Anyone else feel bad after going over your daily caloric limit?

zumbagirl2526
zumbagirl2526 Posts: 30 Member
edited December 2 in Health and Weight Loss
If so how do you feel better about it?

How do you counteract the guilt?
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Replies

  • Samuraiko
    Samuraiko Posts: 180 Member
    Just for myself, it depends by how much I've gone over. If I go over by about 100 calories (out of my daily allotment of 1560), I just sort of go, "Well, drat," and carry on. I don't punish myself, and I generally try not to brood. I will still lose weight, it just won't be AS fast. But it will still HAPPEN.

    If I MASSIVELY go over (I think the most I've done is by like 400-500 calories), then I will do my best to shave a bit off the next few days. I don't totally fast because then I get hungry and grumpy and generally a PITA, but 100 here, 100 there, and within a few days I feel like I have balanced the scales (haha). And if I'm a week slower losing weight because of it, well, then I acknowledge it and move on. I just don't let it stop me.

    But really, the best thing you can do is to just keep going as normal the following day, and the day after that, and the day after that. No one's perfect.

    ONWARD!
  • VividVegan
    VividVegan Posts: 200 Member
    I've gone over by over 1,000 calories before. I ended up doing 3x more exercise the next day to burn it off (mathematically speaking). It worked.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    I haven't gone over 25 yet. But if/when I do I will just reduce calories the next day by the amount I went over in order to continue the same weekly deficit.

    Plus I don't log exercise calories yet (I'm only walking) so that makes up for the overage. This is going to be a lifelong thing for me so I have a plan on dealing with it when it happens and make sure I get back on schedule.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    I just promise myself that I'll do some extra cardio over the next few days and not stress about it. I had a 'hungry' day yesterday and went over by 600 calories. It looks really bad, but if I divide that up by extra 30 minute power-walks, that's just 4 extra walks to make up for it, or an extra 20 minutes of hula-hooping for 4 days.
    If I wept about it, I'd make myself crazy.
  • jmidd97
    jmidd97 Posts: 84 Member
    When I go over, I feel like I just killed my cat, the guilt is horrible. For a good two days it's really all I can think about. Something I need to work on...:/
  • taraccarter729
    taraccarter729 Posts: 11 Member
    I don't feel guilty but I do get mad at myself. That said, what I love about this lifestyle is that we can start over every single morning. Your slate is wiped clean each day. Give yourself a break, you're only human.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    I used to, but then I kept reminding myself of the math. I try to eat at maintenance and lately I've been under my goal by 300 to 500 calories daily. Yesterday my appetite kicked in and I ate 310 calories over my goal. By the time the day was done, I burned off more by moving around so I was 150 over my goal. Either way, 310 calories over goal is a ~.08 pound gain and 150 calories over is a ~.04 pound gain. Neither one of them is even a tenth of a pound and I had a huge deficit for the week anyway.

    If your daily goal is a deficit, at the end of the day if you go over you're most likely still at a deficit for the day, just a smaller one. I've noticed, even with myself, that people tend to feel guilt going even 20 calories over their goal, but don't mind being hundreds of calories under their goal. Technically the point is to come as close to your goal as possible. I guess it's that pesky green/red font. :D
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    synacious wrote: »
    I used to, but then I kept reminding myself of the math. I try to eat at maintenance and lately I've been under my goal by 300 to 500 calories daily. Yesterday my appetite kicked in and I ate 310 calories over my goal. By the time the day was done, I burned off more by moving around so I was 150 over my goal. Either way, 310 calories over goal is a ~.08 pound gain and 150 calories over is a ~.04 pound gain. Neither one of them is even a tenth of a pound and I had a huge deficit for the week anyway.

    If your daily goal is a deficit, at the end of the day if you go over you're most likely still at a deficit for the day, just a smaller one. I've noticed, even with myself, that people tend to feel guilt going even 20 calories over their goal, but don't mind being hundreds of calories under their goal. Technically the point is to come as close to your goal as possible. I guess it's that pesky green/red font. :D

    This. It's all about perspective. If you have a goal of losing 1 lb/week, then MFP has built in a 500 cal deficit per day into your target, or a weekly deficit of 3500 cals. Even if you exceed your allowance by 200-300 cals on one day, you are still in a deficit. Additionally, I often bank calories during the week for more indulgent weekend events, so if I shave 100-200 cals M-F then I have an extra 500-1000 cals for Saturday/Sunday. I was able to lose my weight pretty easily with this approach and am now maintaining.
  • WynterDreaming
    WynterDreaming Posts: 83 Member
    Yes, I do feel guilty. Because I'm cheating on my diet and cheating myself of desperately wanted progress. But I'd rather feel guilty about looking at calories and then work to correct what I did than feel guilty looking at a scale as my weight climbs back up.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I feel bad, but I wouldn't say I feel guilty. I get over it by getting back on track. No need to continue feeling bad unless I continue with the bad behavior.
  • zamphir66
    zamphir66 Posts: 582 Member
    It's important to remember that you have a calorie deficit built in; in my case, even going over by 400 still puts me in a deficit of about 100. I let myself eat at maintenance one or two days a week, depending on how I feel. Going over by 500+ would require (for me) some real deliberate effort, terrible planning, or both -- such as eating out all 3 meals and drinking full calorie pop all day. Obvs I don't do that type of stuff anymore.

    Also remember: it's a marathon, not a sprint. One day is not even a drop in the bucket.
  • niblue
    niblue Posts: 339 Member
    Your daily calorie allowance is just a tool to assist with achieving your targets. So as long as your overall trend is inline with what you're targeting I can't see any reason for guilt or concern about the occasional day when you've gone over.
  • heartofplastic
    heartofplastic Posts: 68 Member
    Yes I feel terribly guilty when I do. I'm pretty OCD and a former anorexic so it's difficult for me mentally. I just make sure the next day I'll be at a deficit for sure so I can keep going towards my goal.
  • katiebean
    katiebean Posts: 110 Member
    No, not really. I tend to look at calories weekly. So on Saturday, I went over by nearly 1,100 calories but weekly it didn't really matter as I had eaten less throughout the week. This weekend will be the same as it's my birthday.

    The way I look at it is, it took me a lot of going over to put on the weight I did, one day of going over every so often won't make a big difference. And I'm setting this up for life. There's no way I can guarantee every day for the rest of my life I won't go over my maintenance calories, so for me there's no point in getting worked up about it.
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
    Not really. Because I know I was eating huge amounts . . . like 2,000+ calories a day before I started tracking. MFP says I should eat 1200 calories. That's a huge change so if I go over I still see it as an improvement over where I was and my overall choices are better. I'm not going to beat myself up when I ate too much fruit or even for a 2nd helping of protein. However, I do feel bad when I'm over but they were empty calories like booze &/or snacks (Chips, cookies, etc) I just try to do better the next day.
  • _piaffe
    _piaffe Posts: 163 Member
    edited July 2016
    Not if I've been generally consistent with my plan.

    I am definitely mad at myself for eating as much as I did on vacation, however. I'd planned on eating maintenance, and, well, yeah, no. Total fail.

    I am counteracting by holding off on the scale until I've got a week of deficit under my belt.
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    I always save some calories in case I go over at the end of the day. I don't usually eat my exercise calories back either so I know if I go over by 100-200 calories I'm still in a good deficit and don't let it bother me. That's life really, there are going to be days when your hungrier than others and want more to eat, so I prepare for that as I would when maintaining.
  • thatdesertgirl777
    thatdesertgirl777 Posts: 269 Member
    Meh. Been there done that. Guilt and feeling "bad" are the things that encourage disordered eating. And trying to exercise "x" amount of calories to "make up for it" is called Bulimia. You don't have to throw up to have it. Just move on and do well the next day. Guilt can cause a cycle of overeating.
  • KatieJane83
    KatieJane83 Posts: 2,002 Member
    I don't stress over it, and it's actually become part of how I eat. I look at my goal as an overall weekly total. So on some days I go over, and other days I go under. But net for the week, I'm still maintaining the same deficit. It doesn't matter if it's on every single day, or if it's up and down, it's the overall net deficit that is key.
  • ChihuahuaMeme
    ChihuahuaMeme Posts: 19 Member
    For the past 6 months I have been out of control in the evenings so I make that the biggest meal of the day now and seems to be working for now. I usually feel bad when it comes to weighing and I see I took some steps back and it is very discouraging to think I have to get those off again. Trying to have more self control but it is like I am sleep walking when this happens.
  • 285to170
    285to170 Posts: 330 Member
    I only feel bad if the food wasn't worth it taste wise.
  • tabbyblack13
    tabbyblack13 Posts: 299 Member
    If I do it every day then yes. But if it's a rare thing then no.
  • STEVE142142
    STEVE142142 Posts: 867 Member
    No I don't feel guilty at all. I just log it, think about why I did it and go tomorrow is a new day. By logging it I'm accountable to myself.

    What you have to remember is one or two bad days is not going to make or break you. same as one or two really good days is not going to help you lose dramatically weight either. You have to look at this as a long-term journey and a Sprint.
  • zumbagirl2526
    zumbagirl2526 Posts: 30 Member
    I really appreciate all of the replies. Today I went over my biggest deficit as of yet. I ate an entire pint of ben and jerrys ice cream, which placed me 910 calories over my daily goal. Oh well, it was hot outside and I just couldn't stop. The ice cream was calling my name.
  • bex0r2016
    bex0r2016 Posts: 12 Member
    helen_demun wrote: »
    My goal is 1200 and I'm VERY high protein (im cutting and also hate working out at the moment which is why it can be so low.. lol!) so I pretty much always meet it or am around 1150 :)

    I'm cutting and down to 1200 high protein too! when people freak out about going 200 cal over at 2500 or more I just laugh. Until you've dealt with a margin of error as small as we currently are I think it's a little silly to get so upset over a few cals over. The difference between 200 cals over at 2500 vs. 1200 is pretty damn large ;)
  • Atchmon
    Atchmon Posts: 16 Member
    You made a bad decision, and you should feel bad!
    lol nah.
    I was wondering about this myself, MFP recommends 2500 daily for me, but I'm trying to do the bare minimum of 1500. Ever since I read some success stories of guys similar to my weight and height who've reached their goals. Sometimes I feel bad about it but then I remember there still 700 more calories I could've eaten.
  • Atchmon
    Atchmon Posts: 16 Member
    Oh, I forgot to mention, I read there's like a 10-20 Percent margin of error when it comes to calories. So there's that.
  • 35dollars
    35dollars Posts: 832 Member
    zumbagirl2526 wrote: »
    If so how do you feel better about it?

    How do you counteract the guilt?

    The guilt, or at least the recognition of the overage is good - it's a mental tool to keep you on track, provided you don't get consumed by it.

    Most of us aren't perfect automatons who can hit their calorie limit every day without fail - I've been pretty solid with mine for over a year, but there have been days (typically going to a football game or some family event) when I've ended up blowing my calorie limit by a huge margin (2x or 3x my calorie limit).

    Accept & understand the damage that the overage does to your end goal, do the work to counteract it and move on. As long as you're keeping to the overall trajectory that you want, it's just a blip. If it's more regular, and/or it's preventing you from progressing, then maybe you need to reign it in a bit, but otherwise use t as a spur to keep on target in the future
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