Over eat one day, Under eat the next?

I am very curious about this, too!

Should you start with a clean slate every day, or is it ok to "roll" some of those calories?

Always start with a clean slate! Today, I overate by a lot, but tomorrow I am not going to eat less. That's not a healthy way to lose weight. Plus, your body doesn't know the difference so it doesn't work anyway.

It's called calorie cycling. Some of us do it intentionally to give ourselves a metabolism boost once or twice a week

Look up calorie cycling and intermittent fasting... they both play with the idea of "yo-yo" caloric intake. There are different views about both, of course, but it is really interesting and might help to answer your question.

I don't know the answer, but... Aren't all time periods sort of arbitrary anyway?

If you eat 1800 calories in a day, do you split them exactly into 600 calories per meal? Does the 'day' end at midnight or does it end when you go to sleep (if you're a night owl)? I see no reason why a weekly calorie allotment--used sensibly--couldn't be just as effective as a daily one. Your body is just sort of sailing along, using energy as it needs it based on the things it has available.

But, you know... Thinking is one of the things that got me chubbers in the first place.

I know nothing about anything.

I've noticed that if i have a day of feasting, i will happily go a few days managing to keep to my targets quite easily. Especially if i overate on 'good food' rather than icecream and pizza.
Guess this would fall into 'cycling' as mentioned before.

I wouldn't try to make up for the calories i overate over the next few days, as that would just lead to a horrible backlash in a couple of days

I have always wondered how much it balances out. If for some reason I have to go out and eat with family, and I over eat like 1000 calories, is it okay to under eat like 250 calories for 4 days after that? Or just say "I screwed up" and continue eating to your net goal?

Absolutely. It is all about the week as a whole. 3500 calories make up one pound. If you eat 500 calories less each day, by the end of the week you will have eaten 3500 calories less and lost one pound. Also, if you eat 500 calories extra each day, you will have eaten 3500 calories extra over the course of a week and gained one pound. Of course, this doesn't take into account water retention etc, so it isn't an exact formula for weight loss. When ever I know I am going to have a big meal (like over the holidays) I plan out in advance what I am going to eat and spread it out over different days throughout the week. It usually works out to saving about 250 calories each day. For example, this past Thanksgiving, I logged mashed potatoes and gravy on Wednesday, Pie on Friday, Stuffing on Saturday. I ate those foods on Thursday, but by logging them on the other days I was sure to not eat those calories. I also do this if I accidentally go over one day. I will just log those calories on the remaining days in the week so everything works out.

It's called calorie cycling. Some of us do it intentionally to give ourselves a metabolism boost once or twice a week

Exactly. I used to do this strategically and it can be really convenient as well.. especially if you need extra calories for an event or special dinner! I don't eat nearly as much on rest days when I'm just sitting at home, so it all works out. It's worked for me thus far anyways!

Precisely. It just takes a little more self discipline than normal because you have to make sure it evens out and you're not "going over" more often than "going under".

If I overeat by a lot instead of trying to eat less calories for the rest of the week I try to increase my exercise over the week to make up for it. Otherwise I end up hungry and eat many many naughty things.

More exercise can only be a good thing anyway right?

Cool. I know there are days I will consume like 2800 calories when my goal is 1800, but that's normally on a day I do a lot of physical activity and most of it is eating back calories, but there still might be a surplus.

I have been known to go and back log food on a day that I didn't eat all my calories. I am constantly checking my weekly totals to see where I am. The important thing is to log the food somewhere and not just try to remember that you should eat a few less the next day. Just go ahead and put it down on the following day so you don't eat it (unless you can put in on a past day where you had more calories). Also, all of this is done within the time frame of 1 week. If it is Monday, and I ate a whole pizza, I don't put calories in the previous week. Every week starts as a clean slate.