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Opinions Wanted!

chineyLuv
chineyLuv Posts: 130 Member
edited January 27 in Health and Weight Loss
I heard/read, that sometimes its actually better to maintain within your calories per week as opposed to daily. So, it’s ok to eat like 2,000 calories one day, and the next day only 500, as long as you’ve still remained within your WEEKLY calorie goal….

What do ya'll think?

Replies

  • RheaIzar
    RheaIzar Posts: 16 Member
    I think it's all the same really. The only reason I can think of to stay within your calories for the day is to try and keep your eating consistent. If you eat much more at the end of the week then at the beginning, you'll weight more the next week and your body may try to retain the calories and fat it currently has because you only allowed yourself the "500" calories for the beginning of the week.

    It's like Weight Watchers. You can eat what you want, when you want, so long as you stay within your points.

    That's my opinion. It's not gospel or scientific fact, but there it is! <3
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    It's really all the same. Some people use zig-zag approach (see zig-zagging).

    This would work really well if you were planning a special event ..... anniversary dinner, whatever ..... you could purposely leave room. Some people call these "cheat days" ..... as long as you can stay in control you're good.
  • HS2305
    HS2305 Posts: 422 Member
    I think that that probably is true but I'm not sure how sustainable it would be realistically.
  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    It's fine as long as you can sustain it. I would have trouble jumping up and down on my calories depending on the day, but some people do well with it. I prefer to just eat about the same thing every day.
  • lee91356
    lee91356 Posts: 330 Member
    can you lose weight yes. is it a good method no. well at least not that drastic. there is a difference between shifting a few calories from one day to the next but eating two days worth of food for in one and then nothing the next isnt the greatest for consistency. The only people who do something like this are intermittent fasters but I believe that the non-fasting days doesnt involved counting calories at all, just free eating days balanced against very low calories day.

    hope that helps.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
    I find that easier to sustain actually. It is what I did when I stayed roughly the same weight for years. Studies show meal timing across a couple of days makes no difference anyway.
  • chineyLuv
    chineyLuv Posts: 130 Member
    Ok, jumping from 2,000 to 500 was a little exaggerated.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
    and for the sake of accuracy, when I say I did this for years, I was not tracking. But when I had a heavy dinner out or whatever, I often would not eat breakfast or lunch the next day. I wasn't trying to atone for it; I just wasn't hungry. Those were the days...
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    Ok, jumping from 2,000 to 500 was a little exaggerated.

    Not really. That's the basic premise of the 5:2 plan: 5 days of maintenance. 2 days restricted (500 for gals, 600 for guys).
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
    I heard/read, that sometimes its actually better to maintain within your calories per week as opposed to daily. So, it’s ok to eat like 2,000 calories one day, and the next day only 500, as long as you’ve still remained within your WEEKLY calorie goal….

    What do ya'll think?

    I did alternate day intermittent fasting for weight loss and it follows an every other day rotation of higher calorie days, followed by low calorie/fasting days. On my low days I ate under 500 calories and then on my higher days I averaged around 2,000 calories-sometimes a bit under but also sometimes higher. It worked great for me, because every other day I got to eat as I liked and only 'dieted' every other day :) There's a group on mfp called JUDDD that does this plan, if you want more info.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
    I've heard caloric cycling or zig zagging can work really well. I tried it but didn't do well on it, I always ended up over eating after restricting my calories too much the day before. I also had issues with low blood sugar headaches and dizziness. My body likes continuity :smile:
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
    can you lose weight yes. is it a good method no. well at least not that drastic. there is a difference between shifting a few calories from one day to the next but eating two days worth of food for in one and then nothing the next isnt the greatest for consistency. The only people who do something like this are intermittent fasters but I believe that the non-fasting days doesnt involved counting calories at all, just free eating days balanced against very low calories day.

    hope that helps.

    Technically you are supposed to track on your non-fasting days (both ADF and 5:2 give recommendations). However, many people find that they don't have to :)
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    Yep. The weekly average is what it comes down to. I've lost 107 lbs by going by my weekly total. I try not to have extreme highs/lows but it does work to go by weekly average.
  • chineyLuv
    chineyLuv Posts: 130 Member
    I heard/read, that sometimes its actually better to maintain within your calories per week as opposed to daily. So, it’s ok to eat like 2,000 calories one day, and the next day only 500, as long as you’ve still remained within your WEEKLY calorie goal….

    What do ya'll think?

    I did alternate day intermittent fasting for weight loss and it follows an every other day rotation of higher calorie days, followed by low calorie/fasting days. On my low days I ate under 500 calories and then on my higher days I averaged around 2,000 calories-sometimes a bit under but also sometimes higher. It worked great for me, because every other day I got to eat as I liked and only 'dieted' every other day :) There's a group on mfp called JUDDD that does this plan, if you want more info.

    Thank you!!! I think I'm going to give this a try! I mean, generally, if I've over eaten one day, I tend to want to eat less the next day (out of guilt), but then I hate this whole thing of "dont eat too less, ur body will retain the fat" business! I think the JUDDD diet might actually work for me.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,438 MFP Moderator
    The only advantage to eating the same amount of calories daily is it makes it easier to calculate TDEE... not to say it's difficult to calculate if you zigzag.
  • bubaluboo
    bubaluboo Posts: 2,098 Member
    Interesting topic! I was going to ask a similar question so I'm glad that I found this. I find that some days I'm just not that bothered about eating and other days I feel the need to have a large satisfying (comfort) meal that would tip the calories over. At the moment I'm keeping things fairly even but I do think that going with appetite (within reason of course) would make it more sustainable. The only thing that stops me is the worry that one high calorie day of say 1800 calories would lead to another...and another...etc.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,438 MFP Moderator
    Interesting topic! I was going to ask a similar question so I'm glad that I found this. I find that some days I'm just not that bothered about eating and other days I feel the need to have a large satisfying (comfort) meal that would tip the calories over. At the moment I'm keeping things fairly even but I do think that going with appetite (within reason of course) would make it more sustainable. The only thing that stops me is the worry that one high calorie day of say 1800 calories would lead to another...and another...etc.

    In all fairness, with as little weight as you have to lose, 1800 calories a day isn't all that bad if you are active. Heck, the majority of women I know are losing weight at 1700-2100. But depending on your height, weight, age and workout (or lack their of) schedule could allow you to eat that much daily and still lose weight.

    Not to pry, but most days in your diary, the calories are pretty low. A person with 20 lbs should only be aiming for 1/2 - 1 lb a week max. Below are some good guidelines to follow.

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
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