Under calorie goal = good?

Game8
Game8 Posts: 442
in Food and Nutrition
Why do most people here congratulate each other when they go below their daily calorie goal even by a few hundred cals or more? I know we're all trying to help each other and I'm guilty of doing this my self, but shouldn't we all aim to reach our daily calorie goal rather than go below it?

If you're trying to lose weight, then your daily calorie goal is already set around 500 cals below baseline (or maintenance). If you're going below that by a few hundred calories, you're now at a huge deficit and that's when you get into extreme dieting. This is obviously not healthy, so why do we encourage people to keep doing it?

Replies

  • pinkpyjamas
    pinkpyjamas Posts: 6
    Because the red numbers look scary...???
  • n2thenight24
    n2thenight24 Posts: 1,651 Member
    Because the red numbers look scary...???

    Lmao, THIS^^^^
  • belladonna786
    belladonna786 Posts: 1,165 Member
    hate those red numbers! they should change it to pink
  • Game8
    Game8 Posts: 442
    I agree, they should add red numbers when you go above OR below by more than a hundred cals. Otherwise, you're giving people the wrong idea.
  • mizzie1980
    mizzie1980 Posts: 379 Member
    Being under your calorie goal isn't a horrible thing, so long as you aren't WAY under consistently. A few days of being under won't hurt though, just like a few days of being over won't. It's even ok to be under the magic 1200 once in a while, it all evens out. (that's once in a while, mind you, I'm not encouraging anyone to do that consistently or even suggesting anyone do it on purpose, just saying your heart won't explode from one low day) Calories are a funny thing, they don't work in every body the same way. We are all just trying to find the magic numbers that work for us and if that is under our calorie goal, so long as it's not unhealthily low, it's fine.
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    Because the red numbers look scary...???

    This :laugh:
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 633 Member
    I hate when people do this too.... not something I congratulate others for.
  • darleyschroeder
    darleyschroeder Posts: 322
    This is true. I think some people comment and don't even look to see what you have eaten. I saw a girl who had 900 calories in her diary and people were saying "good job" and "way to go"
    If it's occasionally 100 calories or so under then it's not a big deal, but all the time, not a great idea.
  • Madelinew22
    Madelinew22 Posts: 289
    This is true. I think some people comment and don't even look to see what you have eaten. I saw a girl who had 900 calories in her diary and people were saying "good job" and "way to go"
    If it's occasionally 100 calories or so under then it's not a big deal, but all the time, not a great idea.
    haha i agree i dont think so ppl look. ive seen ppl say great job or w2g on ppls diarys who are just straight junk food and really
    low. pretty sure 4 cans of pop and some cookies and chips is not good
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
    Because most of us are working to stay under that number not get up to it. We got overweight from overeating not from under eating. Most of us don't need to be encouraged to eat, we need to be encouraged to not over eat. That is why people congratulate each other when staying under the goal.

    My goal is set to 1lb loss a week but I wouldn't mind losing faster so my aim is to stay under my calorie cap. I'm consistently losing weight and inches. I'm getting stronger and faster. At some point I may need to up my calories to fuel getting stronger but what I'm doing right now is working so I'm going to keep doing it.

    If it's not going to turn red until your a 100 past then why not just make it 100 higher?

    This whole calorie thing is estimates based on estimates any way. I need to lose weight. It was becoming a health issue for me so I'd rather error on the side of losing than on the side of maintaining or gaining.

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