Do any of you "bank" your calories?

2»

Replies

  • catt952
    catt952 Posts: 190 Member
    omg imagine all the big macs :open_mouth:
  • THE_CLOCK
    THE_CLOCK Posts: 10 Member
    I try to maintain a 500-700 calorie deficit a day. But thats until I am finished fat busting. Then I need to figure out how to do maintenace.
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    Yes. I try to stay in the "green" most of the week days to balance out weekends. I don't always do this, but many days it works out this way. My week days are very predictable between work and kids, so it's not like I'll have the opportunity for a fun splurge during the week. But weekends are far less structured and when all the fun activities are happening.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    No, I eat my exercise calories after I exercise because that's when my body needs the extra nutrients(or I will eat a portion of those calories as carbs before my workout since I have a really good idea what 50% of my workout calories will be).

    Eating those calories when you aren't exercising is kinda counter to the process in my opinion. But to each their own.

    Meal timing is irrelevant. If you're saying you FEEL you need the extra calories when you're working out-that makes sense. But you don't have to exercise the same day you eat more.

    OP-I always bank calories! Even when I was prepping for a fitness show. Some people do better with structure, I like having the extra food to look forward to.
  • mrsf15h
    mrsf15h Posts: 43 Member
    edited July 2015
    Not really thought about it. I just always aim for the average calories to be around the recommended allowance.
  • HikeCyclist
    HikeCyclist Posts: 153 Member
    That doesn't really work for me. I'd have to only cut 50-100 extra cals/day if I wanted some leftovers for a splurge or cheat on a Saturday or something....

    If I cut more than that I'd feel too hungry & put myself at risk of going over my cals.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    No. It would be too easy for me to head into a restrict-binge cycle.
  • xLoveLikeWinterx
    xLoveLikeWinterx Posts: 408 Member
    I never did, but lately I'm exercising more and slowly sliding into maintenance, so I do now on occasion. This week I have a bank of 1100 cals, which is weird, I just wasn't hungry despite exercising more, so I'm having some Sbux this weekend and a couple other things. I'm not sure if I'll make it a regular thing, but I like knowing I have it as a "buffer", so I can stop worrying and counting so excessively on weekends.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    a lot of people do this...my one word of caution would be that if you're training hard, banking calories can be a detriment to your fitness and recovery...but this really depends on your training and how much you're banking.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    No. It would be too easy for me to head into a restrict-binge cycle.

    I found that to be the case when I went from maintenance back to a deficit. I was still trying to eat 2500 calories on Saturday and I went nuts banking too much during the week. Some girls can eat 1300 calories daily. Not me.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Yep, I do this every week. Low calories during the work week so I can have higher calories on the weekend.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    fitchlets wrote: »
    I try to bank calories throughout the week between eating in a larger deficit and exercise calories so I can treat myself on Saturday. Seems to be a good balance for me, anyone else?

    Not really. I eat what I want and treat the weekends much like any other day.
    I do look at my weekly calorie goal though instead of just my daily goal.
    Do what works best for you.

  • fitchlets
    fitchlets Posts: 58 Member
    slaite1 wrote: »
    No, I eat my exercise calories after I exercise because that's when my body needs the extra nutrients(or I will eat a portion of those calories as carbs before my workout since I have a really good idea what 50% of my workout calories will be).

    Eating those calories when you aren't exercising is kinda counter to the process in my opinion. But to each their own.

    Meal timing is irrelevant. If you're saying you FEEL you need the extra calories when you're working out-that makes sense. But you don't have to exercise the same day you eat more.

    OP-I always bank calories! Even when I was prepping for a fitness show. Some people do better with structure, I like having the extra food to look forward to.

    That is me to a T. I enjoy that one day of extra food with also keeping up with losing.
  • DarlaX1973
    DarlaX1973 Posts: 9 Member
    I never have cheat days, I bank my calories for the heaviest meal of my day, which is dinner. I plan my dinner in the morning, I'm having pizza tonight and dessert so I had a light breakfast and lunch. I never feel deprived and since I started planning ahead even for bad pms days I haven't gone over my calories. I don't know if anyone else does this but I started doing this two weeks in and suddenly losing weight got easier.
  • tibby531
    tibby531 Posts: 717 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    a lot of people do this...my one word of caution would be that if you're training hard, banking calories can be a detriment to your fitness and recovery...but this really depends on your training and how much you're banking.

    QFT.

    I train hard, so by the end of my "week," I'm STARVING. I'm working on upping my calories again. hoping that I can find a good balance where I'm good through the week and still not "that person" on the weekends. this is a tricky game, we play. ;)
  • ki4eld
    ki4eld Posts: 1,213 Member
    I'd love to bank, but my doctor says don't do it. So, I don't do it!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    No. It would be too easy for me to head into a restrict-binge cycle.

    I found that to be the case when I went from maintenance back to a deficit. I was still trying to eat 2500 calories on Saturday and I went nuts banking too much during the week. Some girls can eat 1300 calories daily. Not me.

    1300 is my goal during the week. I don't hit it exactly every day, but that's about the average.
  • hartmamp
    hartmamp Posts: 80 Member
    I don't do it on purpose, but it tends to work out that way. As someone else mentioned, with the structure of a weekday schedule with work, etc., I'm eating pre-packed meals and snacks most of the time, and I usually end up 100-200 calories below my goal of 1600. 1600 is also a more aggressive deficit to begin with (1700 would give me 1/2 lb a week loss). Then naturally on the weekend when eating out/wine/more snacks are more frequent. In the end, I still get my 1/2 lb a week deficit.
  • jhen47
    jhen47 Posts: 15 Member
    It all boils down to 3500 calories = 1 pound. 3500 - calories burned + calories taken in = weight lost or gained over a given time period. Adjust for your personal goals.
This discussion has been closed.