How to Set Different Goal for Weekend Calories

cosmos2015
cosmos2015 Posts: 2 Member
edited January 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
I used to be a member of Weight Watchers, and I liked how you had a base number of points you were supposed to use in each day, then you had an allowance of weekly points that could be used any time during the week, or you could choose not to use them. Exercise also earned you more points that you could choose whether to use or not. For me, that meant that I could be more strict during the week, loosen up a little on the weekends and eat a few treats, and still lose weight if I did not exceed those extra points allowances. My problem on MFP is that I do not know how to set up a weekly allowance of extra calories for myself. Does anyone know how to go about calculating such an allowance of calories so that I can loosen up a bit on the weekends without going overboard and undoing the good I do during the week? I already use a Fitbit to see how many extra calories my activities earn, but those are calories that you either use or lose at the end of the day, which isn't exactly what I'm looking for.

Also, my problem is not a technical "how to" (i.e. how to use the website to change my calorie goal), but rather how to calculate how many calories to allow myself as a weekly allowance.

Replies

  • kristenveganvixen
    kristenveganvixen Posts: 87 Member
    Set your goals to either "maintain my current weight" or "lose 0.25kg/0.5lbs", ie the slowest loss, the flip it back on Monday would be your best bet I reckon :)
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,669 Member
    I do the same. I eat light during the week, and loosen up on the weekend. On the weekend, in the app, I look at the 7 day view of calories eaten. There's a number for Net Calories Under Goal for the week. That's how many additional calories I allow myself to eat. Is that helpful?
  • MasheedaFitness
    MasheedaFitness Posts: 1 Member
    Hello. If you have premium, you can set goals for specific days. Go to More ——>Goals——>Calorie, Carbs, Etc. Goals ——>Add Daily Goals
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,227 Member
    MasheedaFitness wrote: »
    Hello. If you have premium, you can set goals for specific days. Go to More ——>Goals——>Calorie, Carbs, Etc. Goals ——>Add Daily Goals

    That's actually a great tool I never knew existed! I'm sure that will be really useful for some folks.

    Another option might be to set your goal for maintaining or small loss as @kristenveganvixen suggested and then using a "quick add calories" to the days you want to eat fewer calories. It's kind of an intake adjustment for those days - you log calories that you don't actually eat. Trouble is, it then makes it hard to use the data to fine-tune your goal.

    I do really like the idea of setting daily custom goals. I might even give it a try.

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