Does it all balance out at the end of the week?

Flossie1981

So I know this might sounds like a silly question but.....

Today I have been to the gym and burnt over 600 kcals and have filled out my food diary for what I have eaten and what I plan to eat for the rest of the day. I will be well under my calorie allowance due to my training session. But yesterday I was slightly over, so does one day compensate for another or does each day stand alone?

jennmodugno

You'll find a lot of different answers on here, but the gist of it seems to be, on the MFP app, there's a way to track weekly instead of daily. On the website, you can only track daily. Some people swear by weekly tracking, some by daily. Does it all balance out in the end? Honestly, I don't know. I'm not a doctor, or whatever. :P But if you CAN keep close to your calories daily, that's probably best. If not, you can always glance at the weekly track on your app and make sure you've stayed close to your weekly goal, at least.

Guamybear

It does...there is no specific time frame..but I will go a week or two with no drop in weight and then all of a sudden 2-3lb drop in a day or two.. just don't get discouraged when you don't see it right away..

i also don't eat the same amounts every day.. sometimes more, or less or over... patience is the key to weight loss..

GauchoMark

It does...there is no specific time frame..but I will go a week or two with no drop in weight and then all of a sudden 2-3lb drop in a day or two.. just don't get discouraged when you don't see it right away..

i also don't eat the same amounts every day.. sometimes more, or less or over... patience is the key to weight loss..

^^^ This.

Yes, overall calories in < calories out OVER TIME loses weight.

RunHardBeStrong

It does...there is no specific time frame..but I will go a week or two with no drop in weight and then all of a sudden 2-3lb drop in a day or two.. just don't get discouraged when you don't see it right away..

i also don't eat the same amounts every day.. sometimes more, or less or over... patience is the key to weight loss..

^^^ This.

Yes, overall calories in < calories out OVER TIME loses weight.

Agreed.

Flossie1981

I guess my thing is patience, I am an instant gratification kind of person and a control freak so find it hard to wait

Duck_Puddle

It all balances out for me. I have been using a weekly average (from the app).

DrMAvDPhD

Yup. I'd go so far as to say you can make it balance out over a month if you have patience and don't weigh yourself too often. The app makes it very easy to track such things.

Flossie1981

Maybe I need to be looking at the bigger picture rather than day to day

DrMAvDPhD

Maybe I need to be looking at the bigger picture rather than day to day

I personally think it takes a lot of the guilt induced fear of food out of the picture and leads to a healthier mindset. And seriously, who doesn't eat a little more on the weekends??

cwolfman13

Maybe I need to be looking at the bigger picture rather than day to day

I personally think it takes a lot of the guilt induced fear of food out of the picture and leads to a healthier mindset. And seriously, who doesn't eat a little more on the weekends??

Yeah, this ^^^^

You have to look at the big picture OP; it's all about how you conduct yourself the vast majority of time, not every little minute of every little day.

BuffyEat2Live

I just got the app recently and I am loving that it gives you the option of weekly progress over just daily. Because that motivates me to go ahead and track on the days that I go over my calories, because I will more than likely still be under for the week.

Flossie1981

I need to stop obsessing then and just stick with it

Babeskeez

I am SO glad you guys brought up the averages. I was seriously getting irritated that I was over on my weekends but am finding I am JUST FINE as an average. So thank you!

blleadon

I use the app and I track weekly and daily. It is nice to see that when im over on sodium one day I don't worry because I may be way under for the week so it evens out.

Guamybear

I probably go over once a week by a couple hundred and never feel guilty because I am usually under.. Majority of people are impatient and quit when they don't see the numbers drop fast enough.. That is the mistake..you have to be patient..

As they say "you didn't gain the weight in a week, you aren't going to lose in a week either."

SerenaFisher

I have always allowed myself two days a week (usually weekends) to over indulge. Mind you my over indulgence is surmountable too, usually up to 2500 calories more than usual because I will eat normal, than go out to dinner, and have drinks. I have ALWAYS lost weight as long as I maintained my calorie goal. Though I do some form of work out at least five days a week, and during the summer I work out every day (because it's nice enough to run/walk outside). Either way I have always maintained or lost, unless I stop working out and counting calories and eating smarter than naturally I gain.

Honestly sometimes I'd even have three or four days where I wasn't completely good. Always balanced out with predominantly good diet and work outs.