calories

treesagreen1

hi everyone just wondering if its ok to split my total calories so I have more on a weekend and less through the week for example I'm allowed 11000 total for the week so sunday to thursday have 1400 and friday and Saturday 2000 each day. Does anyone else do that and has that worked better for you because I seem to struggle a little more on the weekend thanks

lemonlionheart

Yep, absolutely. I make sure I eat at least 1200 during the week and usually bank my exercise cals for the weekend

nutmegoreo

I personally don't specifically do this, but many people do successfully split their week the way you describe without problems.

RodaRose

Yes. People do that. You can make it work for you too.

treesagreen1

that great news then thanks I can now plan alot better and not go over my target calories for the week. Thanks for replying .

MamaBirdBoss

Yep. It would be pretty hard to stay at 1100, though.

AspenDan

I heard something really cool which was "I hope to lose a pound during the week and only gain half a pound back during the weekend" Similar mentality I think :]

treesagreen1

well im only aiming to lose half a pound a week anyway so that suits me just fine lol

slaite1

I always do this. Not necessarily for the weekends, but I always bank calories for hungry/fun days. If I try to eat the same every day, I fail. Whatever works for you

PeachyCarol

Yup. I employed a strategy of banking exercise calories while I was on vacation to save up for cheese fries! It's like saving up to buy a big electronics item for your house. Budget your calories like you budget money. Don't skimp on your daily needs, just like you wouldn't leave your regular bills unpaid, but do without the extras so you have enough banked to splurge when the time comes.

Hope this makes sense. Counting calories is just like budgeting money.

Glinda1971

I do this as well. My work days are well planned with packed lunches and planned snacks, the weekends are more fluid. And I like that if we go to a bbq or something I don't have to stress about what I'm eating.

professionalHobbyist

Why?

Just record what you eat and let it all work out.

Is it about the food log looking good?

Just seems like a shell game that has no real purpose. If it all really works out in the end, why even do it?

meulf6f

What a great idea!

Liftng4Lis

Yep

PeachyCarol

professionalHobbyist wrote: »

Why?

Just record what you eat and let it all work out.

Is it about the food log looking good?

Just seems like a shell game that has no real purpose. If it all really works out in the end, why even do it?

I think you misunderstand her point. Let's say I want a 300 calorie cupcake. I have a 1200 calorie budget. For three days, I'll only eat at 1,100 calories, saving 100 extra calories over the next 3 days to have that cupcake. If you look at my calorie budget for the week, it all evens out.

That's what the OP was asking.

xXBabyBelleXx

OP I think this is a great idea! I have the same problem, I'm as good as gold all week but then blow it at the weekend. I'm going to give it a try - thanks

callsitlikeiseeit

a lot of people track weekly instead of daily.

bmchenry02

so those of you that are doing this are you also watching your macros? I think I would go crazy.
I try and hit my calorie and macro goals on a daily basis (although I learned from other MFP's that I'm not hitting them like I thought I was) and enjoy a treat meal once a week and usually one small treat throughout the week (like a few dove chocolates or scoop of ice cream with the kiddos).

Zedeff

professionalHobbyist wrote: »

Why?

Just record what you eat and let it all work out.

Is it about the food log looking good?

Just seems like a shell game that has no real purpose. If it all really works out in the end, why even do it?

Many people find it harder to stay on track on weekends and holidays when they are not distracted by work-related tasks; idle hands are the devil's play-things, as the expression goes.

Sued0nim

I track weekly and I have a minimum daily protein goal of 100g

I manage to eat ice cream and crisps (US chips) every day too

fitchickarw

My husband and I have been training people for over 20 years and this is a common practice with people who struggle with weight management. Mathematically, it would make sense; however, that is NOT how your body works. Under eating during the week so you can over eat on the weekend is an example of a dieting eating disorder. (Go to a local Weight Watcher meeting and you'll see the insanity of people not eating/drinking all day and peeing multiple times before weigh-ins... only to sit down and gorge on whatever diet treats they have hidden in their purse before the meeting.)

I'm not saying you can never have a "cheat meal" - then again, if you plan for it, it's not a cheat - but what I am saying is that you should NEVER limit good food and calories you need for the sake of over eating junk you don't. That's a recipe for metabolic disaster.

Sued0nim

fitchickarw wrote: »

My husband and I have been training people for over 20 years and this is a common practice with people who struggle with weight management. Mathematically, it would make sense; however, that is NOT how your body works. Under eating during the week so you can over eat on the weekend is an example of a dieting eating disorder. (Go to a local Weight Watcher meeting and you'll see the insanity of people not eating/drinking all day and peeing multiple times before weigh-ins... only to sit down and gorge on whatever diet treats they have hidden in their purse before the meeting.)

I'm not saying you can never have a "cheat meal" - then again, if you plan for it, it's not a cheat - but what I am saying is that you should NEVER limit good food and calories you need for the sake of over eating junk you don't. That's a recipe for metabolic disaster.

Please post your source references for these assertions

Particularly when OP clearly stated she would be eating 1400 calories a day on the lower days to save for the weekend ..which is clearly adequate for her to meet nutritional macros and micros

macgurlnet

fitchickarw wrote: »

My husband and I have been training people for over 20 years and this is a common practice with people who struggle with weight management. Mathematically, it would make sense; however, that is NOT how your body works. Under eating during the week so you can over eat on the weekend is an example of a dieting eating disorder. (Go to a local Weight Watcher meeting and you'll see the insanity of people not eating/drinking all day and peeing multiple times before weigh-ins... only to sit down and gorge on whatever diet treats they have hidden in their purse before the meeting.)

I'm not saying you can never have a "cheat meal" - then again, if you plan for it, it's not a cheat - but what I am saying is that you should NEVER limit good food and calories you need for the sake of over eating junk you don't. That's a recipe for metabolic disaster.

Really not seeing how eating 1400 on weekdays and 2k each day on the weekend lands in eating disorder territory.

I do this kind of thing all the time. It's not disordered.

If you're calling my pizza and pasta junk I'm gonna have to disagree. lol.

~Lyssa

Sued0nim

@fitchickarw actually I'm rather confused by your self-positioning as an expert in this when you are posting incorrect information as above and logging burns of over 900 for 80 mins cardio as a self-proclaimed fit person...how are you measuring that kind of burn?

seska422

bmchenry02 wrote: »

so those of you that are doing this are you also watching your macros? I think I would go crazy.
I try and hit my calorie and macro goals on a daily basis (although I learned from other MFP's that I'm not hitting them like I thought I was) and enjoy a treat meal once a week and usually one small treat throughout the week (like a few dove chocolates or scoop of ice cream with the kiddos).

I keep an index card in front of my computer with various calorie-macro data that I can see at a glance. I eat between 1200-1500 calories a day, depending upon how hungry I am.

I'm using the MFP default macro mix of 50% carbs, 30% fat, 20% protein.

Two of the amounts I have on the card are:
1330 calories = 166g carbs, 44g fat, 67g protein
1500 calories = 188g, 50g, 75g

I try to hit the protein and fat gram goals for whatever calories I'm eating that day. Carbs fill in whatever calories I don't get from protein or fat.

I view the macros as a rough guide and I try to get near the gram amounts for fat and protein. If I don't, it's no big deal.

Sued0nim

Protein and fat should be viewed as a minimum really

Protein at 0.64-0.82g per lb bodyweight
Fat at 0.35Gg per lb of bodyweight

carole4000

Jillian Michaels suggests spreading out calories over the week with low days and a high day so at the end of the week your calorie total is still the same for the whole.

slaite1

fitchickarw wrote: »

My husband and I have been training people for over 20 years and this is a common practice with people who struggle with weight management. Mathematically, it would make sense; however, that is NOT how your body works. Under eating during the week so you can over eat on the weekend is an example of a dieting eating disorder. (Go to a local Weight Watcher meeting and you'll see the insanity of people not eating/drinking all day and peeing multiple times before weigh-ins... only to sit down and gorge on whatever diet treats they have hidden in their purse before the meeting.)

I'm not saying you can never have a "cheat meal" - then again, if you plan for it, it's not a cheat - but what I am saying is that you should NEVER limit good food and calories you need for the sake of over eating junk you don't. That's a recipe for metabolic disaster.

Man, I am so sick of people acting like this is disordered eating or bingeing. Every thread where this gets asked, someone comes on and acts like its a horrible thing to do.

In reality, this can HELP some people with disordered eating. Rather than stick to an exact amount every day-regardless of hunger signals and personal preference-eating this way allows flexibility in dietary choices.

Disordered eating would be forcing myself to eat the same amount every day. Disordered eating would be letting food control your life to an extent that you can't live a little on the weekends.

Eating this way has basically stopped my issues with bingeing; and allows me to lose weight, lift, run and still enjoy my life. And my metabolism sure doesn't seem damaged when I'm losing over 1lb/week AVERAGING 2100 calories.