new way to count calories?

Zoeegirl

ok so I have a question- I was thinking of kind of a different way to count calories, and I want to know what ya think. So lets say you have 1500 cals a day. If you go over say you eat 1800, you would need to take the excess cals(300) from the next day so that next day you would eat only 1200. But if you go over, you can add them to the rest of your week if you choose. hmmm, just a thought I am tinkering with

Farburnfred

you are thinking about evening it out over a few days or a week, I think some people do that and it works well for them. I think as long as you are happy with it then give it a go. As long as you weekly target is matched then go for it.

kimosabe1

I wouldn't....., that it is already set the way mfp has it, because it is the most logical.......

kirk1115

yeah i would say it would work since a deficit of 3500 cals/week = 1 lb lost....as long as that happens you still lose right?

schondell

A lot of people save up calories for a big meal or special event without any adverse effects

Claire_x90

as long as the day to day shift isn't crazy it's fine.

you don't want to get into a fasting/binging scenario but 1400 one day and 1600 the next would be more than fine

Masterdo

While calories are a real measure of energy, your body doesn't have a clock that resets precisely at 00:00, or a weekly one on Monday morning, etc.

Creative calorie accounting is nothing to get worried about, but just make sure you are not just trying to "game" the system in doing so.

The reason I think calorie counting works well when done rigorously is that it gives you a boundary, forces you most likely to educate yourself more about food and establishes a solid trend of eating habits. That last part could be the one you give up if you start trying to forcefully fit stuff in your diary and restrain yourself too much on the next day, in a cycle. Not a nice trend to have.

Other than that, have fun

jellybeanmusic

This is the way weight watchers used to work before they changed systems. So long as you never go below 1200 in a day, and don't go over your weekly total, you should be fine.

zombilishious

A lot of people on here use calorie cycling for weight loss.

http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/how-to-break-a-weight-loss-plateau.aspx

NaughtyForties

I use weekly average calories so I can remain calm and not freak out if I go over one day. For example this week I've been over twice, but it's no big deal as with my exercise routine I know my weekly average is under.

It allows me some flexibility without worrying. Plus I know weight gain and weight loss is all about your calorie trend. My trend is a deficit so I never stress about the odd day. What you suggest can work but you must have discipline not to fall into a trap.

Cptrob

This is the way weight watchers used to work before they changed systems. So long as you never go below 1200 in a day, and don't go over your weekly total, you should be fine.

wait? why can't you go under 1200 calories?

Vailara

Some people do go under 1200 calories some days. I tried it for a little while, eating 500 calories two days a week. It's not for me at the moment, but some people do claim health benefits, and say that it's not risky to do over a 24hour period. (It's completely different from doing it as a daily thing).

hughtwalker

There is no reason for not being able to compensate for a "sinful" day - MFP is not geared up to it - but weekly intake has long been acknowledged as more relevant and more prone to success rather than the built-in-failure quotient of daily reckoning.
Just because your idea isn't new doesn't mean it isn't brilliant - now make it your own and live by it.
Hoooray.

hughtwalker

This is the way weight watchers used to work before they changed systems. So long as you never go below 1200 in a day, and don't go over your weekly total, you should be fine.

wait? why can't you go under 1200 calories?

The only reason is that MFP says you can't. 1000 Calories per day are still standard hospital diet sheets for high BMIs to start weight loss.
To read MFP Community threads by self-styled experts you'd think that these clinicians should all be at very least struck off.

hughtwalker

I wouldn't....., that it is already set the way mfp has it, because it is the most logical.......

who says?

angelique_redhead

When I have a high day the next day I don't feel like eating as much so if MFP didn't complain at me I'd have no problem with it. A lot of folks can't get proper nutrition eating under 1200 though.

jemimasmum

Just do it - I do. As long as you're logging and making positive choices you're fine. Just don't pig out early on and end up "owing calories" in the long term...that's what got us all here originally. A weekly balance is good and stops you hitting a guilt trip wheneve a red number shows on the daily total.

grammysboy

Just do it - I do. As long as you're logging and making positive choices you're fine. Just don't pig out early on and end up "owing calories" in the long term...that's what got us all here originally. A weekly balance is good and stops you hitting a guilt trip wheneve a red number shows on the daily total.

Good advice. The nice thing about the Daily allowance is you get to start all over every day, so if you go over one day (Thanksgiving/Christmas). you just get back in the saddle the next day and start all over.

hughtwalker

Just do it - I do. As long as you're logging and making positive choices you're fine. Just don't pig out early on and end up "owing calories" in the long term...that's what got us all here originally. A weekly balance is good and stops you hitting a guilt trip wheneve a red number shows on the daily total.

Good advice. The nice thing about the Daily allowance is you get to start all over every day, so if you go over one day (Thanksgiving/Christmas). you just get back in the saddle the next day and start all over.

- but you do start in deficit or balance

Cptrob

some really good posts here! im glad to hear no one flaming the eating under 1200 calories thing, (sometimes,maybe not every day)... i can't tell you how many people i know say if you eat less you will not lose weight etc, blah blah blah.. it's pretty simple sometimes, if you eat less you will lose weight.. will your body's metabolism slow down? Yeah, when you get to 5 % body fat.

BrunetteRunner87

I also look at the weekly amount and not the daily amount, which is an option you can look at on the iphone app. Generally my goal is just to overall have more and more good weeks than bad weeks, instead of breaking it down by day. That helps me keep the long term in mind.

nxd10

I really like the app view that allows you to see see days, weeks, and months better than the web version.

But the app doesn't allow you on threads.

Wish they could get it all together in the same place.

Zoeegirl

Thanks all for your encouragement, advice and ideas!! Im not new to trying to lose weight, just trying to find what best fits me for life Just tweeking some things, taking a little bit from different "diets" and trying to turn them into a lifestyle that works for me :happy:
I also like the idea of the Plate Method, which is making sure half of your plate is veggies, and eating them first. So right now even a quarter of the plate being veggies, is a good start for me :happy:
Slow steps, but progress. Maybe slow,messy progress, but still learning progress:flowerforyou:

onyxgirl17

Yea I do a weekly deficit, not a daily deficit.

ohheyy125

Yeah I think as long as by the end of the week it averages out your good. Some people have 500 calories one day, 1200 another, 1400 another, and so on... I haven't tried doing that yet but I'm open to it. Today for example I'm trying to stay low

ohheyy125

P.S the MFP app for your phone has a weekly option. the app has a lot of awesome stuff actually. Like a bar code scanner that inputs the nutrition info for you.