Net weekly vs. day to day calories

Bubsohn
Bubsohn Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello... I have a quick question. My calories per day is right around 2,000 (14,000 a week)... Now I am usually pretty good about hitting the number, but sometimes I blow a day and then use math to readjust my intake/exersize for the rest of the week to hit my weekly goal. Is this ok? Like Monday is fine, Tuesday as well... then Wednesday I have a huge dinner with wine, etc and hit 4,800 cals for the day! So the next day I will work out more and eat a little less so that by weeks end I am right on my goal... it seems ok, like a little binge followed by some hard work (or punishment) to get things back to normal by weeks end. Don't get me wrong, I am not starving myself or running 10 miles to justify a party... but I may add more exersize and chop some calories across the board to make up for the blown day... like today is Sunday and I have basically 780 calories left to hit my week goal (instead of 2,000)... so if I eat a 300 calorie breakfast, then a 400 calorie lunch and then 500 for dinner (1,200 total) and hit the stationary bike and burn 500 calories... I will hit my goal for the week and then resume my 2,000 a day tomorrow. It seems wrong, but based on the calorie in calorie out thing and making sure to eat every 5-6 hours avoiding starving at all... it seemslike it is ok. The other thing I have done (and this seems silly, but it works)... is to plan ahead of time what you are going to eat and drink and figure out how many calories over it will be (say 2 bottles of wine)... then work out extra before going out to "pre-burn" the extra calories so you end up hitting the daily amount that way...

Any thoughts??? I usually can't make it a week without one fun day... I guess if its forcing me to work out more and/or drink and eat less to avoid the "punishment" its not such a bad system as long as it never goes to far (like having a 7,000 calorie day and not being able to "fix" the differende without starving or really over working in the gym.

Replies

  • Sarahwantshealth
    Sarahwantshealth Posts: 41 Member
    I do a weekly total as opposed to daily. It allows for a higher day here and there and less on those days you just are ot that hungry!
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I look at my weekly. I'm glad the phone app has the option to view how your doing for the week. Like last week, I had 1 day where I was over by 600 calories, but at the end of the week I actually ended up 200 calories under my weekly goal.

    My husband looks at weekly too, although instead of just looking at the graph on his phone, he likes to see the day numbers in green. If he is over calories, he usually will log some of his food on either:
    A) the next day (just enough to bring the day he is over back to green)
    or
    B) log on a previous day where he didn't meet his calorie goal
  • MommyisFit
    MommyisFit Posts: 139 Member
    I take the weekly into consideration as well. I eat a total of about 1200-1300 calories on a daily basis and end up netting around 800 or so. This doesn't bother me though because I have one day a week where I eat around maintenance to make up for it.
  • xilka
    xilka Posts: 308 Member
    I do this too, and track it on a spreadsheet. It's been working fine for me, and I've been doing it for almost a year.

    From what I've read it's actually better to do it this way than to eat the exact same amount every day.

    You keep your body guessing, and speed up your metabolism in so doing.
  • zoodocgirl
    zoodocgirl Posts: 163 Member
    There's no set time of day or week when your body says, "Oh hey! It's Monday, time to turn all those calories eaten this week into fat!" It's a continual process, so theoretically as long as you average out over ANY period of time you will be fine (your weight might fluctuate in that time but the end game is the same).

    The week time period works for me psychologically, partly because I can see it on the MFP graph as such and partly because it works for my workweek/lifestyle. If I have a 2-3 day business trip where I go over, I adjust the latter half of the week when I'm home.
    I like the weekly averaging because, as others have said, it allows for a pleasurable indulgence day here and there while still maintaining the same end goal. I'm not into constant pain.
  • jackielou867
    jackielou867 Posts: 422 Member
    I do this too, and track it on a spreadsheet. It's been working fine for me, and I've been doing it for almost a year.

    From what I've read it's actually better to do it this way than to eat the exact same amount every day.

    You keep your body guessing, and speed up your metabolism in so doing.

    I read this too. I have had 3 days around 200 under this week, and tonight blew 1100 cals on a dinner out with desert! came in good for the week :-)
  • jessiefied
    jessiefied Posts: 167
    I'm the same. I have days when I'm hugely hungry and eat way over, then others I'm not interested in food. My weeks are always under though.
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    I have done this on weeks when I have something special coming up I try to eat 200-300 cals under for 2 days then I have an extra 400-600 cals to splurge on an anniversary, bday, wedding, etc. It works
  • jmadams111
    jmadams111 Posts: 145 Member
    Its generally going to be the overall deficit that counts whether you look at it daily or weekly. In addition, most of us have a bit of "wiggle room" built into the deficit, if you think about it. For example, if your TDEE is 2000 and your GOAL is 1600, thats a deficit of 400. If you happen to eat 1700 one day, you are still at a deficit of 300. The net effect is that you woll just lose weight at a slower than desired rate.

    If you look at the totals over a longer period of time, like a week and there is still a deficit, you're good. However, if the overeating wipes out the overall deficit, then you are still overeating!
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    I eat the same amount daily (regardless of exercise) & go by weekly totals. Daily consistency works for me.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    Totally fine to do this. Quite a few do this as they are more strict on weekdays than the weekends or "bank" calories for special occasions. My net varies a bit due to exercise as well.

    ETA: some people also do intermittent fasting with very different amounts eaten on different days and they still do fine.
  • sunsetzen
    sunsetzen Posts: 268 Member
    I go by weekly totals as well. Eating the same amount of calories for dinner every day is a bit unrealistic for me, and my hunger fluctuates as well. As long as I've got a weekly deficit, I don't really care if I've eaten above or under my "goal" daily calories.
  • liz3marie
    liz3marie Posts: 211 Member
    i do weekly also, always have and always will! and im glad i do! i had 2 days this week where i had really low calories like 700-900 and im glad cause on friday i had 3400 calories by going out with my husband for supper and daughter for lunch..blah. well today i finished my weeekly average right on the spot, and this has been a weekly thing for me. I also feel the same way with if you just cut back "punish, or work hard" for a day or 2 then you get that day where you can go out!
  • needtoloseafewpounds
    needtoloseafewpounds Posts: 161 Member
    I also go by weekly totals because it is more forgiving and easier to give yourself a second or third chance :)
  • desertSNOUT
    desertSNOUT Posts: 175
    I am just starting out, so thank you for making this thread - this is very handy to know should I have a pitfall one day!

    I ate at cici's pizza a couple days ago and while I was under my goal I had to have a banana for 'dinner' lol; It is nice to know that a little overage can be rolled with forethought.

    Awesome thread!!!
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  • walleymama
    walleymama Posts: 174 Member
    I've noticed that after a "bad" day where I've gone quite far over my goals, I'm not really that hungry the next day and usually finish up under my goals.

    I, too, track weekly calories, based on a moving 7-day average. I also track my weight this way and the two curves fit well together. While I have a daily goal range for total calories, it does fluctuate and I do have days where I'll eat something naughty, so I find the moving average to be a better indicator for me of how I'm doing.
  • Bubsohn
    Bubsohn Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you all!!! I feel much better... I am now planning my next binge... lol, just kidding! Its just nice to know you are not stuck and have no room for play. Actually it worls out better this way because I find that even when I do go overboard I end up not letting it go too far because I know what I have to do the rest of the week to make up for it... and it also is a motivating factor in me exercising more, which can never be a bad thing!

    Feel free to add me as a friend and thanks again for all of your comments.
  • Minks_esposa
    Minks_esposa Posts: 54
    I focus on the weekly total and not the day to day totals. Some days I'm not as hungry so I don't eat that much, whereas other days I'm hungry and need to eat a little more. Also focusing on the weekly total allows me to naturally zig zag my cals. Also I focus on my weekly macros totals.
  • haunstar
    haunstar Posts: 40 Member
    I also look at it as a weekly picture, and continue to loose weight doing that. I am actually really glad that others do this, too! What is amazing is how great I feel. The last thing someone who battles weight needs is more guilt!!!
    :) Thanks for sharing this topic!
  • Tmsmith007
    Tmsmith007 Posts: 71
    I have actually heard that a blow it day is a good thing. Just gotta watch not making the whole week a blow it week.
  • japout123
    japout123 Posts: 2
    this calorie counter there using says i should be eating 3000+ calories a day.....dnt know why but it does but ive been eating under or around 1200 a day and walking off about 620 does anyone know if thats healthy? ive lost 34lbs so far
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    this calorie counter there using says i should be eating 3000+ calories a day.....dnt know why but it does but ive been eating under or around 1200 a day and walking off about 620 does anyone know if thats healthy? ive lost 34lbs so far

    I think you may have posted this in the wrong topic, but I'll answer. If you're only eating 1200, and burning 620, that leaves you 580 calories to live off, which is horribly low. 1200 is the minimum usually stated that people need simply to breathe and keep their hearts beating, and that's for short women. So no it's not healthy, you definitely need to be eating more. Calculate your TDEE (search Google for a calculator) and eat 80% of that. If it's a lot more than the 1200 you've been eating and you don't want to jump up that quickly then add 200 cals a week (or whatever number you feel comfortable with) until you reach it.

    As for an on-topic reply, I always went for day-by-day but I think I'm going to start doing this. It sounds much easier! Especially since I never know what I'm having for dinner each night, so if we go out and I eat more than I have left I can make up for it later.

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