Help needed to understand calorie consumption

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NJFabFour
NJFabFour Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Returning to the MFP community after losing some weight, gaining some weight, you know the routine! Giving it another go with a focus on reducing carbs and eating more lean proteins and veggies. My question is about the recommended daily caloric intake (mine is around 1300): there are some days my intake is much lower than recommended if I have a day of eating pretty light and healthy. There are other days I eat more and may be at or above. I get the rule of thumb that you have to eat to burn and ultimately lose the weight, but should I make myself eat more calories on a "light" day or just figure it evens out (similar to "points" and daily allowances with WW where you can save some up or "bank" them?) I typically am eating several times a day, just sometimes low calorie items. Thanks for any advice or insight!

Replies

  • JustMeee333
    JustMeee333 Posts: 233
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    Some would suggest eating higher calorie nutrious food, others tend to just count their calorie intake weekly instead.
    It's up to you obviously, but I prefer to make sure I get my calorie intake spot on day by day.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    I don't stress about it too much, but I have found personally I feel better when I try to eat evenly throughout the week. I am not going to say that I have never saved up for a splurge day or anything though. Up to you really.
  • NJFabFour
    NJFabFour Posts: 5
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    Thanks! I just started the logging again, so I may look at it from a weekly perspective and see how I'm doing. If I seem to be on track, that may work for me. But if I'm not getting anywhere, I may need to be more diligent about the daily allowance. I've been avoiding some high calorie "healthy" foods like nuts, but it's a good suggestion to work some of those in if needed.
  • kat239
    kat239 Posts: 92 Member
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    Hi i'm with you here I see where your coming form, saving calories carrying them over for another day. It worked on slimming world and weight watchers so why not this.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    It depends on how you're netting out over the course of a week...day to day doesn't matter too much...it's what's happening over the course of a longer period of time...if over the course of a week you are substantially below your goal calories, that's probably not a good thing given you have a substantial deficit already built into that goal.

    Also, when you're eating "lite and healthy"...that just throws up red flags to me...to be "healthy" and get proper nutrtion, you need you healthy fats and proteins...most people who have issue meeting paltry calorie goals have gone all low fat/no fat and don't get adequate fat intake or protein intake...but they think they're being "healthy" because they're eating fruit and veg...you need a lot more than that to be healthy and to have a properly nutritious diet.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
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    it is really about the week as a total. If you want to lose a pound a week, you need to cut 3500 calories a week. You can divid that 3500 up any way you want. Weight Watchers does this by giving you daily points and weekly points. Weekly points are really just some of your daily points place under a different category so you feel flexible. If I am going to have a big eating day (like Thanksgiving), I will have a light eating days a few days before.
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    If you find you naturally zigzag your calories anyway you could use this tendency and look into the 5:2 diet or "fast" diet. It's one where you eat very low calorie on just 2 days a week (preferably separated days) and eat at or near maintenance on the other 5 days. The "fast" bit refers to the partial fasting - it's not intended to be particularly speedy.
    http://thefastdiet.co.uk/

    There's also the up day down day diet, also known as alternate day fasting.
    http://www.johnsonupdaydowndaydiet.com/html/diet-landing.html

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/589163-calorie-cycling-zig-zagging
  • TiaXL
    TiaXL Posts: 31 Member
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    Welcome back! I am super proud of you for taking the step in changing your life. As a former athlete and a woman I have always been told to never go below 1200 calories. As a woman we need a certain amount of calories to have our internal organs function properly. The best advice I would say, if you are asking this question I would ask your doctor. It is best to be safe than sorry...

    Best of luck and hope to share in your weight loss successes!

    Hugs
  • NJFabFour
    NJFabFour Posts: 5
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    Thanks all for some great input! I'll see how I'm doing over a week's time, but certainly try to make sure I'm getting enough nutritionally on a daily basis. I do get some fat intake from dairy (sometimes more than I should!) - it's all about learning to get a good balance down. THanks for the encouragement!!

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