Strict numbers

joannejmo

Hi. Do people always stick to the calorie allowance religiously? I mean how accurate can the amount your given be it varies from person to person. I ask this because occasionally I fancy a treat and this would it be ok to go over a little occasionally will it sabotage things? I do 6 days cal counting 1350 a day and usually earn 250 in gym too then have 1 day off a week-cheat day where I eat anything I want. Take away or meal out usually consumed and lots of chocolate I look forward to that day but sometimes I want to slip on other days a little bit feel bad if I don't remain perfect on the good days

beamer0821

if i stay pretty close to my target calories like give our take 100 calories. i will have a good loss that week. anything more i just have less of a loss for the week. you will see what works of you

you'll also get mixed responses on cheat days. i don't do cheat days nor believe in them. but hey do what works.. trial and error

Lizzy622

I swing 150 calories over or under for a day but try to make sure my week evens out to have a 3500 calorie deficit.

johnnylakis

That cheat day could easily set you back for the whole week. Winners never cheat. Cheaters never win!

bunsen_honeydew

I'd rather be mostly near target all the time than have a cheat day where I could undo most of the week's progress.

I have seen some people have the cheat day by increasing their cals to what maintenence would be, and not the "all out" approach. That might be an alternative to consider.

Dragn77

Depends on your deficit... If you have say, a 500 calorie deficit, then on your cheat day when you eat whatever you want, you could easily wipe out your deficit for the week and end right back at square one to start your new week.

I dont stick to my calorie allowance "religiously"... some days Ill end up eating more, some days I'll end up eating less, but I do track everything I eat, and by the end of the week, it almost always averages out. On the weeks where my average is less, I lose more...in the weeks when my average is over my calorie goal, I stay the same or have even gained.

But I definitely do not try to reach "perfection" every day...thats too much pressure! I try to stay at least within 100 cals of goal, if I manage to do that, I consider the day a win. If I eat out I dont sweat it since I usually have one or two low calorie days that will eventually even that out. But if I waited for one day to go all out, I personally, would ruin my efforts throughout the week. Instead, if Im in the mood for something, I just work it into my day at the time that I want it. But I know that for others, the opposite is true and better...to be strict and then have one day to eat more.

Just, make sure to log, that way you know just how much you can "go all out" on yoru cheat day...that way you dont go overboard and undo a weeks worth of work in one day.

gothchiq

I stay as close as I can to my allotted calories. I'm old and short and can't really get away with deviating.

amusedmonkey

I balance my calories across the week. I eat until I'm satisfied and some days require more food to satisfy me, so I rarely have consistent day-to-day number.

ryokinai

Exactly what beamer0821 says, it's trial and error. The only thing I would add is take the things you like and try something new with them, something a little healthier that will fill you up more so there's a better chance that you won't go too far over your calorie count. For example, the chocolate, if you normally eat a chocolate candy bar then try making a muffin in a mug So you're only making one muffin instead of a whole tray (temptation) and you've got good ingredients as well as some tasty chocolate chips.
Only 214 calories, whereas a snickers bar is 250 calories and won't fill you up as much.

lemurcat12

A lot of people focus on the weekly deficit and move calories around within a week. I used to do that. Another possibility (which I currently do) is look at your settings and understand what MFP is saying is your maintenance number and then when you go over on occasion just stay below that number. You'll lose a bit less for the week, but no harm.

peachyfuzzle

I'm probably 90% accurate, and I make sure to overestimate when I have to add on.

The only thing I don't log is my "zero calorie" liquid consumption considering I am usually at such a deficit that the 20 - 30 calories per day I might be getting from them is utterly negligible.

I've upped my accuracy game this month because I'm pushing the limits a bit for a weight loss competition at work, so anything in my diary from April 1st on is about as accurate as food can be logged.

jddnw

joannejmo wrote: »

Hi. Do people always stick to the calorie allowance religiously? I mean how accurate can the amount your given be it varies from person to person. I ask this because occasionally I fancy a treat and this would it be ok to go over a little occasionally will it sabotage things? I do 6 days cal counting 1350 a day and usually earn 250 in gym too then have 1 day off a week-cheat day where I eat anything I want. Take away or meal out usually consumed and lots of chocolate I look forward to that day but sometimes I want to slip on other days a little bit feel bad if I don't remain perfect on the good days

No religiously or perfection for me. These numbers are just suggestions as far as I'm concerned. Even without counting calories, I know from life experience if I'm eating a bit more than I should, and I just start cutting back "a bit."

ana3067

I meet my goal within a dozen or so calories pretty much daily. I take breaks as needed. I sometimes exercise more so I can have extra calories for events. I meet my protein and fat minimums on average, and in solid.

joannejmo

Great answers thanks so much everyone. I lost 3 1/2 stone for my wedding 2 1/2 years ago with having a day off a week and kinda need to stay with that as I'm a foodie and news that day mentally too to hav a break plus I go out for a meal or love a take away once a week but this time round just finding it hard on my 6 days to stay on track it's draining and relentless and hard to feel hungry and deprived all the time. Can't get my consistency back although really trying. X

beamer0821

@joannejmo you will not stick with it if you are feeling deprived and hungry. you should look closer at what you are eating and how you are spending your calories. maybe its just too little for you. sticking to low cal and be miserable will only lead you to not sticking with it long term . maybe even just adding an extra 100 calories so you can incorporate that extra snack that will help you feel satisfied is enough to keep you on track. i recommend trail and error to find your comfort zone.

Lizzy622

I am a foodie also but have found tons of substitutions to allow me to indulge and still meet my calorie goals. One of my favorite tricks is to order two appetizers instead of a main when going out to a nice restaurant. At home I play around with different spices and add tons of veggies to decrease total calories.

shamcd

I'm pretty strict on my caloric level throughout the week, but I do that in order to allow myself some drinks and/or pizza over the weekend. I "grade" myself on a weekly basis by plugging my daily logged calories into a spread sheet, then averaging out those 7 days to see where I fall. But the key is to log EVERYTHING in order to have honest numbers.

kikichewie

I'm an 80/20 or 90/10 type person. So I either use that 10-20% for treats each day during the week OR all at one time as a sort of cheat day. But if you have treats every day and then also have a full cheat day, that 10-20% starts to become more like 20-30% and you can really slow down your progress....

sofaking6

joannejmo wrote: »

Hi. Do people always stick to the calorie allowance religiously? I mean how accurate can the amount your given be it varies from person to person. I ask this because occasionally I fancy a treat and this would it be ok to go over a little occasionally will it sabotage things? I do 6 days cal counting 1350 a day and usually earn 250 in gym too then have 1 day off a week-cheat day where I eat anything I want. Take away or meal out usually consumed and lots of chocolate I look forward to that day but sometimes I want to slip on other days a little bit feel bad if I don't remain perfect on the good days

I think it depends. If you're strong with your logging ie you don't underestimate your eating or overestimate your exercise, or if you're super tight with weighing and measuring everything, then you'll know when you have some extra allowance built up, and you should feel free to use it. If you're being lax or don't know yet about portions and heart rate tracking, then it really could hurt. But mostly I think do what works for you, there is no "cheating" per se, there are only ways to reach your goals and ways not to reach them lol.

But also reading ahead - if you're miserable, slow down your rate of loss. All of the days between now and when you reach your goal are going to exist, and you're going to have to live through them. Take your time and enjoy the process!!