Calories per day vs Calories per week

havalinaaa

Which is more important to keep in check? I regularly find myself going slightly over/under my net calories for the day, but rarely missing the weekly mark by much. On a daily basis I might be as much as 300 off the mark but on a weekly I'm usually within 100.

Seajolly

Per day, for sure.

JRMcCaghren

I'm only on week 5, but I've been going day by day. I know several of the more experienced MFP users work on a weekly basis. In the end, it doesn't really matter. A calorie is a calorie. And if you burn 3500 of them in a week, you lose a pound. Whether that deficit increases a little each day, or in a less regular pattern doesn't really matter.

SergeantSunshine_reused

I pay attention more to my weekly.. but i am never over by more than 100. Its not healthy to go over by like 900 one day then under 800 the next to make up for it.

TrishJimenez

I go by the week. Sometimes you can have a bad day. But you don't loose or gain a lb in one day. Its the weekly and monthly deficits that cause the loss

tjradd73

I do an average per week.....In the beginning I did day by day...but as I get closer to my goal, I feel like it is the week in total that matters!!! My avg equals 1450...but my daily totals range from 1000-2800 cals (the 2800 being on my ever important cheat day)!

havalinaaa

I've been focusing on the weekly lately because it helps keep me on track for the daily. If I'm trying to make sure I don't go over for the week I'm much more likely to be thinking about hitting the day's mark I feel it adds another layer of accountability to what I'm eating, while also allowing for an occasional slice of cake or ice cream cone to 'wreck' an individual day. Also, some days I find it really hard to meet my net calories, either through lack of time or lack of hunger. Rather than stress about it, I now focus on making sure I don't have too many days in a given week where I don't eat as much as I should.

deathstarclock

Unused calories go straight to dat *kitten* 'cause you got all that potential energy coming in but the body is like YO! WE DON'T NEED IT RIGHT NOW, WE GOTTA PUT IT SOMEWHERE THOUGH!. So then your body gets confused and is not sure where to put it so your body is all like HAHAHAHAHA FAT. EASY MODE. Where else will your body store it? YOu tell me and I'll give you a nice pretty Nobel. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

havalinaaa

Except I'm never going over my maintenance calories on any given day.

Unused calories go straight to dat *kitten* 'cause you got all that potential energy coming in but the body is like YO! WE DON'T NEED IT RIGHT NOW, WE GOTTA PUT IT SOMEWHERE THOUGH!. So then your body gets confused and is not sure where to put it so your body is all like HAHAHAHAHA FAT. EASY MODE. Where else will your body store it? YOu tell me and I'll give you a nice pretty Nobel. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

hottottie11

I go by my weekly calories. During the week, I eat less than I do over the weekend. So I have leeway just in case something comes up, like dinner out or my eating doesnt go as well as I planned. My average is always 1490 NET (1800-1900 total). Works for me

RunHardBeStrong

I go by the week. Sometimes you can have a bad day. But you don't loose or gain a lb in one day. Its the weekly and monthly deficits that cause the loss

Yep. This. I lost my first 80 lbs by going by the weekly average.

ElizabethRoad

Weekly is fine... there's nothing magical about 24 hours.

Jaymazing

I think it would be interesting to know if changing up your daily caloric intake has any affect on metabolism. Like if someone eats 800 one day and 1600 the next, they are still averaging out 1200, but did that low day boost or slow the metabolism at all? Changing up exercise has a positive effect, I wonder is food intake does? Just a thought...

michellekicks

I do mostly weekly... if I want to go over one day it's for a good reason i.e. preparing for a long run first thing in the morning after a rest day or something.

Jaymazing

I think it would be interesting to know if changing up your daily caloric intake has any affect on metabolism. Like if someone eats 800 one day and 1600 the next, they are still averaging out 1200, but did that low day boost or slow the metabolism at all? Changing up exercise has a positive effect, I wonder is food intake does? Just a thought...

Hmmm....ya learn something new everyday. I googled this and apparently it's called zigzag dieting. Even Jillian Michaels preaches it. Apparently it works. I feel so out of the loop, lol.

onyxgirl17

per week, per day is too restrictive.