Question about night eating.

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SillyCat1975
SillyCat1975 Posts: 328 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
If you are starving, have calories left over from the night before, and you eat something with 120 calories (I'm talking about 2am here as well) can you count it on the night before calories or do you count it on the next morning calories? I'm so confused.. I just know, I'm have normally 500 calories left when I go to bed. I exercise and normally earn 500 calories a day.. I just need some advice please

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  • Phoenix_Down
    Phoenix_Down Posts: 530 Member
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    It won't matter, either way. I tend to go by weekly average, as it's not so much a day to day as it is consistency. So, you could put it on either day, really. If I'm awake past midnight, I usually use the previous night's calories, as technically my day hasn't ended. However you keep track of it =)
  • SillyCat1975
    SillyCat1975 Posts: 328 Member
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    Thank you... Makes me feel better..
  • SillyCat1975
    SillyCat1975 Posts: 328 Member
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    When you say weekly deficit, what exactly does that mean? I know that sounds dense. My girl offer mfp is 1500.
  • SillyCat1975
    SillyCat1975 Posts: 328 Member
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    Ugh, goal..
  • jhall260
    jhall260 Posts: 111 Member
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    While it doesn't matter in the long run (as long as you are in a deficit of course!) I often have a late night snack. I tend to log it on the previous day.

    I start the new day with breakfast. It's just the way I do it, no rhyme or reason.
  • Phoenix_Down
    Phoenix_Down Posts: 530 Member
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    lisacarroll18 wrote: »
    When you say weekly deficit, what exactly does that mean? I know that sounds dense. My girl offer mfp is 1500.

    If you're on the app, you can use the left side bar to select nutrition. There's a tab for weekly, where you can see the calculated remaining calories for the week to remain in a deficit. =P Makes me less neurotic about days in the red.
  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
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    @lisacarroll18‌ if your body needs 1800 calories/day to just function without exercise eating at 1500/day would create a 300/day deficit. There are 7 days in a week, if you eat at 1500/day every day you would then have a 2100 calorie deficit for the week (300 calories * 7 days).

    what pp was saying it doesnt matter if you logged those 120 calories on day 1 or day 2 when you look at your weight and calorie deficit on a weekly basis. which is what most do.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
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    You can calorie cycle with small amounts. For example: deficit of 300 the night before you can eat 300 more that day. I do that all the time, it helps me plan out nights I know I'm going to eat more. It's about your weekly total. This only works with small amounts.
  • SillyCat1975
    SillyCat1975 Posts: 328 Member
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    I think I got it, I was worried about middle of the night eating because I get up hungry. I've not hit the red yet and went over, I've been at it for 2 weeks and have worked myself out like crazy so that I can eat, I didn't even think about for the week. I know I sound dense, I'm so sorry, I guess I can go over in the red and it be ok. I guess I figured that every day it had to be perfect with having calories to carry over. Perfection is going to make me fail, I've been at it 2 weeks and it's been hard, but, I've not caved in. I'm glad to know that the red doesn't mean failure, as long as the numbers even out for the week. Thanks guys for the input!
  • SillyCat1975
    SillyCat1975 Posts: 328 Member
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    Oh and one more question, where do I find the calories in vs. out for the week, I've never stuck to this this long, so I'm slightly confused.
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
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    lisacarroll18 wrote: »
    Oh and one more question, where do I find the calories in vs. out for the week, I've never stuck to this this long, so I'm slightly confused.

    You can find that under reports. :)

    You might also like to know that the number of lbs you told MFP you would like to lose in a week determines your calories. So if you're ever going really crazy, you can lower that goal, or even set it to maintenance. You'll slow down (or pause, if on maintenance), get to eat more, and then you can ramp back up if and when you want to. It's better to do this than to hit the wall and quit. Many people decide to go at a moderate pace, feeling the happiest that way.

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