Daily Calorie Goals - adjustments

tonielisha

When you go over your daily calorie allowance is it ok to reduce your caloric intake the next day or days to make up the difference from going over that previous day? The majority of the time I do eat all of the alloted 1230 calories but at times I do go over.:blushing:

flyingspatulas

Trying to make up the difference by eating less the day after going over could really backfire on you. If you have a day where you splurge and go over your calories, just get back on track the next day - one day of going over might make you feel like a failure, but every day is a new day to start again! Stick with the goals that MFP has given you (or what you decided yourself) and you'll be fine.

jess1430

That's a great question, and something i'm still trying to figure out myself. I read in one of Jillian Michaels' books that if you know the amount of calories you need to average per day to lose weight, it can be better to eat a different amount each day. For example, if my goal is 1400 calories a day, so some days I might eat 1200 cals, while others 1600 cals, or 1400 cals. What is confusing to me though is that you are never supposed to eat less than 1200 calories a day. So if like you, the goal is close to that 1200 calorie mark it's hard to change it up each day. I'm interested to see the different responses you get....good luck!

ashlee954

It is actually a good thing to zig zag your calories. But not by too large of a difference. For example, if you go over 500 cals and under 500 the next day. That's not a good idea. But going over by 100 and under by 100 the next day can trick your body and keep it from plateauing.