OK to eat less than 1000 occasionally?

chavahtroyka

I've been eating healthy for about 3 weeks now. Most days I've been doing 1200-1500 calories, but occasionally I just won't really be hungry for dinner (especially if I wake up late) and I end up eating 800-900. Maybe once a week or so, I'd guess. Is it okay to do this occasionally?

Five0Six

I would think once in a while, such as about once a week or so as you stated, wouldn't hurt you. Everyone has days where they are more or less hungry for various reasons.

Panini911

i mean it depends how big a calorie deficit that is for you and how often "occasionally" isn (once a week? once every two weeks? monhthly?) an odd off day monthly is fine. or some days may be low but others high so weekly you're on par. Also depends how steep a deficit you are in to begin with.

you can also look at calories over a week VS daily. and consider eating more calorie dense foods especially if you can predict it may be a low day (so very little volume/quantity but high cal - nuts, peanut butter, avocado...) or make sure to eat more the next few days.

lastly, it also depends how accurate you are with measuring and logging. ex: using a food scale for ALL FOODS? careuflly logging? or using measure cups and spooons mostly?

1200-1500 is a pretty broad range. how did you come to those numbers? what are your stats? (height, current weight, goal weight)? how active are you?

apullum

If you know that this is something you do on a regular basis, then you can take steps to make up for it, like adding higher calorie/low volume foods on days when you haven't met your calorie goal.

eddied38

It's okay to eat 0 calories occasionally. Lots of people go on 2 or 3 day fasts, even longer, and actually BENEFIT from it.

If you can go 500 over your budget sometimes and it's okay, then you can go 500 under sometimes too.

Also, it's not like your body resets its calorie counter at exactly midnight or something. Look and see what you've eaten in the last 24 hours, and you might find that you're not even under 1000.

Also, when first starting out, it can be a good thing to kinda starve yourself for a day or two, or three, to "reset" your "hunger levels." Go a few days eating the bare minimum and you'll find your appetite is a lot smaller than it once was- maybe that's what's already going on with you.

NovusDies

chavahtroyka wrote: »

I've been eating healthy for about 3 weeks now. Most days I've been doing 1200-1500 calories, but occasionally I just won't really be hungry for dinner (especially if I wake up late) and I end up eating 800-900. Maybe once a week or so, I'd guess. Is it okay to do this occasionally?

You would have to decide if your energy was okay but if it is this is no problem if you make up the calories you skipped. Your weekly total needs to be close to your goal so that you lose at an appropriate rate for yourself. So if you need to eat 1400 calories and you only eat 900 you have 500 in your calorie bank to spend.

I suggest that if you are new to this concept that you only bank your calories for a week at a time so whenever you think your week is done you need to eat high enough calorie food to cash out your bank.

kimny72

chavahtroyka wrote: »

I've been eating healthy for about 3 weeks now. Most days I've been doing 1200-1500 calories, but occasionally I just won't really be hungry for dinner (especially if I wake up late) and I end up eating 800-900. Maybe once a week or so, I'd guess. Is it okay to do this occasionally?

You can look at your calorie deficit for the week rather than the day. If your weekly deficit has you losing weight at a reasonable pace, then it doesn't matter how you spread it out through the week, and as long as you feel well eating that way.

NovusDies

kimny72 wrote: »

chavahtroyka wrote: »

I've been eating healthy for about 3 weeks now. Most days I've been doing 1200-1500 calories, but occasionally I just won't really be hungry for dinner (especially if I wake up late) and I end up eating 800-900. Maybe once a week or so, I'd guess. Is it okay to do this occasionally?

You can look at your calorie deficit for the week rather than the day. If your weekly deficit has you losing weight at a reasonable pace, then it doesn't matter how you spread it out through the week, and as long as you feel well eating that way.

Stop saying what I say in less sentences! I like to be the brief one!

kimny72

NovusDies wrote: »

kimny72 wrote: »

chavahtroyka wrote: »

I've been eating healthy for about 3 weeks now. Most days I've been doing 1200-1500 calories, but occasionally I just won't really be hungry for dinner (especially if I wake up late) and I end up eating 800-900. Maybe once a week or so, I'd guess. Is it okay to do this occasionally?

You can look at your calorie deficit for the week rather than the day. If your weekly deficit has you losing weight at a reasonable pace, then it doesn't matter how you spread it out through the week, and as long as you feel well eating that way.

Stop saying what I say in less sentences! I like to be the brief one!

Just riding your coattails.

chavahtroyka

Thanks for the advice everyone! Looking at weekly totals is a helpful idea and I'll keep that in mind.