Switching Calorie Intake

ladyvintage

Has anyone tried changing up their calorie intake per day? How did it work for you?
Also, is there a site that could tell me how to go about it? Ex. one day eat 1300, next day 1000 calories...

juliana0813

you shouldn't go below 1200..

nobbta

I manually change my calories each day in line with my BMR. Then I add my exercise calories so each day I custom calorie goal.

I believe what you are talking sbout is called calorie cycling and my understanding is that you work out your calories for the week then deduct some from one day and add them on to another making sure you balance at the end if the week. MFP does not easily allow this, you'd need to keep a record elsewhere and manually change your goal each day.

FlowersInTheDirt

Bump.
I hope someone has some advice for you
I wouldnt reccomend going below 1200. Id eat arond 1400-1600 then do 400cals worth of exercise?

TavistockToad

Bump.
I hope someone has some advice for you
I wouldnt reccomend going below 1200. Id eat arond 1400-1600 then do 400cals worth of exercise?

if you eat 1400 then exercise 400 off, thats the same as eating 1000....

vorgas

I believe what you are talking sbout is called calorie cycling and my understanding is that you work out your calories for the week then deduct some from one day and add them on to another making sure you balance at the end if the week. MFP does not easily allow this, you'd need to keep a record elsewhere and manually change your goal each day.

Not entirely an accurate statement. In the app version there are three buttons near the top: Summary, Daily, Weekly. Weekly will probably show what you're looking for.

In the web version there is a Reports tab at the top. You can get lots of information from there as well

crissyniko

I switch my goal every other week, 1200, 1500, 1400 just to shake it up a little. Sometimes I reach the goal sometimes I don't. I have consistently lost at least 1/2 pound each week, no matter what my goal is (I didn't even exercise last week and still lost on 1400 calories daily).

carlytenney

Yup, I switch it up. Just started 5:2 IF. I fast for 2 days per week and the other 5 days I have increased my calories from 1200 to 1300. On my fast days I eat 500 calories. This IF is good for the body and brain.

hellokathy

Isn't this what WW allows you to do? I don't remember it exactly because my WW days were some eight or so years ago. But I remember that you used to be allowed to save points and eat them another day. It worked out fine for most people there, so I don't see why it would be wrong to do the same when counting calories.

toutmonpossible

I've read that the average number of calories is what matters and that ordinary people don't need to engage in "calorie confusion" to challenge the body by changing their intake every day, it's just more work. But whatever keeps it interesting.

1200 or lower is fine if you're eating healthy food, feel good, and are motivated to eat at that level. It's not unhealthy unless you're extremely low weight to begin with and exercising like crazy. It's not even classified as a Very Low Calorie Diet.

ladyvintage

You all had great advice! Thanks! I'm not gonna go lower than 1200 a day but Ill mix it up every week and exercise.

getrealforme

freedieting.com has a calorie caculator that also gives a 7 day calorie cycling schedule

CM9178

freedieting.com has a calorie caculator that also gives a 7 day calorie cycling schedule

this

aepdx

freedieting.com has a calorie caculator that also gives a 7 day calorie cycling schedule

I just started doing this yesterday. I get to eat 1847 calories today, I am really excited!! But, yesterday’s 1250 really sucked. I hope it works, too.

nobbta

I believe what you are talking sbout is called calorie cycling and my understanding is that you work out your calories for the week then deduct some from one day and add them on to another making sure you balance at the end if the week. MFP does not easily allow this, you'd need to keep a record elsewhere and manually change your goal each day.

Not entirely an accurate statement. In the app version there are three buttons near the top: Summary, Daily, Weekly. Weekly will probably show what you're looking for.

In the web version there is a Reports tab at the top. You can get lots of information from there as well

To clarify. You can't choose to enter a week (or more) worth of different daily calorie limits. You need to change the limit on a daily basis. Therefore in my opinion I don't think either the website or the app easily allow CC although the functionality is there in other sections.

ladyvintage

freedieting.com has a calorie caculator that also gives a 7 day calorie cycling schedule

Thanks!! Super helpful !!

CM9178

I believe what you are talking sbout is called calorie cycling and my understanding is that you work out your calories for the week then deduct some from one day and add them on to another making sure you balance at the end if the week. MFP does not easily allow this, you'd need to keep a record elsewhere and manually change your goal each day.

Not entirely an accurate statement. In the app version there are three buttons near the top: Summary, Daily, Weekly. Weekly will probably show what you're looking for.

In the web version there is a Reports tab at the top. You can get lots of information from there as well

To clarify. You can't choose to enter a week (or more) worth of different daily calorie limits. You need to change the limit on a daily basis. Therefore in my opinion I don't think either the website or the app easily allow CC although the functionality is there in other sections.

Very true.
I've been cycling my calories for pretty much the last year - and no, you cannot set it for the week on MFP. I just set it to the average number I should end up eating, and then I keep a separate spreadsheet for the week. (the weekly report on MFP would be helpful if your start of the week is the same as what they use - I believe it is Sunday? Mine starts on Friday, so the weekly report doesn't help me at all).

So if my daily average goal is supposed to be 1520 calories, and I eat 1300 today, then my spreadsheet adds on the balance to the next day, etc.That way, I can always see how many calories I have left for the week in one screen. It has definitely been working for me.
Plus, I prefer to have two higher calorie days on the weekend. Friday is my SUPER high day, usually about 700 calories higher, than I have a lower day Saturday, and a high day Sunday. The rest of the week fluctuates as well. I never eat two days in a row of low or below the goal number. And I put my high calorie day furthest away from my weigh in day as possible.
I also like this because it is nearly impossible and extremely boring to eat the same number of calories every single day!

CM9178

I just wanted to post an example of how I switch around my calories and how it has been working for me

From the last two weeks my daily calorie goal was 1521 or a total of 10,647 calories for the week:

Fri April 26th - 2181 (weigh in day in the morning)
Sat April 27th - 1256
Sun April 28th - 1881
Mon April 29th - 1376
Tues April 30th - 1301
Wed May 1st - 1680
Thurs May 2nd - 1347

Daily Average: 1574
Weekly total - 11022 - difference of 375 (however, I had gone to walking for about 3 hrs over the weekend and probably burned these extra calories anyway).

That week, I lost .6 lbs, exactly what I should've lost based on my 17% deficit from TDEE.