Are Calories Per. Day or Per Week?

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RebeccaBecca26
RebeccaBecca26 Posts: 45
in Health and Weight Loss
I always wondered, can you lump your calories Per. Week rather than Per. Day?

*Say one day you eat over your allotted calories, but the next day you are a little under- Do This Cancel Each Other Out? I was thinking of it kind of like a bank- You have this much money for the week- Spend it when you want- but what its gone its gone-

Or must you stick to how many calories you need per.day?

**What does everyone else do**

Replies

  • Kicker12
    Kicker12 Posts: 52 Member
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    Your body doesn't shut down at the end of the day and start again the next day. You can be over today, under tomorrow and bang on the day after. It's about a general pattern.
  • DitchingTheScale
    DitchingTheScale Posts: 15
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    I lost a lot of weight on the previous weight watchers program. you had so many points or ate so many calories per day then one day per week i would use my weekly extra points and just eat as I wanted to withing my range and it actually helped me to lose a good amount of weight. I have seen lots of success stories on here from people who have lost a massive amount of weight who say it would not have been possible with higher calorie days. I think your body averages it out over time rather than by the day.
  • RebeccaBecca26
    RebeccaBecca26 Posts: 45
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    Thanks Guys-
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
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    Our bodies really have no concept of calendars, daily, weekly, etc... For me, I try to be at or around my daily calorie goal on a regular basis, but I know that If I go out and have a great meal and end of 500 calories over, it's not a problem because over time, I tend to be under. Make sense? Good luck!
  • glreim21
    glreim21 Posts: 206 Member
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    I look at my calories as a weekly allowance, I may go over one day and under another. As long as it evens out over the week, I have had success.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    I'm weekly too ... Low during the work week (office drone) and make up for it at the weekend.
  • Tammyinbali
    Tammyinbali Posts: 56 Member
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    Agree with the other posters. I also allow myself a free day every two weeks or so & figure it all balances out in the end because of being under most of the other days. I like what somebody said about it being a bank account :)
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
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    Yes you can. I've been doing this and maintaining for two years.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
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    Average is where it is at. Your body doesn't say "Midnight...you are 200 cals over, so make it into fat."
    Some days I am over my TDEE in cals (6 course meal with wine pairings...oh yeah, tasting every single cal they set in front of me), some days I am way under. All that matters is over the last 28 days I have average 823 cals below my TDEE.

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