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MyFitnessPal Community

Over Eating Calorie Goal Question

Myxalplyx

Two Scenarios:
1) Over a two day period, you hit your targets perfectly with calories and nutrition. You enter day three.

2) First day you eat twice as many calories as you are supposed too. You also went over your nutritional goal by 2X the amount. Day two, you eat nothing at all but stay hydrated with water throughout the day. You enter day three.

Is there any negative impact of doing scenario number two on occasions? Frequently? Thanks!

Replies

andrea4736

I don't think I could personally do it but I see people doing Intermittent Fasting all the time so I don't see how this is that much different.

jemhh

Myxalplyx wrote: »

Two Scenarios:
1) Over a two day period, you hit your targets perfectly with calories and nutrition. You enter day three.

2) First day you eat twice as many calories as you are supposed too. You also went over your nutritional goal by 2X the amount. Day two, you eat nothing at all but stay hydrated with water throughout the day. You enter day three.

Is there any negative impact of doing scenario number two on occasions? Frequently? Thanks!

I don't see anything wrong with it, other than feeling hungry on Day 2. There is a dieting protocol called 5:2. It calls for eating at normal maintenance level five days a week (originally "maintenance" was described as free feeding without counting calories but I see many people who do count their calories and stick to what they believe is their maintenance level on those days.) The other two days you would stick to 500 calories (I think this is the same for men and women but I might be remembering that incorrectly and maybe men would eat slightly more.) That would result in around .75-1.5 pounds lost for week for most people, which would mean it is a moderate deficit and nothing to be alarmed about.

5:2 isn't as extreme as your second scenario but let's face it--500 calories is not that much food so it's not going to be that much of a difference.

earlnabby

Myxalplyx wrote: »

Two Scenarios:
1) Over a two day period, you hit your targets perfectly with calories and nutrition. You enter day three.

2) First day you eat twice as many calories as you are supposed too. You also went over your nutritional goal by 2X the amount. Day two, you eat nothing at all but stay hydrated with water throughout the day. You enter day three.

Is there any negative impact of doing scenario number two on occasions? Frequently? Thanks!

The only negative impact I can see is eating over your goal too often or too much and needing to restrict for a couple of days. Restricting too much often leads to a binge because you are not eating enough. Each person is different but that is a frequent occurrence.

On the other hand, I try to stay within my calories each day but I do look at the average over the previous 7 days to make sure I am on track rather than take each day as a separate unit. If I know I will be eating more, like an event coming up, I try to slightly restrict for a few days leading up to it rather than making up for it afterwards.

YMMV

leanjogreen18

Look at your weekly calories.

For example my calorie goal is 1200 x 7 = 8400. I can break that 8400 up daily any way I choose and still be in a deficit and still lose as planned.

The only thing I noticed is sometimes having a big calorie day I will go up in water weight for a few days.

H_Ock12

As long as you meet your calorie goal for the week, it doesn't seem like an issue. The negative impact would be if you feel you are punishing yourself by not eating anything the day after eating over calories or if you experience hunger that interferes with your daily activity. If you like to eat more on certain days and less on others, check out the 5:2 schedule...it allows you to eat something every day.

Myxalplyx

I appreciate the comments. Been on the site and forum for what seems like forever. I always welcome different views and opinions than my own so was curious. Thanks.

I ate like a pig yesterday, hence my question. And it wasn't perfect nutrition but still. I know better. ;-)

TeaBea

andrea4736 wrote: »

I don't think I could personally do it but I see people doing Intermittent Fasting all the time so I don't see how this is that much different.

IF is different.........

5:2 - men eat 600 calories 2 days a week and MAINTENANCE the other 5. Eating 2 very low calorie days can be wiped out by a binge. It's controlled eating.

OP - Way over goal? Is this way over your maintenance calories? To keep the weight off you need something sustainable. Some people eat under goal Monday - Thursday (banking) some extra calories for the weekend. This is called zig-zagging your calories.

andrea4736

TeaBea wrote: »

andrea4736 wrote: »

I don't think I could personally do it but I see people doing Intermittent Fasting all the time so I don't see how this is that much different.

IF is different.........

5:2 - men eat 600 calories 2 days a week and MAINTENANCE the other 5. Eating 2 very low calorie days can be wiped out by a binge. It's controlled eating.

OP - Way over goal? Is this way over your maintenance calories? To keep the weight off you need something sustainable. Some people eat under goal Monday - Thursday (banking) some extra calories for the weekend. This is called zig-zagging your calories.

Ahhhh, gotcha! Thank you for clarifying :-)

jemhh

Myxalplyx wrote: »

I appreciate the comments. Been on the site and forum for what seems like forever. I always welcome different views and opinions than my own so was curious. Thanks.

I ate like a pig yesterday, hence my question. And it wasn't perfect nutrition but still. I know better. ;-)

If that's a one off kind of thing, I would just let it go and get back to normal today. If you don't feel as hungry, eat a bit less. But I wouldn't try to make up for eating over. That's just based on my own experience of getting in a bad cycle of eating too much one day and trying to make up for it the next. Different stroke for different folks but don't be too hard on yourself. I'm assuming that's really you in your profile photos. You seem to be pretty fit. One bad day isn't going to mean permanent damage.

lightenup2016

There are several different versions of IF--5:2 is only one of them. A 24-hr fast followed (and preceded) by a day at maintenance or over maintenance is another version (Eat-Stop-Eat). 5:2 just happens to be a more common and talked about method.

I've done 24-hr fasts like this and been fine. Some people plan for them when they know they're going to overindulge, like for a special occasion. I think the important thing is not to treat it as a punishment for overindulging. It's really just a balancing of the overall calorie budget. Of course, a few days at a 500-calorie deficit will give you similar results with regard to weight, but might be easier to do.

Zombielicious

leanjogreen18 wrote: »

Look at your weekly calories.

For example my calorie goal is 1200 x 7 = 8400. I can break that 8400 up daily any way I choose and still be in a deficit and still lose as planned.

^ this. I eat my calories by the week.