Calorie/Exercise Question (Semantics)

Eve_e
Eve_e Posts: 57
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! So, I've read about how a lot of you focus on staying within your weekly calorie goal as opposed to a strict day to day thing. This is, logically, how I want to approach my calories. Unfortunately, I'm really high anxiety and get extremely upset if my calories go into the red. SO. If tonight I go over in my calories, but exercise tomorrow, am I hurting my data if I add that exercise to today as opposed to tomorrow? Just so my numbers stay in the green. I know it's all semantics, but it stresses me out a lot.

Replies

  • jspicher81
    jspicher81 Posts: 26 Member
    Hi Eve_e, l'm the same way.... l wouldn't say it is so much anxiety and stress as it is obsessive compulsive disorder lol. See how much you care after day 60, it gets easier.
  • Eve_e
    Eve_e Posts: 57
    But am I messing things up if I record the exercise on the day before?
  • Michiiba
    Michiiba Posts: 27
    You won't mess up your data as far as the web site or app are concerned, but it's probably best just to accepted it and move on.

    An if it'd help, I would choose to think of calorie counting as a tool, not a program that must be followed religiously.
  • Eve_e
    Eve_e Posts: 57
    You won't mess up your data as far as the web site or app are concerned, but it's probably best just to accepted it and move on.

    An if it'd help, I would choose to think of calorie counting as a tool, not a program that must be followed religiously.

    Thank you.
    And I know, it's just too hard for me, given my personality type.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    You are going to have a bad time if this is a major stressor for you. Relax.
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    I think it sets a bad precedent if you do this. Maybe it doesn't but, that's how I see it... you're not logging diligently if you do.

    Maybe just set all of your goals to zero, and then everything will be red all the time?
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    The red line that MFP gives you when you go over is just an MFP thing. In real life, you do not have a red line floating in front of your face if you don't perform some task exactly according to plan. It's just this site. It's just the way *they* have chosen to make their display. It has nothing to do with you. I'm sure your end result won't be altered too much if you do that just once in a while. But you might have more long-term success if you log your day's ins and outs on that specific day, and if you can learn to just disregard the silly red line. And remember, they give us all that red line even when we're over by just one single calorie. It's sort of ridiculous.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    If tonight I go over in my calories, but exercise tomorrow...

    Don't do that.

    Just...don't.
  • littlelexical
    littlelexical Posts: 146 Member
    MAybe you could transcribe to paper at the same time (or excel/word etc)... And have everything for the week on the one piece that way even when MFP 'goes over' on a certain day - you can look at your 'week' elsewhere and breath.

    I totally understand the OCD anxiety/stress issue - and sometimes it means extra leg work intially, so it doesnt become a stressor for you - you might find after doing it for a few weeks, you will feel comfortable enough in the fact that you do balance out over the week & may find you dont have to record it manually also anymore.

    (even if you just record your calories allowed, calories eaten and calories burned each day elsewhere - as oppose to ALL the data - you might find it 'less stressful' when MFP says you go over... Infact, im pretty sure you can cop/paste data straight into excel from here :) )
  • raileneperkins
    raileneperkins Posts: 37 Member
    It seems like it would be more confusing to try and keep track of what calories go where. My advice is just to be true to your logging and make good on your overage with a little extra exercise the next day.
  • Eve_e
    Eve_e Posts: 57
    If tonight I go over in my calories, but exercise tomorrow...

    Don't do that.

    Just...don't.

    Do you have a reason?

    Thank you, everyone, for all of your sound advice. I'm going to work on it.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    If tonight I go over in my calories, but exercise tomorrow...

    Don't do that.

    Just...don't.

    Do you have a reason?

    What you're talking about is running a tab on the calorie credit card. That is the road to perdition and weight loss failure.

    Turn it around - bank the exercise first and *then* justify the indulgence.

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