Maybe I'm just paranoid :/

Leish211

Hi guys! just started this for about a week now and I exercise 4 times a week I do calorie counting and tbh I love it and to see how I track! however am I the only ones that feels a little guilty when you eat slightly over your goal? Today's the day I went 138 calories over my daily goal of 1200. Please help me because I feel in the only one haha

Lietchi

I'm going to assume that there's are others who might feel bad going over their calories. But not me!

Since 1200 is the lowest calorie goal MFP will give women (to ensure adequate nutrition), I'm going to assume you've chosen a high rather of loss as your goal. So some math to reassure you: if you have set your goal at 2lbs weight loss per week, you are aiming for a calorie deficit of 1000 calories per day (1000 calories under what you need for weight maintenance). So going over your goal by 138 calories still leaves a deficit of 862 calories, equivalent to losing 1.724lbs per week.

(Furthermore, if you're using MFP as intended, exercise is not included in your activity level and should be added separately, therefore giving you more calories to eat, so you might still be on track for your chosen weight loss rate off you exercised)

So I hope you're reassured 🙂 consistency is way more important that hitting your goal perfectly every day. And many people find 1200 to low to be sustainable, so don't hesitate to choose a lower weight loss rate if you find it too hard.

Both suffering AND guilt are optional and even unhelpful for sustainable weight loss IMHO. So:
- I intentionally chose a slower rate of loss (I gained it slowly too, losing it slowly is fine by me. 50+ lbs down so far, so it's working)
- I never feel guilty about what I eat. Not about the nature of the food - I eat foods I like and that includes treats daily. And not about the quantities either: I aim for a certain deficit, but I look at the weekly average mostly. As long as I'm under my maintenance calorie level, I'm making progress. And even going over once in a while isn't dramatic, it just slows my progress by a few days.

JessiBelleW

When I first started I used to feel bad, but now I just think oh that’s okay, maybe I’ll lose .4 this week instead of .5 😊 even if you don’t lose as fast as you want too you are still healthier for it

sijomial

Even if you picked the slowest rate of weight loss (very unlikely given your 1200 goal) you will see have been in a calorie deficit and progressing towards your ultimate goal. Sounds like a positive day to me.

One of the things to avoid with a long term project is making it so hard and so miserable that you give up completely. That's just one of the reasons you need to think carefully about choosing an aggressive / fastest rate of weight loss if that's what you have done.

BTW - hope you realise your daily goal is plus exercise calories?

AndreaTamira

I remember the first time I lost weight I was always feeling bad when I went over my calorie allowance. I obsessed over staying under. It was stressful. It worked, but it was stressful and not truly healthy, seen from a few years distance. Even the planned "days off" made me feel bad and I would try to make up for them on the days surrounding them.

This is one of the main reasons that I intentionally allow myself slipping off every now and then when I want a treat or visit a street fair (NZ, so that happens even right now), eating slightly over, or even more than slightly. And why those days, save for holidays like Christmas, are not planned in in advance but have to happen more organically, too.- I try to train myself to not slip into "obsessive weight loss mode", so to speak.

I have been loosing ok that way. I am not going to bed hungry, I have energy to spare, and I still enjoy my food. And I don't freaking think about what and when I can eat again hours between food times. (That one sucked!)

---

So, yeah, I know the feeling you talk off. I don't think it is a trap you should let yourself fall into if you can stop it, but i also know that that is hard.

snowflake954

All good comments above. I'll just say that it takes awhile to get used to things and track well and accurately. There's a lot of trail and error. A week is too short. Keep trying. However, if you find yourself always having trouble keeping to your calorie goal, go back and raise it to lose less a week. This is going to take a long time, you'll need patience. Also, as mentioned, if you are exercising plug that into MFP and it will give you more calories for the day. 1200 cals is the minimum MFP will let you eat a day.

Leish211

Thank you all for your fabulous responses! it surely has made me feel better. I'll keep trucking along and really appreciate all your replies

Fflpnari

How tall are you? how much do you weigh? Chances are you can eat more and still lose.

Fit_Happens_2021

1200 would be before taking exercise into account. So if you do, for example, 300 cals worth of exercise you should be eating 1500 that day and still on track. All numbers are an estimate, even with a fitness watch it isn't 100% accurate how many calories you burn, but it is a guide.