Banking calories?

ksmommy5

What exactly does that mean? The total amount of calories under for the week? Example: I want to head out for sushi Monday and be able to still enjoy myself. If I look at weekly calories under goal it says 1500 as example. Does that mean I can eat near the 1500 cals and still be under deficit for the week?

TimothyFish

It simply means that you eat less on one day so you can eat more on another. If you normally eat 1500 calories, but one day you eat 1000, then you have 500 "in the bank" so sometime later you could eat 2000 calories in a day and still be on target.

Keep in mind though that this only works between weigh-ins. Once you weigh and record your new weight as earned value your bank balance drops to zero or you will end up gaining weight over what you recorded from your last weigh-in.

Jules_farmgirl

Also, keep in mind, if you choose to eat more and salty foods the day before weigh in, you may have water retention from the increase of salt and not see your result on the scale. (This has happened to me since my weigh in is Sunday Mornings.... not the smartest choice )

successgal1

Yes, you MFP goal includes your deficit to lose weight. Naturally if you go over that number, you run the risk of slowing your goal progress or stopping it (if you go over on a regular basis). For example, a significant overage just on one night, for me, can slow my progress from 1.5 lbs a week to 1.25, 1, or .50. I'll still go down, but not at the rate I want. Assuming normal fluctuations in water, etc.

I find it best for me (at only 1200 calories), to exercise if I plan a "cheat" night. I eat at least 1200 a day, but if I burn 400 I may only eat back 150 calories, leaving me with an additional 250 deficit that I can use later that week, or the next day if I find I need more food, keeping in mind that most people say that all calculators overestimate calorie burn. I go by the way I feel. I take it day by day but overall look at the week report to see how many calories I am UNDER my goal. This is easiest to see in the MFP app, under Nutrition, Calories, set to Week view and it will show you how many calories, if any, you are UNDER your goal.

Right now, I just checked, I'm 2,150 calories under my goal. That's all activity and workout calories. I always eat 1200 or a bit above, and my workouts are step aerobics and light weights, or just walking around, I'm not strong lifting anything. I'm likely to have a few alcoholic beverages and a high calorie snack or two tonight and tomorrow night so I will probably wipe out a bit of that "bank".