Calories in a 24 Hour clock?

fabulousmomma
fabulousmomma Posts: 172 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Question:
And please I welcome comments! So is our calorie intake on a 24 hour clock? For example, I wake up at 7:30am....does that mean staying within my calories(1500) between 7:30am-the next morning at 7:30am? Last night I got home from work at 11:30pm, and over ate. Now does this mean today(this morning) is a new day within my calories or am I already like 700 calories in because I ate last night at 11:30pm. Does that mean I should be trying to eat basically nothing all day to get up to my calories by 11:30pm tonight? Signed totally confused.

Replies

  • Kitship
    Kitship Posts: 579 Member
    Sounds like you're overthinking it just a tad. :) Just try to stay in your calorie range during your 'waking' hours. So, if you got home at 11:30pm and overate because you were hungry, you might try bringing some snacks to work that will keep you feeling full so that you don't want to eat the contents of the fridge when you get home (I know the feeling!). I would start today fresh. New day, new chance to make your goals! Good luck!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Your body is on a 24-hour clock.
    Don't try and fix a previous meal's over-eating. Simply work on making the best choices you can at every meal.

    My FitBit resets my calorie needs at midnight every day, but that's just an artificial point. A FitBit might get you used to the idea, though. When I get up first thing in the morning, my FitBit tells me I've consumed 200 calories just from living. Right now it's got me at about 600 calories (sedentary day so far). By the end of the day it will have credited me about 1700 calories.
  • fabulousmomma
    fabulousmomma Posts: 172 Member
    Thanks ladies!
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    edited October 2015
    You can do it however you want, so long as you are creating a deficit in the long run (weeks and months).

    Set a goal and stick to it as close as you can. This may mean eating exactly 1500 calories every day. It may mean eating 1700 calories one day and 1300 calories the next day. Whatever works for you and will create a consistent deficit over long periods of time. There is also nothing wrong with going over and resetting (heck, I may have a week at maintenance soon due to work travel), it just means it'll take ever so slightly longer to reach your goal.

    I personally prefer a weekly view. My week starts on Monday and my daily goal is 1820+exercise calories. If I go over one day I compensate for it with the next few days (or vice versa). If I'm over for the week, I start with a new slate the next week, same with if I'm under. I start on Mondays because I'm typically under during the weekdays and over during the weekends and it allows me to see how far I can go over on the weekends while staying on track.
  • The_Invisible_Boy
    The_Invisible_Boy Posts: 568 Member
    Your body does not run on a 24 hour clock. You can research caloric cycling and different forms of intermittent fasting for more info.
  • fabulousmomma
    fabulousmomma Posts: 172 Member
    Ya I find I usually always stay within 1500 calories. Sometimes a little over sometimes a little under.
    Either way I know that the deficit is whats going to keep things moving! I just wasn't sure how the body works. When I open my eyes is it considered a new day with calories or am I still going from the night before?!

    Oh and I totally over think things on a regular basis:)
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    fabulousmomma wrote: »
    Ya I find I usually always stay within 1500 calories. Sometimes a little over sometimes a little under.
    Either way I know that the deficit is whats going to keep things moving! I just wasn't sure how the body works. When I open my eyes is it considered a new day with calories or am I still going from the night before?!

    Oh and I totally over think things on a regular basis:)

    Your body doesn't really think on a 24-hr clock. Your body constantly needs energy (it varies depending on what you are doing, but always needs energy). If there is enough energy coming in from food the energy will be taken from there (and possibly also stored as fat), and if there isn't enough energy from food your body will find it somewhere else (typically fat stores). The calories (energy) never magically disappear or are created out of thin air.

    So, how you rationalize the calories and manage intake (is it a new day when you open your eyes?) is independent of how your body actually works.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    fabulousmomma wrote: »
    Ya I find I usually always stay within 1500 calories. Sometimes a little over sometimes a little under.
    Either way I know that the deficit is whats going to keep things moving! I just wasn't sure how the body works. When I open my eyes is it considered a new day with calories or am I still going from the night before?!

    Oh and I totally over think things on a regular basis:)

    Yes and no. Of course the calories you ate last night still count but you don't need to think of them like that. Just start today over like it's a new day and the calories start at zero each day. All you need to do, all you can do, is make today a good day. You can't fix yesterday and you can't fix tomorrow today. Do a good job eating today.
  • fabulousmomma
    fabulousmomma Posts: 172 Member

    Yes and no. Of course the calories you ate last night still count but you don't need to think of them like that. Just start today over like it's a new day and the calories start at zero each day. All you need to do, all you can do, is make today a good day. You can't fix yesterday and you can't fix tomorrow today. Do a good job eating today.
    [/quote]

    Agreed.
  • fabulousmomma
    fabulousmomma Posts: 172 Member
    _Waffle_ wrote: »
    fabulousmomma wrote: »
    Ya I find I usually always stay within 1500 calories. Sometimes a little over sometimes a little under.
    Either way I know that the deficit is whats going to keep things moving! I just wasn't sure how the body works. When I open my eyes is it considered a new day with calories or am I still going from the night before?!

    Oh and I totally over think things on a regular basis:)

    Yes and no. Of course the calories you ate last night still count but you don't need to think of them like that. Just start today over like it's a new day and the calories start at zero each day. All you need to do, all you can do, is make today a good day. You can't fix yesterday and you can't fix tomorrow today. Do a good job eating today.

    Agreed.

  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Just pick any 24 hour schedule, BUT keep it the same - don't manipulate it every day ;)
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
    They will automatically turn to fat once it's a new day.


    Lol I'm just kidding. The body is always in a constant metabolic state even during sleep. Meal timing is beneficial for contest prep and short term body competition, but you don't have to worry about eating late at night. Just focus on your weekly calorie goals or fulfilling those calories just by logging the day where you didn't hit your macros/ calorie goals(:
  • fabulousmomma
    fabulousmomma Posts: 172 Member
    Thanks pinggolfer96
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,398 Member
    Overall when you eat doesn't matter nearly as much as what, or especially how much.

    I often log very late night meals as part of that day, even if it's after midnight. In my case sometimes I work strange hours, so it keep me on track with what I ate during "that awake period" rather than in that 24 hour period.

    If I weigh myself it's usually in the morning, so eating really late can sometimes affect that, but unless it's long term things seem to balance back out.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
    15000 calories a week here but I make sure my protein and fat minimums are ingested everyday 24 hours.

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