Saving Calories for another day

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Tabitha38544
Tabitha38544 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Is it ok to eat under calories one day and use them another day? Example: Tuesday I consumed 950 calories but on Thursday I consumed 1500 calories. My goal is 1200 per day

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  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    It's a better idea to eat 1200 a day, not 950. Remember, 1200 is your base and you're earning more through exercise. Yes, lots of people use a weekly total.
  • UncaToddly
    UncaToddly Posts: 146 Member
    edited October 2015
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    deleted
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
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    To answer your question, yes. A lot of us "bank" calories for the weekend, or said another way, use a weekly total.

    I will also say that if 1200 is your base, you don't have a lot of wiggle room.
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
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    I wouldn't try to bank calories with a daily goal of 1200. I personally have had a light day following a heavy one but my goal is 1590 plus exercise calories. It's a lot easier to net 1200 for me. I prefer to just not worry about it and eat under goal, no matter what, but I least net 1200.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,574 Member
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    I wouldn't bank with 1200 calories. Sometimes I would eat 1200 and then have high days so I was averaging more like 1400-1500 per day. It's really not ideal to eat under 1200 calories.
  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
    edited October 2015
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    It's not ideal and I wouldn't purposely go below 1200 just to bank them for another day. However if there were certain circumstances that led you to not eating much that day (sickness, family emergency etc.) and you weren't hungry, I would say it would be definitely okay to make up on another day.

    That being said, with a goal of 1200 you probably have a high rate of loss (aka a lot of wiggle room). Just have the 1500 day and accept a slower loss rate for that week/day. Don't be afraid if you step on the scale the next day and the number has gone up as remember: more food in your body = more weight in your body.
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I eat 1200-1300 calories five days a week and 2000 calories two days a week. That is 10,000 calories for the week and then I try and burn 17,000 through activity or exercise. This is an attempt to maintain a two pound per week rate of loss. But as I've gotten lighter I can't maintain the 17,000 calorie burn unless I were to increase my exercise and apparently I have not been willing to do that. :) But the two 2,000 calorie days actually gives me a lot of flexibility that I enjoy. I can have Popcorn at the movies or I can have pizza without stressing about it. It has made this whole process really easy for me to do because of that I don't really feel restricted like I have with other diets in the past. I could literally do this forever if I wanted to.
  • EspressoLvr
    EspressoLvr Posts: 100 Member
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    It's normal to bank calories, we do it after the fact, too. Like...I'll have a salad after a weekend of pizza. But as others have said, 1200 is the base, no wiggle room. I use to be like you, very strict, but when I went up to 1500, knowing that I don't HAVE to eat 1500, but that I can eat it and still lose p-l-e-n-t-y, my efforts were so much easier. With exercise, I usually net 1300 per day every week, I have no complaints. I suggest you play around with your daily allotment, you'll find it's easier to stick to a diet when it's easier to meet your goals.
  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
    edited October 2015
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    Bshmerlie wrote: »
    I eat 1200-1300 calories five days a week and 2000 calories two days a week. That is 10,000 calories for the week and then I try and burn 17,000 through activity or exercise.

    Wait, you are trying to live on -7000 calories a week? (Well it's even more than -7000 as you already have your deficit built into MFP so you might be on like -10,000 total) You need to chose a slower rate of loss.

    (Don't mean to hijack thread, but this is concerning...)
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    Not a thing wrong with it. Much better to bank calories and under-indulge for a day or two or three than to stay at your goal and then over-indulge.
  • ariana_eatsandlifts
    ariana_eatsandlifts Posts: 197 Member
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    KateTii wrote: »
    Bshmerlie wrote: »
    I eat 1200-1300 calories five days a week and 2000 calories two days a week. That is 10,000 calories for the week and then I try and burn 17,000 through activity or exercise.

    Wait, you are trying to live on -7000 calories a week? (Well it's even more than -7000 as you already have your deficit built into MFP so you might be on like -10,000 total) You need to chose a slower rate of loss.

    (Don't mean to hijack thread, but this is concerning...)

    I'm thinking the 17,000 includes TDEE?

    But yes, I tend to bank calories over the week for weekends, especially if I know something fun will be going down.
  • sunandmoons
    sunandmoons Posts: 415 Member
    edited October 2015
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    No. I never bank calories. Too much messing around too low one day to high another dont work for me. Macros are my concern. If I don't get enough protien I feel off. If somethings coming up..a party/ get together then I will eat a very small breakfast and lunch. I try to stay steady as possible and not go over my alloted caloric intake. Half way to goal.. being consistent works best for me.


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