Can you save calories for the weekend???

HDKay

Hi all,
Due to work (SEN children and things may not always work to a timetable) I frequently miss breaks & lunch.
Because of this I seem to end up under allowance even before I've excercised, my big question is on other diets like the 5'2 you can 'save' calories and have a binge on the weekend etc, does anyone do this? does it work? and am I better off leaving it slightly under all week than pigging out one day on the weekend???

turtleball

No. Everyday is a new day.

pyrowill

No. Everyday is a new day.

Incorrect.

Your body does not really know its a new day in terms of energy use, it's a constant with ups and downs. While it's not recommended that you save for big blow outs on weekends, you can eat more a day after eating less. Average weekly calories is better to gauge weight loss/weekly gain anyway. Good luck with your goals.

jess135177

I look at my weekly calorie deficit. I wouldn't advise "binging" on the weekends though. If I have extra calories from the week I'll have a couple beers more than usual.

alpine1994

Yes. I have always done weekly totals. I eat a little less during the week and a little more during the weekend. If my daily calorie goal is 1600, I make sure to have no more than 1600 X 7 = 11,200 during the week, so I would do something like 1450 M-F which leaves 1975 for each of Saturday and Sunday. Hello wine and dessert!

Note that complete blowouts on the weekends WILL set you back, even if you're eating less during the week.

Not everyone agrees with this and for some people it might be tough to "get back to normal" on Monday but this is just what has always worked for me.

_Zardoz_

Yes you could but to me that's fostering quite an unhealthy relationship with Food l. It's what I've seen people on weight watchers do forgive themselves in the week on purpose so they can overeat at the weekend. In the long run it means they normally don't sustain any weight loss. In my opinion your better off eating properly all week. I work on the anything in moderation principles I can have anything as long as it fits in with my goals. Occasionally I will go over but I don't stress about that

turtleball

No. Everyday is a new day.

Incorrect.

Your body does not really know its a new day in terms of energy use, it's a constant with ups and downs. While it's not recommended that you save for big blow outs on weekends, you can eat more a day after eating less. Average weekly calories is better to gauge weight loss/weekly gain anyway. Good luck with your goals.

I rather not do that, that seriously throws me off. I like my timing and I dont want to go back to eating dysfunctional.

NovemberJune

I pay a lot more attention to my weekly goal than my daily goal. I'm under some days and over others. So.... my answer would be yes.

4daluvof_candice

I pay a lot more attention to my weekly goal than my daily goal. I'm under some days and over others. So.... my answer would be yes.

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

cwolfman13

No. Everyday is a new day.

actually, that's not how it works....

OP...it's all trends over time. I use the TDEE method and am maintaining now, but I used it to lose as well. With TDEE I eat a set amount of calories daily...but some days I have more exercise than other days, etc...so some days I am under what would be required for me to maintain and other days I'm over....over the course of a week however, it all nets out...so I maintain my weight.

The same goes for losing and gaining...whatever your goal is. It's really about what is happening over the course of days and weeks, not the minutia of day to day. Just make sure you're not too low on calories during the week...that can be a bad thing...your body needs proper fueling.

SailorKnightWing

You certainly can. Your scale may jump up immediately after you eat your saved calories because of water retention and just the fact that there's more food in there than usual, but it'll quickly go down and isn't actual fat gain. Sometimes I'll eat saved calories on Saturday and weigh several pounds more Sunday morning, but it goes back to normal by the evening.

If your body completely reset every day, people doing those dangerous water fasts would die after 24 hours.

I rather not do that, that seriously throws me off. I like my timing and I dont want to go back to eating dysfunctional.

There's nothing wrong with that. But your personal preference doesn't mean it doesn't work.

nellyett

Yes. I have always done weekly totals. I eat a little less during the week and a little more during the weekend. If my daily calorie goal is 1600, I make sure to have no more than 1600 X 7 = 11,200 during the week, so I would do something like 1450 M-F which leaves 1975 for each of Saturday and Sunday. Hello wine and dessert!

Note that complete blowouts on the weekends WILL set you back, even if you're eating less during the week.

Not everyone agrees with this and for some people it might be tough to "get back to normal" on Monday but this is just what has always worked for me.

^^ There are quite a few people who cycle calories like this and it works great for them. There are also plans like 5:2 where you eat higher and lower calorie days, intermittent fasting, etc. They all 'average' out to 'x' amount of calories for the week. Finding something that you're consistent with is what will work best for you.

GauchoMark

From a physiological standpoint, of course you can do that. As long as you stay under calories over the long term, it doesn't matter what you end the day at.

I'll even go a step further and say that big blow outs are even OK as long as you have the calories from them. Some would even argue that they are more efficient on some levels.

If you want to reconcile weekly, there is no physical reason that is not OK.

On a mental note, some people can't handle it.

stt43

If, by the end of the week, you have burned off more calories than you have consumed, then you will lose body fat. Simple.

emAZn

I usually have a thousand or more to "spend" on the weekends... I used to save more (3000+) and have these great weekend meals with pizza and burgers and alcohol and crazy amounts of sweets but that wasn't teaching me good habits, moderation, and self control. So now I try not to go over my daily goal by more than 500 on the weekends and I always stay under my weekly net. Plus it helps to keep my weekend gain down to a more moderate level.

4daluvof_candice

Hi all,
Due to work (SEN children and things may not always work to a timetable) I frequently miss breaks & lunch.
Because of this I seem to end up under allowance even before I've excercised, my big question is on other diets like the 5'2 you can 'save' calories and have a binge on the weekend etc, does anyone do this? does it work? and am I better off leaving it slightly under all week than pigging out one day on the weekend???

Yes but I would be careful with the mind set..it may become a habit and turn into something else.

Ex. if your weekly is 10500 a week (1500/day)
1300,1400,1500,1400,1300,1400=8300 then you have 2200 left

JJJJ25

Yes, you can consider your calories in terms of a weekly allowance instead of daily.

But more importantly, you need to factor in your psychological reaction to saving up calories.

After a weekend of eating more, will you feel satisfied and happy that you had a couple of treat days, or will you be looking ahead at the week, dreading 5 days of feeling deprived?

btsinmd

Yes from me, too. I have days when I'm hungrier than others. I also have days when I exercise a lot, which seems to suppress my appetite, or am just really busy, and just don't eat near my calories for that day. I don't have any really huge days or any really really low days, but I definitely have days with a couple hundred calories over or under where I'm aiming for. If I'm good for the week, I'm happy with it.

knitapeace

If, by the end of the week, you have burned off more calories than you have consumed, then you will lose body fat. Simple.

This has been my experience. I began by using the MFP method but found myself "hangry" on non-workout days. TDEE - 20% gives me practically the same number of weekly calories, spread more evenly across the days. On Saturday morning after I weigh in I go into my diary and add up any leftover calories from Sunday to Friday and add them to my Saturday total. This has never, in five and a half months of weight loss, added up to anything like a super binge. It usually means an extra glass of wine and moderate dessert with Saturday dinner. I'm still in control, I *feel* in control, but I'm also relaxed and enjoying a nice treat with friends and family. Win win.

GingerLolita

I don't "save" calories necessarily, but I aim for a .5 lb/week weight loss, which is a 250-calorie daily deficit, so when I'm not too hungry I'll eat at a 500-calorie deficit, and when I'm really hungry I'll eat at maintenance. Unless you're really not eating enough, I think it'd be fine. But still log on the weekends to avoid totally binging.

tmpecus78

No. Everyday is a new day.

you have no clue what u are talking about.

KANGOOJUMPS

SURE!!!!! thats what i do

qudoos

This weekly average is all nonsense. Every day matters on its own. If you really want to get fit you need to treat your body like a temple (you must know the saying). Eating regularly in smaller portions will also give you more energy and increase metabolism. So every day is a new day, none of that weekly average.

Etherlily1

My main concern is that you may be way under on those workdays slowing your metabolism down. The more your body stays in starvation mode the more it is likely to hold onto the weight. It doesn't matter if you set your calorie limits for a week/month/quarter/etc. What matters is where your body spends most of its time. If it is constantly in starvation mode those days of high calories will add up quick to plateaus and gain. Basically, be careful. Don't starve yourself during the week. A little under here and there isn't bad. Under a lot frequently isn't good. Be careful.

turtleball

No. Everyday is a new day.

you have no clue what u are talking about.

Well its working for me so I must be doing something right.

kgeyser

This weekly average is all nonsense. Every day matters on its own. If you really want to get fit you need to treat your body like a temple (you must know the saying). Eating regularly in smaller portions will also give you more energy and increase metabolism. So every day is a new day, none of that weekly average.

I disagree. I have a calorie deficit each day of 500 calories through eating, but I also exercise and don't eat back all my calories, creating a larger deficit. My exercise calories fluctuate day to day, so according to the math, by the end of the week I have created a much higher deficit than 3500 calories. If I want to splurge one day and go over my allotted calories for the day, but still stay within that deficit, I'm still going to lose weight that week.

4daluvof_candice

This weekly average is all nonsense. Every day matters on its own. If you really want to get fit you need to treat your body like a temple (you must know the saying). Eating regularly in smaller portions will also give you more energy and increase metabolism. So every day is a new day, none of that weekly average.

so youre saying that if I eat just my 1500/day for seven days (10500 calories/week) and lose 1lb
I cant consume
sun 1300
mon1400
tues 1500
wed 1400
thurs 1300
fri 1400
sat 2200

and lose the same 1lb?

Mr_Knight

Your body does not really know its a new day in terms of energy use...

Sure it does. Your internal biochemical processes and rates are aligned with the diurnal cycle, and what you ate (or didn't eat) yesterday absolutely impacts your internal functioning today.

stealthq

There are circadian rhythms that time certain biochemical processes.
My performance now always depends on what I've consumed previously.

Those two facts together don't imply that your consumption in any one day is more important than your average consumption over longer periods of time (like a week) when it comes to weight loss.