Counting Calories for the Week Vs Each Day

ThinLizzie0802

My daily calorie goal is 1300 which would give me a weekly goal of 9100 calories (net). I've started looking at my week as whole rather than just daily so that if I go over my calories on a day I can balance out the rest of the week and still only net 9100 calories per 7 days.

My question is: Is this still an effective way to track or am I doing myself some sort of metabolic disservice by going over some days and under on others? I generally eat more on work days and less on weekends which would be my balance out time to make up for days I went over during the week.

I do eat my exercise calories back.

Thanks. Feel free to ask me questions if I'm not explaining this clearly enough.

horrorstory

Bump because I am curious as well.

howardheilweil

Definitely 2 schools of thought on this, but I really haven't done any research. Personally, to me it makes sense to eat in a sensible , balanced way each day rather then over-eating one day and under-eating the next.

SLLRunner

I also track weekly, as well as daily. I save calories for a weekend when I know I'll have a family outing or something. I try to eat all my exercise calories back but I'm never that hungry. I eat a good portion back, though.

I look at it this way: I didn't gain weight in a day, so I won't lose weight in a day, therefore it's more about not going over my calorie allowance for the week.

cingle87

I will do this if lets say im going out one night for or having a party etc, I will undereat slightly for a few days before, enabling to eat/drink more on that given day. It hasn't stop me from losing so far.

kathyk519

Well first, they say to only weigh once a week, so looking at your calories for both daily and weekly shouldn't hurt anything. When you look at weight watchers for instance, you have points for the day, and extra points for the week (I forget what they are called) but you can use those extra points in one day or spread them out for the week. So I would think that you are okay to look at it that way. I know that when I splurge one day, I try to better the next day or the next couple of days to make up for it. You are not going to gain 10 lbs in one day, it is a cumulative effect, so as long as you don't go continually crazy, you should be fine. I wouldn't suggest that you eat way over every day in the week and then eat way under on the weekends, but I would look at it both ways.

JenRun1

I track weekly but also daily, I know that contradicts each other. So here is my thoughts:

1. My calorie goal is 1600 net daily
2. Sunday I eat 1600 calories
3. Monday I eat 1400 calories
4. Tuesday if I am hungry I will eat 1800 calories because I am balancing it out from what the deficit was on Monday.


Now what I won't do is eat 1000 calories one day and then 2500 another day. It is all about balancing and in order to balance your weekly goal you also have to maintain some kind of balance with your daily goal.

But don't feel bad if you are over one day and under another by a couple hundred calories. At least this is my school of thought and it has worked very well for me.

BorntoROAR

Well that's called a calorie zig zag, and it is extremely effective for some people, myself included.

fyoufat

I counted my calories for the week in the beginning and it gave me too much freedom. One day I would overeat thinking I could make it up during the week. I never did and used that to "have a reason" to wait until Sunday when my week would start again. It is easier for me to hold myself accountable on a daily basis, that is one thing that has helped me.

DawnOBRN

I average for the week, that way I "save" calories for a nice cheat meal at the end of the week.
Many fitness/bodybuilding programs use this technique as well and call it calorie cycling.

http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/calorie-and-carb-cycling-breaking-through-your-diet-plateau

melham

I have read that varying calorie intake from day to day is actually beneficial, but I have no idea how true it is.

My take is that it's going to just about impossible to eat exactly the same number of calories every day for any period longer than a few weeks, so it's reasonable to work with total weekly calories in lieu of total daily calories. That's what I've been doing, and I've successfully lost even more weight than I was originally trying to lose. I understand that just because it works for me that doesn't mean it would work for anyone else, but that's my experience.

agggie550

For me its about being accountable for myself, and I find it more helpful to track everyday. I also weigh myself everyday, sometimes a couple times a day, not because I feel like I "have to", more because I want the instant gratification of knowing I stuck to my plan and I'm were I think I should be.

But at the same time tracking for the week might work for some people too, I don't know if I could be that focused without having to check were I'm at all the time. And I see alot of people "saving up" for cheat days. I have mixed feelings about that, I feel like the reason you set a calorie goal for the day is so that you hit your mark, and what your body needs to balance your life/workouts, but if you are under cutting to save calories for alter are you really giving your body what it needs that day.

mkphotogirl

i track daily but look at my weekly overall #s since some days it's hard to hit my minimum calorie goals, some days it's super easy to go way over. i want to balance out that way. works for me and allows me a couple splurge days where i go out and drink without feeling guilty about exceeding my limit.

GCAsMom

I've been using the "zig-zag" method with good results for some time now. At the moment, I've been banking my calories for the weekends when I have a tendency to go over due to everyone being home, but overall, I'll eat more on some days and less on others purposefully so my body doesn't get used to a set amount of food. That being said, I have plateaued, but when I do, I just change something up and I start losing again.

tl:dr - Zig-zagging has been very beneficial for me.

Holly_Roman_Empire

I track weekly but also daily, I know that contradicts each other. So here is my thoughts:

1. My calorie goal is 1600 net daily
2. Sunday I eat 1600 calories
3. Monday I eat 1400 calories
4. Tuesday if I am hungry I will eat 1800 calories because I am balancing it out from what the deficit was on Monday.


Now what I won't do is eat 1000 calories one day and then 2500 another day. It is all about balancing and in order to balance your weekly goal you also have to maintain some kind of balance with your daily goal.

But don't feel bad if you are over one day and under another by a couple hundred calories. At least this is my school of thought and it has worked very well for me.

I agree with this approach. It's fine as long as you're not eating under 1000 one day and 3000 calories the next.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

Well that's called a calorie zig zag, and it is extremely effective for some people, myself included.

And me. I've been doing it for 9 ish years - first to lose and then maintain. Some days my body really wants 2,500 - 3,000 calories other days 1,500 does the job. A lot depends on how much sleep I've gotten and how busy I was at work. I just go with it.

judilockwood

I sort of do this dong the 5:2 diet. I eat 500-600 calories 2 non consecrative days a week and have a sensible diet the other 5. This gives a lot of flexibility, though it needs god planning, and I can be sociable with family and friends. Now I'm at goal I'll maintain doing it 1:6. The benefits of intermittent fasting are great and its easy to do.

rebekahlp

bump this is good info

mcibty

I log daily and I am usually within my goal, including most eating exercise calories back. Sometimes life does happen and I'll go wayyyyy over for the day. I don't under-eat the next day, but I do make up for the over-eating the previous day and ensure I'm at a reasonable deficit.

Your body isn't on a 24 hour clock, it doesn't specifically work in that you've eaten X over or under in that 24 hour period. I wouldn't do a weekly goal, personally, I find it easier to look after my daily limits and even it out on those occasions where I over indulge.

HOPEPATRICK74

I think in the end we all have to find what works best for us. I have read several differnt blogs about what one person does v another, and I say if it is working for you go with it. I personally have to hold myself accountable per day. If I went to a weekly accountability I would definatly overeat for the week. I just jknow how I am.

Good luck with your journey!

JustAnotherGirlSuzanne

My daily calorie goal is 1300 which would give me a weekly goal of 9100 calories (net). I've started looking at my week as whole rather than just daily so that if I go over my calories on a day I can balance out the rest of the week and still only net 9100 calories per 7 days.

My question is: Is this still an effective way to track or am I doing myself some sort of metabolic disservice by going over some days and under on others? I generally eat more on work days and less on weekends which would be my balance out time to make up for days I went over during the week.

I do eat my exercise calories back.

Thanks. Feel free to ask me questions if I'm not explaining this clearly enough.

I've heard it is a really good way to track. For me personally, I've been confused of why my weight hasn't been going down at the rate it's "supposed to" and it "used to".

Just yesterday I logged in on my phone using the MFP app and saw that over the past four weeks I've been overeating my weekly goal by a lot. And up until then I'd thought that I was only getting one "cheat day" a week! Turns out that if you eat within 50 calories of your goal and then blow it once or twice by a few hundred on a day or two, you're not actually eating at a deficit.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

My daily calorie goal is 1300 which would give me a weekly goal of 9100 calories (net). I've started looking at my week as whole rather than just daily so that if I go over my calories on a day I can balance out the rest of the week and still only net 9100 calories per 7 days.

My question is: Is this still an effective way to track or am I doing myself some sort of metabolic disservice by going over some days and under on others? I generally eat more on work days and less on weekends which would be my balance out time to make up for days I went over during the week.

I do eat my exercise calories back.

Thanks. Feel free to ask me questions if I'm not explaining this clearly enough.

I've heard it is a really good way to track. For me personally, I've been confused of why my weight hasn't been going down at the rate it's "supposed to" and it "used to".

Just yesterday I logged in on my phone using the MFP app and saw that over the past four weeks I've been overeating my weekly goal by a lot. And up until then I'd thought that I was only getting one "cheat day" a week! Turns out that if you eat within 50 calories of your goal and then blow it once or twice by a few hundred on a day or two, you're not actually eating at a deficit.

What is your weekly weight loss set to because this doesn't sound right. At all.

MrsB123111

Ultimately, your calories don't magically "reset" overnight. I agree with the above comments about tracking weekly/calorie zig-zag.

summer8it

I log daily, but I am more concerned about staying within my calorie goal for the week vs. the day. This allows me the flexibility to live life normally -- if I go out to eat, or it's a holiday, no big deal, I just make sure I stay within target for the week.

I'm quite proud that I've never gone over my weekly goal since I started logging. This could be a big part of why I've been able to maintain successfully for over a year!

april1445

I didn't read all the comments, so sorry if this is a repeat, but this method is built right into the Weight Watchers method, so it must work. they've done a LOT of research.

erickirb

TDEE does kinda the same thing you eat your total weekly cals, same number each day regardless if you workout or not. So on days you don't workout your deficit is really small, but on days you do it would be much larger but by the end of the week it would be the same or similar.

say MFP gives you 1450 calories to lose 1 lb/week, and you plan on exercising 5x/week for an average of 400 cals per workout. well MFP will tell you to eat 1450 on the days you don't workout and 1850 on the days you do whereas a "professional" or TDEE calculator may tell you to eat 1700 everyday regardless if you workout.

So for the week MFP will have you eat 12,150 (1450*2+1850*5) whereas doing it the other way will have you eat 11,900 (1700*7) almost the same number of cals for the week (250 dif).

_crafty_

My daily calorie goal is 1300 which would give me a weekly goal of 9100 calories (net). I've started looking at my week as whole rather than just daily so that if I go over my calories on a day I can balance out the rest of the week and still only net 9100 calories per 7 days.

My question is: Is this still an effective way to track or am I doing myself some sort of metabolic disservice by going over some days and under on others? I generally eat more on work days and less on weekends which would be my balance out time to make up for days I went over during the week.

I do eat my exercise calories back.

Thanks. Feel free to ask me questions if I'm not explaining this clearly enough.

I've heard it is a really good way to track. For me personally, I've been confused of why my weight hasn't been going down at the rate it's "supposed to" and it "used to".

Just yesterday I logged in on my phone using the MFP app and saw that over the past four weeks I've been overeating my weekly goal by a lot. And up until then I'd thought that I was only getting one "cheat day" a week! Turns out that if you eat within 50 calories of your goal and then blow it once or twice by a few hundred on a day or two, you're not actually eating at a deficit.

wait . . . wut?

That's basic math. If you have a 50 calorie deficit 5 days a week then you have a 250 calorie deficit for those days. If you then go over by 200 calories 2 days a week you have a 400 calorie surplus for those days. Net 150 calorie SURPLUS.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

My daily calorie goal is 1300 which would give me a weekly goal of 9100 calories (net). I've started looking at my week as whole rather than just daily so that if I go over my calories on a day I can balance out the rest of the week and still only net 9100 calories per 7 days.

My question is: Is this still an effective way to track or am I doing myself some sort of metabolic disservice by going over some days and under on others? I generally eat more on work days and less on weekends which would be my balance out time to make up for days I went over during the week.

I do eat my exercise calories back.

Thanks. Feel free to ask me questions if I'm not explaining this clearly enough.

I've heard it is a really good way to track. For me personally, I've been confused of why my weight hasn't been going down at the rate it's "supposed to" and it "used to".

Just yesterday I logged in on my phone using the MFP app and saw that over the past four weeks I've been overeating my weekly goal by a lot. And up until then I'd thought that I was only getting one "cheat day" a week! Turns out that if you eat within 50 calories of your goal and then blow it once or twice by a few hundred on a day or two, you're not actually eating at a deficit.

that's basic math. if you only have a 50 calorie deficit 5 days a week then you have a 250 calorie deficit for those days. If you then go over by 200 calories 2 days a week you have a 400 calorie surplus for those days. Net 150 calorie SURPLUS.

I am very confused, are we talking about being 50 calories from the MFP calorie goal to lose say a pound a weight or 50 calories under her TDEE? If you are under 50 calories from your MFP goal 5 days a week and you are set to lose 1 pound per week, then going over 200 calories twice a week, shouldn't do much to inhibit weight loss.

pandorakick

I balance my calories on weekly bases. In general this means that on weekdays I eat about 100 kcal below my net goal, and make up for it on Friday and Saturday.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

wait . . . wut?

That's basic math. If you have a 50 calorie deficit 5 days a week then you have a 250 calorie deficit for those days. If you then go over by 200 calories 2 days a week you have a 400 calorie surplus for those days. Net 150 calorie SURPLUS.

:huh: It's not a "surplus" unless her daily goal is set to her TDEE and I assume it is not. If you are set to lose one pound per week, your weekly deficit should be 3,500 calories, she'd have a deficit of 3,350 per week with your numbers. Her weight loss shouldn't be dramatically impeded.

shadow2soul

I usually balance everything out by the end of the week. Some days I leave 300 calories or so uneaten (not on purpose, just some days I'm not that hungry) and then later in the week I have some wiggle room if I want to go out with friends, family, etc. Now, one thing to consider, is that my NET goal is 1524. When fitbit adjustments get added in though, I sometimes end up with 2000+ calories for the day. So for example:

9/21:
318 calories left
1836 consumed
I just wasn't hungry enough to eat the full 2154 calories that night.


Now according to the data my fitbit has gathered. I eat on average 1886 calories per day. So essentially, I should be able to eat 1886 calories everyday and still lose weight (providing I keep my activity levels the same).