Does 100 cals matter?

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lorrpb
lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Going over 100 calories one day, now and then, makes no difference, but going over maintenance by 100 calories every day for a year results in about 10 lb a year of weight gain. Think about it!

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  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    It's why I have my calorie goal set about 50 under my TDEE.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    Even in a deficit it will slow down the rate of loss especially if you are short and old like me and don't have that many calories in the first place.
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    And this is why I continue to log (though I get much more lax about using the food scale) and hop on the scale at least a few times a week to see how my bodyweight is doing.

    If my weight goes up and stays that way, I can look back and see if my food intake seems to have increased or if it's more likely to be water retention from excessive sodium!

    ~Lyssa
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
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    In theory that is what would happen. In practice I don't think 100 calories matters as much - I am currently bulking. With a little extra calories I have more energy and push myself a little more working out. I am a little more active in my daily life and I am a little more fidgety. I am finding I need about 200 extra calories to put weight on very slowly.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Well, +/-100 cals/day definitely makes a difference to me.

    At 1800, I lose weight. At 2000, I gain weight. And at 1900, I maintain weight.

    Been maintaining at 1900 for the past 2 months and this is despite the fact that my ave estimated TDEE is bet 2000-2100.

  • Bites_2017
    Bites_2017 Posts: 33 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    And just to sharpen the challenge, 100 calories is well within the potential range of error for daily logging.

    Packaged foods' calorie estimates may be off by 20%. Restaurant portions differ from their web sites' assumptions. One apple is sweeter than the next. Exercise is easy to over-estimate.

    Knowing this can cause anxiety, hyper-vigilance and obsession . . . or help us recognize that it isn't necessarily super-meticulous logging that will save us, but perhaps a more relaxed and balanced approach to logging, exercise, bodyweight monitoring, and more.

    :)

    This is why I overestimate intake, underestimate output!
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
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    I think the real message is to weigh yourself more often than once a year. Make a tweak if you've gained a couple of lbs, don't wait until it's a bigger issue.

    As someone else said, there is no way to be 100% correct on your calories in or out. It is impossible and unnecessary. You don't really care how many calories you have eaten, you just care whether or not it's too much or not enough. Track your weight and you know that. Counting calories just helps you stay relatively close.
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,179 Member
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    Going over 100 calories one day, now and then, makes no difference, but going over maintenance by 100 calories every day for a year results in about 10 lb a year of weight gain. Think about it!

    Aren't you also assuming that your daily activities don't change?
    One day your a couch potato, the next day your moving a house?
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Commander_Keen wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Going over 100 calories one day, now and then, makes no difference, but going over maintenance by 100 calories every day for a year results in about 10 lb a year of weight gain. Think about it!

    Aren't you also assuming that your daily activities don't change?
    One day your a couch potato, the next day your moving a house?

    No, not assuming that at all. Your maintenance calories on an active day will be more what they are on a lazy day.
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
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    Yeah...it is a scary notion sometimes. 100 calories is literally nothing to consume, and can add up if consistently in surplus.
    Logging and careful monitoring is a vital thing for maintenance.
  • gerrykee100
    gerrykee100 Posts: 1 Member
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    I monitor my calories and exercise as accurate as I can. I am not bothered about daily net calories which can fluctuate by up to +/- 400 cal. I do aim to be less than +/- 100 of my goal at the end of the week. That means I allow my social and internal desires to eat and exercise can follow a natural cycle. ...but over time, consistent + 100 cal or consistent -100 cal over a number of week does matter, yes.

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