weekly vs daily calories

andy13
andy13 Posts: 208 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
When I first started my fitness pal I would track all my calories daily, never go over and start each day with a clean slate. I have lost 50lbs so far by doing this, but the last couple of weeks I have been finding this impossible , I have been eating over my calories one day but exercising to make up for it on another and my calories are leveled out by the end of the week.so does this method fit in with MFP? does anyone else do this or should I try my hardest to get back to daily tracking?

Replies

  • zhvah18
    zhvah18 Posts: 158 Member
    I look more at my weekly calorie average than my daily calories. Some days I'm just not as hungry as others so I think it's better to look at the whole picture than just a tiny portion at a time.
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
    I look at it as the weekly average. Sometimes even more monthly, some weeks I'm just not hungry and I'm not going to force myself to eat. That's part of the way I got fat in the first place (eating even if I wasn't hungry). Overall, I think it averages out...
  • Denjo060
    Denjo060 Posts: 1,008
    I think they call that zig zagging as long as you do not go over your total calories for the week I hear its all good
  • underwater77
    underwater77 Posts: 331 Member
    I try to plan my day as if I only care about daily counts, but when it comes down to it, I know that weekly is really what matters. I was over yesterday and know I can make up for it today/this weekend.
  • fatfrost
    fatfrost Posts: 367 Member
    I've done weekly tracking since the beginning. It works better for me.
  • Pimpmonkey
    Pimpmonkey Posts: 566
    how do I look at the week's calories instead of just daily?
  • andy13
    andy13 Posts: 208 Member
    Add up how much your over and under each day for the week
  • Pimpmonkey
    Pimpmonkey Posts: 566
    Add up how much your over and under each day for the week

    oh, lol, I was looking all over for a button or link. thanks
  • GoMizzou99
    GoMizzou99 Posts: 512 Member
    I am down 75 pounds total and have been in maintenance for a year. Unfortunately, I did not discover MFP until I was nearly at goal. If I go over on calories a day or two, I try to make the weekly calories right. As for eating back the exercise calories...I usually limit that to 1/4 to 1/2 of them if trying to lose or maintain my weight.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    how do I look at the week's calories instead of just daily?

    On the website Reports --> Nutrition --> Net Calories will give you a graphical view (but no numbers)

    I use the mobile Apps which have a button on the Summary screen for the weekly stats, very handy.

    I tend to eat less during the working week and make sure that I make up for it over the weekend (eating mostly good quality food tho ...) if I'm short by a fair amount. Try to keep the body guessing, etc.
  • Rockstar_JILL
    Rockstar_JILL Posts: 514 Member
    I think if you are maintaining then you look at the weekly thing....I have been maintaining for the last 5 months or so...haven't really lost anything except the little bit I gained over Christmas, which I am happy with. But now I am back to the maintenance thing, I think. I learned how to eat and exercise to maintain without tracking. I never tracked throughout my weightloss..I found this site near the end of my journey. But, I will use it to maintain! I am down 82 lbs.!
  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
    I also prefer to view my calorie intake over a weeks time rather than daily. The monotony of the same number of calories every day with no possibility of going over makes me want to kill an entire package of Oreos. Eating more once or twice a week keeps me sane.
  • honkytonks85
    honkytonks85 Posts: 669 Member
    When I first started my fitness pal I would track all my calories daily, never go over and start each day with a clean slate. I have lost 50lbs so far by doing this, but the last couple of weeks I have been finding this impossible , I have been eating over my calories one day but exercising to make up for it on another and my calories are leveled out by the end of the week.so does this method fit in with MFP? does anyone else do this or should I try my hardest to get back to daily tracking?

    That's fine. Your body doesn't tick over at 12 midnight every day to start your calories fresh. If you eat more one day, and eat less the next day and come up with the same deficit, you will lose the same amount of weight.
  • andy13
    andy13 Posts: 208 Member
    how do I look at the week's calories instead of just daily?

    On the website Reports --> Nutrition --> Net Calories will give you a graphical view (but no numbers)

    I use the mobile Apps which have a button on the Summary screen for the weekly stats, very handy.

    I tend to eat less during the working week and make sure that I make up for it over the weekend (eating mostly good quality food tho ...) if I'm short by a fair amount. Try to keep the body guessing, etc.

    Thanks, I didn't know that was on the mobile app. It has just made my life 100% easier,
  • carfamily08
    carfamily08 Posts: 179
    I think if you are maintaining then you look at the weekly thing....I have been maintaining for the last 5 months or so...haven't really lost anything except the little bit I gained over Christmas, which I am happy with. But now I am back to the maintenance thing, I think. I learned how to eat and exercise to maintain without tracking. I never tracked throughout my weightloss..I found this site near the end of my journey. But, I will use it to maintain! I am down 82 lbs.!

    I'm still working on losing and I always look at weekly over daily, it works for both losing and maintaining in my experience :)
  • jraymond
    jraymond Posts: 25 Member
    Thanks for this! I never realized it was there! I have seen the wisdom with experience in tracking weekly--so much better psychologically to not have an "I totally blew it!" mentality. Helps you get back on the horse more easily and keep going over the long haul. Plus, for those of us wanting to shed pounds, we all have our eye on the 3,500 calorie (1 lb of fat) weekly deficit, anyway, so why not track weekly instead of daily?

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