If you go over your calories...

Mollie007
Mollie007 Posts: 73
in Food and Nutrition
one day, do you try to undershoot them the next day to 'make up' for the day before? Or do you just start fresh the next day? Yesterday I went over my calorie goal by 400. I don't know what the deal was, but I was just SO hungry and ate a crap ton of chicken for dinner. Plus, I didn't go to the gym. So, today I burned 650 calories at the gym, so that will give me extra calories to eat in order to still net 1200. Should I try to eat pretty low cal today since I went over yesterday - that way it will all kind of balance out? Or should I just start fresh today?
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Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Zig-zagging - method where people eat over/under ... on purpose. Some people may schedule a "cheat" day. Others who "average" 1200 net for the week. However you choose to do it ... it's fine. Just don't be consistantly under (1200 net) day in and day out ... that's unhealthy.
  • kgavins25
    kgavins25 Posts: 24
    So i am going to try something new, the last couple of months ive been eating back my calories that i burn off from exercising. Seeing that others were intaking 1500-1700 cals i was excited. but i checked the scale, and showed i gained 10 lbs in last couple months. So now i will try to stick to 1200 cals, and not eat back the ones i burned, but save those for my cheat days which are saturday and sunday. I hope this will work.
  • Zylahe
    Zylahe Posts: 772 Member
    I try to have it even out at the end of the week.
    For me if i go over by 100 cals in a day i dont stress to much, just realize if it becomes a habit i wont lose as much that week.
    For me this is more about gradual loss, so i'm happy if i to just see the numbers go in a downward trend.
  • gingerjen7
    gingerjen7 Posts: 821 Member
    one day, do you try to undershoot them the next day to 'make up' for the day before? Or do you just start fresh the next day? Yesterday I went over my calorie goal by 400. I don't know what the deal was, but I was just SO hungry and ate a crap ton of chicken for dinner. Plus, I didn't go to the gym. So, today I burned 650 calories at the gym, so that will give me extra calories to eat in order to still net 1200. Should I try to eat pretty low cal today since I went over yesterday - that way it will all kind of balance out? Or should I just start fresh today?
    Meh. Do what feels right for your body. One day (or 400 calories) is not going to break you. It may set you back a couple of ounces, but if it's just one day, in the grand scheme of your lifestyle change, it probably is not going to matter. If you feel guilty and you want to make it up by trying to stay under your goal, go for it. If you're hungry and you need to just shrug it off and eat to your goal, do that. Just don't make a habit of it (going over your goal).
  • r3joe
    r3joe Posts: 5
    If I go over my calories I usually try to workout until it balances out. If I can't, I'll start fresh the next day.
  • JoolieW68
    JoolieW68 Posts: 1,879 Member
    I don't sweat it and start over the next day. Most days I stick to my calorie goals, and I eat back about half of what I burn.
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    Well here is a take on it!

    On Monday I decided to go into maintenance, cos I am more or less at my goal every day I have gone over by 50 to 100 cals including my added on exercise cals..and I have lost 3lbs!! go figure lol

    I have been on 1200 cals a day + exercise cals for a year and this last week have been eating around 1800
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    I usually find that my appetite adjusts accordingly. When I go over I'm not nearly as hungry the next day but if I'm dramatically under I tend to have a bigger appetite the day after.
  • calitravelingal
    calitravelingal Posts: 53
    I don't go over my calories very often. Maybe once a month. Usually (for me anyway) it's associated with some kind of special day/event like out of town guest, birthday party or other special ocassion. I just chalk it up to life. Log everything and start the next day like the day before was just another regular day. The ocassional overage is NOT going to derail me. For me this is as much about being happy and being healthy.
  • crazyvermont
    crazyvermont Posts: 171 Member
    start fresh daily
  • gingerjen7
    gingerjen7 Posts: 821 Member
    Semi OT: how close to your goal do you (as in the general you, all of you, not someone specific) think you need to be? I'm never going to hit 1200 dead on, and most days I'm coming up on the short side by a handful of calories. Like 2 - 39 calories shy of 1200. Today it would have been 89, but I decided to eat two pieces of chocolate so now I'll be 11 over. How close to your calorie goal do you get before you say, "Yeah, that's good enough"?
  • michmill98
    michmill98 Posts: 83
    I don't typically worry about it and just start the next day fresh - if I have time I'll try to sneak a little more exercise in but if not, no big deal. It's a lifestyle change. You have to realize that once in a while you're going to go over your daily calorie limit - just try not to make it a daily habit. :smile:

    You could've been me yesterday - I felt like I was constantly eating and never getting full/satisfied. Then my co-workers and I decided an impromptu happy/venting hour(s) was needed so by the time I left the bar (3 light beers in 3 hours later), I went thru a drive-thru on the way home. This morning, the alarm went off and as much as I wanted to hit the snooze button and be lazy, I still got up and did my C25K workout.
  • 80lbslost
    80lbslost Posts: 93 Member
    I just give myself a break and start fresh the next day!
  • racheljonel
    racheljonel Posts: 400 Member
    I try to balance it out the next day, yes....but I don't sweat it too much if I only go over by 200-300 calories.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I just consider it a slight detour and carry on.

    Keep in mind that if your weight loss is set to one pound a week, going over by 400 means you're still under your maintenance by 100. You're still losing. Just not quite as much.
  • zaph0d
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
    No, don't try to "make up". It's a bad precedent to set.
  • SheilaN1976
    SheilaN1976 Posts: 266 Member
    i just did this the other day...i was over by 507 calories! DOH! so the next day i ate my normal amount but i worked out extra and burned off those calories and did not eat them back. i only burned off my normal workout for that day. definitely dont let it get to you though!
  • TexasTroy
    TexasTroy Posts: 477 Member
    you will more than likely find out that an " oops " day or an overeat day will only help you in the long term. the change in calories helps keep your body off balance and metabolism raging on fire. The extra food will also help keep you sane while your dieting by satisfying your cravings. Dont sweat that one day-its not that big of a deal, just get back on the horse eating like you normally would the next day...no need to drop extra calories the next day.
  • 1Fizzle
    1Fizzle Posts: 241 Member
    you will more than likely find out that an " oops " day or an overeat day will only help you in the long term. the change in calories helps keep your body off balance and metabolism raging on fire. The extra food will also help keep you sane while your dieting by satisfying your cravings. Dont sweat that one day-its not that big of a deal, just get back on the horse eating like you normally would the next day...no need to drop extra calories the next day.

    ^^^^^This seems to be how my body works!
  • georgie181
    georgie181 Posts: 68
    I used to start fresh daily, I hhave decided to start balancing it out over the week and see what happens...
  • markymarrkk
    markymarrkk Posts: 495 Member
    Great question!! it all depends, if you've been consistently staying under or AT calorie goal than that one day over is perfectly fine (IMO). But If you've been fccking up than what I usually do is go for a really high calorie burn (2 hour bike ride) and eat back like half the calories, I'll net under 1200 but I'll recover well and keep my protein high.
  • georgie181
    georgie181 Posts: 68
    just to point out I would NEVER eat under 1200 cals a day, ever, this is bad!!!
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
    Listen to your body - your 1200 calories is more than likely way to low for you size/shape/amount of exercise. Take a look at the roadmap and see how much you can eat and still loss weight. Can you live on 1200 for the rest of your life?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • megleo818
    megleo818 Posts: 595 Member
    I try to have it even out at the end of the week.
    For me if i go over by 100 cals in a day i dont stress to much, just realize if it becomes a habit i wont lose as much that week.
    For me this is more about gradual loss, so i'm happy if i to just see the numbers go in a downward trend.

    Totally this, especially the gradual loss thing. Over/under here and there to more or less even out over time, resulting in consistent loss. Same with weighing myself. I don't stress if I'm a pound or two up now and again -- momentary ups are not worth stressing over.
  • Collinco
    Collinco Posts: 1
    Forget that day and start fresh the next day!!!!!:flowerforyou:
  • willowdancer
    willowdancer Posts: 95
    If I go over my calories I usually try to workout until it balances out. If I can't, I'll start fresh the next day.

    I do this too. If I go over my calories I will drink more water (don't know why exactly, it just makes me feel better about it) and I workout or try to take a walk or anything active. And I always start fresh every day. This is a very vital detail for me; every time in the past I had tried to balance the day before with the next day and it left me feeling over whelmed and like I was failing. Every day for me is a clean slate and a new start. I try to make my best of every day, but if I mess up and don't do as well as I liked I will make a note of it and try to make tomorrow a better day.
  • ladonnaiman
    ladonnaiman Posts: 9
    i go over my calories everyday but work it off with the wii ... does anyone know if the wii really works ?
  • caitlyn30
    caitlyn30 Posts: 207 Member
    eat the next day, i'm not going to starve myself the next day because I was over the day before... that would cause me to overeat eventually.
  • moreORless50
    moreORless50 Posts: 261 Member
    Semi OT: how close to your goal do you (as in the general you, all of you, not someone specific) think you need to be? I'm never going to hit 1200 dead on, and most days I'm coming up on the short side by a handful of calories. Like 2 - 39 calories shy of 1200. Today it would have been 89, but I decided to eat two pieces of chocolate so now I'll be 11 over. How close to your calorie goal do you get before you say, "Yeah, that's good enough"?

    its hard to be spot on i was often a little under so i changed my cal goals to 1250 and i am happy as long as i stay with in the 1200-1250

    i rarely go over my goals but if i do i just start fresh next day
  • morganmcclure75
    morganmcclure75 Posts: 18
    one day, do you try to undershoot them the next day to 'make up' for the day before? Or do you just start fresh the next day? Yesterday I went over my calorie goal by 400. I don't know what the deal was, but I was just SO hungry and ate a crap ton of chicken for dinner. Plus, I didn't go to the gym. So, today I burned 650 calories at the gym, so that will give me extra calories to eat in order to still net 1200. Should I try to eat pretty low cal today since I went over yesterday - that way it will all kind of balance out? Or should I just start fresh today?

    I always treat each day as a new start. The days I go over, or know by the time dinner comes I'll go over, I'll try to burn off the excess. If I still go over though, I don't beat myself up over it, just try to learn from the pervious day.

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