Over eat then under eat?

double post!

I do this pretty often. I will have 2000 calorie days and then 1300 calorie days. So far it hasn't hindered my progress. Mostly it happens on days I've worked really late, don't eat much at work to begin with and then have a lot of food to cook/consume when I get home. Sometimes I'm just tired, so I'll try to pack in as much calorie and usually protein dense food as I can and then don't sweat it. I know it will balance out in the long run and it has.

Right, see you said "1300" there's people in this topic talking about going under a bunch of days...so under 1,200. When you're going under you're at say...1300. I don't think there's anything healthy about say: 3,000 (Monday), 2,000 (Tuesday), 800 (Wed-Thurs since you're banking a bunch of calories), 1100 (Friday--gotta BANK UP for the weekend) and 2,500 both Sat-Sun. WTF is that. Your body is not a bank and you can't bank up anything.

Woah, hold up! The OP isn't saying that this is what she's going to do. All she has asked is if she goes over today can she stay on track by being under by the same amount of calories tomorrow. And the answer to that is yes, she can. There is no indication that the OP intends to do this on a regular basis.
I have done this on occasion, and over the last 5 months I've lost 24lbs and am 4lbs away from my goal weight - so it can work.

Just read your most recent post...are you for real?
MFP is set up for 24 hours of logging so that people can see how we'll or not they are doing day to day. It gives a breakdown of how you are doing so that you can spot possible issues.
It's also for motivation! Daily good comments will courage and motivate people to keep going. Google positive reinforcement - it's a well know psychological technique most famously studied by Pavlov and his dogs.

I do this pretty often. I will have 2000 calorie days and then 1300 calorie days. So far it hasn't hindered my progress. Mostly it happens on days I've worked really late, don't eat much at work to begin with and then have a lot of food to cook/consume when I get home. Sometimes I'm just tired, so I'll try to pack in as much calorie and usually protein dense food as I can and then don't sweat it. I know it will balance out in the long run and it has.

The last time I dropped my calories drastically for a couple of days, I actually lost a couple of pounds right there. It's not something I normally do though, as it messes up my running and lifting.

I do this pretty often. I will have 2000 calorie days and then 1300 calorie days. So far it hasn't hindered my progress. Mostly it happens on days I've worked really late, don't eat much at work to begin with and then have a lot of food to cook/consume when I get home. Sometimes I'm just tired, so I'll try to pack in as much calorie and usually protein dense food as I can and then don't sweat it. I know it will balance out in the long run and it has.

Right, see you said "1300" there's people in this topic talking about going under a bunch of days...so under 1,200. When you're going under you're at say...1300. I don't think there's anything healthy about say: 3,000 (Monday), 2,000 (Tuesday), 800 (Wed-Thurs since you're banking a bunch of calories), 1100 (Friday--gotta BANK UP for the weekend) and 2,500 both Sat-Sun. WTF is that. Your body is not a bank and you can't bank up anything.

Woah, hold up! The OP isn't saying that this is what she's going to do. All she has asked is if she goes over today can she stay on track by being under by the same amount of calories tomorrow. And the answer to that is yes, she can. There is no indication that the OP intends to do this on a regular basis.
I have done this on occasion, and over the last 5 months I've lost 24lbs and am 4lbs away from my goal weight - so it can work.

Just read your most recent post...are you for real?
MFP is set up for 24 hours of logging so that people can see how we'll or not they are doing day to day. It gives a breakdown of how you are doing so that you can spot possible issues.
It's also for motivation! Daily good comments will courage and motivate people to keep going. Google positive reinforcement - it's a well know psychological technique most famously studied by Pavlov and his dogs.

Are you saying I'm a dog?

THIS:

24 hour clock.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm

The Circadian rhythym has nothing at all to do with nutrition or digestion. It refers to sleeping cycles.

Broscience is a term used to describe information that mixes a little of this science with a little of that science. Usually, because the person sharing the information doesn't really know that much about science in the first place.

I know all of the science!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dude! I think you are in the wrong thread! LOL! :laugh:

1. I'm not a dude
2. I actually think I'm pretty smart. I have an MBA and work with college students.
3. I posted about the 24 hour clock because there were people in this forum that said there's no such thing as a 24 hour clock when it comes to weight loss. If that were true...why is MFP set up for 24 hours of logging? Just a good honest question.

Hope the MBA is not in nutrition.

Your body is on a 24 hour clock. Sorry. You can't make stuff up. You can of course log a bad day and do better tomorrow and the next day.

^^^Did you just make this up?

Your calorie deficit should be based on your weekly calorie intake, not your daily intake. What the OP is describing is a form of calorie cycling. It works for some people and doesn't for others. It helped me break through my plateau. Just make sure you don't go too low on the lower calorie days, and try not to eat too much over your TDEE on your higher calorie days (you can eat at your TDEE on those days, though).

What is the lowest you go on calorie cycling? I usually eat 1700-2000 a day. It is funny this question came up because I have been wondering the same, if I go over one day, can I eat less another to make up for it?

So one day I would eat 1800 and the next 1200? I have a very hard time eating less then 1700 calories a day.

When I tried this method, my NET was never under 1200 calories. My TDEE is around 2000, and I was NETTING anywhere from 1800-2000 calories on my higher calorie cycling days. I only used this method for a few weeks to break through my plateau.

THIS:

24 hour clock.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm

The Circadian rhythym has nothing at all to do with nutrition or digestion. It refers to sleeping cycles.

Broscience is a term used to describe information that mixes a little of this science with a little of that science. Usually, because the person sharing the information doesn't really know that much about science in the first place.

I know all of the science!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dude! I think you are in the wrong thread! LOL! :laugh:

1. I'm not a dude
2. I actually think I'm pretty smart. I have an MBA and work with college students.
3. I posted about the 24 hour clock because there were people in this forum that said there's no such thing as a 24 hour clock when it comes to weight loss. If that were true...why is MFP set up for 24 hours of logging? Just a good honest question.

Hope the MBA is not in nutrition.

Just for those that don't know... an MBA is Masters of Business Arts... not science.

Hope the MBA is not in nutrition.

Just for those that don't know... an MBA is Masters of Business Arts... not science.
[/quote]

Actually, here in the states it is a Master's of Business Administration and is a masters of science degree, not a master's of arts. It's typically 18 classes and takes around 4 years to complete if you do the program part time by working full-time. It's pretty standard at all schools and yes, it's science not art. At least here in the states.

Hope the MBA is not in nutrition.

Just for those that don't know... an MBA is Masters of Business Arts... not science.

Actually, here in the states it is a Master's of Business Administration and is a masters of science degree, not a master's of arts. It's typically 18 classes and takes around 4 years to complete if you do the program part time by working full-time. It's pretty standard at all schools and yes, it's science not art. At least here in the states.

Fine... But its not a "science" degree. Otherwise I would have had to obtain a 'BS' in business administration rather than a 'BA' in business administration first.

It is an "arts" degree. And I am in the states. Your credentials don't make you any more correct about the point that you were trying to make.

Oh... yeah... and I've taken most of those classes and I don't recall ever studying anything on nutrition or Circadian rhythyms.

Your body is on a 24 hour clock. Sorry. You can't make stuff up. You can of course log a bad day and do better tomorrow and the next day.

I hope you're being sarcastic?

Your body is NOT on a 24 hour clock, at least not when it comes to weight loss. What matters is your overall calorie intake over time. If you're generally eating less than you burn, you'll lose weight.

What a lot of people (inlcuidng myself) do is look at our WEEKLY goals instead of daily. I net about 1400 calories a day, which is 9800 per week. As long as at the end of the week I'm at or below 9800 calories, I'm going to lose weight right on track... even if I went over a couple days.

So the short answer is yes, you can go over and make up for it the next day. I do it all the time and have had great success.

Your body is on a 24 hour clock per my doctor. I'm going with what he says. That's why we have our sleep cycles and all of our other body's rhythms and cycles. 24 hours. I'm not being sarcastic, I'm being realistic. If I eat 3,000 calories one day and only 1,500 the next it does not "undo" the day before. I have to be under by 500 calories per day not per week. See what I mean?

You and your doctor are mistaken. Badly.

You are mistaken: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm

Sleep cycles are separate discussion. We are talking about the effects of cyclical calorie intakes. You are claiming that you can't create larger deficits on some days and smaller deficits on other days and have it average out to approximately a net deficit.

This is exactly what happens. If you eat at maintenance a few days per week and a deficit a few days per week, you will lose weight "roughly" according to that net deficit over time.

How else do you propose things work in real life?

When you over-eat, fat storage goes up and fat oxidation goes down. When you under-eat, fat oxidation goes up and fat storage goes down. Over time the difference between fat storage and fat oxidation is all that matters.

Exactly.

You do realize the difference between weight gain and fat gain? That anyone will argue you can't consume higher calories one day and lower calories the next day and not lose weight obviously hasn't tried it. There is a such thing as calorie cycling, and it has proven to be more effective in some cases for weight loss. The problem is you are so focused on the number on the scale that you lose sight of the big picture. I calorie cycle throughout the week and have not gained fat, and have lost or maintained my weight according to my goals. Yes, I might be a pound or two heavier on one day and lighter the next, but do you honestly think I've gained fat weight? It's water weight!! Increasing calories one day isn't cheating. It doesn't mean you've messed up or fallen off track. Stop being narrow minded. If it's planned, it's part of your overall fitness and health goals. The problem is when it isn't planned, and you just over eat. But that means you have a problem with self control.

Also, you have to look at weight and fat loss on a weekly basis. Net calories over the week is what matters. Tracking day to day weight and feeling bad for going over your calories is just as bad as having an eating disorder. Your body isn't on a 24 hour clock. That notion is laughable. Before you post articles or links, try it first. You will see you can be flexible, and depending on your goal, lose, maintain, or gain weight.