Can you carry calories over from day to day?

Lindsayrob

Sorry if this question has been done to death, but I only joined yesterday!
I had loads of cals over yesterday due to exercising and getting up too late for lunch (!), but I'm a bit short today - can I carry them over? If not, I'd better go to bed now!
Lindsay

gameovergt

no. haha

reynoldsjo

I think you can. I try to look at the calories for the week and keep roughly within that amount. That way I can still have a bit 'extra' at the weekend :0)

a_stronger_steph

Can you eat them? I don't see why not. If I go over by a fair bit one day, I will try to be a little under the next few days. If it averages out to a deficit of 3500 calories in the week, the average loss should still be approximately 1 pound (so the theory goes... the reality is more complicated, as always).

But if you're asking if you can eat them and have your diary not say that you went "over" your calorie goal for the day, I don't think so. So it's sort of an "unofficial" carry-over.

MB_Positif

I don't think so...but there's some sort of thing called "zig zagging" your calories which might work for you...sort of the same idea, but a little more scientific maybe? I don't do it. Each day is a new day to me

Carek99

Weight Watchers and several other programs use a "banking" method like you are asking about. The idea there is to take the week as a whole. However, those programs also stress that you only weigh once a week for the same reason.

Ultimately, I wouldn't recommend that you routinely bank extra calories. Instead accept that you will have some days when you go over and attempt to keep them to a bare minimum. Weight loss is accomplished both day by day and in the long haul.

aanddplusoanda

I don't...and wouldn't. Tomorrow is a new day to make better choices

susyseq

I don't think you should. That is why everyday starts at your calorie goal without carrying the last day over.

Peridotite

I base it on the weight watchers system. You can carry points over (which are baically calories) so why not be able to carry calories over on MFP. As long as you don't go way over it can't be too bad and I for one don't believe in being hungry and miserable to lose weight and it has worked do far :flowerforyou:

RunHardBeStrong

Yes as long as you average out at the end of the week with your total allotted calories. It's called zig zagging and it works. I lost 80 lbs doing this. It comes down to calories in vs. calories out. Good Luck!!

a_freeman

I think most dieters look at each day as a stand alone. The problem is, you can justify overeating by saying tomorrow I'll eat less. It's a slippery slope.

Lindsayrob

Thanks everyone - I was sort of working on the whole week principle but it would be nice if I could leave it nice and 'tidy' on my food diary! The problem is that the days I want to splurge arent always the days I have time to exercise!
I think I'll try to treat every day as a new day, but bear those unspent cals in mind in case of emergencies!
Lindsay

shaunshaikh

Yes, it's essentially the same thing as "cycling" calories.

kmalex

My doctor told me that weight loss is just calories in and calories out. She said that how much you weigh is your lifetime overages and deficits. So losing weight is just about creating a deficit in the long run. If you want to roll them over, go ahead. Just know that (as long as you are eating enough to keep your metabolism up) bigger deficits means faster loss, smaller deficits means slower loss, and any overages means the scale will go up.

For me, when I have extra calories I leave the deficit alone. And when I go over (it happens to the best of us) I work harder that day or the next day to burn them off so I never leave an overage for long. But I have a lot of weight to lose and a hard goal so I want to lose it fast. Good Luck!

Lindsayrob

Thanks
I've just read a post about cycling/zigzagging, and it makes sense. I used to use a site which looked at your total over a week, rather than per day, so I'm going to work on that basis, and try not to go over unless I've gone under earlier in the week. I think it would be dangerous to go over in the hope that I'd make it up later in the week!
Lindsay

RunHardBeStrong

Thanks
I've just read a post about cycling/zigzagging, and it makes sense. I used to use a site which looked at your total over a week, rather than per day, so I'm going to work on that basis, and try not to go over unless I've gone under earlier in the week. I think it would be dangerous to go over in the hope that I'd make it up later in the week!
Lindsay

Yes. Great plan! Again good luck!

happyhappyjoy72

I think most dieters look at each day as a stand alone. The problem is, you can justify overeating by saying tomorrow I'll eat less. It's a slippery slope.

I agree 100%

meadows654

I use myfitnesspal on the computer and I also have the iPod app. The app has a feature on the home page that gives you your average weekly summary of net calories. It helps me to go back and see how many net calories I averaged over or under and how much I lost that week in weight. I don't see the harm in it as long as you are tracking it diligently. If you find it doesn't work and you go over too much, then switch to every day mode. :flowerforyou: Good luck!

fteale

I don't, but I do usually inadvertently have one day a week when I go over. Usually Fridays as I don't have any time to exercise on Fridays so I am stuck with my measly 1220 cals.

mrb_9110

I generally take each day as its own and try not to go over, but if I do go over, I don't stress because some days I am under.

I know it sounds kind of anal, but I'm a numbers person, so what I did was put my daily deficits and overages in an excel spreadsheet and take the average over time. That way I can see whether I have more over days or under days and make sure that they average out to zero most of the time. It's a little bit of work to set it up, but I think it's worth it.

Hope this helps you

Lindsayrob

I use myfitnesspal on the computer and I also have the iPod app. The app has a feature on the home page that gives you your average weekly summary of net calories. It helps me to go back and see how many net calories I averaged over or under and how much I lost that week in weight. I don't see the harm in it as long as you are tracking it diligently. If you find it doesn't work and you go over too much, then switch to every day mode. :flowerforyou: Good luck!

Yay! That's just what I need - thanks very much. I have the ipod app too but hadnt noticed that handy feature!

kdao

I don't...and wouldn't. Tomorrow is a new day to make better choices

This.

Clonekuh

I don't see a problem with it. A lot of people zig zag each day and try to keep an overall weekly goal. I've heard good things about it.

ashleyk103

I do it all the time, and I've lost 28 pounds so far. My max calories I can eat a day right now is 1,490. During the week, I eat around 1,200 calories a day, and I usually do that Monday - Thursday. That way over the weekend I can "cheat" a little bit and go out to eat, etc. I always make sure though, that my average for the whole week, is under my total weekly limit. Myfitnesspal will still calculate you as being over in calories for that day, but as long as you are under your limit for the week, and log everything you eat, you should lose weight.

Also it's good to zigzag your calories. If you eat less some days, and more other days, it tricks your metabolism. If you stick with the same exact calories each day, it puts you at a standstill.

insanitylater

i wouldn't be eating the extra calories just to eat more but if you have an extra 50 or so everyday it should all balance out if you have one day a week that is more calories. i think i read it's actually good to go over a bit once a week

michelle4271

you would have to look at your calories for the week, instead of per day, so long as you dont go over for the week then you will still be on target for your goals that you have set up. if this is something that you have happen on a regular basis, you might want to look at zig zagging your calories, this is where you take your total calories for the week and some days the calorie intake is extremely high ( I believe what you would consume for maintance, the regular calorie intake for weight loss, and the least calorie intake for function) something like that,,,,google to find out a better explanation and there are calculators that will spill it out for you.

helse

where on the home page can you track the weekly calorie totals?

CM9178

There area lot of incorrect answers here.
YES, you absolutely can "carry over" calories day to day - as long as it is within the week. Your calorie deficit is for the week. If you know how many calories total you should be eating for the week, then you can spread out those calories however you want.
If you want to eat 1300 today and 1600 tomorrow, that is up to you - as long as at the end of the week you've stayed within your total calories. It is called Zig zagging calories and it is 100% ok to do.

However, I would not suggest eating well below 1200 calories on a regular basis.
Typically, I eat out on Friday night and go at least 400 calories above my daily goal. Then, throughout the week, I eat a little less each day to make up for that and at the end of the week, I'm within my calorie goal.

Read this for further explanation: http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/team_messageboard_thread.asp?board=0x10128x39350594

CM9178

I use myfitnesspal on the computer and I also have the iPod app. The app has a feature on the home page that gives you your average weekly summary of net calories. It helps me to go back and see how many net calories I averaged over or under and how much I lost that week in weight. I don't see the harm in it as long as you are tracking it diligently. If you find it doesn't work and you go over too much, then switch to every day mode. :flowerforyou: Good luck!

Yay! That's just what I need - thanks very much. I have the ipod app too but hadnt noticed that handy feature!

I believe the week starts on Sunday though, if I remember correctly. So unless you also consider that the start of your week (and weigh on on Sunday), this does nothing for you.