How do you handle going over your calories?

gabriellax92

I definitely had a bad day today food wise. I went well over my calories, and didn't make the healthiest decisions. Panera Bread is my weakness and I caved. Today also happens to be my rest day, so I'm feeling a bit guilty. Any one else have days like this? I know I'm gonna pick right back up tomorrow at the gym and making healthier choices, but I can't help but worry this day will set me back.

cwagar123

Yesterday I blew my calories out of the water. Honestly. 3200 in a day. Am really good generally about staying in my deficit. I just logged everything and got back on track today.

Afura

It happened, next day please! If I sit and stew about a bad day, the next day I'm more likely to say the heck with it, I already messed up. Which makes it easier the day after and the day after...
Another way of looking at it is, this day is already done. You can't do anything about today, you just have to work on the ones that are coming up. Don't put yourself into overdrive to make up for it, but try and slice some calories here and there for a few days to make up for it.

eoglevie

Same here. And then guilt hits and I go to the forums. And everything I read says to recognize what sent you back to the food and avoid those situations. Do you ever find yourself wondering right after you caved "did I really just do that? Why did I just do that?"

malibu927

Log it and move on. The setback will be minimal.

inertiastrength

Since you're probably in a deficit of about 500-750 even going over your calories by 1500 isn't setting you back more than a couple of days and a fraction of a lb. enjoy it but don't dwell and definitely move on. I do 2500 every other Sunday and im still in enough of a deficit to net .75-1lb a week according to my data. Don't panic when you see 3lbs of water and keep going. It's really not a huge deal

bpetrosky

It happens. Log it and move on to the next day. It's nothing to feel guilty over. You didn't do something wrong, you just ate more than you intended for one day

lucypstacy

It happens because we're human. Just move forward and do better tomorrow.

ccsernica

One word. One simple word.

"Meh."

cmtigger

I log it and look at my weekly average. I'm usually not over by much when it averages out.

JeromeBarry1

Drink water, sleep, wake up, start over.

omakase619

The next two days I make sure to cut my calories to 1200 and exercise

kq1981

I used to feel soooooo guilty. Now that I've learned a little more (and still have plenty to learn) I just log it and keep on plodding away. Feeling guilty is NOT a healthy mindset when you're on a weight loss journey. From experience going way over my calories if it's every now and then it, does nothing in the long term. U got this

thegoat1987

I did this yesterday too, and woke up today in a less than positive mood. Reading this thread was much needed, it's a new dawn and a new day - moving onwards and upwards!

LivingtheLeanDream

Look at the weekly average, if there's a calorie deficit overall you will still lose.

kazminchu

Recently I've learned not to worry about it. I used to think "well that's blown it" and go wild, or try to restrict even more. It doesn't work. Now I just have a maintenance day and try not to worry about it.

victoria_1024

Most of the time, I just log it and move on. Some days, like yesterday, I see that I went slightly over for the day (like 60 calories) and it was a sedentary work day for me so no wiggle room. I decided to take my 8 year old out in the evening for a quick scooter ride to burn off some calories! So sometimes I will do extra activities when I'm a little over, but often I just let it go. I've been in maintenance since last year after losing 90 lbs.

TheCupcakeCounter

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

Look at the weekly average, if there's a calorie deficit overall you will still lose.

This was going to be my suggestion as well - if you look at the week you will probably still be under

cardioxxbunnyxx

I used to so super hard on myself.. then I went through a time period where I would really restrict myself... Like for instance, last night, I had a class, which conveniently is also in the same complex as a shopping center, I was so hungry, had a really light lunch and I gave in and got myself a nice, fat grilled cheese sandwich from Panera! I haven't had a grilled cheese in YEARS, and honestly, I told myself; I never eat this, I enjoyed it, and it wasn't going to be the end of the world. I'll workout again tomorrow and get back on a healthier track..


Sometimes restricting yourself all the time will lead to a decrease in your metabolism, (at least mine, I believe, has gotten like that over some time) - and giving your metabolism a little "Shock" every so often is actually a good thing.

acmorris77

I do this just about one day a week every week and it hasn't stopped me from losing. I guess I'd be down more if I hadn't, but, I don't think I could keep going if I didn't give myself a break once a week.

Seffell

I have lots of days like these (I've been doing this for 13 months). I just ignore them.

aldavid18

If you enjoyed the Panera and it made you happy, don't worry about it. The positive of the "treat" mentally outweighs the negativity of a blown day. Refocus and move on.

skinnycow1234567

Obviously it bothers you,make a note of it and learn from your slip up.
If you work out hard and dont do it often,dont beat yourself up. Life is short so living a little is good.

CSARdiver

This is where I put my faith in the math behind CICO. I go over some days - and go under others, but as I get more experienced with this my fluctuations are diminishing. If I go over I make a conscious effort to balance out the following day...or over the week depending on the amount.

A pound of fat is ~3500 kcals. Hence the recommended deficit for losing 1 lb/week is 500 kcals/day. This helps put any overages in context. Short term issues don't matter much in the long term.

WinoGelato

CSARdiver wrote: »

This is where I put my faith in the math behind CICO. I go over some days - and go under others, but as I get more experienced with this my fluctuations are diminishing. If I go over I make a conscious effort to balance out the following day...or over the week depending on the amount.

A pound of fat is ~3500 kcals. Hence the recommended deficit for losing 1 lb/week is 500 kcals/day. This helps put any overages in context. Short term issues don't matter much in the long term.

This is exactly what I was going to say. It's all about perspective, and math. If you are set to lose 1 lb/week, you have that 3500 calorie deficit built into your weekly goal OP. It's highly unlikely that you overate by 3500 calories at Panera in one day, so it's also highly unlikely that you undid any weekly progress. You can also offset that overage by eating a little less for the next couple of days.

The worst thing you can do, IMO, is say "well I already screwed up, so I might as well keep eating whatever I want this week, and then later I will get back on track". Logging those overages (planned and unplanned) helps keep that perspective, that you really weren't that far over goal, and haven't undone your weekly deficit.

briohne128

I go over my calorie allowance quite a few times because my calorie allowance is so low (1,200) so the way I make my self feel better is exercise more on these days!

susannekb

I went over by nearly 1000cals yesterday and as I'm looking only 0.5lb a week I cannot do things like that and expect to loose. But the way I'm looking at it is that I put this weight on over 3 years so I can take 3 years to get it off. One week here or there eating at maintenance isn't going to hurt me. I log, acknowledge, and move on and try to be better tomorrow.

85Cardinals

Me, Sherman, and Mr. Peabody hop in the Wayback Machine and set it for last week so as to avoid that ever actually happening!

No, I go forward controlling what I have control of, which is how many calories I eat today. Also I avoid getting emo about it, feeling guilty or whatever because that doesn't help. Try to view it like Spock would, just numbers and logic, Captain.

hlblakeley

I log it, write about it on my wall or in a forum like this to help me understand what I was feeling or doing that led to the over eating (and also to get the support not to give up!) and then move on. I know that there will be days where I consciously go over my calorie allotment and I know that there will be days where it happens because I just am hungry. Like others have stated here, if you are under or at your goal the rest of the week it will "all come out in the wash" as they say. Also this is a marathon not a sprint. Sometimes you take a break, reset, and keep going.