I went over on my calories yesterday and I'm OK with it

obeaner2

Last time I tried this journey I was a stickler for not going over my calorie allotment (1200) for the day. It ended up causing me a lot of stress and sent my anxiety haywire. This time I am being a lot kinder to myself. I have upped my calories from what MFP suggested - 1200 - to my TDEE minus 500 - 1400. And I'm flexible on that. If I go 50-75 over a day, no big deal. There are days I am 50 or so under, so to me it is close enough to balancing out. Also, I typically don't eat all of my exercise calories back so I have a little buffer room there as well.
Last night I got a major sweet tooth craving. I tried to put it out of my mind as I knew I did not need any more food for the day, but it wouldn't go away. That dang box of Girl Scout Cookies (Samoas, my favorite) were screaming from the freezer. So I did it, I ate a few. And they were delicious. I added them to my diary which, of course, sent me a few hundred calories over my goal for the day, but I was still under my TDEE. I am happy I ate those cookies and in the right place now mentally to not beat myself up over it.

quiksylver296

Knowing my maintenance calories (TDEE) was a game-changer for me. It really saved me from self-destructing when I'd go over my calorie target a bit because I realized I was still in a deficit, just a smaller one.

Good for you!

Tracyh140

Life is too short to worry so much about every single calorie. And life is also too short to not allow yourself to have treats! Great attitude about it!

RelCanonical

Oh man, girl scout cookies. I haven't had the opportunity to come across a child yet who will sell them to me. Now that the weather is warming up, I hope they'll be at the local grocery store.

But on topic, I tend to go over my goal quite a lot. I just stay below maintenance, and understand that I may lose slower, but I won't gain. It's worked very, very well for my mental health.

NovusDies

It is important to know when to take your foot off the gas. I have had some things going on last week and my weight loss mojo is not up to normal this week so I just rolling with it. I am still confident I will lose something this week even if it is not my normal target.

I attribute this attitude as one of the things that has helped me stick with it for a prolonged period this time and one of the reasons I failed in the past. All or nothing might work for some people but when you are facing a multi-year weight loss situation it is a hard way to live and impossible for me.

ETA: I don't get the GS cookie love. I know we all have different ideas of what is good but they are just so terrible to me.

Johnd2000

I never go over my calories*.


*My calories = whatever I decide I want to eat, bearing in mind my activity, weight and mood at the time.

sdewey415

I did a maintenance day yesterday! Not purposely. My husband surprised me with a dinner date at a Chinese buffet. If my eyeballing was close to spot on, I am in the clear.... But if not, then I will survive and move on. It also helps that I did somewhere over 2 miles in walking and some serious time I. The garden.😁 Just keep moving foward!

AmyC2288

You can also track weekly calories instead or in addition to daily. You can track it using the Nutrition tab in your diary. I think it is only available on the app FYI. Learning this was a game changer and big comfort for me.

Sounds like you're in a great head space! If (when) you have an off day where you start to question things, you should totally come back and read this post as a reminder to yourself