Sleeping through a meal

HexyleneGlycol

If I sleep through, say, breakfast and don't wake up until 1pm, should I still try and eat all of my calories for that day even though I'm not particularly hungry? Still unsure how this calorie thing works.

aimforhealthy

You can if you want to. I sleep in a few days a week and usually miss "breakfast" so I'll sometimes just have a snack in between lunch and dinner instead. I at least try to get close. If you don't do this all the time then honestly it's not a huge deal to have one very low calorie day once in a while.

Showcase_Brodown

So, based on your age, height, weight, sex, and activity level, your body will require a number of calories to supply all of that energy. If you eat more calories than your body needs (surplus), then it stores the extra as fat. If you eat less than you need (deficit), then it uses up the fat stores for energy. That's essentially how calories work. They are a measurement of energy.

Most people find it useful to have a daily calorie goal, but it is just fine to view it from a weekly perspective as well (daily calories may not all be the same, but you got the appropriate amount for the week). Skipping meals here and there is not going to have any detrimental effects. I intentionally skip breakfast every day, as do many others.

The potential problem comes in when you don't eat nearly enough for an extended amount of time.