Banking exercise calories

Sorry, sorry! One last post from me I swear! Just trying to get my head straight. ;)

I'm working on a 1000 calorie deficit each week. My calorie goal is 1900 a day, but I've been eating around 1800 instead. Plus I plan on going to the gym 4-5 times a week to walk on the treadmill. I know a lot of people bank calories on a weekly basis. Is it also okay to bank exercise calories?

So, in my case, I would have around 700 calories from eating 1800 of my 1900 goal plus ~1000 calories from weekly exercise. That means I would have 1700 extra calories to use one day a week.

I think this plan, if possible, would really suit my needs/wants. I really would like to take my grandmother to her favorite restaurant each week and be able to enjoy a meal with her. Some meals, like a quesadilla stuffed with cheese, are hard to fit into a regular day without the extra calories.

Replies

  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Yes. Of course. The free site offers a simple tracker on a 24-hour clock. The premium site lets you change the interval over which you are counting.
  • emmylootwo
    emmylootwo Posts: 172 Member
    Yes. Of course. The free site offers a simple tracker on a 24-hour clock. The premium site lets you change the interval over which you are counting.

    Oh good to know! I'll look into the premium upgrade.
  • emmylootwo
    emmylootwo Posts: 172 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Certainly you can bank any calorie savings, whether it's from eating less or moving more. Assuming saving those calories during the week doesn't make you so hungry and deprived that you end up over eating on that extra calorie day.

    You also need to consider your energy level. If you don't properly fuel your workouts, you might have less effort to give and could end up burning less calories.

    My other concern is that you are already aiming for an aggressive deficit AND leaving calories on the table. Adding exercise without extra fuel on top of that might make long term sustainability really tough for you.

    Anyway, that's the long answer! The short answer is yes you can bank exercise calories and the only way to know how it will work for you is give it a shot and pay attention to how you feel. Personally, I'd only bank some rather than all, for whatever that's worth. Good luck!

    Thank you! I feel pretty well right now but it's only been a few days. I will definitely watch my energy levels. This might not be a thing I do on a regular basis, because ~1700 calories is a lot to have banked!
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    That plan sounds like a great one as a way of meeting your lifestyle needs/wants as it allows you to really enjoy quality time with your grandmother while sticking to your calorie goals. Your grandma is lucky to have you do this with her.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    emmylootwo wrote: »
    Yes. Of course. The free site offers a simple tracker on a 24-hour clock. The premium site lets you change the interval over which you are counting.

    Oh good to know! I'll look into the premium upgrade.

    Even without premium, when you're in your food diary (on the app not the website) there's a circle thing on the top right, like a little pie chart. Clicking it takes you to a page that shows your macro breakdown. Once you're in that screen, you can change today to this week, and macros to calories. You still have a daily goal, but this will show you your average over the week ... which is what you're working on.
  • emmylootwo
    emmylootwo Posts: 172 Member
    emmylootwo wrote: »
    Yes. Of course. The free site offers a simple tracker on a 24-hour clock. The premium site lets you change the interval over which you are counting.

    Oh good to know! I'll look into the premium upgrade.

    Even without premium, when you're in your food diary (on the app not the website) there's a circle thing on the top right, like a little pie chart. Clicking it takes you to a page that shows your macro breakdown. Once you're in that screen, you can change today to this week, and macros to calories. You still have a daily goal, but this will show you your average over the week ... which is what you're working on.

    Thanks!!

    Also, the more I think about it... 1700 calories a week is just too much to bank even for a caloric meal with my grandma. Haha. I think I'll spread them out some more. Thanks everyone!