How much over/under your net is acceptable?

JerseyGirlinTN

So in copying yesterday's breakfast to today, I realized I forgot to add something. So I added in yesterday's diary and bumped me over my calorie goal by 32 calories. So it got me thinking...

How much over or under your net do you consider acceptable? 50 calories? 100 calories? And I'm referring to a once-in-a-while whoops, not a daily occurrence.

Purplebunnysarah

I have a fairly large deficit so I am not fussed at +/- 100 calories... in fact, some days I'm happy I'm only 100 over!

bethFromDayton

My goal net is 1260. I try to stay under that, and am usually successful. (I've been losing 2 lbs/week for 10 weeks). However, I tell myself to consider it a successful day if I'm less than 10% over. I've only had one "way over" day since I start this, though--I'm basically an obsessive sort of person, so I'm obsessive about staying under net.

Even while I'm obsessive, I also recognize that calories in and out are estimates--how much did the sections of your naval orange really weigh? 32 calories is well within the margin of error of a day.

TArnold2012

For me under is great and unless its a special occassion I don't accept over.

melaniecheeks

It's just about impossible to measure everything that accurately, so I allow a tolerance of +/- 10 %, or about 100 calories.

TavistockToad

i agree, 100 over/under is no need to worry!

chels0722

I am usually under by 100-200. I think leaving that amount at the end of the day allows for any mistakes in my measuring without me going over.

In addition, it would take me nearly 2800 calories in one day to eat more than TDEE+10%, so I don't worry about eating too much.

CristinaL1983

I've gone over by as much as 400 calories and been just as much under. It usually happens once a week or so for me. I don't worry about it as long as I keep my weekly average consistent. I have been losing very consistently so it's working for me.

onyxgirl17

This doesn't apply to me since I work on a weekly average. I can have as little as 1000 calories and as much as 1800/1900 as long as I average around 1400-1500 calories daily over the span of a week I know I'm hitting my target.

onyxgirl17

This doesn't apply to me since I work on a weekly average. I can have as little as 1000 calories and as much as 1800/1900 as long as I average around 1400-1500 calories daily over the span of a week I know I'm hitting my target.

I'm doing this to prepare for how i'll eat at maintenance. I'm not gonna fuss myself about calories when I'm at goal, but I'm trying to get an eye for portion sizes and eating until I'm full. Having a strict calorie limit just feeds unhealthy thoughts for me.

Kaylaef

I try not to be more then 100 cal. under. But I am quiet okay with going 200 calories over. If I am hungry I eat.

omma_to_3

My goal is net 1200. I usually hit net 1300 instead because I almost always go over. I eat back ALL my exercise calories (but they are as accurately measured as they can be with an HRM and subtracting out my BMR from that figure). On my non-workout days, I don't worry too much if I go up to 1400 calories, because a gross 1200 calories is hard for me to hit.

As for under, I am never more than 50 calories under, unless I'm really sick. I will snack to hit my goal. Since my goal is relatively low, I eat all the calories I can LOL.

JerseyGirlinTN

Thanks everyone. I really don't sweat it too much, but I don't like that red number glaring at me, lol.

lauren3101

I like to stay under, obviously, but I'm not that fussed. If I want a treat at the end of the day and it will take me over by 30 calories, then I'll still have it. Anything up to 100 cals over I wouldn't think twice about. There are sometimes particularly busy days (mainly weekends) where I simply don't have much time to eat and I'll be under by 400 cals. It all balances itself out.

DrMAvDPhD

200, that's the number I can reasonably make up in the next few days and have my weekly average be where I want it.