285 calories left for 2 days....

MysticalT
MysticalT Posts: 267 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
If I'm to stay within my weekly goal, it's been a bad week!

My question is....if I exercise can I eat the exercise calories and still stay within my weekly goal or do I need to stick with the 285 regardless because I can't see me sticking to that at all! Or maybe exercise and just eat half?

What would you recommend I do? I'd like to stay as close to weekly goal as possible.

Thanks

Replies

  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Pretty much yes, you can earn more calories from exercising. How will you be calculating the exercise calories?

    But what's done is done. I'd just focus on my daily calorie limit, and stay under that. Although I still exercise regardless.
  • MysticalT
    MysticalT Posts: 267 Member
    I use mfp, Google or the walking apps for the calories as I don't own any equipment which is why I thought of eating just half as I know the calories burned aren't that accurate.
  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
    edited August 2015
    To answer your literal question, if you are using MFP's calorie recommendation, you eat back exercise calories. To answer the unasked question, no, you can't get by on 285 calories plus exercise calories. If you try to do so, you will both hurt your health and set yourself up for failure. You can't undo the cheesecake you ate on Tuesday. You can only learn from your mistakes and exercise the discipline needed to lose weight going forward.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    I would recommend you just eat your normal goal for the next two days. 285 isnt enough for two days and will likely cause you to be dizzy or weak or binge or something else bad.

    lets say your goal is 1 pound a week thats 500 a day deficit. So you could eat 285 + 3500 over the next two days can still be under maintenance or at maintenance.

    Just dont be silly. Eat food, drink water, dont starve your self. you had a bad week, why make it worse by 2 days of starving.
  • MysticalT
    MysticalT Posts: 267 Member
    I know I'm not going to stick to 285 as it isn't realistic but I'd like to limit the damage as much as possible so if I can use exercise to raise my weekly goal limit and stay under for the next two days that will help me mentally.

    Right now I'm feeling crap about it and unless I have a plan in my head the weekend will be as much of a washout as the week has been.

    So, if exercise does raise the limit then that's my plan along with small healthy meals :)
  • USAMcK
    USAMcK Posts: 80 Member
    Cut your losses, start fresh and don't do it again. :)

    If it were me, I'd spend the next two days netting 100 calories less than my daily goal just to help negate some of that overage. After that, back to 100%.

    Don't worry too much. You will have off days. Just learn the lesson and be better moving forward. :)
  • USAMcK
    USAMcK Posts: 80 Member
    And, yes, it's about a NET number. So exercise = higher calories to consume. :)
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Dont fret eat a min of 1200 each day. Dont feel crap becayse thats a waste of time, just enjoy your weekend and accept reaching traget may take 2 days longer.
  • BlackPup
    BlackPup Posts: 242 Member
    MysticalT wrote: »
    I know I'm not going to stick to 285 as it isn't realistic but I'd like to limit the damage as much as possible so if I can use exercise to raise my weekly goal limit and stay under for the next two days that will help me mentally.

    Right now I'm feeling crap about it and unless I have a plan in my head the weekend will be as much of a washout as the week has been.

    So, if exercise does raise the limit then that's my plan along with small healthy meals :)

    I'm really sorry you are feeling crappy :(
    I know what it's like to be in that place and hope that you feel better about yourself soon. You don't have to lose a scrap of weight to be good enough, to be loveable and worthwhile.

    Please listen to the good advice above and don't starve yourself.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    Is 1200 per day your goal? And you're saying you've already eaten 8115 calories this week? This puts your daily average intake at 1623 for the 5 days? Honestly, I wouldn't worry. Just eat 1200 today and tomorrow. I don't know your stats, but if you're logging carefully you'll still probably be in a deficit.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Eat a normal amount of food and chalk it up as a learning experience. You learned that the end of the week is coming, lol, so you cannot overeat every day and still hit your weekly goal.

    One week won't sink your weight loss. It's just one week.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    WBB55 wrote: »
    Is 1200 per day your goal? And you're saying you've already eaten 8115 calories this week? This puts your daily average intake at 1623 for the 5 days? Honestly, I wouldn't worry. Just eat 1200 today and tomorrow. I don't know your stats, but if you're logging carefully you'll still probably be in a deficit.

    This.

    It's fine. You should be eating exercise calories anyway.
  • MysticalT
    MysticalT Posts: 267 Member
    WBB55 wrote: »
    Is 1200 per day your goal? And you're saying you've already eaten 8115 calories this week? This puts your daily average intake at 1623 for the 5 days? Honestly, I wouldn't worry. Just eat 1200 today and tomorrow. I don't know your stats, but if you're logging carefully you'll still probably be in a deficit.

    That really puts it into perspective, thank you :)

    Yes I'm on 1200 a day, its just been a crap week, car broke and end of month being skint has meant being stuck on the house most of the time with the fridge.

    I binged this lunch time but as I didn't have breakfast and dinner is low calorie I'm still on track to stay within 1200 today. Hopefully I will get out for a walk later which should help to lift my mood!

    Thank you to you all, having the support of everyone really makes a difference :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    MysticalT wrote: »
    If I'm to stay within my weekly goal, it's been a bad week!

    My question is....if I exercise can I eat the exercise calories and still stay within my weekly goal or do I need to stick with the 285 regardless because I can't see me sticking to that at all! Or maybe exercise and just eat half?

    What would you recommend I do? I'd like to stay as close to weekly goal as possible.

    Thanks

    I know many people are successful with a weekly goal, but it's easier for me to just use a daily goal and avoid this sort of situation. I do often eat more on the weekends, and exercise more those days as well.

    As others have said, you can't exercise your way out of this hole; just "Eat a normal amount of food and chalk it up as a learning experience."

    Here's some articles from the MFP blog you may find helpful:

    https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/how-to-get-back-on-track-after-an-indulgence/
    https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/how-to-break-free-of-emotional-overeating/
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