Saving for a treat!

ktsj2015
ktsj2015 Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm reasonably new to mfp and I came here from another site.

I moved across because I wanted to be able to sync my fitbit with the site to help control my calories and my old site didn't have that feature.

However there was a feature on the other site this one doesn't have so im wondering now people control it.

On my old site, calories worked week to week and any un-used calories would carry over to the next day. This meant I could save calories for a treat or horde them ready for a day I knew would be bad.

I hate going into the 'red zone' so while mentally I can make sense of being 100 cals undergoal for 6 days of a week, and allowing myself to be 600 cals over goal one day. Because I know it all levels off and means the same thing at the end of the week.

However I hate my numbers going red so much I can't do it if I can 'see it' and I get myself worked up. I've got a history of Eating disorders so its very important to me that I can rationalise and accept that treats happen and are OK. I've been a healthy weight for 20 years but its a little demon in my head sometimes.

I'm taking my kids out for a treat on Friday, I've been slightly under cals all week so i rationally know going over goal won't kill me. I'd really like to enjoy the treat myself but i need to figure out a way of making the site work?

Anyone had any luck making dummy food/exercise entry's? or is there a better way?










Replies

  • Artemiris
    Artemiris Posts: 189 Member
    Hi, a lot of people here count the calories not daily, but weekly. If you go on "reports" you can see your calories (total and net) statistics for a whole week, you can change the date, for example I go from Monday to Sunday.

    This doesn't help you with your problem with the "red calories", but at least it makes it easier to see how many calories you have left for the remaining days of the week.

  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    I don't like how that red shows up either, like "Warning! Danger, Will Robinson!" and something horrible will happen. I've learned to ignore it.
  • SarahEM880
    SarahEM880 Posts: 3 Member
    Hi, I hold on to a few calories (aprox. 100) every day to cover any over indulgence at the weekends. I monitor this by (on the app) going to "More" then "Nutrition" and then looking at the Net Average. I can then see how much I am under my daily goal (on average) and also look at the total "Net calories under weekly goal". This is great for the weekend because it tells your what you have left and you can divide accordingly !
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    The app lets you look at a weekly total rather than daily. I often bank a couple hundred cals during the week so I can have a more indulgent weekend.
  • ktsj2015
    ktsj2015 Posts: 65 Member
    Thanks for the info. .

    I have noticed a couple of people using 'Calorie Bank' as a record in their food diary? Can anyone who does this let me know how it works?
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,399 Member
    MommyL2015 wrote: »
    I don't like how that red shows up either, like "Warning! Danger, Will Robinson!" and something horrible will happen. I've learned to ignore it.

    This one made me laugh. Danger, weight gain is inevitable!




    OP,

    It sounds like you are already looking at your weekly or multiple day "banked" calories for your "splurge" event, but I don't know if there is any easy way to really do what you are looking for. And really for me I'd rather see the red and log the true event as it happens, just for the sake of not cheating the record. I do see your point on the mental impact thing, but at the same time if you cheat the record somehow you might forget about it later and wonder why your weight loss was slower on a week you ate more... just as example.
  • GillianSmith2
    GillianSmith2 Posts: 387 Member
    I could be totally wrong with this so please feel free to correct.

    Add your own exercise to your diary and call it banked.
    you can add any left over calories from the pervious day.
    This would give you more calories each day. So continue to do this over a period of 1 week and you should have your total allowance to spend on your special meal etc.

    For example if your week starts on Monday any left over calories would get logged as bank exercise on Tuesday and so on. Always start fresh on the same day of the week.

    Forgive me if this is incorrect but that's how I think it works.

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