Eating over calorie count

ForeverNew13
ForeverNew13 Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
I apologise for an overasked question or something that seems quite silly.

I am merely curious as to whether eating excess calories one day out of a week, will affect weight loss results for that week.

I feel stupid for asking it, but I am curious to know, if there is any dramatic effect at all.

I did overeat today, and it doesn't really bother me, if I don't hit my goal this week, I'll just keep working harder - I just had a lunch out that was a bit excessive. No big deal really to me, like I said, I am merely curious.

Replies

  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
    Nope .. average it out (say) over a week might be a good strategy.
  • berrydana7
    berrydana7 Posts: 78 Member
    Unfortunately, it will affect your week's weight loss as it will reduce your total weekly deficit. Say you need a 3500 deficit per week to lose a pound. If you have a cheat day and end up consuming well over 3000 calories during the course of the day, then you will either be in a very small deficit or even a surplus. So you might not lose that much for that week. But since weight loss is long term, it's perfectly fine to splurge once in a while to maintain your sanity as long as you get back on track the following week :)
  • ForeverNew13
    ForeverNew13 Posts: 14
    Unfortunately, it will affect your week's weight loss as it will reduce your total weekly deficit. Say you need a 3500 deficit per week to lose a pound. If you have a cheat day and end up consuming well over 3000 calories during the course of the day, then you will either be in a very small deficit or even a surplus. So you might not lose that much for that week. But since weight loss is long term, it's perfectly fine to splurge once in a while to maintain your sanity as long as you get back on track the following week :)

    Ah thank you for explaining. That helps a great deal! I am not too concerned, like you said, it's a long term thing. Thanks so much for clearing that up for me!
  • JosieRawr
    JosieRawr Posts: 788 Member
    I find it helpful to balance my calories weekly. Some days I have a low net, other days I'm in the red.
  • ForeverNew13
    ForeverNew13 Posts: 14
    Nope .. average it out (say) over a week might be a good strategy.
    So I have heard!
  • ForeverNew13
    ForeverNew13 Posts: 14
    I find it helpful to balance my calories weekly. Some days I have a low net, other days I'm in the red.

    Majority of my calories this week have been quiet low, I have struggled to meet my calorie count - and not because I am starving, I am quite full, I am guessing just the types of food I am eating. Thanks for the tip, helpful!
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,301 Member
    I like the idea of seeing calories as a weekly thing - so the aim is to average, say, 1500 calories per day - some days might be bit less, some might be over - but as long as the weekly amount is round about the target then you are still on track.

    Of course if you have a 3000 excess day you might lose your weekly deficit - but over by few hundred is easily evened out across the other days.
  • d4rkkn16ht
    d4rkkn16ht Posts: 77 Member
    Just remember simple math.
    Eat more, exercise more.
    Eat over 300 calories, burn 300 calories for maintaining or burn more than 300 calories for weight loss.
    Compensating calorie excesses by eat less or exercise more the next day also works.
    The burnt calories must be significant to get faster weight loss but never over do it.
    The point is 1 (eat)-1(exercise) = 0 (maintaining) & 1(eat)-2(exercise) = -1 (reduce weight).
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    Its not at all a silly question. Don't worry. You overeating your calories will affect the weight loss. How much? That will depend on how much you are overeating. 1 lb. of fat consists of 3500 calories. I am going to assume you have your diary settings set to losing at least 1 lb. per week. So even if you overate by 3500 calories in a single day, worst case scenario, you won't lose any weight that week.

    What I usually like to do when I do overeat by like a 1,000 or so calories is to break it down over the next coming few days. So I either workout a little extra next few days or cut my calories a bit more for the next few days or both.

    Hope this helped. Good luck in your adventures!
  • ForeverNew13
    ForeverNew13 Posts: 14
    Its not at all a silly question. Don't worry. You overeating your calories will affect the weight loss. How much? That will depend on how much you are overeating. 1 lb. of fat consists of 3500 calories. I am going to assume you have your diary settings set to losing at least 1 lb. per week. So even if you overate by 3500 calories in a single day, worst case scenario, you won't lose any weight that week.

    What I usually like to do when I do overeat by like a 1,000 or so calories is to break it down over the next coming few days. So I either workout a little extra next few days or cut my calories a bit more for the next few days or both.

    Hope this helped. Good luck in your adventures!

    THANK YOU. This is fantastic and helps me understand so much. Takes a few worries off my shoulders!

Categories