How much is too much?

calex

So I know that I obviously should stick to my daily allotment of calories that MFP has calculated for me in order to achieve my goal weight, but how many calories over are too many? Is there a threshold, i.e. x% of daily calories over my targeted daily calories is insignificant vs significant? I am pretty good about sticking to my daily calories, but every once in a while I'll go over by anywhere from 15 - 75 and I'd like to know how much of an impact that does (or doesn't have) on achieving my goal? Any ideas? Thanks!

amymeenieminymo

It would take 3500 extra calories to gain a pound (which is what your calories deficit is per week in order to lose 1 pound a week). So if you were to go over your alloted calories everyday by say, 75 then you would be going over your calories by 525 calories each week.

That is not enough to gain a pound, but it may be enough to gain a fraction of a pound, or slow weightloss. If I go over my calories by 20-40 in a day, I don't consider it to be a big deal, but I would caution against doing this every single day.

Don't forget, whatever calories you can burn from exercise, you can eat back. So knowing I can eat more if i exercise is often a good incentive.

dbg1

I beleive 3500cals is a pound. Going over occassionly shouldn't hurt. But remember, theses calculations are based on averages. Try to edge on the side of less rather than more.

YOU CAN DO IT!:flowerforyou:

omid990

as long as you eat less than the number of calories your body needs to maintain weight, then you will lose. If you eat 500 calories less, you will lose one pound per a week but if you eat 250 calories less, then you will only lose 1/2 pound per week. The significance depends on how fast you want to lose the weight. If you don't mind have a very slow process, then going over 100 or 200 isn't a big deal.

BrenNew

So I know that I obviously should stick to my daily allotment of calories that MFP has calculated for me in order to achieve my goal weight, but how many calories over are too many? Is there a threshold, i.e. x% of daily calories over my targeted daily calories is insignificant vs significant? I am pretty good about sticking to my daily calories, but every once in a while I'll go over by anywhere from 15 - 75 and I'd like to know how much of an impact that does (or doesn't have) on achieving my goal? Any ideas? Thanks!

I try never to go over at all if I can help it. In fact, I try to leave an EXTRA 50 to 100 calories if I can, just in case I estimated too low on something I ate during the day.

Shanta1983

So I know that I obviously should stick to my daily allotment of calories that MFP has calculated for me in order to achieve my goal weight, but how many calories over are too many? Is there a threshold, i.e. x% of daily calories over my targeted daily calories is insignificant vs significant? I am pretty good about sticking to my daily calories, but every once in a while I'll go over by anywhere from 15 - 75 and I'd like to know how much of an impact that does (or doesn't have) on achieving my goal? Any ideas? Thanks!

I try never to go over at all if I can help it. In fact, I try to leave an EXTRA 50 to 100 calories if I can, just in case I estimated too low on something I ate during the day.

sometimes I do that to:flowerforyou: