Thoughts on deducting calories from the next day when going over daily limit?

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Geocitiesuser
Geocitiesuser Posts: 1,429 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I think it should technically be okay, i went, unfortunately, 1000 cals over yesterday, so im basically fasting today (only going to eat 500ish cals) because i plan on removing those cals from todays limit. I don't know if it's mentally all that healthy, but I figure it will all balance out. How do you handle it when you have a calorie boo boo?
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  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Depends on the overage. If it's 1000 kcals then just forget it or reduce by 100 kcals over the next 10 days. This amounts less than one third of a pound of fat worst case. Only you can decide if this is worth it or not.

    What counts is the maintenance of a daily deficit. This is what pays off in the long run.

    What is more important is why you went over by 1000 kcals. Was this a special event? Was this due to emotional eating? Were you hungry after an intense workout? Ask yourself why, then ask why to that question until you get to the heart of the issue.
  • buffinlovin
    buffinlovin Posts: 100 Member
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    I just log it and move on to the next day. I figure I'm not going to be perfect 100% of the time, so I aim to be perfect 95% of the time and give myself that 5% flexibility so I don't go insane with trying to stay on top of everything.
  • Geocitiesuser
    Geocitiesuser Posts: 1,429 Member
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    Thanks for the feedback all!
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    Its a day and you are either over or under. Your overall weight gain or loss will be the judge.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    If you are already eating at a deficit then you will eventually make them up anyway. When on maintenance that isn't quite true, but even then you will eventually reach the point where you cross out of your maintenance range and you start eating at a deficit again. It seems to me that it is better to just move on than to starve yourself to catch up.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Most times I go over badly, I just don't want to eat the next day. Now, there is a correlation between going over one day and being a bit hungover the next for me (imagine that) so that also plays into not wanting to eat.

    Life happens. I might look at the week to see how bad it is but I just move on. Some times I can't close the following days diary as I'm under the minimum for that day.
  • jennypapage
    jennypapage Posts: 489 Member
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    if it's a couple of hundred calories that i went over, then i take them off from the next day's goal. if it was more than 200, i would divide it in 2-3 days.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,502 Member
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    Psychologically, I think it's an OK strategy to plan ahead for a special occasion by eating a little under goal for a few days beforehand, or fitting in an extra workout, or eating a bit lightly on other meals the day of a special event. Then the mini-splurge becomes a reward for working toward one's goal.

    Making up calories after an event? That seems more like punishment for eating, something we need to do, and seems a little iffy to me. Yeah, if one's less hungry the next day, it's fine to respond to that. But it's pretty easy to start setting oneself up for binge/restrict cycles by overeating, then undereating to compensate, then being ravenous and overeating again . . . .

    If you're losing a pound a week (500 calorie daily deficit), going over goal by 1000 calories is wiping out today's deficit and tomorrow's . . . a whole whopping 2 day delay in reaching ultimate goal weight. Not a big deal, as long as it's not a frequent thing. Ignore it & go on.
  • TheCupcakeCounter
    TheCupcakeCounter Posts: 606 Member
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    I would spread the extra 1000 over a few days not just one. Just switch over to weekly tracking for the time being and let it even out that way.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    I wouldn't do anything to make up for it. Let's say, for example, you're trying to lose 1 lb per week, using MFP's recommendations. That means you're at a 500 Cal/day (3500 Cal/week) deficit. You meet your Cal goal every day but one, where you go over by 1000 Cals. That one day, assuming a 500 proposed daily deficit, only puts you over maintenance by 500 Cals. As such, instead of a 3500 Cal weekly deficit, you're at a 2500 Cal deficit for that week. As such, you can still expect to lose about 0.7 lb.

    If you're trying to lose 1/2 lb per week, you'll end up at a 750 Cal deficit for that week, so you could still expect to lose about 0.2 lb.

    In both cases, you can expect to lose weight - just not quite as much as you wanted.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    I use a daily average from the iPhone app. There are days where I want or need more than my 'allowance' and days where I'm less hungry. It's quite a common thing to do. I wouldn't try and reduce calories as drastically as you are suggesting in just one day.
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    I just look at the weekly average. Some days I net ~1000 calories, others ~2500, but at the end of the week, I hit my goal. I try to always be on savings rather than credit though.
  • sarochka85
    sarochka85 Posts: 103 Member
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    I always carry any extra over to the next day. I might be in the minority. I'm trying to cut from BMI 23 to BMI 21, though, so there's not too much room for error.
  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 980 Member
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    Every few days I check my weekly average. My aim is for that to be pretty much on target and, if it is, I'm happy. I eat out quite a bit so some days will be unavoidably higher than when I'm cooking for myself. I don't punish myself.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    If it were 100 calories or so, that would be fine, but 1000? No. Just move on and learn from what happened.
  • SarahxApple
    SarahxApple Posts: 166 Member
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    Fasting the next day isn't a good idea (if you are not usually someone who practices fasting or IF). You could start treating your calorie goals as a weekly thing, if it helps? As others have said why did you go over? Me for instance I did a similar thing this week Weds night me and my bf ordered pizza, I had fizzy pop and chocolate too, I was over by 655 calories. So Thurs I made sure to keep under my calories and I went for a long run.

    IMO: Binge eating 1000 calories over = sign something isn't right in your tracking/eating habits
    An evening out/event/planned dinner that's over/wine or beer out = life

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