Calorie Deficiency Carry Over

^ Agree ^

What they said. 1200 a day though?

I always balance out over the week - that way "treat" days aren't "cheat" days For example, this wek I had a really naughty Monday (bank holiday BBQ at my sister) so I'm tring to make up that overage through this week so my daily average is not over (on the phone/ipod app there's a tab for this), but I regularly save a hunderd or so each day to give me some weekend flexibility. Make sure you don't go under 1200 net per day though or you'll just get hungry and fed up!

maybe not *everyone* is in agreement

A lot of people use 24 hours as the measure for calorie counting, since it is ingrained in us to do so. This site, and most similar ones (in fact, all that I know of) use 24 hours as the window. In reality, our bodies don't care if it's after midnight or before (we're not Mogwais, after all). Our fat cells and glycogen stores act as capacitors of a sort, storing energy until we need it, and supplying that energy when the time comes. Your organs and muscles are the short term storage, your fat cells are the long term ones. When we eat, the nutrients get digested, broken down, and sent off to the storage units. A bit gets used before it gets a chance to be stored, per our cells needs for nutrients right away. I've simplified it a bit... but in general that's what happens. We store that stuff for as long as needed. For most of us, we have fat stores that have been with us for some time... technically that's food we ate years ago in many cases. So, if you are at a deficit one day and not the next, you will burn off some of those stores the first day, and then refill them. In fact, this happens all day long, in much shorter windows. If you eat a meal at noon, then go work out at 4pm, you've almost certainly already finished digesting your noon meal, and are working straight off of the resulting stored energy (glycogen and fat). These gains and losses are very small, and they add up to the net result we see at the end of the day or the week or the month, depending on when you like to measure your progress.

The question you're asking is basically "if I burn extra fat today, is it okay to gain it again tomorrow?" Of course, the answer is yes... but of course it will also mean that you are giving up that progress you made on your deficit day. In the long run, it might be more mentally healthy to do that, and in extreme cases it can help keep your metabolism at a normal level. I think the real answer to your question requires knowledge of how big that deficit is. If it's a big deficit, as in more than what your overall plan calls for, then it's probably a good idea to replenish. If you're eating within your overall plan that day, but want to eat over... your net loss will be smaller, if a loss at all.

In the end, you have to decide if eating those extra calories is worth using the storage space they will require. I personally prefer to be at a deficit every day. I work hard to burn the fat off, I don't want to undo my progress. For some people, it's worth it to allow themselves to gain a bit once in a while to "keep their sanity."

For some people, it's worth it to allow themselves to gain a bit once in a while to "keep their sanity."

Just so that I understand... are you saying human body loses and gains fat tissue *every day*, based on the amount of food/calories?

yes, and based on lots of other things like exercise, stress, water, temperature, etc. Not just every day, but constantly.