How do you decide how much to eat in a day?

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annebaum41912
annebaum41912 Posts: 87 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm sure we all have different ways of figuring out how many calories we burn in a day. Whether its a guess from a website or by using a device like BodyMediaFit. Well I've had my BodyMediaFit for almost a month now. I absolutely LOVEEEE it. My question may best be answered by those who also use one, but could be answered by those who have a rough guestimate of what they burn in a day plus exercise.

So far, I have been eating as I go through the day, keeping an eye on the deficit, trying to guestimate how much I can eat before I'll be over my projected deficit (and keeping in mind how many hours are left in the day for the deficit to grow).

I've been thinking about starting to eat for what my burn was the day before. That way I can plan my day easier, knowing exactly how many calories I can eat that day rather than trying to guess.

Does anyone else do this? How do you guys do it? This new method seems like less of a headache, but I'm not sure if eating based on the day before is a good idea or not.

Replies

  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
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    I use Body Media Core and link it here. I want that calorie deficiet and I don't eat back all my exercise calories because I exercise to lose more weight. I stay within my MFP recommendations, not net calories.
  • annebaum41912
    annebaum41912 Posts: 87 Member
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    I log my food in mfp because the database is so much better, but in terms of a deficit i use BML (i have the accounts linked, as you do). I like to have the same deficit each day. So rather than eat 1800 every day and my calorie burn varies i want the deficit to stay the same and the calories eaten vary (tho of course in a good range, nothing too low or high). That's why I was thinking eating for what I burned the day before might be a good solution.
  • annebaum41912
    annebaum41912 Posts: 87 Member
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    anybody else?
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I don't have a device to do my all day tracking, but have used a website to calculate TDEE and have been using that method for almost 18 months. For about the first year+ I ate at TDEE minus 20% and had great results with fat loss and hit my goal weight. With this method my daily goal is the same whether I exercise or not - so I just aim for goal. If I did exercise, I may focus more on getting higher protein (weight days), or more carbs (long run day), or not worry so much about either (rest day).

    I have upped my cals after hitting goal weight, and it's been a few months. Watching my weight & measurements to see if this is too much and I should drop down or stay where I am. So trial and error and results I'm getting (or not getting) help me decide whether or not to stick with current settings. :smile:
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    it depends on my activity,, i like to do 2 to 3 hours cardio a day, so i need my fuel.
    but i also am very fond of fasting too.
  • operation_cute
    operation_cute Posts: 588 Member
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    I pre plan my days most of the time, If its an exercise day I usually spend the same time on specific routines so I search them up to get the amount of cals I'll be burning, and plan my day around that as well, if anything doesn't go as planned in my food diary I make adjustments from there as well :) Its worked for me and keeps it simple, haven't gone over once since I started doing it this way :)
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,224 Member
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    I have a body media link. My calorie burns for the day are all over the place (from 1800-3300). I am a night water though-so I generally plow through my "extra" calories before bed. Because my burns are so inconsistent, I really can't "plan" for that. I just go by hunger-since on heavy burn days, I'm usually more hungry. Not exactly a scientific approach, but I do consume the vast majority of my calories after 8/9PM, so I have a pretty good idea where I'll land for the day by then.
  • Fit_French
    Fit_French Posts: 134 Member
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    I eat whenever my body yells FEED ME! It ends up being around 1500, some times more, sometimes less. I'm kinda weaning away from cal counting so I don't make an obsession over it. I still log everything I eat, but I don't let the numbers dictate on how many cals I need in a day. I just listen to my body.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
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    I eat based on what I think I'll be doing that day, so workout days I eat alot, non-workout days I eat less. Since you have access to records of what you burn on workout days, average the last 10 or so and eat according to that. This will also will help you be more aware of what a baseline workout day is, and can easily see if you start doing more or less and make adjustments to help you stay on track.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    mostly i guess.

    I don't gain if I eat around 1600. But I lose if i'm around 1200. I exercise alot but don't rely on the numbers here.

    If i'm hungry I eat more, even if my calories are maxed out. Then I try to plan better the next day.

    I'm focused on being healthy and earing right. I have less then 20 pounds to go.. and once I get there.. i'll reassess what i'm doing.

    Stress makes a big difference too. i didn't lose anything while I was stressed out over some things.. The day I made up my mind i lost weight. amazing huh?
  • annebaum41912
    annebaum41912 Posts: 87 Member
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    Lots of great ideas. Doesn't sound like anyone eats for the workouts the day before. I don't always know what my workouts are going to be in a day. I seem to have a pretty good average of calorie burns in a day according to my report though. Sometimes I love that losing weight can be confusing, because it keeps it from being boring, but other times it just seems like a headache lol

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