How do YOU handle running out of daily calories?

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  • channa007
    channa007 Posts: 419 Member
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    Depends on if you're over your TDEE or not as you're probably not but for me personally I'd just do better tomorrow and not care.
  • patentpope
    patentpope Posts: 6
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    Like some of the others, when I have a high-calorie day (a party, a fancy dinner out, etc.), I have two tactics: (1) I try and work some of it off with exercise; and (2) barring that, I try and just make it a maintenance day in which I keep to my basic caloric intake without my weight loss calories taken off. Often when I've eaten too much I don't feel like exercising, so I take option 2.

    For example, I get 1610 calories a day to lose weight. My maintenance is 2110 a day. If I have a reason to eat more, I feel good if I can keep it to 2110.

    I'll also try and make up for it in the following days. Not in an extreme way. But shaving off 100 or 200 calories a day for a few days can make up for a lot of excess.
  • deepfuture
    deepfuture Posts: 35 Member
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    Exercise .. and your good to go , the exercise even suppresses the hunger ..
  • amyhoss
    amyhoss Posts: 414 Member
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    Go for a walk
  • d1jackso
    d1jackso Posts: 4
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    I put however many calories I am over my goal onto the next day (or spread them out over a few days if necessary). Makes it easier to remember to hit the exercise harder and/or skip the snacks the next day because I'm running a surplus on calories, or a deficit on exercise, which amount to the same thing.
  • Hayleighs_mom
    Hayleighs_mom Posts: 48
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    i wouldnt worry. I would just eat a healthy evening and do better tomorrow. :)
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    My advice, like many have already said, is to go over one day and make the necessary adjustments (to your planning, to the total calories allowed, etc.) in the future. The important thing is to establish a plan you can stick to consistently for a long period of time, not that you meet an arbitrary plan every single day. (And until you have the appropriate amount of calories dialed in, it is just that: an arbitrary plan (even if it was suggested by MFP).)

    And as to the advice of just exercising more in order to eat, I'm just not a big fan of this. Yes, I know, many people have used this approach and with great success, but it seems like a potentially dangerous path to me. Again, doing it occasionally probably isn't a problem, especially if you feel good about doing it, but I'd be just a little leery, especially of doing it often.
  • bleacheblonde
    bleacheblonde Posts: 333
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    It depends on the mood I'm in. Sometimes I throw a fit and cry :wink: Usually I just try to be good the rest of the day and fit in a few extra minutes of cardio (or ANY minutes of cardio). And most of all, I try not to beat myself up too much and just start over tomorrow. I wouldn't try to make up for it by subtracting the amount you went over from the next day's calories....that almost never works for me.
  • sassyt1206
    sassyt1206 Posts: 37
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    dont eat anyting again until you acutally feel hungry...that way you will know your body needs energy and has used up the extra calories you have eaten..
  • rsellersCST
    rsellersCST Posts: 333 Member
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    I don't think I would skip a meal... just because I know myself... if I truly feel like I'm starving later I'll say the heck with it and eat what is in sight :-)

    That said I think you need to REMEMBER this experience and the next time you have an opportunity... either try for a different restaurant, or think about it ahead... take the peanuts OFF the table... or go so far as to explain you are allergic to peanuts... LOL

    There are times though that there are going to be variables... and to be honest, PEANUTS aren't the worst thing that you could have splurged on... protein, requires more digestion etc... not so bad... I could see myself falling into more drinks say than I want if I was at a long get together... I'm not a big drinker at all, but my point being that a situation can influence things.

    Don't beat yourself up too bad... squeeze in a walk or something if you can... eat a reasonable meal... and the last suggestion I have that helps me tremendously... DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR HANDS to avoid snacking... do a craft... organize some paperwork, shred old files... polish something... basically my point is... later if you are hungry... if you've eaten reasonably and need to keep from snacking... focus on something else... then take a nice hot shower or bath and sleep it off...

    Tomorrow is a NEW DAY!

    You can do it... stick with it... you will be glad!
  • AmyJMadison
    AmyJMadison Posts: 143 Member
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    Ok then... to sum up so far... .
    1) whine
    2) cry
    3) laugh
    4) exercise
    5) don't starve
    6) don't panic
    7) walk the dog
    8) think big picture
    9) watch the week not the day
    10) smile and celebrate!

    Yeah! Thank you! I am all over this!
  • cbevan1229
    cbevan1229 Posts: 326 Member
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    Try to stick to veggies and lean protein for dinner, maybe take a walk, and move on. One off day won't ruin your progress. The most effect it will have is to slow down that next lb. drop by however many calories you went over today. Just don't let your off day start to make buddies with the next few days.
  • gracieabem
    gracieabem Posts: 211
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    I just eat and try to recover the next day. You can't dwell, its a learning tool for the future

    Yes, this. I may even take the dogs out for an extra walk if I feel like it and I've got time. I work and study, so I don't have a great deal of extra time on my hands most days on top of the exercise I already do and I'm not going to push myself or beat myself up about it. The dogs, of course, love me for it. It's happened plenty of times and it will happen again. What matters to me is what I do most of the time.

    I am a late night snacker generally and really enjoy my supper/nibbles - mostly healthy additions. I can always cut back on those in the evening if I've had a bit of blow out, but not at the expense of nutrients.
  • gracieabem
    gracieabem Posts: 211
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    Ok then... to sum up so far... .
    1) whine
    2) cry
    3) laugh
    4) exercise
    5) don't starve
    6) don't panic
    7) walk the dog
    8) think big picture
    9) watch the week not the day
    10) smile and celebrate!

    Yeah! Thank you! I am all over this!

    Lol, great summary!
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522
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    I am only talking for myself, but I just go over.
  • sa11yjane
    sa11yjane Posts: 491 Member
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    if possible I would exercise. if i had no time for this then i would buy a load of veg and make a big pot of roasted veg (tomatoes, aubergine, courgettes, red onion, peppers etc) and a big bowl of mixed salad and then just eat that for the rest of the day. if that means going over a bit then so be it. the worst thing to do would be to think that you've blown it then binge for the rest of the day x
  • HeatherSanto
    HeatherSanto Posts: 138 Member
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    I agree with everyone else. Don't shoot the day down the tubes, just keep going forward with the rest of the day with a light dinner. Even some housecleaning will help burn off some calories. I heard you can burn 200 something a day just by fidgeting. Just move a little more to help take some of it off. Even if its only 100 more, that is 100 less on the hips!
  • MCinNewportBeach
    MCinNewportBeach Posts: 3 Member
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    I would look at your weekly net calorie total. There is always going to be an "over" day there and there, but almost always I am under for the week overall. Try exercising more -- even just a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood helps.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    I find that if I made healthy choices, but have gone over I'm usually under for the next day or two even without trying, so it all comes out in the wash. Just focus on healthier choices for this evening and the next day or two. (Don't kill your self to make up the calories, but don't stress the "starvation mode" thing if you are under for a day or two afterward/)

    I try to remember that I'm here to get healthy so I can live a life I enjoy.

    So if client lunches periodically are a part of life I should enjoy them, but keep an eye open to what else I can do to compensate.

    My current maintenance strategy is to eat about a 50-100 calories below my maintenance level (1600 calories) most days so that I have some wiggle room on days when I get together and go out with friends.
  • clowdusc
    clowdusc Posts: 32
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    When I run out at midday, I drink lots and lots of water or tea. Diet soda helps me, but I wouldn't recommend it because it's not the healthiest.

    If later on in the evening my stomach is really growling and I've already blown all my calories, and water or tea isn't making it any better, I find some fulfilling veggies to eat. That way, I only go a little over, and even though it drives me crazy that I went over, I know I won't gain any weight from it.

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