How important is calorie deficit consistency?

dakotababy
dakotababy Posts: 2,407 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have been sitting at about a 500 calorie deficit, though some days it is more (700) some days less (200). How important is consistency on a day to day basis? I ask because I have noticed that I seem to lose weight easier when I am consistent on a daily basis, as apposed to be fluctuating and basing my overall deficit on a weekly basis.

I just want to know if this is all in my head, or maybe for some consistency does make a difference?
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    a deficit that is consistent week afer week is more important IMO... i watch my weekly cals, and tend to have one or 2 days where i don't have a deficit at all, because i have a larger deficit the other 5 days a week and i hit my overal calorie goal.

    do you weigh after a day without a large deficit?
  • SpicesOfLife
    SpicesOfLife Posts: 290 Member
    ive been wondering the same, so in for answers. :)
  • dammitjanet0161
    dammitjanet0161 Posts: 319 Member
    a deficit that is consistent week afer week is more important IMO... i watch my weekly cals, and tend to have one or 2 days where i don't have a deficit at all, because i have a larger deficit the other 5 days a week and i hit my overal calorie goal.

    do you weigh after a day without a large deficit?

    This ^^ . This approach has been working ok for me, as I tend to eat out and have a drink at the weekend but most of the time my deficit during the week keeps me going in the right direction. No doubt I would have lost faster had I been stricter with myself at weekends, but doing it this way fits in with my life (and keeps my fiance happy that I can eat out with him and don't stress out about calories too much!).

    However, I've seen threads where people swear by daily consistency, so I guess you need to go with the approach that works best for you. E.g if feel like a few days of higher intake would lead to a slippery slope of overeating, then it might be better for you personally to be more consistent - each to their own.

    In any case, you say you're always in deficit whether it's a smaller or larger one, so you should still lose.
  • Patttience
    Patttience Posts: 975 Member
    I don't know the truth of the matter but there is an approach called calorie cycling which, if correct, would suggest that there shouldn't be any truth in the advantage of deficit consistency.

    With calorie cycling you work your weekly total calories based on an ideal daily calorie intake, then you deliberately vary it through out the week and with some low cal dies and some high cal days.

    I 'm not too sure what the underlying theory is. Probably some attempt to trick the body regarding metabolism.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    For me consistency equals boredom and restriction! Very much a personal thing though, some people do better with a daily routine.
    I lost my weight with five days at maintenance and two days a week having a large deficit and I found that very sustainable and flexible - easier for me to be extremely determined two days a week rather than fairly determined seven days a week.

    My calories often zig zag all over the place at maintenance as well, might be well over from enjoying a social event or well under from a big exercise day. So last Friday was a nice meal out with my wife (700 cals over for the day), Saturday was a long cycle ride and I ended up well under goal (1000 under).

    Our bodies are well "designed" to cope with high and low calorie days - otherwise we wouldn't store energy away.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    Heres another vote for weekly rather than daily calorie consumption. I am in maintanance though. Like the others said, I tend to eat lower on the weekdays and higher on the weekends, and look at the weekly overall picture.
  • MandyGraham73
    MandyGraham73 Posts: 21 Member
    Love the idea of calorie cycling. Never heard of that before. Thanks.
  • kaybristow01
    kaybristow01 Posts: 38 Member
    I cycle my calories too, find it a much more sustainable approach and for me I have had better weight loss since I started cycling rather than staying at a certain deficit
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    How important is consistency on a day to day basis?

    Daily? Not at all.

    Over time, say weekly / monthly? Very important.
  • SpicesOfLife
    SpicesOfLife Posts: 290 Member
    to all you who have experience with calorie cycling:

    if i use the mfp method of eating back exercise calories instead of the TDEE method, would i just be eating back my calories no matter which day im on? so its still always net calories, no matter how much i have for a certain day?
  • JosieRawr
    JosieRawr Posts: 788 Member
    I vote for weekly deficit.
    I generally go slightly over maintenance 1 day a week and often have days that I don't feel like eating much, but it all balances out now that I'm watching it! :)


    I've also read that while it does not affect your weight loss, having high and low days can help maintain your lean tissue better than having a constant deficit. So more of the weight that you lose would be fat.(don't ask me for proof, it was a link that I read at some point, it could probably be googled)
  • SpicesOfLife
    SpicesOfLife Posts: 290 Member
    I've also read that while it does not affect your weight loss, having high and low days can help maintain your lean tissue better than having a constant deficit. So more of the weight that you lose would be fat.(don't ask me for proof, it was a link that I read at some point, it could probably be googled)

    says it in this article:

    http://www.answerfitness.com/316/zig-zag-dieting-fitness-nerd/
  • JosieRawr
    JosieRawr Posts: 788 Member
    to all you who have experience with calorie cycling:

    if i use the mfp method of eating back exercise calories instead of the TDEE method, would i just be eating back my calories no matter which day im on? so its still always net calories, no matter how much i have for a certain day?

    I'm sorry, but I don't understand the question enough for an exact answer...

    If you have the app under reports it has not only a daily net, but also the weekly average. I don't think it matters if you're using TDEE or MFP style. It also shows you the amount of calories that you have left for the week. (I use a calorie counter and I don't track my exercise so I suppose that would put me on MFP's style as my daily goal varies)
  • sunman00
    sunman00 Posts: 872 Member
    it's all about the math

    3500 cal = 1lb

    so the easiest way is a daily 500 cal deficit which loses 1lb per week

    if you have a weekly 'cheat day' just make up for it on the other days, e.g. 6 days at -600, 1 day at TDEE

    I used to cheat on Saturdays a bit so worked it off for a few days & did the weekly weigh in on Thursday mornings
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    It's not really that important. I fluctuate a 0-1200 deficit. Of course a 500 calories deficit every day results in 1 pound a week but 3 days of 100 calories, 2 days of 500 calories, and 2 days of 700 calories is going to result in the loss of less than a pound even though you feel like you are restricting yourself more on the 700 days. Now if you have 1 day at 100, 1 day at 300, 3 days at 700 and 2 days at 500 you are going to lose 1 pound, as if you were holding a steady 500 calorie deficit.

    What makes random calorie intake seem less consistent is water weight fluctuations and such. If you eat your 100 deficit towards the end of the weigh-in week your weekly loss is likely to be masked by other factors and you may feel like you haven't lost weight that week when you actually have. That extra weight may linger up to 3-4 days before your real loss shows up, provided you eat at a larger deficit.

    Paying attention to your weight if you are going the random way will drive you crazy. You have 3 choices: weigh in faithfully every day to establish a trend, weigh in daily and only record lowest weight, or weigh in just once a month after staying 3-4 days steady at a pre-defined deficit.
  • JosieRawr
    JosieRawr Posts: 788 Member
    If anyone's worried about tracking the balance and doesn't have the app I use to use this
    https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2MlEgY5q9lgS3Z0S3NWLVR0Y2c

    It was originally posted by Pu(who I don't think is active anymore), but it was really helpful for a time. you have to download it to save your info. It's an excel spreadsheet.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    to all you who have experience with calorie cycling:

    if i use the mfp method of eating back exercise calories instead of the TDEE method, would i just be eating back my calories no matter which day im on? so its still always net calories, no matter how much i have for a certain day?
    Don't really follow your question but I follow the MFP "eat back exercise calories" method - it's just that I might not eat them the same day as the exercise. Mostly I will, but I like the flexibility of thinking weekly rather than daily.
    As an example my long cycle burned over 2,500 calories but I actually ate most of the exercise calories on the day and some the day before.
  • SpicesOfLife
    SpicesOfLife Posts: 290 Member
    sorry for asking my question in a cryptic way :laugh:
    it was a stupid question anyways.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    sorry for asking my question in a cryptic way :laugh:
    it was a stupid question anyways.

    I understand your question and yes, no matter what your goal is for that day you eat back your exercises if that's the method you are going for.
  • SpicesOfLife
    SpicesOfLife Posts: 290 Member
    I understand your question and yes, no matter what your goal is for that day you eat back your exercises if that's the method you are going for.

    thanks :happy: :flowerforyou:
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    For me, very important.
    That being said, what I have learned on MFP in the past 29 months, is that you have to learn what works for yourself. Basically, weight loss occurs eating less calories than you burn. What works for one person, may or may not work for some one else. We are all different and we need to be aware of what works for ourselves. Trial and error. Get to know yourself. Many things can enter into what works or doesn't work.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I work on a weekly value. I tend to eat at, or about (sometimes above) maintenance on training days and split my deficit across my rest days.

    I find this keeps me more compliant because I like to eat big after training, but that's a personal preference. For others it will be different and they will find they are more compliant with a daily deficit since it is more habit-forming.

    There's no right or wrong way. Whatever you will stick with to keep you in a deficit overall basically.
  • fitnessmum_uk
    fitnessmum_uk Posts: 23 Member
    Weekly allows you to be more flexible and enjoy your new lifestyle and as has already been said if you have plans on the weekend you can indulge a lil bit knowing you are not going over your weekly cals! We have to find ways of enjoying this change, but also keep the exercise consistent or increase!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I follow weekly as well...always did.

    But I am a planner as well so I know what I am eating from Monday - Thursday on Sunday night...which allows me to tweak as necessary if I have plans for the weekend.
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    Weekly supporter here as well.

    Otherwise, eating a whole jar of Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter would ..... make my butt look big *girl voice*
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    IMO week to week consistency is more important then day to day...
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    I have been sitting at about a 500 calorie deficit, though some days it is more (700) some days less (200). How important is consistency on a day to day basis? I ask because I have noticed that I seem to lose weight easier when I am consistent on a daily basis, as apposed to be fluctuating and basing my overall deficit on a weekly basis.

    I just want to know if this is all in my head, or maybe for some consistency does make a difference?

    Look at total deficit for a week....
    You can undo 6 days of deficit by 1 day of binging.....

    but being consistent day in and day out, I think is better if the goal is weight loss....
    but to each their own. :wink:
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    People do very well on IF 5:2 having only 2 days of restricted calories a week.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    How important is consistency on a day to day basis?

    It's not important in the slightest.
  • JourneyingJessica
    JourneyingJessica Posts: 261 Member
    I totally agree with the weekly goal verses daily. Daily is too hard to manage but weekly that's been my key. I've done it for the past year pretty successfully IMHO. Allowing high calorie days really makes this feel like - not a diet. I'm not deprived.

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