What do you do at the end of the day if under cal?

mnewell0293
mnewell0293 Posts: 34 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
I am finding that I am under my cal count at the end of the day...I am eating well, not hungry and not eating junk..

I dont know how to add more calories...

I am losing weight nicely and not complaining, but I know I should be eating more..

example today I have over 700 calories left for the day....some due to exercise that I logged...

I am not wanting to go binge or eat something just because...

not sure what to do...

(new to MFP also)
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Replies

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,224 Member
    Ice cream!

    Can you bump up your cals throughout the day? Add some oils, some nuts, some avocado, cheese, etc. Foods that won't neccesarily add to the volumne you're eating but will edge up your cals a bit.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    If it only happens on occasion, I wouldn't worry about it. If you're regularly under, add in some calorie dense foods (nuts, nut butters, dairy items, oils and butters, avocados)
  • mnewell0293
    mnewell0293 Posts: 34 Member
    .
    Ice cream!

    Can you bump up your cals throughout the day? Add some oils, some nuts, some avocado, cheese, etc. Foods that won't neccesarily add to the volumne you're eating but will edge up your cals a bit.

    Thinking about ice cream actually..
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    How much per week constitutes "losing weight nicely?" What is your caloric goal per day?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Peanut butter, chocolate....ohhhh
    a193t6t08r2q.jpeg
  • mnewell0293
    mnewell0293 Posts: 34 Member
    How much per week constitutes "losing weight nicely?" What is your caloric goal per day?

    They have me at 1400 approx per day.... I am not close to that by about 200 or so each day but today in particular I am very very short...

    I have lost 13 lbs since January 2nd...
  • joejward95
    joejward95 Posts: 104 Member
    If I've reached the end of the day and have cals left and im not hungry I just don't eat. Don't worry, you're not going to die by being under some days, even if it is by 700 on a 1400 diet. The human body is very resilient, we're designed to be able to go for decent periods with little/no food.
  • mnewell0293
    mnewell0293 Posts: 34 Member
    joejward95 wrote: »
    If I've reached the end of the day and have cals left and im not hungry I just don't eat. Don't worry, you're not going to die by being under some days, even if it is by 700 on a 1400 diet. The human body is very resilient, we're designed to be able to go for decent periods with little/no food.

    Thanks - makes me feel better....I was going crazy thinking I will not lose if I am not close to my daily goal....
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    How much per week constitutes "losing weight nicely?" What is your caloric goal per day?

    They have me at 1400 approx per day.... I am not close to that by about 200 or so each day but today in particular I am very very short...

    I have lost 13 lbs since January 2nd...

    Awesome loss!
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
    edited February 2015
    Plan better. Plan your meals, plan your exercise. If you know you're going to run a 10k and burn ~600 calories, factor that in to your breakfast and lunch, so you're not trying to make up a huge pile at the end of the day. Eat just a little bit more at each meal and snack.

    That said, sometimes things happen. (Sometimes I forget to stop and eat lunch!) If I have a huge deficit at the end of the day, I like vanilla protein powder mixed with chocolate milk.
  • uptownplum
    uptownplum Posts: 42 Member
    If I'm not hungry, I just don't eat. If I want dessert, I eat that.

    At the end of the week, you can look at your nutrition trends, and if you're off on any one thing, you can try to work in foods high in that nutrient throughout the day.
  • joejward95
    joejward95 Posts: 104 Member
    edited February 2015
    Yeah honestly don't worry. I am 6' and 195lbs and for the next few weeks im on a 1250 diet, which I am fully aware is very low but I am doing absolutely fine and will be absolutely fine as long as I dont sustain it for months on end. I just ensure the food I do fit in there is nutrient rich.

    Everyone here has been posting great advice, but sometimes we do need to remember, we're not made of glass, our body won't suddenly stop functioning if you're on low calories for a while, it happened to us thousands of years ago from time to time and we did pretty well for ourselves. We would be a pretty useless organism if we were THAT fragile.

    Before people comment telling me that's too low for me, I've got a bouldering tournament in 3 weeks to have to shed as much weight as fast as possible before then to give me the best shot at winning it! Its not a long term plan
  • mnewell0293
    mnewell0293 Posts: 34 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    How much per week constitutes "losing weight nicely?" What is your caloric goal per day?

    They have me at 1400 approx per day.... I am not close to that by about 200 or so each day but today in particular I am very very short...

    I have lost 13 lbs since January 2nd...

    Awesome loss!

    Thank you...honestly it's been very easy for me...I have tried "it all" and MFP is THE BEST ever...along with my working out, which is not much more than 30-45 mins per day...feeling great!
  • NikkyT30
    NikkyT30 Posts: 91 Member
    I would say if your not showing signs of fatigue you are probably ok. However I agree w planning out meals better. I add peanut butter to smothies or an apple to help up my calories. I try not to go under 1200 if possible. Good luck to you :)
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    I aim for that scenario. And then this happens...

    mbtcy9sh0qkc.jpg
    1.jpg 37.5K
  • joejward95
    joejward95 Posts: 104 Member
    Oh my god that looks incredible
  • Amanda4change
    Amanda4change Posts: 620 Member
    If I'm low I'll eat a protein bar, or add an extra protein shake, or have desert. Unless your at a big deficit for the day (or week) I wouldn't worry about it
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    If you're not hungry don't eat. It's not a problem.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I wish I had the problem of struggling to meet my calorie goal :p:\
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
    I usually just leave them for a "rainy day" when I go way over my calories. I also leave them since I know I'm not 100% with my logging, so I figure the extra gives me some cushion.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Well my first thoughts were wine and ice cream...

    I agree with others though that planning your day, considering how much exercise you will do and accounting for those calories earlier in the day may also help. Remember that food is fuel and there's a reason you're meant to eat back those calories.

    That said, I often leave a hundred or so calories on the table during the weekdays because I like to splurge on the weekend. I look at the weekly totals and make sure I'm under that by a nominal amount.
  • annaheyoolay
    annaheyoolay Posts: 100 Member
    If I'm within a couple hundred I leave it, assuming that my exercise calories may be a little high and my food calories a little low. If I'm way under, like I was today, I have a beer with dinner and dessert later:)
  • PhilP0wer
    PhilP0wer Posts: 76 Member
    Same thing I do every night. I go to bed ;)
  • Metruis
    Metruis Posts: 60 Member
    joejward95 wrote: »
    If I've reached the end of the day and have cals left and im not hungry I just don't eat. Don't worry, you're not going to die by being under some days, even if it is by 700 on a 1400 diet. The human body is very resilient, we're designed to be able to go for decent periods with little/no food.

    Thanks - makes me feel better....I was going crazy thinking I will not lose if I am not close to my daily goal....

    You thought you wouldn't lose?! Dude, if that was the case then say, children in poverty wouldn't get skinny. The less calories you eat, the more you will lose. There is no 'starvation mode' where you suddenly stop losing, or worse, start GAINING because you're not eating... the calorie goal is to ensure that you're losing weight healthily, by putting in what you need to keep up good body function at the same time. If you ate 700 calories a day you would lose, you would lose fast, and because of the extreme deficit, your body is more likely to target lean muscle mass. Hence why extreme restriction based diets should be supervised by a doctor to ensure that your body isn't going to damage itself in the process.

    That's why the target calorie goal. Safe weight loss travels.

    If you ate 700 calories, and maybe that was for a huge meal of chicken and salad or something... I mean, 300 calories can get me a meal too big to finish if it's the right foods, or it can be a scoop of peanut butter. You're full? Well, then just go to bed. Or treat yourself, if you'd like. Neither will hurt you.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
    LOL you do not need to eat all your exercise calories back as MFP usually WAY OVER estimates them. Always eat your regualr daily allottment. Some folksactually log their workouts as 1 calorie to avoid this problem.. I don't and eat back some of my exercise calories-just not all.
  • JimFsfitnesspal
    JimFsfitnesspal Posts: 313 Member
    Some days I need to consume more to get closer to a healthy caloric intake (male so I should get but do not usually get 1800 minimum). It is so easy to hit less than 1000 net calories. The key is to add protein or fat cals to make it up. NO carbs (unless fruits and veggies).

    I think knowing your BMR numbers are a good tool as well. Myfitnesspal actually has one, but I used one I found on google. This helped me find out that I was putting my body into starvation mode and I stopped losing weight.

    Additionally, you may want to re-evaluate your activity level when you set your goals. I had to go back and change mine to sedentary.

    Either way, I care less about my calories than my carbs and sugars. Limit carbs to around 100 and sugars to as low as you can and you will lose weight by the fistfuls. Im down 24 pounds of fat and 43 to 35 inch waist in the last year. I added 5 pounds of muscle.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    meritage4 wrote: »
    LOL you do not need to eat all your exercise calories back as MFP usually WAY OVER estimates them. Always eat your regualr daily allottment. Some folksactually log their workouts as 1 calorie to avoid this problem.. I don't and eat back some of my exercise calories-just not all.

    You are right that MFP may overestimate calories and some people choose to eat back only a portion of their calories earned. Many of the people you see logging 1 cal for exercise are likely doing the TDEE method where they have accounted for an estimate of daily exercise into their caloric goals already, it is a different approach than MFP but should, if done right, should yield the same total caloric consumption and same net calorie total for the day.

    OP if your exercise and activity is fairly consistent day to day you may want to consider this method and there are several calculators that can help you figure out your TDEE.

  • Talkradio
    Talkradio Posts: 388 Member
    I tend to be short on my protein goals, so if I have a lot of extra calories and I'm hungry, I will eat some nonfat Greek yogurt. But generally, I just assume I'll make up for it with a big meal on another day (and I always do).
  • mnewell0293
    mnewell0293 Posts: 34 Member
    thanks everyone for the input...learning here still....

    BTW - ended up eating a little ice cream to eat up a little of those left over.....
  • SwankyTomato
    SwankyTomato Posts: 442 Member
    Enter your exercise as 1 calorie. Everything is just an estimate anyway.
This discussion has been closed.