Ate all my cals before midday...

yoshna

Hey guys,

So I'm feeling a bit wobbly today because I ate 1400 cals (my current goal) before midday today; I had breakfast out with a friend plus lattes with whole milk and then a slice of banana bread at home, and it all added up. I guess I'm looking for reassurance more than anything!

I'm studying for exams at the moment so fairly sedentary, but I'm going to try and go for a half hour run later to give myself 200-300 extra so that I can eat something this evening without going loads over my limit. If I do this, is the fact that I ate them all early still bad?! I know there are conflicting opinions on whether it matters when you eat your calories etc...

CouleeRunner

When you get hungry today, eat. Don't worry about going over. My guess is that 1400 is a nice big deficit for you anyway, so over the course of the whole week, you will be fine. This isn't a race.

don't beat yourself up over it.

elyelyse

when you eat your calories doesn't matter.... unless of course like today it leaves you hungry at night! here's the important thing: dont starve yourself for the rest of the day. often that hunger ends up leading to overeating because we get OMG SO HANGRY. If you have any idea what your maintenance calories would be, don't be afraid to eat up to that. Up to that point, you still aren't overeating, you just aren't getting today's deficit. and we all know we did not get overweight by eating at maintenance for one day! Of course, if it becomes a habit and you eat up to maintenance often, you won't lose weight, but for one day? don't sweat it.

yoshna

Thanks guys Just read your responses and realised how ridiculous I'm being - getting way too caught up in the numbers. Thank you!

cwolfman13

If I do this, is the fact that I ate them all early still bad?! I know there are conflicting opinions on whether it matters when you eat your calories etc...

It doesn't matter and I don't know why there would be conflicting opinions....if people simply used logic there would understand that meal timing doesn't matter. My maintenance TDEE is roughly 2600 calories...that means I burn up 2600 calories in a 24 hour period to maintain weight...why would it matter at all when I ate those calories if in fact, I burn 2600 calories in a 24 hour period?

Also realize that going over from time to time is going to happen. Realize that your calorie goal on MFP has a substantial deficit from maintenance in it...so even if you go over, you're still most likely at a deficit of calories, just a smaller one. When I was dieting with MFP I didn't hammer myself for going over unless I was over my maintenance calories, then I'd kick my own *kitten*.