Is it better to go a little over or under the calorie intake

harmonious1
harmonious1 Posts: 49 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I just joined and finished for today, but I'm stressing on the food tracker. I'm a little under 200 calories for today, and dont know if that's ok. And also would it be ok to go over some days? So ya need help.

Replies

  • hallashley5
    hallashley5 Posts: 8
    i just join today and i was also under by 30 cal...i think you should eat as close to your required cal intake as possible...just a suggestion! Good luck girlie
  • gregavila
    gregavila Posts: 723 Member
    It is ok tone slightly over or under and depends on your calories goals. Hard to be more specific without additional information or being able to see your diary.
  • harmonious1
    harmonious1 Posts: 49 Member
    Well it's just that I'm full and already over my sugar level. How much under or over till it would be too much though, ya know? But thanks for the replys :wink:
  • zippymelanie68
    zippymelanie68 Posts: 105
    each day when you are finished it will give you a estimate that if you ate everyday like you did this day you would be however much weight in 5 weeks. The less calories under your goal the more you lose. I just started as well. Good tip for you don't skip meals you will be less likely to midnight snack. Also find foods you do enjoy so it doesn't feel like a diet. It is okay to eat ice cream etc just make sure to track your portions. good luck on here.
  • femmi1120
    femmi1120 Posts: 473 Member
    As long as you aren't going over you BMR, it shouldn't do any damage (you won't gain). But if it happens consistantly, you won't lose weight either.

    I usually aim to be within 100 cal of my goal on either side. Hope that helps!
  • dvisser1
    dvisser1 Posts: 788 Member
    MFP targets that calorie intake based off your approximate Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR - metabolism at rest) and the regular daily activity level you input, and then what your weight loss goal is. The more you want lose per week, the lower your calorie intake will be. And that does not directly take into account exercise burned calories.

    If you're full and a little over the count one day, that's generally fine. At the end of the week, if you're consistently over you might want to look into make some changes. If you're consistently just a little under, again it's probably fine. If you're way under or somewhat under and your target is in the 1200 calorie area, EAT!

    If / when you get to exercising a good bit, it's perfectly good to eat back some or all of the exercise burned calories. MFP sets up that calorie target so you can eat back the exercise calories and still lose weight. The exercise will boost your metabolism and your body will slowly start burning more calories at rest as well as when you're working out.
  • cadency
    cadency Posts: 51
    The thing I look at is my net calories once I exercise: my net -has- to be over 1300 to be of any benefit for my body. Really, though, it depends on your settings. My diary is preprogrammed to subtract 500 calories from my diet so that I should lose a lb a week even if I don't exercise. So for me, that's somewhere in the 1800 calories a day. Once I start exercise, I have to eat more or my body won't be getting enough calories to function / be healthy. I know, from playing with my settings, I can get closer to 1.5 lb weight loss a week if I eat closer to 1600 a day (net - with or without exercise). So I eat on my comfort level. As long as I eat about 1500 to 1600 a day... I'm doing okay. If I feel like splurging and don't want to feel deprived, I either exercise more so I can eat more or I just eat my 1800 calories a day and know I will still be on track to lose my 1 lb.

    Hope that wasn't confusing. Hard to tell you specifics without using examples... and since I don't know your's, I used mine!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    As long as you aren't going over you BMR, it shouldn't do any damage (you won't gain). But if it happens consistantly, you won't lose weight either.

    I usually aim to be within 100 cal of my goal on either side. Hope that helps!

    Totally wrong idea of BMR.
    Basal Metabolic Rate is the energy used by your body for the basic functions of living if you slept all day.

    Constantly go under that number if you feel like stalling at some point and lowering your metabolism.

    you are referring to what MFP calls your maintenance calories, which is your BMR times some activity level you hopefully selected honestly. Also called Active Metabolic Rate (AMR) or more commonly Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

    Because your weight loss goal is subtracted from this imaginary maintenance calorie figure to give you your daily calories.
    Which for far too many ladies, is under their BMR, so sadly the majority are attacking this weight loss with metabolism suppressed.

    Why do I say for too many ladies - the majority select 2lbs per week. Unsafe goal.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    The thing I look at is my net calories once I exercise: my net -has- to be over 1300 to be of any benefit for my body. Really, though, it depends on your settings. My diary is preprogrammed to subtract 500 calories from my diet so that I should lose a lb a week even if I don't exercise. So for me, that's somewhere in the 1800 calories a day. Once I start exercise, I have to eat more or my body won't be getting enough calories to function / be healthy. I know, from playing with my settings, I can get closer to 1.5 lb weight loss a week if I eat closer to 1600 a day (net - with or without exercise). So I eat on my comfort level. As long as I eat about 1500 to 1600 a day... I'm doing okay. If I feel like splurging and don't want to feel deprived, I either exercise more so I can eat more or I just eat my 1800 calories a day and know I will still be on track to lose my 1 lb.

    Hope that wasn't confusing. Hard to tell you specifics without using examples... and since I don't know your's, I used mine!
    h

    I thought excellent example.

    You just can't change the mental necessity some have for more faster loss - unsafely.
  • femmi1120
    femmi1120 Posts: 473 Member
    As long as you aren't going over you BMR, it shouldn't do any damage (you won't gain). But if it happens consistantly, you won't lose weight either.

    I usually aim to be within 100 cal of my goal on either side. Hope that helps!

    Totally wrong idea of BMR.
    Basal Metabolic Rate is the energy used by your body for the basic functions of living if you slept all day.

    Constantly go under that number if you feel like stalling at some point and lowering your metabolism.

    you are referring to what MFP calls your maintenance calories, which is your BMR times some activity level you hopefully selected honestly. Also called Active Metabolic Rate (AMR) or more commonly Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

    Because your weight loss goal is subtracted from this imaginary maintenance calorie figure to give you your daily calories.
    Which for far too many ladies, is under their BMR, so sadly the majority are attacking this weight loss with metabolism suppressed.

    Why do I say for too many ladies - the majority select 2lbs per week. Unsafe goal.

    You're right, I meant the daily maintanence calories. Just used the wrong term.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    As long as you aren't going over you BMR, it shouldn't do any damage (you won't gain). But if it happens consistantly, you won't lose weight either.

    I usually aim to be within 100 cal of my goal on either side. Hope that helps!


    Psssh serious?
    My BMR is 1597 and I eat between 1700-2000 cals most days and lose.

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