Dailiy Calorie Intake

wdrspens

Why is the daily calorie intake so important?
It would be much more easy to cope with the pressures of eating (dining out or entertainment) if the calorie measurement could be based on a weekly intake. If after a slight splurge on one day a lower intake was consumed the following day or two days, but that does not seem to work.
It seems you cannot "bank" the under consumed calories against the occasional over consumption - why is that?
Or am I wrong? Can you "bank" your under consumption?

hemlock2010

In the 70s, the advice was to bank calorie deficits ahead (so eat 1000 calories today if you know you're going to eat 2400 tomorrow so that you average your 1700 goal for the two days). I'm not sure how much was actually known about the mechanics of weight loss in the 70s, but it makes mathematical sense.

Maybe try it for a month and then see how happy you are with your progress? If it's not working, you can always try something different.

rherrin5

Hello!!

I understand what your saying. My mother n law will do a weekly cal diet instead of daily. She says at end of week it all balances. My daily cals are 1350 but my maintaining cals are much higher than that. So if you go over a little your still losing. You just do not wannna go over your maintaining cals if it were me. If I know im going out to eat, ill walk 5 miles that day. That way I have my regular dinner cals plus an extra 500 to play with. Alot of times when I go out to eat the next day im not really all that hungry so sometimes ill be 100 cals under. Dont stress yourself though. You can still lose weight and enjoy eating out. Just get your exercise in if you do not wanna worry to much about it Good luck!

KittMahan

It works for me to use a weekly average. I started my dieting in May of last year, and have lost about fifty pounds since then. Basically I try to vary my intake around the average daily count that I need to hit my goal.

If I splurge (usually on a Sunday for a family dinner and dessert) I will be certain to go under my count an equal amount in the days that follow.

Proper fitness and weight control requires long term habit modification. Weekly averaging is a good way to get your perspective right, and create a lifestyle that will carry you past the "feast or famine ups and downs" of unsuccessful dieting.

wriglucy

If that works for you, go for it! Your body does strive on regularity and balances itself out. It also takes 3500 calories to lose a pound/or gain a pound, and people can't do that all in one day. So, you can definitely look at it as a weekly goal rather than daily goal, if that works for you

I think on here, a lot of people just need to be made aware more about what they eat and their daily food choices, so the daily tracking helps with that.

Oh...and I LOVE the Koala What a cutie!

catcrazy

I cannot see the harm in it but I wouldnt go a full week...you cannot eat say 800 for 6 days just so you can splurge on the 7th day...you will have slowed your metabolic rate but i think you could get away with a couple of days banking ahead of a planned event

kevanos

I average my exercise caloories out over the entire week. So instead of having a daily calorie goal and then eating back my calories on exercise days, I eat them back throughout the week by having the same calorie goal everyday.

I find it makes it easier to targert and turn it into a routine. But I do find myself eating more on exercise days and less when I don`t just by listening to my body and knowing when it needs extra fuel before and after my works outs.

But to answer your question, if you overeat 1500 calories, your body will store it as fat. If you burnt off more fat during the week to compensate, then you will neutralize the gain, but the binge day is still adding fat. that beign said, I believe in the weight loss programs that reccomend a cheat day. The extra nutrients reminds your body it lives in a world of abundance and to continue to burn fat because it isn`t starving. Also I think its important for the mind and morale to be able to enjoy the fun parts of life without feeling guilty at least once a week. That means 1 or 2 meals per week that are guilt free(1 is best), eat whatever you want, but that doesn`t mean overeat all day long, that can really hurt weight loss.

With that mindset I find I save my cheat meals for times that count, like a night of drinking with friends, or a nice outing at restaurant. Wasting those cheat meals on fastfood for lunch is hardly rewarding.

wdrspens

Kevanos

Sounds good to me.