Budgeting calories weekly vs daily?

jarbatz

Anyone have success working with a weekly calorie budget where calories fluctuate day to day, versus eating the same amount of calories every day?

Weekends are tough for me so this week I am trying to stick with a weekly budget.....curious if anyone else used this approach? If a calorie is a calorie, it shouldn't matter how they are spread out, right?

TIA for any responses!

Kotuliak

Check out this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1229591-how-do-you-feel-about-a-once-a-week-cheat-day .

The bottom line is, many people successfully budget (for weight loss and maintenance) on a weekly basis.

savemama

Personally I feel it works better, both for my mind and for my body. Obviously mentally it is easier to be able to enjoy a part or a date night dinner without being SO restrictive. And it also encourages me to enjoy myself in moderation because I am still tracking and still trying to keep my calories under a certain number, its just a larger number than the day before. (Unlike when I just go "Screw it!" and eat without tracking).

But body-wise, I feel like it works better. It keeps my body guessing. It means I eat different types of foods all the time instead of falling into that monotonous diet trap of eating the same foods all the time. And also, I personally feel I get a metabolism boost (and an energy boost) the few days after a splurge day.

But it does mean that on "no-cheat" days you are eating even less than now, to save up those calories. So.... its probably not for everyone!

I feel like its been the secret to my long-term weightloss. I'm not moving as rapidly, but I am doing it in a way that it actually works for my life.

Jesseca118

this is what i do as well and it is working for me

Julem22

This sounds like a good idea...is there a way to change a setting on MFP to do that, or do you guys do it in your head?

hedean

How exactly does this work? I mean because MFP is set up just for daily goals right? I think this sounds neat but would you just add up your calories for every week and see if they are within the amount of calories you're allowed times 7?

Gaaya3

I do this. It's the only way I can still go out and have fun with my friends. On the app, in your diary, if you click on the pie chart and then click on "weekly" (at the bottom) you will see your weekly calorie intake. It's a bar graph with each day of the week and an average for the week. The average is calculated based on all the days that you have logged at least one food. So today my average is based on two days (Sunday and Monday). At the bottom of this graph, the app tells you how many calories you have left for the week. I use this to figure out how much I still have to use that week. At the end of the week, I just make sure that my 7-day average is around my daily target set by MFP. I hope that helps.

jarbatz

I do this. It's the only way I can still go out and have fun with my friends. On the app, in your diary, if you click on the pie chart and then click on "weekly" (at the bottom) you will see your weekly calorie intake. It's a bar graph with each day of the week and an average for the week. The average is calculated based on all the days that you have logged at least one food. So today my average is based on two days (Sunday and Monday). At the bottom of this graph, the app tells you how many calories you have left for the week. I use this to figure out how much I still have to use that week. At the end of the week, I just make sure that my 7-day average is around my daily target set by MFP. I hope that helps.

This exactly. Except I just did the math in my calculator. I am bar-graph challenged. :laugh: So last night I calculated my weekly calorie goal, subtracted my calories from Sat & Sun and then divided that by 5 (Mon - Fri). I weigh in Sat. AM. If I stick to the daily calorie goal for M-F, I will have still consumed a total deficit of 3500 calories, or 1 lb.

Theoretically it sounds perfect. We will see what the scale says on Sat AM.

nikkiworld2

Anyone have success working with a weekly calorie budget where calories fluctuate day to day, versus eating the same amount of calories every day?

Weekends are tough for me so this week I am trying to stick with a weekly budget.....curious if anyone else used this approach? If a calorie is a calorie, it shouldn't matter how they are spread out, right?

TIA for any responses!

Yes, absolutely! Things are always happening on the weekends & I want to enjoy myself & not worry. So I eat very very low cal's. from Mon. - Thurs., I eat all my cal's on Fri. (total cal's. minus 500 cal. deficit) & then Sat. & Sun. I eat whatever, whenever & I've had great success doing this.

__hannah_

I think I'm going to switch from a daily calorie goal to weekly, so I can enjoy weekends or a night out with friends easier. Looking forward to hearing about anyone who has had success with this approach.

Kotuliak

I think I'm going to switch from a daily calorie goal to weekly, so I can enjoy weekends or a night out with friends easier. Looking forward to hearing about anyone who has had success with this approach.

I've been doing this quite successfully. After a fun day (or a fun weekend) I tighten up for 2-3 days - work out extra 20 minutes and cut out a scoop of ice cream - and it all works out.

GreenIceFloes

I normally stick to a daily goal, but every now and then I switch over to a weekly one. I started with purely daily budgeting because I was trying to discipline myself to some extent with respect to my eating habits and so forth. But now that I have all that under control, I prefer a weekly goal - more wiggle room. So I'm thinking of switching over to weekly budgeting permanently.

savemama

How exactly does this work? I mean because MFP is set up just for daily goals right? I think this sounds neat but would you just add up your calories for every week and see if they are within the amount of calories you're allowed times 7?

I just do it in my head. When I eat less during the week I look at it as a "credit" that I pay myself back on the weekend. Better week = more fun weekend! Double bonus!

And then I'm still at my calorie goal for the week while having fun.

tl_dr

I definitely focus on my weekly goals more! I try to stay within close range on my daily goals, but some days I just don't have much of an appetite. At first I would force myself to eat when I wasn't really hungry, but now I just don't worry about it... I let myself make up the difference on those days where I'm feeling totally ravenous. It tends to feel less like a "diet" when I eat according to my hunger rather than a number on my phone.

tendzz

If I did this I would eat like a pig for 1 day and starve for the 6 others :P

That said, for things like going out to the bar with friends and going a "little over" I definitely restrict myself a little bit more throughout the week in an attempt to compensate, especially when you cant attach a number to what the night cost you. So I tend to overestimate rather then underestimate.

ASKyle

I like to do this for packaged foods. Ex: The box of almond milk that I will use in my coffee this week. I just throw 140 into a day instead of trying to guess if I'm drinking 25-50 cals a day. This helps me not underestimate my calories as well.

PennyVonDread

Weekly for me.

Some days I go over, some I'm way under. It balances out. Generally make a rule to not go hungry and not deprive myself. Your body doesn't literally run on a 24-hour*reset* cycle. It's just convenient for humans to measure and keep things in check.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

A lot of people do it. If it works for you, go for it.

tl_dr

I like to do this for packaged foods. Ex: The box of almond milk that I will use in my coffee this week. I just throw 140 into a day instead of trying to guess if I'm drinking 25-50 cals a day. This helps me not underestimate my calories as well.

That's actually a really good idea... :indifferent:

asciident

For those of you wondering how to check, both the website and and the app can show a weekly report of calories.

On the website, go to reports then choose net calories from the drop down.

In the app, go to nutrition in the menu, then tap weekly at the bottom.

mdove3411

Bump... I am currently eating 1200 calories a day during the week... my husband has weekends off so we take them off from "dieting" I eat what I want BUT I don't eat just because I know I can.

Linnaea27

I've sort of been moving to the weekly calorie budget approach as I get close to maintaining. I'm consistently 1/2 pound above my goal weight, and I would like to be at or 1/2 pound UNDER my goal weight. I've been eating pretty much at my maintenance level for the last couple weeks, some days under my calorie goal (which is set below my apparent maintenance weight because I want to lose a little more) and some days significantly over. So I've been looking at weekly numbers to see where I should be and why I've been staying the same weight while I'm still trying to lose a little.

I think at least partially tracking calories by week rather than by day will be part of my weight maintenance method, since my amount of exercise and the amount I eat fluctuate day to day, and I like to have days when I eat lots of yummy high-calorie things. I just go to the "reports" section and look at my net calories for the past 7 days vs. the number I have as my calorie goal and see how I'm doing from that-- over or under. I'm usually a little under.

AlysonG2

Works great for me. I eat around 1700 calories 6 days per week and have a cheat day of about 2500 calories once per week.

SCSTWG

I record daily and try to stick within my daily budget, but when I do exceed my daily budget due to a special occasion, I ensure that I compensate throughout the week to stay within the weekly goal. Some weeks I am under my daily goal everyday and it is a non-issue and other weeks I have one or two days where I go over my daily budget and then further restrict my daily intake on other days to meet the weekly goal.

JourneyingJessica

Lost 100lbs this way. Some days i eat 900 cals some days i eat 2000. I average 1400/day.