Eating Inconsistent Calorie Amounts: Good, Bad, or Neutral?

brittanystebbins95

jwoolman5 wrote: »

You are not going to mess up your metabolism or lose your hair averaging 1500 calories per day... really. That's a lot of food. That's actually my recommended calorie budget at my healthy ideal weight.

I think it's fine to be inconsistent with calories from day to day and very normal. A range is normal.

The food databases and calories allotted by the tracker are just guesstimates anyway. The tracker doesn't really know exactly how much energy you've expended today, but your body does. Likewise, the entries for food are just estimated averages even if you weigh everything accurately. That particular apple may not have precisely the amount of calories as the database claims. These are all just rough guidelines. Obviously they are guidelines that are working for you, though. Weighing is definitely a convenient way to track (I do it myself), but if you're losing the way you want - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It sounds as though so far, you can safely let your appetite be your guide. Eat high quality food so you get the proper nutrients. If you feel hungry, eat more but make it count nutritionally. If you feel satisfied, don't try to make yourself eat more. That kind of thinking ("clean your plate because children are starving in X") got a lot of us in trouble. Things should settle out on their own for you. As your weight comes down, you are going to need less food anyway. You just won't need as much adjustment as others might.

That bolded part is not necessarily true. Everybody is different and it depends on her activity level.
I was following MFP recommendations for 1 lb a week for a good solid 6 or 7 months before my hair started falling out and I had to take a break and go to maintenance for awhile. If I remember correctly, I was eating around 1600 or 1700 calories.

feisty_bucket

It's fine. I eat differently every day, and use the "calorie banking" technique to manage it all. Works great.

corinasue1143

Just a thought— not the question you asked, but— When you first start a diet, people often deny themselves all their favorite calorie heavy foods in their excitement about losing weight. If you want to have a healthy relationship with all food, are you allowing yourself a little chocolate, ice cream, etc. not a lot, but they add calories fast. And you are probably not going to give them up for life.

bjkoziara

corinasue1143 wrote: »

Just a thought— not the question you asked, but— When you first start a diet, people often deny themselves all their favorite calorie heavy foods in their excitement about losing weight. If you want to have a healthy relationship with all food, are you allowing yourself a little chocolate, ice cream, etc. not a lot, but they add calories fast. And you are probably not going to give them up for life.

I think it said it here but perhaps another thread - I don't deal in absolutes. If it fits my macros, I'll eat it if I really want it

heybales

brittanystebbins95 wrote: »

jwoolman5 wrote: »

You are not going to mess up your metabolism or lose your hair averaging 1500 calories per day... really. That's a lot of food. That's actually my recommended calorie budget at my healthy ideal weight.

I think it's fine to be inconsistent with calories from day to day and very normal. A range is normal.

The food databases and calories allotted by the tracker are just guesstimates anyway. The tracker doesn't really know exactly how much energy you've expended today, but your body does. Likewise, the entries for food are just estimated averages even if you weigh everything accurately. That particular apple may not have precisely the amount of calories as the database claims. These are all just rough guidelines. Obviously they are guidelines that are working for you, though. Weighing is definitely a convenient way to track (I do it myself), but if you're losing the way you want - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It sounds as though so far, you can safely let your appetite be your guide. Eat high quality food so you get the proper nutrients. If you feel hungry, eat more but make it count nutritionally. If you feel satisfied, don't try to make yourself eat more. That kind of thinking ("clean your plate because children are starving in X") got a lot of us in trouble. Things should settle out on their own for you. As your weight comes down, you are going to need less food anyway. You just won't need as much adjustment as others might.

That bolded part is not necessarily true. Everybody is different and it depends on her activity level.
I was following MFP recommendations for 1 lb a week for a good solid 6 or 7 months before my hair started falling out and I had to take a break and go to maintenance for awhile. If I remember correctly, I was eating around 1600 or 1700 calories.

Very true - and even in OP's case - that's still almost a 50% deficit without exercise being done it sounds like.
That's rather major.

nooboots

bjkoziara wrote: »

Hi everyone. For some background because I know that can be helpful: I'm 26. Currently 343 lbs, started 2 weeks ago at 350. Work an office job. Started using MFP to help improve my relationship with food by planning my meals for the day so I know what I'm going to have and when. So far it's been very successful in keeping me from snacking/binging because I know I'm going to have X food in X amount of time.

I'm not necessarily trying to be overly focused on calories or weight loss - I am trying to have a better relationship with food and with myself by practicing more mindfulness when I eat.

That being said - MFP recommends 2100 calories per day in order for me to lose weight. However, now that I'm being more conscious of my choices and eating more well-rounded (and also not binging all my calories in one go on anything) I find that 2100 calories is hard to hit. I've been ranging from 1300 to 2000 (and when it's higher it's usually because I've had wine 🤷‍♀️). I think on average it's maybe 1500 calories.

Are there any ill effects that I am not aware of on eating inconsisten calories amounts or could I be eating too few calories? I feel quite satisfied by the end of the day, but I'd hate to be doing more harm than good and not realize. Any advice appreciated.

You're only 2 weeks in, over the month or 2 month periods you will see the average, and during times of the month or when you go out or have a holiday it will (possibly, depends on you) go over your goal which means that all the times now you are under your goal will even out.

Im similar to you, mine is about 1800 a day based on 1lb a week loss. Last week I was on holiday and managed to eat 3500 over my maintenance so will expect over all to put a lb on. However this coming week if Im under my goal a bit and possibly the week after, it might even out, I wont try to eat too little as I know I will crash and burn and it will all go wrong. Im now better at seeing the longer term rather than on a daily or weekly basis.