Do you average your calories over the week?

It sounds you're unintentionally zig zagging your calories and many people believe this is a great way to break a plateau. I know Ghanie was doing high and low calorie days depending on her work outs. I, personally, am usually right at what I'm supposed to eat. I eat at least my base calories (especially on a rest day) and aim to eat all my exercise calories.

It's only when I recently started doing this that I dropped about 4lbs. I read it on the internet (so I could be true or not) but say if you have 10,000 calories to eat for the week if you vary the calorie intake you will keep your metabolism busy. You know how sometimes you'll go a week or two eating minimal calories (1200/day) then for some reason or another ( usually hunger) you will go to the olive garden or somewhere and eat a huge meal and thinking you've gained weight you check the next day or so and you've lost some. Apparently this is because like exercise our bodies become "used" to daily intake of calories so it already thinks it knows how to regulate the metabolism so if you vary your weekly calories you will trick your body/metabolism into constantly working harder. I currently do the following (must still exercise daily though):
Monday: 1400 calories
Tuesday: 1700 calories
Wednesday: 1410 calories
Thursday: 1300 calories
Friday: 1700 calories (I'm prone to eat more heading into the weekend ya know)
Saturday: 1200 calories
Sunday: 1500 calories

I don't know about anyone else but I do find it challenging to find enough to eat on 1700 calorie days (especially when you're trying to eat healthy). I mean one chipotle burrito could be 1700 calories but I'd be hungry by lunch. It's true. The healthier the food the fewer calories. So, I allow myself 2 treats a week and try to make those days Friday (heading into the weekend) and Sunday (True Blood is so much better with ice cream or cake).

i've wondered about this before too i try to 'make up' for my bad days with a good day as often as i can

I do not see a problem with the zig zagging. as most have pointed out it keeps your metabolism going and prevents your body from hitting that plateau. I know I lost three pounds on a holiday and I ate what I wanted but also walked three times a day. And you are doing the right thing by logging it so you are making yourself aware of what is going in your body.

good luck and stay positive

I average mine. I aim for:
Mon 1500
Tues 1800
Weds 1200
Thurs 1500
Friday 1300
Sat 1650
Sun 1500

Although if on tues I eat 1300 and Friday I eat 1800 its all good I figure I naturally want to eat more some days so why not? Plus its nice to not have to be super strick on special occasions and this way you dont have to feel guilty.

I do this. If I'm over one day, I'll add something from that day to the next day, so I eat less the next day and it doesn't hurt me. If I go under one day I won't try to eat more to make up for it, because I know that at some point I'm going to want something extra that will put me over for that particular day, and I can go back and add it to the day I had calories, etc. left over. It has worked for me so far! It is too hard to try and calculate every single calorie, and gram of carbs, fats, proteins, etc. to make it all fit perfectly.

I wanted to add that you can log food to the next day. For instance, I've already filled in my breakfast and lunch for Tuesday! I like to do that to get ahead of the game.

:drinker:

~Tamie