Ok to eat less once in a while?

rebprest
rebprest Posts: 149 Member
in Getting Started
So MFP tells me to eat 1900 calories a day before exercise because I am pretty hefty, and some days I want that. Other days I really only want 1600 and I have all my percentages about right, so is it ok to eat less or is itgoing to mess me up? I don't really eat back my exercise calories....ever, and often do about 1.5 hours of moderate cardio a day spread out in different exercises. I have a lot of weight to lose and I just wanted to be sure I'm not messing up my weight loss from this.

Replies

  • sfbaumgarten
    sfbaumgarten Posts: 912 Member
    I don't think that will hinder you, but I'm no expert. There will probably be days that you're under and others that you're over. As long as you're properly fueling your body and you feel good, I don't think 1600 calories every now and then will hurt you.
  • Pamela_in_Progress
    Pamela_in_Progress Posts: 197 Member
    I tend to look at weekly intake rather than just daily. As the previous poster said, some days you may eat a little less and others a little more but it usually tends to even out over the course of the week.

    ETA - I also don't eat back exercise calories. I use the TDEE method instead. I've found that it works better for me.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I don't think that will hinder you, but I'm no expert. There will probably be days that you're under and others that you're over. As long as you're properly fueling your body and you feel good, I don't think 1600 calories every now and then will hurt you.

    Yeah, I agree with this. ^^

    Some people are happy eating the same calories every day, others are not. A day under now and then is unlikely to have any impact, and it leaves a little cushion for days you want an extra treat.
  • adopp062715
    adopp062715 Posts: 93 Member
    I think you will be fine eating less on some days. Sometimes you just don't need to eat that much because you aren't hungry. As someone else said looking at weekly intake vs daily intake may be better right now. Some weeks will be good, some weeks will be bad, especially with the summer BBQ season starting and summer parties. Take everything in stride and just try to be consistent.
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,535 Member
    Average it out in a week. You'll be fine. Also sometimes on the weekends there may be over-indulgent and having a weekly "calorie budget" is doable.


    Your new? Highly recommended reading:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants




    (eta, always good to bring in the sexypants!)
  • rebprest
    rebprest Posts: 149 Member
    I tend to look at weekly intake rather than just daily. As the previous poster said, some days you may eat a little less and others a little more but it usually tends to even out over the course of the week.

    ETA - I also don't eat back exercise calories. I use the TDEE method instead. I've found that it works better for me.

    Sorry, what is the TDEE method?
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,535 Member
    I tend to look at weekly intake rather than just daily. As the previous poster said, some days you may eat a little less and others a little more but it usually tends to even out over the course of the week.

    ETA - I also don't eat back exercise calories. I use the TDEE method instead. I've found that it works better for me.

    Sorry, what is the TDEE method?

    Total Daily Energy Expenditure - number of calories you burn in a 24-hr period
  • Pamela_in_Progress
    Pamela_in_Progress Posts: 197 Member
    [/quote]

    Sorry, what is the TDEE method?
    [/quote]

    It stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It factors in BMR and my daily activity so that I eat the same calories daily and don't have to worry about eating back exercise calories. Here's a link if you'd like to have look...

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
  • rebprest
    rebprest Posts: 149 Member
    Thanks all!
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
    I don't stress about being under personally AS LONG as I still have plenty of energy to workout and make gains. I'm 250 right now and end up eating between 1700-1900 a day not eating back the exercise calories. Been going for a month okay so far but if I start getting slower on my bike rides or not having enough energy to do the stuff I want, the calories will go up until I am there again.

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