Stop Freaking Out About Going Over Calories

On the MFP app, it's easy to track your weekly calories. As you can see, I went over two days this week, but I was under the other days. I'm full and don't want to eat anymore today, but I still have 1700 calories left because I was under by a few hundred on the other days.

Bottom line: you haven't "ruined it" if you go over one or two days per week because you will likely make up for it on the other days. Your body doesn't magically put weight on overnight. Daily tracking is just to help keep you in-line. If you had a huge bank of calories on Monday, you'd probably run out by Thursday. ;) It's much easier to think in terms of "2000 calories per day".

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Replies

  • Lyseybear
    Lyseybear Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks for this! Yesterday I went to Williams with my fiance, and was stressing all day because the panini i got was almost 700 calories, and the smoothie 300... yikes.. But I'm usually under. This "dieting" is so hard... yeeeesh.
    You're doing great though, just seen your ticker that's awesome! keep it up!
  • lovechicagobears
    lovechicagobears Posts: 289 Member
    Thanks for this! Yesterday I went to Williams with my fiance, and was stressing all day because the panini i got was almost 700 calories, and the smoothie 300... yikes.. But I'm usually under. This "dieting" is so hard... yeeeesh.
    You're doing great though, just seen your ticker that's awesome! keep it up!

    Exactly. I probably could have had more food at the party last night, but I was trying to be good because I wasn't sure how today would turn out.

    The same thing will happen this week, I'm sure. We're going out for Italian food on our three-year dating anniversary this Friday, so I'm going to stay low all week to make up for it.
  • jennyrebekka
    jennyrebekka Posts: 626 Member
    i need this reminder - - so thanks!
  • aimeeernest
    aimeeernest Posts: 159 Member
    I too, needed this. Whenever I start counting calories, I start freaking out about calories. It's rough!! But this website makes it such a better journey. I've always been alone in this and having people to talk to makes a world of difference.
  • schooby2
    schooby2 Posts: 20 Member
    Excellent point with a great reminder. Sometimes we work so hard at getting one foot in front of the other that we forget to look where we are going and where we have been!
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    How do you get that option on the website? Do you need a iphone for it? I NEVER realized you could look at it week by week.
  • Fr3shStrt
    Fr3shStrt Posts: 349 Member
    Thanks for this reminder... It is so easy to get caught up in the calorie counting and always keeping it under... It doesn't help that the calories you go over on scream at you in bright red
  • SGT_Reg
    SGT_Reg Posts: 186 Member
    How do you get that option on the website? Do you need a iphone for it? I NEVER realized you could look at it week by week.

    It's the iPhone app. Although I think there is a droid app too.
  • jenngirl
    jenngirl Posts: 2 Member
    This was good for me to realize too!! I had family over this weekend and felt I would go over with things I was having, I suppose
    I could just try to eat less the next couple of days.
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    How do you get that option on the website? Do you need a iphone for it? I NEVER realized you could look at it week by week.

    It's the iPhone app. Although I think there is a droid app too.

    Damn it, as the last surviving blackberry user I'm foiled again!
  • philch4v13
    philch4v13 Posts: 35 Member
    How do you get that option on the website? Do you need a iphone for it? I NEVER realized you could look at it week by week.

    If you have the MFP app on any smartphone you can see it like this when it pulls up at the top it says summary-daily- weekly just hit weekly.
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    Damn.. i seriously gotta learn how to use my phone.
  • philch4v13
    philch4v13 Posts: 35 Member
    How do you get that option on the website? Do you need a iphone for it? I NEVER realized you could look at it week by week.

    It's the iPhone app. Although I think there is a droid app too.

    Damn it, as the last surviving blackberry user I'm foiled again!

    Well this may be true I have a Droid :)
  • CrazyTrackLady
    CrazyTrackLady Posts: 1,337 Member
    I stick with my calorie allowance because, if I start using the excuse "Well, I can always scrimp elsewhere", I'll end up scrimping EVERYWHERE and then lose focus. I like how MFP keeps me honest and informed.
  • pudadough
    pudadough Posts: 1,271 Member
    I track my calories by weekly average! Also, can we PLEASE get a way to see this on the regular site?!

    I have the app on my iphone but it seems like a no-brainer that you would be able to do the same thing here.
  • THuffman1967
    THuffman1967 Posts: 114 Member
    Thanks for sharing that! I had no idea that I could get that on my iphone!
  • rlmiller73190
    rlmiller73190 Posts: 342 Member
    How do you get that option on the website? Do you need a iphone for it? I NEVER realized you could look at it week by week.

    It's the iPhone app. Although I think there is a droid app too.

    Damn it, as the last surviving blackberry user I'm foiled again!

    on the website, go to the reports tab, select nutrition and then play around from there.
  • marvybells
    marvybells Posts: 1,984 Member
    Damn.. i seriously gotta learn how to use my phone.

    i was just thinking the same thing.

    oh never mind, i don't have an iPhone. darn.
  • lovechicagobears
    lovechicagobears Posts: 289 Member
    MFP has it under Reports --> Nutrition --> Last 7 Days, but I don't like the layout, and it doesn't show your average at the end of the week. The phone app is just easier and prettier.

    I respect those who like to stay within their daily limit, and really, we all should. This is just for those people who seriously flip out because they ate a donut and went over by 300 one day. ;)
  • lovechicagobears
    lovechicagobears Posts: 289 Member
    Thanks for this reminder... It is so easy to get caught up in the calorie counting and always keeping it under... It doesn't help that the calories you go over on scream at you in bright red

    Right? Whenever I'm over by 1 - 100, I think it should be yellow instead. I was over by 3 one day (THREE), so I did a few jumping jacks to get rid of it. ;)
  • How do you get that option on the website? Do you need a iphone for it? I NEVER realized you could look at it week by week.

    It's the iPhone app. Although I think there is a droid app too.

    Damn it, as the last surviving blackberry user I'm foiled again!

    This just cracked me up, I needed a good laugh. Darn blackberry! lol
  • MFP has it under Reports --> Nutrition --> Last 7 Days, but I don't like the layout, and it doesn't show your average at the end of the week. The phone app is just easier and prettier.

    I respect those who like to stay within their daily limit, and really, we all should. This is just for those people who seriously flip out because they ate a donut and went over by 300 one day. ;)

    It may not be as pretty, but you can also check your calories burned during the week and over-all progress for up to one year in the past (if you've not been on MFP that long, it'll just be blank until the point you started, I believe).
    I would like to see it improved to show the net calories over or under for the week, as well as the graph, though!
  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
    I've been over every day this week... Why ? Because 3 weeks ago I broke my foot and now that it was confirmed via X-ray, I can't exercise and my body is just always craving food.
  • lovechicagobears
    lovechicagobears Posts: 289 Member
    I've been over every day this week... Why ? Because 3 weeks ago I broke my foot and now that it was confirmed via X-ray, I can't exercise and my body is just always craving food.

    I hope your foot heals soon. Even if you're over, you're probably still at or under maintenance, so you shouldn't gain any weight. :)
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
    *BUMP*
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    I track my calories by weekly average! Also, can we PLEASE get a way to see this on the regular site?!

    I have the app on my iphone but it seems like a no-brainer that you would be able to do the same thing here.

    You have access to the reports on the website!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    How do you get that option on the website? Do you need a iphone for it? I NEVER realized you could look at it week by week.

    It's the iPhone app. Although I think there is a droid app too.

    Damn it, as the last surviving blackberry user I'm foiled again!
    Upgrade to the latest model - the blackberry keytone, works much better than the raspberry keytone....
  • orapronobis
    orapronobis Posts: 460 Member
    I have a dumb phone, I have NO apps. But, I still track my calories by week. I start my week on Monday. If I'm under that day, I the notes section on Tuesday to keep track of those "unused" calories. At the end of Tuesday, I look at my net, then plus or minus from my "bank" of calories from Monday. I put the net number of "banked calories" on Wednesday, and so on through the week.
  • sweetcherrylove
    sweetcherrylove Posts: 1 Member
    I think if you go to "reports" then select one of the three you would like to look at (Nutrition, Fitness, progress) that might give you a bit of info?
  • Nope, still ONE MORE BB out here. And I will win. Seriously, though, go to BB App World or the App section on MFP and you can load a BB App.

    The post regarding weekly counting has great value and it's a good reminder to not freak out on a daily basis.