Balancing Caloric Intake

ChrysalisCove

How much daily variation do you have in your net caloric intake? Do you vary by a hundred calories, or even a few hundred, so long as your net over the course of a week is on track - or do you try to come right to your daily limit every single day?

How do you accurately plan meals that will fit your caloric allowance in advance? Do you create all of your “recipes” in advance on MFP, then shuffle them around to balance heavier and lighter meals?

I’ve been using a lot of new ingredients lately in my cooking, trying a lot of new recipes, and my net intake has been pretty highly variable - a range of 500 Cal, with the median falling around 100 Cal short of my daily limit.

Will this naturally even out as I become more familiar with incorporating the new ingredients, or do I need to be pre-logging everything?

apullum

Following a weekly calorie budget is fine. Many people prefer to "bank" some calories for the weekend or special meals. Just keep in mind that if you have a bigger meal than usual, your weight might go up temporarily due to water and/or extra food in your digestive tract. Sometimes people see that change on the scale and think they've gained a couple pounds of fat overnight.

I generally pre-log meals. Many people find that pre-logging helps them avoid eating all their calories early in the day, but you don't have to pre-log if you don't want to. Over time, you learn how you prefer to distribute your calories throughout the day. You also will get a sense of how many calories are in the meals you like to eat.