How close to your calorie allowance do you get

Spitspot81

As title really... How close to your daily calorie allowance do you get? Would you rather go slightly over rather than slightly under?

Machka9

When I was trying to lose weight, I came in within about 50 cal of my calorie goal ... under. Always under. Every single day without fail ... under.

Now I'm within about 50 cal under most of the time, but some days I go over.

duddysdad

I try to be a little under. Sometimes I am over, but I just make up for it the next day, or the next couple of days. Sometimes I don't even care, I just keep doing well and accept that things happen and you can't always be perfect.

Shadowmf023

Some days I'm 50-20 under, sometimes I'm the same amount over. I just try to hit my macros.

Keladelphia

When I was losing I tried to stay under my allowance 90% of the time. I still try to stay close but would rather go over than under now because with the amount I work out, a couple of under days and i'll notice a drop in performance along with a quick drop in pounds. If i'm actually hungry now I eat regardless of what my allowance is, when I was losing I ignored hunger cues more frequently.

rainbowbow

Also about 50 calories difference either under or over.

VintageFeline

Depends on the day. No exercise, on the nose. Steady state cardio calories all get eaten. Both of those over/under 50 like with everyone else. On days I double, so Fitness Blender and some steady state, I try to leave a bigger margin, maybe 100 calories under but if I have a splurge that's what they are there for!

tamatisk

Usually 100-200 calories below but it acts as a buffer in case my measurements are wrong. Occasionally over if I've had to eat out.

Bxqtie116

Each day is different as some days I'm more hungry than usual. I usually fall within my allowance but there are days that I'm over.

neldabg

I'm pretty close. According to my Fitbit, I'm all around the place, going under, over, or staying within a sweet spot of 50 calories:

daniip_la

A little over some days, a little under on others.

Spitspot81

This is interesting, most of you try to stick pretty close to target.

I think I am too strict and normally stay about 250 under. I think maybe I should allow myself a few little extras to get closer to my allowance

Trish1c

I'm over more than I'm under usually by 100-200 calories. If I know why then I don't beat myself up. For example yesterday I had 2 drinks. When I otherwise thought I was being good & go over I get frustrated. I've lost 8 pounds so far so even with being over I'm in deficit more than not so I'm OK with my progress

abungay

I like to me under, mfp says I should eat 1200 a day and I try for about 1000, in case I do need a snack in the night I have room for it. But more times than not I actually go over, but I try really hard not to eat my exercise calories.

ryry_

I just try to hit my weekly net calorie goal. I try to stay pretty close but some times on weekends I have night out with more food and drinks than normal so I have to go under for a couple days afterwards to make up the difference.

rankinsect

I try to be within 30 calories in either direction.

vesh17

I stay within 50/100, and then when I get back to my ideal weight I just eat whatever again lol

LazSommer

+ 200

Lounmoun

In the beginning I would often be at my goal or about 100 calories over my goal and then add exercise. I did okay.
Now I'm closer to a healthy weight and my calorie goal is 1200. I don't really want to eat below 1200. I can't exercise as much right now so I stick closer to that... so I try to get 1200 or just 50 over or under.

vesh17

Lounmoun wrote: »

In the beginning I would often be at my goal or about 100 calories over my goal and then add exercise. I did okay.
Now I'm closer to a healthy weight and my calorie goal is 1200. I don't really want to eat below 1200. I can't exercise as much right now so I stick closer to that... so I try to get 1200 or just 50 over or under.

I can't imagine eating 1200 calories per day...I'd be dying lol. You must be small.

I know its size, sex, etc specific, but when I hear 1200 I'm just shocked. I eat 2200 and I feel ok, but below 2000 I'd be a mess.ha

Francl27

I aim to be within 50 calories either way. But I mostly aim for a weekly deficit (which is smaller that what my goal actually is), so I'm often over anyway.

VintageFeline

abungay wrote: »

I like to me under, mfp says I should eat 1200 a day and I try for about 1000, in case I do need a snack in the night I have room for it. But more times than not I actually go over, but I try really hard not to eat my exercise calories.

So, taking into account you exercise, you're chronically undereating.

caradack1985

I used to be a couple of hundred under, these days I eat closer to my allowance and sometimes over. I keep a log each week of the extra deficit so I know if I can go over on certain days

tomteboda

Like @Francl27 , I work off the weekly average.

kgirlhart

abungay wrote: »

I like to me under, mfp says I should eat 1200 a day and I try for about 1000, in case I do need a snack in the night I have room for it. But more times than not I actually go over, but I try really hard not to eat my exercise calories.

This is not healthy. You should eat back a portion of your exercise calories. This is especially important if you are set at 1200. Chronic under eating is not good for you in the long run.

JeromeBarry1

My calorie goal is set to attempt to lose 0.5 lb per week. That was just a psychological trick to help me avoid the agony of going over an aggressive 2 lb per week goal. In prior months I was trying and succeeding at losing 2 lb per week by often netting daily -1000 calories to my goal. This week I've decided to increase my daily intake to the 1600-1700 range and that should put me netting often -900 calories to my goal. I'm beginning my glide path to maintenance with this.

kgirlhart

I try to stay within about 50 cals of my goal. Sometimes during the week I will stay 100-150 under if I know there are plans for the weekend that I want to save calories for.

frawley23

I give myself 20% leeway each day so I can be up to 360 calories over or under. It evens out over the week and as long as I'm within 450 calories (one day's deficit) of my overall week's calories I'm happy.

VintageFeline

I just thought I'd add to my post. This week i've been sick, just some make me do all the sleeping bug. When I'm ill I'm a lot less stringent and I'm currently sitting at about half my usual 500 calories per day deficit, it may be that by the end of the week there's no deficit at all (visiting a friend at the seaside this weekend, fish and chips will be happening!). And that's okay too. I'll get where I'm going eventually, the odd week here and there to live life a little is totally fine to me and of course fuelling the body when it's trying to fend off a virus is more important than losing 1lb.

Aaron_K123

I usually hit it pretty close. I like to go over if it is ice cream and I like to go under if it is brussels sprouts.

aloranger7708

I never go over unless I'm having a treat day. Or on days where I go over I typically try to eat that much less the next day. Every day I aim to be under, though, and usually am by 5-50 calories.