making up for going over calories?

mistyrider
mistyrider Posts: 36
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
I had two awful days in a row (yesterday and today) from a food standpoint. Between the two days, I was/am over my calories by about 1200 :ohwell: (told you it was bad!!!) I'm not beating myself up for it, just starting fresh tomorrow :happy: However, I'm wondering if there's a way to mitigate the damage...I was planning on going fo a long ride tomorrow anyhow, which burns about 700 ca, plus do my normal 30 DS workout (230 cal). Is it okay to do those workouts, not eat back the exercise cals, and be under, to make up for the extra 1200 from yesterday and today?

I hope that made sense!!

Thanks

Replies

  • skinnyhopes
    skinnyhopes Posts: 402 Member
    Don't.
    Trust me I've done HORRIBLE over the past 2 weeks, as in going over 1000 or more almost each day.
    If you eat less, it'll just lead to a binge :(
  • LovelySnugs
    LovelySnugs Posts: 389
    hypothetically, your body doesn't have a timer that resets at midnight, so you might be able to do what you're thinking about. but honestly? i wouldn't worry about "making up" more than half the calories. why torture yourself? JMO
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    If this is the first time in a while (more than a month) that you have gone over calories then I say just continue on trying to eat your goal calorie. Don't try to 'make up for them' by eating less.

    Does the calorie overage the past couple days happen often? Like once a week or worse? Then I'd hold back to eating around 1200 or 1300 a day but I still wouldn't try to make up for it.

    Eating drastically less can be harmful, and confuse your body in the wrong way.

    This is all totally personal opinion that I've developed by reading comments and articles during my time here. You are welcome to your own idea and please don't take my opinion as medically sound.
  • nitamo
    nitamo Posts: 64
    I think that if you do a few extra work outs, they will even out the overage on your calorie intake. After all, at the end of the week, your body doesn't know what day you ate the calories, it just knows if you burned enough calories to make up the difference:-)
  • skinnymama157
    skinnymama157 Posts: 32
    Do your best to stay on track in the future, we all have those days!!! Keep working out and make healthy choices. You'll do great! Try to up your water intake and pay attention to sodium and sugar, like processed foods. That should help!
  • JackieJ13
    JackieJ13 Posts: 93
    everybody has bad days. I would just move on and do better for the rest of the week.
  • absolament
    absolament Posts: 278 Member
    I guess it depends on how often you do this. I ate 1200 over one weekend... a party and it was expected. I simply ate a hundred or 2 less for the next few days. Not so much that it would stress my body. Find out where you erred. If it was a party, then that's a given. But if you simply kept snacking on junk, evaluate your general diet. Are you usually depriving yourself? If you are you're body is craving calories so eat closer to your suggested intake. Do you usually eat near your recommended? Then taking a few days of less calories and adding a bit more exercise is fine. Just don't feel like a failure. We all have our days. What matters most is not the days we fail but how often we succeed.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter if you're going to hit your goal two days later? :wink:

    It's not a race. Take it one day at a time and don't drive yourself crazy or feel guilty.
  • LillysGranny
    LillysGranny Posts: 431
    I think that "punishing" yourself will ultimately backfire in the end--the best way to avoid "bad" days is to make sure your body has what it needs. If you're goal is based on losing 2 pounds per week already then you definitely don't need to cut back anymore. Just know that your "bad" days might keep you from losing as much this week.
  • carlinniss
    carlinniss Posts: 2 Member
    I'm no expert either, but the general consensus here makes sense. Rather than focus on those days, just work out more (without killing yourself) and eat less a few days. Strive to go under your calorie limit when you can, and you should be alright.

    I'm not sure what your choices were, but I tend to refuse to stock food around the house I know has high calories (i.e. cookies, snack cakes, soda). If I have a coke somewhere I don't cry about it, but I won't keep it around the house. This way, I can't only do so much damage when I go out. It works for me, but I don't know where your slip occurred. Keep your eyes on the prize and I think you'll be just fine. :)
  • WifeMomDVM
    WifeMomDVM Posts: 1,025 Member
    In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter if you're going to hit your goal two days later? :wink:

    It's not a race. Take it one day at a time and don't drive yourself crazy or feel guilty.

    I agree! I've done this (LOTS) and when I go over big, it is usually a FOUR digit red number 1200 or 1600 calories over. Once in a while won't kill you. I don't try to make it up. I just write it off and start over the next day. Each day I try my best, sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't, but because I keep trying, and keep logging (even those EMBARASSING WAY OVER DAYS), you know what happens?

    My good days outnumber my bad days by far, because I try and try and try.... and I'm getting healthier and still losing. Sure, I've had weeks (some back to back) where the scale didn't move, but that's ok. I've got the WHOLE rest of my life to get it right... and so do you. To make this work, you have to live some too. Don't beat yourself up, move on. And don't make it a habit. :)
  • menchi
    menchi Posts: 297 Member
    I have the urge to "make up" for being bad too, but I would strive to not do that. The yoyo-ing between excess and shortage in calories can really mess you up. That said, your body is also quite resilient and the amount of yoyo-ing it can tolerate is different for everyone. So I would go with the rule of thumb to take each day as a new day and don't let yesterday rollover to today, with the footnote to listen to your body.
  • Lizzgeorge77
    Lizzgeorge77 Posts: 52 Member
    As long as you are eating at least 1200 calories, you can and should eat less (i.e. not eat to make up your workouts) for a day or two to average out your net calories. As others have mentioned, averages over time are what matters - if you go way over one day, it's definitely OK (and a good idea) to cut way back the next day. After all it's not as if your body burns up everything you eat in one day and resets at a clean slate every day. Alcohol can stay in your system for days, as can other carbs and sugars. If you are cutting back tomorrow your body is still using nutrients you consumed yesterday anyway.
  • Autumn1206
    Autumn1206 Posts: 126
    it's so weird I just came across this post, because I just spent ten minutes marching back and forth across my room to make up for the extra cals I had today. Ok I didn't quite do 1200 cals over, but I think if you stick to your regular calorie goals and pepper in some more cardio, it will sort of balance out in the end. I don't think it's possible to work off 2400 extra calories by your weigh in, but don't beat yourself up about it. It's just one (or two) bad days. Have a happy healthy day!
  • susabu
    susabu Posts: 2
    It would probably be more realistic and less exhausting to spread the "make up" over more than 2 days. You will be less likely to injure yourself or binge.
  • vmt90509
    vmt90509 Posts: 9
    Sometimes overeating like that will kick start your metabolism. Just eat really well and for the next 3 or 4 days and do your normal thing. If you cut too far back it will lead to a binge =( Not good...you know how your body responds so just be very careful with what you eat.
  • mistyrider
    mistyrider Posts: 36
    Thanks everyone.

    Just to be clear, I wasn't planning on going all out and exercising away those 1200 tomorrow. The cycling and the 30 DS are things I would be doing anyhow. I usually eat back my exercise cals, especially on days that I ride, so I waasn't sure if it would be okay to not do so this time.

    I went over yesterday because I ate a small bag of chips at work, before checking how many cals they were (oops!) and today was a combination of a huge sandwich made from the bread I just baked (sandwich was full of veggies, but apparently my bread is NOT a low cal option!) and the big spaghetti dinner we had. I don't keep "junk" in the house, and we don't eat very much processed food, so when I'm over (it hasn't happened very often, and is usually only maybe +200 cals) it's usually a matter of snacking on calorie dense foods that aren't necessarily "unhealthy", YK?

    I'm not beating myself up over it, just wanted to see if there was a way to mitigate it a bit. I know this is a learning process, and I'm just getting started on the path to better health. And I'm still patting myself on the back for losing 4" in the first 7 days of the 30 DS :happy:
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
    So far this week I've probably been over at least 3 times :) but I'm working the next 4 nights where I know I'll burn a lot. As long as I'm not loads over ym weekly goal, I'm pleased. :)
  • slapshotgolf
    slapshotgolf Posts: 163 Member
    I always eat the minimum, but will often net less than 1200 because of the workouts. You can do it short term, but wouldn't recommend it longer term....
  • deadmittens
    deadmittens Posts: 536 Member
    It's okay to go over once in a while. I heard a good quote once that made me feel better after I went over
    "Exercise should be rewarding your body with strength and endorphins not punishing it for what you've eaten."
  • carlinniss
    carlinniss Posts: 2 Member
    Yeah, if it was just some extra bread and pasta you're good. I didn't mean you were going to do it all in one clip. I just know sometimes I tend to overdo it in the gym when I know I am a little over. You sound like you're doing just fine. :)
  • jess2308
    jess2308 Posts: 40
    today i went over by 1200, had a binge which led me to think 'sod it, i'm gonna eat this and that and that etc etc'. tomorrow is a fresh day and i'm going to be really good the next few days, just think one day at a time, this always helps
  • mrk34
    mrk34 Posts: 227 Member
    I don’t think that making up is a good idea. If you do something different tomorrow or next two days then you will have more days out of sync from what has been working for you.

    Besides learning a lesson and trying to be stronger next time, I wouldn’t do anything else.
  • Brandy3827
    Brandy3827 Posts: 42 Member
    Just keep in mind it takes a 3,500 calorie deficit to lose a pound. So, while this slip up may delay that 1lb departure by a day or so, it will be forgotten as soon as the scale changes :happy:

    Just look at it this way: If you went 1,200 (or however many) calories over, just do a few extra minutes of cardio everyday for the next week (about 170 calories worth) and you won't even notice at your next weigh-in!
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