Weekly calorie counting instead of daily?

Drdmike
Drdmike Posts: 66
edited November 14 in Health and Weight Loss
My goal is to lose weight. I try to consume about 1850 calories per day though on most days that is too much. Instead, I "rollover" leftover calories onto the next day. By the weekend, I have about 5000 calories leftover including calories that I burned at the gym. This also gives me a limit of how many calories I can eat. Anyone else do that?

Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    You have 5000 calories banked by the weekend? That seems like a lot.

    I don't eat my exercise calories back (I do very little cardio), so I'll save up 600 calories for a few drinks/dessert on the weekend, yes.
  • ForeverSunshine09
    ForeverSunshine09 Posts: 966 Member
    I think the most I have ever saved up is 400 but, I wasn't working out and my daily goals is 1200 so less than that and eatibg my dogs might actually cross my mind. Haha!
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Since you are exercising, it probably isn't wise to roll so many calories over. You need the calories to fuel your workouts.
  • hsmith0930
    hsmith0930 Posts: 160 Member
    I certainly abide by the idea that it isn't what you do one day, but what you do every day. So if you usually eat under calorie goals and go a little bit wild one day on the weekend, well, Cool If it works well for you to feel good, stay healthy, and lose the weight you want to lose, huzzah to you!
  • runnrchic
    runnrchic Posts: 130 Member
    I do it monthly. I log my daily cals in a spreadsheet and make sure it averages to my goal cals. Once the month is over I put the monthly average in another column, erase that month and start tracking the new month. I would like the 12 months this year to average below 2000. This is with calculating that I will run 1200 miles this year and do 100 cross training classes. I'm trying to lose 2lbs, so this month I added a new column to track the deficit and by the end of march it should add up to 7000. This is a side goal though. I mainly just want my annual average from the 12 months to be under 2000.
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    I usually end up with an extra 1000 cals to use on the weekend however I want on top of my usual goal. My daily average is 1700. I eat 1500 during the week, banking 200 cals a day.
  • mudmonkeyonwheels
    mudmonkeyonwheels Posts: 426 Member
    Just wondering how everyone manages to get their weekly net calories? Is it only for people who have the app or is there a way to find it on the web version? I currently have to calculate it myself and was wondering if there was another option.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    mudmonkeyonwheels wrote: »
    Just wondering how everyone manages to get their weekly net calories? Is it only for people who have the app or is there a way to find it on the web version? I currently have to calculate it myself and was wondering if there was another option.

    On your phone. Go into Nutrition, then click on weekly. It will tell you how far over or under your deficit you are.
    When I check on my pc it doesn't tell me anything. I much prefer the phone app to the web version
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    I am in maintanance. I consistently eat under my calorie goals during the week, so I can eat more over the weekend.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    christinev297 wrote: »
    mudmonkeyonwheels wrote: »
    Just wondering how everyone manages to get their weekly net calories? Is it only for people who have the app or is there a way to find it on the web version? I currently have to calculate it myself and was wondering if there was another option.

    On your phone. Go into Nutrition, then click on weekly. It will tell you how far over or under your deficit you are.
    When I check on my pc it doesn't tell me anything. I much prefer the phone app to the web version

    Sooooo annoying that you can't do that on the web version. I didn't realise you could do it on the phone app till I saw you post about it yesterday Christine. I dutifully added mine up with a calculator the other day :\.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    christinev297 wrote: »
    mudmonkeyonwheels wrote: »
    Just wondering how everyone manages to get their weekly net calories? Is it only for people who have the app or is there a way to find it on the web version? I currently have to calculate it myself and was wondering if there was another option.

    On your phone. Go into Nutrition, then click on weekly. It will tell you how far over or under your deficit you are.
    When I check on my pc it doesn't tell me anything. I much prefer the phone app to the web version

    Sooooo annoying that you can't do that on the web version. I didn't realise you could do it on the phone app till I saw you post about it yesterday Christine. I dutifully added mine up with a calculator the other day :\.

    It's a bit of a pain in the butt on the web version. It's so much easier when it's written right there in front of you, rather than getting your calculator out and adding and subtracting this and that. I hate maths in any way shape or form :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    mamadon wrote: »
    I am in maintanance. I consistently eat under my calorie goals during the week, so I can eat more over the weekend.

    I do the same thing!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    @Nony_Mouse‌ did you figure it out? Here's a screenshot from the phone version, easier to read than the pc.
    zv0cdwtvjbfu.png
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If I was rolling over that many calories consistently I can guarantee you I'd have major training recovery issues. By my calculations you're only eating around 1,000 calories per day Monday - Friday then....I don't know what kind of training you do, but exercise (while good for you) is a stress on the body and tears your body down...energy (calories) and nutrients are necessary to build your body back up and allow for recovery.

    Part of being healthy and fit is learning how to actually fuel your body properly. Fit people eat.
  • orlandodenise
    orlandodenise Posts: 54 Member
    christinev297 wrote: »
    mudmonkeyonwheels wrote: »
    Just wondering how everyone manages to get their weekly net calories? Is it only for people who have the app or is there a way to find it on the web version? I currently have to calculate it myself and was wondering if there was another option.

    On your phone. Go into Nutrition, then click on weekly. It will tell you how far over or under your deficit you are.
    When I check on my pc it doesn't tell me anything. I much prefer the phone app to the web version

    Wow thank you - i never knew that ! Mine are around 5-7k down a week ( and im perfectly fine ) which probs accounts for the 3 pounds loss per week :)

    I love the way you can see any "over" days at a glance too.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    @christinev297, yep, got it sussed. I mainly use the web platform, but I guess if I want to know how I'm tracking over the week I will just have to look at my phone!
  • kpw818
    kpw818 Posts: 113 Member
    I do weekly based on an average from outside of MFP (it was just too low, and I was sick of under/over eating on workout days).

    I eat 1800 every day and do not log my workouts at all. I run 4-5 times a week and strength train two days a week. I figured the net calories burned from my running only, subtracted that from weekly calories, and I'm at a deficit on the average. This is mostly due to my mid-week and weekend longer runs. I figure that will cover miscalculations and days I eat more (plus a few beers). I've found that on days I don't work out as hard, I'm under 1800 slightly and not worrying about overeating or whatever for that day. For example, I ran six miles yesterday and ended up eating slightly over 1800, but I was hungrier (I exercised). If I counted in the exercise, I would have a net of 1400 for the day.

    Overall, the daily stuff wasn't working, and I wanted to start somewhere to get a better plan for maintenance and not feeling like crap because I wasn't eating enough.
  • 50452
    50452 Posts: 170 Member
    Does the app have advertisements?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited March 2015
    50452 wrote: »
    Does the app have advertisements?

    yeah I think so. I haven't really noticed. They're not as in your face as the web version.
    I see the "play now" thingie on the screen shot I posted. Must be some game ad.

  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
    christinev297 wrote: »
    On your phone. Go into Nutrition, then click on weekly. It will tell you how far over or under your deficit you are.
    When I check on my pc it doesn't tell me anything. I much prefer the phone app to the web version

    That is great! Thanks for showing me this tool!!

  • QuillensMom
    QuillensMom Posts: 100 Member
    I didn't know that either about the weekly average here, thanks

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I'm so happy y'all have found it useful. Makes life a little bit easier, especially when you don't like doing figures :wink:
  • runnrchic
    runnrchic Posts: 130 Member
    I answer this one often. I have a monthly average that I go by. You can be much more flexible on a daily basis. I adjust my average based on whether I'm marathon training, or the season. In the summer when I run less, my average is 1850, in Nov and Dec (holidays) i let my average be 1950. It evens out to averaging 1900-2000 annually (by averaging the months).
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