do calories really even out over the week

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nanainkent
nanainkent Posts: 350 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been unconcerned when I go over as long as it evens out at the end of the week. But lately I have been thinking,

If we are using a certain amount of calories to run our bodies ea day, what happens to the extra calories we eat that day. Where does the body store them for use on a day we go under so we can even out at the end of the week?

And if it goes to the fat storage then why would the body get those fat cells to give back the calories we over ate the day before or a few days before?

Doesn't it make sense that the function of eating more calories than needed that day would go to fat cells and the next day the counter resets to zero?

Replies

  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    I don't believe in the Zig Zaging of calories. I believe in eating a healthy amount of real food everyday. Nothing else has ever worked tor me. Good luck
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
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    By your theory, if the extra immediately goes to fat cells, but the next day you're under on calories a bit to compensate, where do you think your body gets the extra bit of energy it needs to make up for it? Probably those same fat cells.
  • AteATomata
    AteATomata Posts: 6 Member
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    Great question. I don't have a proven answer for you on this, but it's my guess that all absorption and expendature of calories is a gradual and slow process and it doesn't do what it needs to in a 24 hour process. So I guess it's all to do with storage, but I'm not sure.
  • smokinwife
    smokinwife Posts: 1
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    I think you're right! It's better to stick to a consistent pattern especially if you're trying to lose weight. Blessings ladies:)

    P.s. I've lost 2.5 pds in 1.5 wks! staying within my calories & working out 5 days a week.
    you're able to eat more when you exercise:) I like that!
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
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    I'm not sure, I've head that they do. I sure hope they do...I'm a zig-zagger. Haven't remained consistent enough to know for sure though.
  • obsidianwings
    obsidianwings Posts: 1,237 Member
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    My thoughts are that your body doesn't know when it ticks over at midnight, so as long as you don't be stupid and try save them for a year you will be fine. Do make sure to eat enough each day to nourish yourself though.
    Apparently in general it takes about 3500 unburned calories to put on a pound of fat so as long as you are burning off long before it gets to that stage I don't see a problem.
    I work my calories on a weekly basis and it works for me.
  • Erienneb
    Erienneb Posts: 592 Member
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    Soooooooo my weight loss has been all over the place week to week. I made a spreadsheet of calories per week and then average per day and weight lost that week, no correlation at all. I've lost 35 pounds in eleven weeks and I tend to look mostly at the week over all. But then again, my weeks have been all different so far.
  • junodog1
    junodog1 Posts: 4,792 Member
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    Don't obsess.
  • skittles1928
    skittles1928 Posts: 57 Member
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    A lot of people go on a weekly calorie intake rather than a daily one. Your body doesn't simply reset in a 24 hour period. It's not a computer or anything. If I don't eat all of my calories one day, I'll eat them the next day. And if I overeat one day, I just do better the next day rather than taking away calories from my hungry future self.
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
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    Soooooooo my weight loss has been all over the place week to week. I made a spreadsheet of calories per week and then average per day and weight lost that week, no correlation at all. I've lost 35 pounds in eleven weeks and I tend to look mostly at the week over all. But then again, my weeks have been all different so far.
    You had me at "spreadsheet".... :flowerforyou:
  • fraser112
    fraser112 Posts: 405
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    It even outs over the week to a point, If you miss protein for muscle building you will loose a small amount of muscle. But thats for a few days of no food.

    I wonder if you wana get real lean your body might try harder to hold onto the fat. But then again you could say the same for muscle building. Say eat an excess 6 days then fast for 1 day. Most wont need to worry its energy in energy out.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    By your theory, if the extra immediately goes to fat cells, but the next day you're under on calories a bit to compensate, where do you think your body gets the extra bit of energy it needs to make up for it? Probably those same fat cells.

    Agreed. I go by my weekly total. I have since day 1 (lost 50 lbs prior to MFP and 53 since joining) I don't go 1,000 over 1 day then a 1,000 under but I'm over/under 2-300 and in the end it averages out at the end of the week. When I was losing, I lost at a steady rate and never stalled. I've been on maintenance for a couple months but gearing up to lose the last 50 and will use same weekly average as I did when I lost the 103.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I used to keep a spreadsheet of my daily cals to make it easier to see bigger pictures gains/losses. I could look at data by the day, week or month pretty easily, and it showed that net cals over time = weight loss or gain. If I was over for a day or 2 but even or under for the week, I lost. If I was over for a week, but under for the month, I lost.
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
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    I used to keep a spreadsheet of my daily cals to make it easier to see bigger pictures gains/losses. I could look at data by the day, week or month pretty easily, and it showed that net cals over time = weight loss or gain. If I was over for a day or 2 but even or under for the week, I lost. If I was over for a week, but under for the month, I lost.
    Well said. And I think everyone should do this. If not a spreadsheet, then record the data in a notebook. Once people start to be able focus on the big picture instead of obsessing over the day to day details, this whole thing gets a whole lot more enjoyable.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I used to keep a spreadsheet of my daily cals to make it easier to see bigger pictures gains/losses. I could look at data by the day, week or month pretty easily, and it showed that net cals over time = weight loss or gain. If I was over for a day or 2 but even or under for the week, I lost. If I was over for a week, but under for the month, I lost.
    Well said. And I think everyone should do this. If not a spreadsheet, then record the data in a notebook. Once people start to be able focus on the big picture instead of obsessing over the day to day details, this whole thing gets a whole lot more enjoyable.
    it TOTALLY does.
  • cristeberga
    cristeberga Posts: 251 Member
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    I have been focusing on weekly calories instead of daily ones. That way, I do not stress myself when I go over on certain days, especially the weekend. It has worked for me so far.
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
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    So people are saying your body doesn't reset at midnight, but it doesn't reset on sunday or monday either.....ya know?
  • obsidianwings
    obsidianwings Posts: 1,237 Member
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    So people are saying your body doesn't reset at midnight, but it doesn't reset on sunday or monday either.....ya know?
    This is true, but I think a week is a reasonable time frame. Also it would be much more complicated for me to figure out whether you are over or under on a monthly or yearly basis. Not to mention that I could overeat on the first half of the year and undereat in the second, as long as i'm under on calories I should come out smaller at the end of the year, but that wouldn't stop me from being really fat for the first half, a week doesn't allow you to go over THAT much on calories before you have to cut back down again.
  • pwnderosa
    pwnderosa Posts: 280 Member
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    I go by the weekly calories and it has been working quite well for me the past few months since I joined MFP. However, I do think it's important not to go TOO low on any particular day because you do need enough food (fuel) to keep your energy levels up day to day.

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