Consistent daily calories vs. Average calories...

JJBerginUK

Not knowing an awful lot about metabolism and how it affects weight loss, I'd like to ask people here their theories on two different ways of calorie based dieting.

The basic theory I believed but am starting to doubt is, if you have an AVERAGE of a specified amount of calories per-day (for me, say, 2600) you will lose X amount of weight at the end of a week. When I say average, I mean, over the course of the week it will work out as an average of the target amount.

EXAMPLE - So with the target of 2600 on average daily, if I have 3000 calories one day, it's not a failure if the next day I have 2200. Over the course of the two days, I've still had an AVERAGE of 2600 per-day, even if it wasn't consistently the same amount. Hopefully that's fairly clear what I'm getting at.

Now over the course of a week this might happen several times. But what I theorized was that, if at the end of the week I remain at 2600 calories as a daily average, the weight-loss results should be identical to a scenario where I'd had precisely 2600 each day.

So do people thing an average of X amount should produce the same results as just sticking to X amount daily?

GeorgieLove708

Yes, it works out that way. Whether my week averages out to my goal calories or I eat my goal calories consistently I generally lose the same amount of weight. If it were being taken to extremes I could see there being a difference overall.

cllmetatrsld

I actually have had better results going with the weekly average though I only allow myself to deviate from my set calorie count twice a week.

bwogilvie

If you have the discipline to keep your average low, that approach should work. It has worked for me. I'll eat less earlier in the week if I have a night out with friends planned. And I'll often net much less than my goal on days when I do a lot of exercise (such as an 85-mile bike ride), then make up the missing calories over the next few days.

You just need to beware the trap of eating over your goal one day, but not making it up the next day.

GradatimFerociter

In terms of weight loss, and speaking broadly with the assumption of a larger time-frame to track the trend, I think it makes little difference. More specifically I have observed that it makes little difference with me. This said, some people claim to respond very well to "zig-zagging" their calorie intake and if it works for them then that's grand. Some people prefer to be able to eat more on several days a week and some people prefer to eat more every day and fast one day a week. The point is that if the things you are doing are producing the results you want then you probably shouldn't worry about it too much.

Mr_Knight

EXAMPLE - So with the target of 2600 on average daily, if I have 3000 calories one day, it's not a failure if the next day I have 2200.

In theory - and assuming you aren't highly active - that's basically correct.

In practice it often leads to over-eating unless the order is switched - i.e., have the 2200 calorie day first.

sijomial

The average approach worked and works for me.
I lost my weight doing 5:2 (2 days at 600 cals and 5 days at maintenance). I'm maintaining with one very low day a week and 6 days at a small surplus.

I feel much less restricted when I can have high days and low days both from exercise calories earned perspective and also for enjoying social events. After a long cycle or other big burn I don't want to feel I need to stuff myself to make up my allowance that day and when I go out or have a special meal I can just enjoy myself and make up any excess over a few days.

Mostly I'm pretty disciplined on a daily basis but knowing you can be flexible takes away that "I'm on a diet" feeling.

mssag

Mostly I'm pretty disciplined on a daily basis but knowing you can be flexible takes away that "I'm on a diet" feeling.

This is why I use the average approach. For me, it's more sustainable because it fits my lifestyle - I like to be able to go out to dinner or drinks and taking it easy on the cals during the week let's me do that. When I was following a consistent daily calorie limit, I would have days when I'd go over and I'd feel really disappointed. Now, I never feel like I've messed up because I can just take it easy for a day or two and I'm right on track.

Sjenny5891

Not knowing an awful lot about metabolism and how it affects weight loss, I'd like to ask people here their theories on two different ways of calorie based dieting.

The basic theory I believed but am starting to doubt is, if you have an AVERAGE of a specified amount of calories per-day (for me, say, 2600) you will lose X amount of weight at the end of a week. When I say average, I mean, over the course of the week it will work out as an average of the target amount.

EXAMPLE - So with the target of 2600 on average daily, if I have 3000 calories one day, it's not a failure if the next day I have 2200. Over the course of the two days, I've still had an AVERAGE of 2600 per-day, even if it wasn't consistently the same amount. Hopefully that's fairly clear what I'm getting at.

Now over the course of a week this might happen several times. But what I theorized was that, if at the end of the week I remain at 2600 calories as a daily average, the weight-loss results should be identical to a scenario where I'd had precisely 2600 each day.

So do people thing an average of X amount should produce the same results as just sticking to X amount daily?

The question would be

---

How can you be sure you are only going to eat 2200 on that specific day? What if you eat that much Monday and end up eating a bunch the rest of the week?


If I have a light day one day where I am way under I will give myself the diference the next day.
If I know I'm going to a party on the weekend I may cut back 100 calories or so a day to give myself that extra 600 that day.

Yes it does average out. You just have to be careful when you do it. It is easy to plan on getting extra exercise in or taking a light day the next day and have something come up to ruin it.

Another thing you can do is plan on extra exercise the day you know you would need extra calories for a party or such.