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Lower calorie day after a few higher ones?

thisgalsjourney
thisgalsjourney Posts: 8 Member
edited February 7 in Food and Nutrition
So, my birthday was this weekend. Friday and Saturday I was way over my calorie goal, even with exercise in those days. Today, I've barely eaten 1,000 calories (my goal is 1,600). The thing is, I'm not.hungry.

I know eating so few calories long term is bad, bad, bad....however is it okay to have days like this after a couple of over-goal days?

Thanks!

Replies

  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    Yes it's fine. I was told it takes 3 days for your metabolism to slow down.
  • godsgrl33
    godsgrl33 Posts: 307 Member
    I would say yes. It will even out in the end, right?
  • DoNotSpamMe73
    DoNotSpamMe73 Posts: 286 Member
    So, my birthday was this weekend. Friday and Saturday I was way over my calorie goal, even with exercise in those days. Today, I've barely eaten 1,000 calories (my goal is 1,600). The thing is, I'm not.hungry.

    I know eating so few calories long term is bad, bad, bad....however is it okay to have days like this after a couple of over-goal days?

    Thanks!
    Unless you have a very low weight that is constantly done more exercise (just the exercise itself nothing else taken into account) and/or health requirements you can go as low as 'eat to live' or the higher standard recommendations. If your not hungry don't force yourself, it you are hungry don't force yourself to not eat either.
  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
    I'm sure you're fine. It's those who regularly eat under 1200 that get people worried about them. I've had three bad days this weekend (it was my birthday too) and I don't know that I'll have a low calorie day tomorrow, but if I wasn't hungry, I would go for it. I'm generally very active, and I eat quite a bit too. Very rarely I'll have a low day, but they are pretty few and far between. I never worry about those low days because I know they aren't the norm.
  • AccioFitness
    AccioFitness Posts: 244 Member
    I'd consider it fairly normal. Your metabolism is reacting to the surplus of food in your body. It's even possible that you are still digesting a lot of that food, and therefore your body isn't having it's normal hunger response. I had a similar experience a few weekends back. Drink lots of water if you had a lot of processed foods (sodium is in everything...) and you should be fine. I'm glad to hear you had a good birthday!
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    So, my birthday was this weekend. Friday and Saturday I was way over my calorie goal, even with exercise in those days. Today, I've barely eaten 1,000 calories (my goal is 1,600). The thing is, I'm not.hungry.

    I know eating so few calories long term is bad, bad, bad....however is it okay to have days like this after a couple of over-goal days?

    Thanks!

    Yep.
  • thisgalsjourney
    thisgalsjourney Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks, everyone! I hadn't planned on having a low cal day, but that's how it happened. Ha!!

    And, yeah, I ate a lot...but not stupid. Had a lovely home-grilled steak and ate the whole entire thing. :) Ate a slice of bday cake, etc. however, even on my bday dinner night out I ate a seafood stew that was both heavenly and pretty healthy. And I love how I'm losing my fear. "OMG, if I eat this I'll sabotage" etc. I'm learning to eat for a lifetime, and I want birthday cake to be a part of this lifetime. :) I'm so glad I'm finally learning, and embracing, some new truths and releasing the fear.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I know eating so few calories long term is bad, bad, bad....however is it okay to have days like this after a couple of over-goal days?

    Nothing at all wrong with it. The human body evolved to handle cycles of over- and under-eating.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    Yep, I do it all the time. I had a low calorie day yesterday, because I knew that today I would be eating more, (snacks in front of The Walking Dead:drinker: I just make sure that it all evens out through the week.
  • callie006
    callie006 Posts: 151 Member
    Yep, I do it all the time. I had a low calorie day yesterday, because I knew that today I would be eating more, (snacks in front of The Walking Dead:drinker: I just make sure that it all evens out through the week.

    This is how I regularly eat as well. I ate a ton on Saturday and will have a few lower days to make it average out to around my TDEE - 20% for the week.
  • sg992
    sg992 Posts: 60 Member
    Yes, I usually balance out what I eat over the week to accommodate restaurant meals/nights out. It works fine :)
  • EHisCDN
    EHisCDN Posts: 480 Member
    I try to pay attention to the part of the MFP app that shows my weekly net calories. Despite eating over my TDEE this week I still managed to be around my weekly calorie goal. I had some days of the week where I ate less, and some where I ate more. It all balances out :)
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