Daily Calories or Weekly Calories -Which is more important?

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Goal179
Goal179 Posts: 314 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi All! Can someone answer a question for me? Which is more important..to stick to your daily caloric intake or to make sure that your caloric intake for the week balances out? I am inclined to believe that weekly is more important. Here is why I ask; I under-ate significantly a couple of times this week. But I didn't stress because I knew I had a BIG day coming on Friday that would likely be very over in calories. So is it ok to go below calories on one particular day as long as you hit (and don't exceed) your calorie goals for the week?

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  • aqualeo1
    aqualeo1 Posts: 331 Member
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    Yes you can "bank" calories for the week or month or whatever. Weight loss comes from being in a deficit over time. As long as it's averaging itself out it's fine.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,072 Member
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    Seems fairly obvious to me that the answer is weekly.
    I mean, all those people out there in the world who are a healthy weight - surely they don't all eat exactly the same calorie amount every day.

    Although I get that some people function better if they are more precise on a daily level - this is just personal preference as to format though - not a biological thing.

    Perhaps think of your calorie allowance as a money budget - if you had, for arguments sake, $800 for the week: you are sticking to your limit and saving money whether you do spend $100/day or $700/week. Either way you create a $100 weekly difference.
    But some people might prefer to spend precisely $100/day, others might have basic spend days and a shopping splurge on weekends.
    End result is the same.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    I've always focused on weekly totals.
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
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    I always track my moving average over 7 days in a spreadsheet. As long as that is where I planned to be that week I am fine with it.
  • Fairlieboy
    Fairlieboy Posts: 84 Member
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    That's the rationale of the 5:2 diet. By eating 25% of diet on 2 of the days you wind up with a 20% deficit over a week. It's my choice as I only have to restrict on 2 days, & socializing on weekends is easy.
  • Goal179
    Goal179 Posts: 314 Member
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    Thanks so much pals. You all confirmed my answer. 'Preciate ya'
  • Goal179
    Goal179 Posts: 314 Member
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    One more question, does MFP calculate Sunday to Sunday?
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
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    Daily MACROS weekly Calories
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,072 Member
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    Goal179 wrote: »
    One more question, does MFP calculate Sunday to Sunday?

    You can change your weeks to start (and end) on whatever day you want. Well, you can on ipad anyway.I presume on everything else.

    Cant remember how to do it - but mine is set to start on Mondays and end with the weekend.

  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    edited January 2017
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    Actually, a weekly view of calories is not always the best thing, mainly because the body is not, as the analogy goes, a bank, and calories are not money.

    If you are low on calories for a day, then your body burns fat that day. A bit of extra stress, maybe low blood sugar, but if it's not that often, no big deal.

    On the days when you overeat calories, though, while it may average out your calories for the week, at the same time? Your body just sticks those calories right back into fat. Whatever couldn't be done due to low calories on previous days doesn't get a boost now. They body simply takes the calories needed on THAT day, and the excess gets turned into fat to be used for another day...which I suppose, in a way, IS a bit like a bank, but it's not exactly like we WANT to keep an checkbook full of fat for a rainy day, typically, you know?

    Admittedly, the next week, when you have a low day again, you will use up some of this fat, and so slowly still lose weight.

    But honestly, it's less stressful on the body, and involves less creation of fat, if you watch your daily calories a bit more than your weekly ones.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,072 Member
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    shaumom wrote: »
    Actually, a weekly view of calories is not always the best thing, mainly because the body is not, as the analogy goes, a bank, and calories are not money.

    If you are low on calories for a day, then your body burns fat that day. A bit of extra stress, maybe low blood sugar, but if it's not that often, no big deal.

    On the days when you overeat calories, though, while it may average out your calories for the week, at the same time? Your body just sticks those calories right back into fat. Whatever couldn't be done due to low calories on previous days doesn't get a boost now. They body simply takes the calories needed on THAT day, and the excess gets turned into fat to be used for another day...which I suppose, in a way, IS a bit like a bank, but it's not exactly like we WANT to keep an checkbook full of fat for a rainy day, typically, you know?

    ]Admittedly, the next week, when you have a low day again, you will use up some of this fat, and so slowly still lose weight.

    So, as others said, it evens out - no problem at all wit hit not being the same every day

    But honestly, it's less stressful on the body, and involves less creation of fat, if you watch your daily calories a bit more than your weekly ones

    It involves no more or less creation of fat either way - and what is stressful depends on the individual - ie personal preference only.

    *bold is my response.

  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,221 Member
    edited January 2017
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    shaumom wrote: »
    Actually, a weekly view of calories is not always the best thing, mainly because the body is not, as the analogy goes, a bank, and calories are not money.

    If you are low on calories for a day, then your body burns fat that day. A bit of extra stress, maybe low blood sugar, but if it's not that often, no big deal.

    On the days when you overeat calories, though, while it may average out your calories for the week, at the same time? Your body just sticks those calories right back into fat. Whatever couldn't be done due to low calories on previous days doesn't get a boost now. They body simply takes the calories needed on THAT day, and the excess gets turned into fat to be used for another day...which I suppose, in a way, IS a bit like a bank, but it's not exactly like we WANT to keep an checkbook full of fat for a rainy day, typically, you know?

    Admittedly, the next week, when you have a low day again, you will use up some of this fat, and so slowly still lose weight.

    But honestly, it's less stressful on the body, and involves less creation of fat, if you watch your daily calories a bit more than your weekly ones.

    I average my calories weekly and my 127 lb loss has not been any slower than it would have been had I done my calories daily.

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