If you eat over your calories for the day, which do you do

purplishblue wrote: »

A ) Carry the extra calories over to the next day, so that both days end up averaging out to the caloric amount you eat

B ) Say whatever, and just go back to eating at your caloric amount the next day

I'm trying to figure out which I want to do. Yesterday I ate over, so I just added it into today's amount. Kinda sucks though cause now I'm hungry :P Maybe that will help deter me from going over though in the future.

You can do whatever you feel comfortable with because it's your weeks end calories that really count.

I like to sometimes save calories up for a day when I know I will eat more.

at least you logged it...some people don't and when they have a few of these days, they quit.
Both suggestions are viable, and both accomplish the same thing.
I wouldn't recommend being hungry though, you shouldn't eat that little if you are hungry....eat. One day will not derail everything.

B. I might try to eat closer to my daily goal or not eat back exercise calories, but I don't like to feel like I have to make up for previous days or work my way out of a hole. High calorie days happen.. I think it's best to move on to the next.

I usually just move onto the next day and let it go. I don't think I've ever gone above maintenance though in the past 7 months that I've been counting calories. If I have a day where I eat more, I usually do extra exercise to make up for it.

as long as I'm trying I can't be perfect

ShandaLeaS wrote: »

I exercise a little more, go for a walk or I eat less the next day

Yep.

I concern myself with weekly calories instead. If I'm over one day I make up for it the other days. I don't carry over calories into another week. If I was over a lot that week I learn from it and figure out what went wrong and how I can fix it for next week. If I was under by a lot I assume I was sick cuz that never happens lol. If it was a small number over or under for the week no worries because it's hard to be exact.

I over ate by 300 calories. An was wondering if it would balance out by the 500 calories I brined durrinh my work out fornthenday.. ?

B. If I had a few over days in a row I'd end up having to starve/fast, then I'd end up hungry and bingeing. It tends to balance out naturally over a few days anyway.

For me personally I just say "eh" and start new the next day. Anything involving trying to count those extras the next day seems like math to me and I hate math. -- But seriously, I just start over the next day. I used to be the type who might say "okay, so I ate that whole pizza last night so I've fallen off the wagon so whatever, I'll just eat this large plate of pancakes this morning"... Then that's a downward spiral. So I think it's better to just log it and move on, knowing that we're always going to have some days where we're over. But in the end it's the trend down on the weight that's important. I've had pizza days and going-out-to-eat nights, and still my weight is dropping slowly since I started logging everything. That's what counts.

I do B, but I'm going to say that its really a personal choice.

The reasons I do B are:
- I try to focus on being successful today. I really try to not get caught up in my failures of the past and try to do today right. It's what has helped me stick to this in the long run and not feel guilty or feel like I'm always starting over. It prevents the "what the hell" effect for me and giving up and saying that I'll try again on Monday.
- If I try to restrict today to make up for yesterday's calories, I'm setting myself up to fail. I'll overly restrict and end up binge eating.

It's all about what works for you. I know a lot of people do well with looking at calories on a weekly basis instead of a daily basis.

Neither.

My week starts on Monday. My weekly goal is more important than my daily goal. If I'm under on Monday, I may intentionally eat more on Tuesday. Or, I may save them and intentionally eat more on the weekend. I've only been over on Monday once, and that was while on vacation, so you can see it works for me as I can bank any extra calories from Monday and not feel bad if I go over any other day of the week.

If I go over for the entire week, then the next week starts clean, it doesn't matter. Most weeks I'm under my net weekly goal, and the most I've ever been over is 850 calories (on vacation).

But, that works for me. As I tell my wife. If you want to eat it, go right ahead. Just log it, and know that if you are over your goal for the week you won't lose as much weight as planned and you'll know why.

If your goal is weight loss, your existing deficit will make up for it over time, it will just take longer to lose weight. It is different when you are maintaining. If I know I've gone over, I might leave a bit more on other days. Ultimately, it will show up on the bathroom scale and I may be forced to set my calorie goal lower for a while.

It's a not a big deal unless you notice a trend. If I eat a few over, I just log it and move on. If I eat a lot over, I burn part or all of it off through exercise. It's really up to you.