Weekly calories vs. daily calories

KM0692
KM0692 Posts: 178 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I think I am going to keep track of my weekly calories (stay within my allowance for the week), rather than trying to stay under a certain amount each day. Some days I'm hungrier than others. :)

I'm wondering though what is the best way to do this? Calculate the day's calories consumed and subtract from the weekly allowance, and keep a 'running total' of how many I have left for the week?

Replies

  • Eudoxy
    Eudoxy Posts: 391 Member
    I was just thinking the same thing! I didn't eat much the last few days and I'm starving today, I was looking at my totals for the week to see how much more I can eat tonight. Lol

    You might know, but I was looking at the graph under "reports", if you click calories it shows what you had every day. I was trying to find if it would give me a daily average or even total for the week but couldn't find it, I just added it up.
  • KM0692
    KM0692 Posts: 178 Member
    Yes, I was looking for that too. I'm also counting, but is there a better (easier) way? Lol
  • Eudoxy
    Eudoxy Posts: 391 Member
    I don't know, I was thinking of asking the question when I saw yours. I mean, it's not THAT hard, but yeah it seems like it could be easier than having to do math when you've already input all the data! Lol
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
    I am in. I have been thinking on this as well and would like to see responses.
  • Sarahsteve7kids
    Sarahsteve7kids Posts: 146 Member
    This has worked GREAT for me! I started out at 8400 calories per WEEK!!! No two days were a like in calorie consumption. My week was Friday -Thursday ! Weigh in's were Friday! I recently (a couple weeks back) upped my calories a lot but follow the same plan! I now average about 1600 per day but it is WEEKLY! No more feeling like a failure for having big days! Weight loss is a dream this time around!!!
  • Ideabaker
    Ideabaker Posts: 517 Member
    It really would be nice if MFP had a weekly deficit count (in Reports?) so that you could simply have a look at that total compared to what it should be to make sure you are on track for an "under" week!
  • ArchyRunner
    ArchyRunner Posts: 58 Member
    This is really easy to see on the mobile app, unfortunately it's only available via desktop if you run a report. But in the mobile version, you can toggle between daily and weekly summaries for your macros and calories.
  • Sarahsteve7kids
    Sarahsteve7kids Posts: 146 Member
    My IPad app shows weekly total and what is remaining but the math still isn't tough!
  • Kotuliak
    Kotuliak Posts: 259 Member
    This is really easy to see on the mobile app, unfortunately it's only available via desktop if you run a report. But in the mobile version, you can toggle between daily and weekly summaries for your macros and calories.
    The mobile app produces a very nice weekly report summarizing calories for the entire week. I have not found any way to do in via browser (desktop). The report shows a graph but not a count, at least not that I can see.

    If there is a way to do it via browser reports could someone please post step-by-step. Thanks.
  • ZBuffBod
    ZBuffBod Posts: 297 Member
    All, here's a post you might find helpful. You can export your data to Excel and analyze your data. This was created by a fellow MFP member EvgeniZyntx.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122752-export-and-analyze-your-own-data-in-excel
  • ArchyRunner
    ArchyRunner Posts: 58 Member
    [/quote]
    The mobile app produces a very nice weekly report summarizing calories for the entire week. I have not found any way to do in via browser (desktop). The report shows a graph but not a count, at least not that I can see.

    If there is a way to do it via browser reports could someone please post step-by-step. Thanks.
    [/quote]

    You are correct, the desktop report does not provide a figure. Calculator! There are a lot of features the mobile app has that desktop doesn't (and vice versa) but this is one I really wish they'd add to the desktop.
  • Skylara
    Skylara Posts: 20 Member
    The mobile app has been mention repeatedly, but I thought I would add my two cents. What I've been doing is going for a daily goal, and if I go over, just not sweating it. It keeps me accountable daily. Then I look at the weekly average on the mobile app to see if I need to adjust for the next week.

    On the mobile app (iOS and Android), if you tap on the bar graph, the actual numbers will pop up. On Android, click the three horizontal lines in the upper left, tap Nutrition, then tap Weekly. Tap on the day you want to see the calories for, or the black bar at the end for the weekly average. It will also show you your net calories under/over for the week.

    On iOS (specifically, iPad - not sure about iPhone), it's the same. The only differences are you don't have to click the three lines first, and when you tap a day on the bar chart, it shows all days, not the one you tapped.

    It's worth it to get the mobile app if you can, but they can't replace desktop for the community/blog, that's for sure.
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
    It really would be nice if MFP had a weekly deficit count (in Reports?) so that you could simply have a look at that total compared to what it should be to make sure you are on track for an "under" week!

    they do in the app but not on the website
  • raedq
    raedq Posts: 1
    I think it all depends on how committed you are and how much will power you've got... Would you for instance be better off with putting a daily budget for buying groceries or a weekly or even a monthly budget?

    While I don't think anyone REALLY understands how bodies work to lose facts and all have theories (mine is maths, i.e. calorie counting in that Calories-In must be lower than Metabolism and exercise), I would probably recommend you keep to a daily routine.

    1. You get to log every day under your calorie goal as a win, acknowledge and move forward. Short-term milestones...
    2. Establishes a good sense of what you can and cannot eat when you don't have your phone or tablet with you which protects you moving over-eating or even eating something disguised in innocence.
    3. You get a better feeling of your stomach and body's needs and thus can relatively estimate your weight to a great extent without scales.
    4. You body gets used to absorbing only so much calories a day so that in 2 or 3 weeks time if you over-eat on one bad night your body only absorbs 1200 (plus minus) 10% or something and not everything.

    Hope this helps!
  • MalSponseller
    MalSponseller Posts: 217 Member
    Check out calorie cycling, this might be something you'll find helpful!

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hugo19.htm

    http://www.cleanbodyfitness.com/blog/lose-fat-smarter-calorie-cycling-for-fat-loss/

    http://www.coachcalorie.com/calorie-cycling-for-weight-loss/

    I do this in some ways. I try to stay around my suggested calories per day, but I'm often under. I keep an eye on the overall calories I've eaten for the week and often have spike days towards the weekend, when it's more difficult for me to eat well. And I drink a crap ton more water when I spike to help "flush" things out before I weigh on Monday.
  • Eudoxy
    Eudoxy Posts: 391 Member
    Thanks for the heads up about the app, guys!

    I'm doing about like that calorie cycling I guess. I'm still playing with it. I have my daily set at 1330, which is pretty low, but about right some days. And then I think I can have 700 or so more for the week, whenever I want.
  • hmroebuck
    hmroebuck Posts: 64 Member
    I was just thinking the same thing! I didn't eat much the last few days and I'm starving today, I was looking at my totals for the week to see how much more I can eat tonight. Lol

    Most likely you are starving today because you didn't eat enough the last few days. Your body doesn't always respond to your intake overnight, often it's a delayed effect. A fast/binge cycle is not healthy. Even the 5:2 type diets instruct you not to eat in excess on the "5" days.
  • hmroebuck
    hmroebuck Posts: 64 Member
    Also, on the non-mobile site, all you have to do check your weekly totals is go to REPORTS. Then you can chose what type of report you want to see (weight, measurements, net calories, macros, micros...).
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    This is really easy to see on the mobile app, unfortunately it's only available via desktop if you run a report. But in the mobile version, you can toggle between daily and weekly summaries for your macros and calories.

    Awesome! Thanks for sharing that!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I do both...stay in my daily goal (usually under but sometimes over) but looking at weekly numbers is a good thing too...

    I mean if you have a dinner planned on a Saturday night...save 100 each day for that dinner that way you don't starve on Saturday to allow for a treat...

    But saying that if you are going over consistently it might not be a good idea...
  • Eudoxy
    Eudoxy Posts: 391 Member
    I was just thinking the same thing! I didn't eat much the last few days and I'm starving today, I was looking at my totals for the week to see how much more I can eat tonight. Lol

    Most likely you are starving today because you didn't eat enough the last few days. Your body doesn't always respond to your intake overnight, often it's a delayed effect. A fast/binge cycle is not healthy. Even the 5:2 type diets instruct you not to eat in excess on the "5" days.

    Yeah, I think you're right. I'm not looking to fast or binge, just trying to get a little rhythm ;). Thanks
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    In my experience, there's nothing wrong with looking at calories as a week-long thing. But I have a couple caveats.

    (1) Do you like consistent, predictable loss? In my personal experience, having level intake is the best way to have steady, (more-or-less) predictable loss. Though the rate of loss is about the same if you do calories more by the week than by the day, I find that the loss is much more erratic and jumps around more. Nothing wrong with this at all, it just can lead to weird unpredictability on the scale

    (2) I personally have a few trigger foods and tendencies to binge once I get going on a higher calorie day. If you find this is the case for you, too, then I recommend a pattern like this. 5 days of the week, eat at TDEE-20%. Two days of the week, eat at TDEE (and not above TDEE). This averages out to approximately TDEE-15%. For me, this ensures I never feel "starved" (and therefore binge at night or on my bigger calorie days). But my body doesn't get tripped up by huge calorie days that are more than my digestion and endocrine system can handle.
  • TruckerWife922
    TruckerWife922 Posts: 27
    Weekly calorie budget is the WW points concept. It works great for them and I have lost 23lbs in 2 months using a weekly budget. I get to eat ALL the foods I love, just watch the portion size of course and how often. In my opinion, most women will experience days of more hunger than other days. I am twice as hungry three days a month than normal :noway: and trying to keep in a daily allowance is impossible.

    I think you should try it for a while, if it works for you then stick with it. Everyone is different. Good Luck!

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