the previous night, or they graze on it throughout the day till gone. Then they were getting wet food offered around dinner time and again just before bedtime. I am moving them to two meals a day because, 1, they tend to snub the middle meal and only lick the gravy and leave the rest. And 2, they were getting a little puddgy and I want get that under control before they become obese cats.

I am wondering how to best get them into this routine. Last night they woke me at 4:30 begging for food because they, again, nibbled at their wet food meal that evening and were starving. I decided to give them breakfast early, but now they are hungry and being pests whenever I go into the kitchen for anything. I am not of the belief that cats are nibblers! This would not work in the wild - food would be gone if they just nibbled on it at their leisure. My foster kitten scarfed her food down happily and even went to theirs that they left behind. They should be able to hold more at any one time. So, how do I help them adjust to the meal time routine??

How old are they?

1 year old

I can only tell you what I do with mine. They can free-feed on kibble 24/7. They do not gorge. They have FF canned 3 times a day. They eat about 2 cans a day & leftovers are in the fridge.

Don't free feed , that's how my cousins cat got to be 25lb and a dietetic cat give them each 1/4 dry at the same time and wet at night but they are Yung they might need a littel more, 1/4 and a table spoon each, maby in the am and wet at night