Do you eat the same amount of calories every day?

oat_bran
oat_bran Posts: 370 Member
edited November 19 in Health and Weight Loss
I've heard that after a few weeks eating in a deficit one gets used to it and doesn't feel as hungry as during the first weeks. Do you think one needs to eat more or less the same number of calories for that to happen ? Does eating exercise calories back or eating more on more active days would interfere with that?

Do you eat the same amount calories daily or do you eat more some days and less the others? How does it affect your hunger levels? If you eat more or less the same number of calories, do you feel hungrier on more active days?

Replies

  • cosmonew
    cosmonew Posts: 513 Member
    I eat in a range between 1800-1999 calories per day. I used to eat my exercise calories to lose weight but now I just exercise for fun and only eat them back when I am hungry. You really have to play with things and see how it works for you. I would def. agree that at first I was starving on the limited calories..but I think it was just my body being used to more food. I noticed if I stay busy...I'm not hungry....but you are going to get a lot of answers and see it is different for everyone... good luck.
  • Sheisinlove109
    Sheisinlove109 Posts: 516 Member
    For me, my hunger is directly related with sleep, food choices, drink choices and stress. My exercise amount can play with my mind too. If I don't exercise I find it very hard to stay in my target because I quickly get the "I'll worry about it tomorrow mentality".

    For the first few weeks I struggled a little when I was trying to cut back too fast. I did the calorie reduction gradual and now I can't believe I actually ate that much before. I still can't believer the amount of sugar and salt I consumed! Gah!

    I try to go to bed with a 700-1000 calorie workout deficit. Yes, that's a lot of hard work for me but I've learned to love the workout, self time and goal. Also, when I do want something "not so fab for the goal" I don't feel guilty.

    Feel free to friend me if you'd like.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    edited July 2017
    I have a range that I use (I'm at maintenance weight) - but when I was actively losing I tracked religiously and "ate back" all my earned exercise calories. So some days I ate quite a bit more than others, depending on my activity.

    What happens over time is that you get enough of your own data to make adjustments to your preferences. Some people prefer eating at TDEE minus a set deficit daily which sets their calories and they just eat (for instance) 1800 every day, regardless of exercise. I preferred eating extra on exercise days (the way MFP is set up to be used) so I would have been set at 1500 daily and then 2000 on exercise days. (Just random numbers)

    It's preference, in my opinion. Both ways work for me. As a matter of fact, I'm LESS hungry on exercise days but I know what I can eat to lose and to stay at my current weight because I've done the experiment and I have the recorded data to back it up.
  • Poisonedpawn78
    Poisonedpawn78 Posts: 1,145 Member
    I eat in a range and do my best to stick to that range. I tend to ignore light cravings or feelings of hunger. However if it gets out of control, I listen to my body and eat a day at maintenance to give it more nutrients. I just make sure that those days are not common.
  • CrepedCrusader
    CrepedCrusader Posts: 24 Member
    When I started really working out I started to get super hangry (but the day after) so I started eating my exercise calories and that helped. Usually another oz of chicken or some more veg if I'm still hungry. I also have found that when I burn upwards of 600 in exercise I really only need about 200 of my exercise cals to handle the extra hunger. I try to also keep in mind the whole week. Like this: if I eat 1300 a day that gives me 9100 in the 'bank' for the week. So if I'm 100 over one day and 100 under the next my week still comes out right and so far I have still been seeing my weekly goals of weight loss.
  • folgers86
    folgers86 Posts: 84 Member
    Depends on how I feel. Tomorrow I have a 90 minute spin class with a tough instructor who loves her hills and jumps. I burn on average 500-600 calories for a 60 minute class (600 according to Fitbit but margin of error and all that) so I can guarantee you I'll be eating some of those calories back tomorrow! Don't set yourself up to fail by making yourself so hungry you can't sustain a defecit.
  • SeikoMonster
    SeikoMonster Posts: 105 Member
    1400 cal per day since about mid February. I eat the exact same thing every day. A few days I have been waiting impatiently for breakfast, but its not been bad at all.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,743 Member
    I eat back exercise calories and that varies so my intake varies as well. After a 12 mile run I eat a lot more than on days I just walk.
  • nyponbell
    nyponbell Posts: 379 Member
    I think that's very individual. I personally eat some of my exercise calories back the day of the exercise and have some left over for the week in case I want an extra treat (ok, I always want an extra treat). And as my exercise fluctuates, so does my calorie intake. If I am hungry, but I've eaten all of my allotted calories for the day, I will still eat (and this only really happens if I've "spent" my calories on something high-calorie, low-nutrient food during the day).

    I do find it interesting though. I think if I were to eat the same amount of calories every day regardless of physical activity, I would be hungrier (maybe not right away, but a few days of it and I'd be ready to eat the couch if I'm as active as I've been lately). For me, as my activity fluctuates, I can't have a set amount of calories to eat daily -- it'd either be too much (if I'm lazy AF) or not enough (if I'm going to the gym).

  • AliciaRenee1
    AliciaRenee1 Posts: 21 Member
    I don't eat back any of my exercise calories (or fitbit step adjustment). I average around 800cals/day sometimes as low as 500 and always under 1000, MFP gives me 1200calories/day to lose 1kg/week. I never eat that many. I have been at it just over 3 weeks now and I don't ever feel hungry at all. I "snack" mostly on fruit or celery sticks and using organic stevia in the place of sugar actually makes me super thirsty and I easily drink 2-3L water a day, especially when im at work.
    Eating this low doesn't affect my ability to do my "home circuit" workout or my 70hrs/fortnight in night shifts.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    I eat half my exercise calories back. Generally speaking, I hit the same range every day, but since some days I walk more or less, my daily totals vary.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    AliciaRenee1 wrote: »
    I don't eat back any of my exercise calories (or fitbit step adjustment). I average around 800cals/day sometimes as low as 500 and always under 1000, MFP gives me 1200calories/day to lose 1kg/week. I never eat that many. I have been at it just over 3 weeks now and I don't ever feel hungry at all. I "snack" mostly on fruit or celery sticks and using organic stevia in the place of sugar actually makes me super thirsty and I easily drink 2-3L water a day, especially when im at work.
    Eating this low doesn't affect my ability to do my "home circuit" workout or my 70hrs/fortnight in night shifts.

    Don't worry, it will soon enough if you're truly eating that little. It's been three weeks so you're in the honeymoon phase of things, especially since your body can sustain itself on excess body fat, but underfueling always catches up with people. Be careful.

    Anyway, no I don't eat the same amount every day because my activity level varies. When I was first losing weight I did because my activity level was far more constant but as time passed and my fitness levels improved, my routine and caloric needs changed drastically.
  • InkAndApples
    InkAndApples Posts: 201 Member
    My activity levels vary a huge amount, I also eat back all my exercise calories. However, I don't always eat them back on the day I earn them as I use a weekly overview - I'm always bang on my calorie target for the week but spread very unevenly.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    Too many questions.

    No. I do not eat the same amount of calories every day. My calorie goal is aggressive currently though so I may need to go over by 100 for whatever reason and I refeed once per week.
  • Muana1005
    Muana1005 Posts: 172 Member
    AliciaRenee1 wrote: »
    I don't eat back any of my exercise calories (or fitbit step adjustment). I average around 800cals/day sometimes as low as 500 and always under 1000, MFP gives me 1200calories/day to lose 1kg/week. I never eat that many. I have been at it just over 3 weeks now and I don't ever feel hungry at all. I "snack" mostly on fruit or celery sticks and using organic stevia in the place of sugar actually makes me super thirsty and I easily drink 2-3L water a day, especially when im at work.
    Eating this low doesn't affect my ability to do my "home circuit" workout or my 70hrs/fortnight in night shifts.

    800 cals per day is the equivalent of around 8 large apples. I call bull here. You're either not weighing your food properly or you're lying.

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited July 2017
    Not at all. I eat anywhere between 500 and 3500 calories. I eat based on hunger/activity/food availability/desires/events/strategic planning...etc. I always eat my exercise calories or carry them over. I just keep a tally of my calories and carry over any extra/debt calories to the next day and my overall deficit averages to my desired deficit over a period of time (that deficit ranges between 250 and 750 depending on what I feel like doing).

    There are also weeks where I choose to maintain my weight for a while, so my calories average to my maintenance more or less.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    AliciaRenee1 wrote: »
    I don't eat back any of my exercise calories (or fitbit step adjustment). I average around 800cals/day sometimes as low as 500 and always under 1000, MFP gives me 1200calories/day to lose 1kg/week. I never eat that many. I have been at it just over 3 weeks now and I don't ever feel hungry at all. I "snack" mostly on fruit or celery sticks and using organic stevia in the place of sugar actually makes me super thirsty and I easily drink 2-3L water a day, especially when im at work.
    Eating this low doesn't affect my ability to do my "home circuit" workout or my 70hrs/fortnight in night shifts.

    You may not feel the effects of eating that low now, but you will soon. You should be eating 1200 plus your exercise/Fitbit calories. If you don't feel hungry, add some fats into your diet to get your calories up.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    I cycle my Calories depending on what exercise I'm doing and where I am in my lifting cycle. For 3 weeks I eat at near enough maintenance (or as much as I can) which could be up to 3000 Calories. Then for my 4th deload week I eat at 1000 or so deficit, but I still try not to go below 1800 and again on extra active days I'll go up to 2500. But I've started trying to change my mindset around food, so that I look on it as fuel for my active lifestyle.
  • oat_bran
    oat_bran Posts: 370 Member
    InkAndApples wrote: »
    My activity levels vary a huge amount, I also eat back all my exercise calories. However, I don't always eat them back on the day I earn them as I use a weekly overview - I'm always bang on my calorie target for the week but spread very unevenly.

    My activity levels vary greatly, as well. Though not necessarily only due to intentional exercise. Iits just that I am a student with two active jobs and no car. Some days I burn only 1700cals, others it's hundreds over 2k (I have a fitbit that estimates my TDEE and judging on my loses and gains its estimates have been accurate). I used to just set myself a deficit and aim to eat at that deficit based on my TDEE estimates, so I'd eat more on more active days and less on less active days. It helped me to feel less hungry on more active days but I would feel very hungry on sedentary days. And it was really complicated to have to estimate my TDEE in advance and plan accordingly. Logging would take so much time because portion sizes and meals varied according to my activity level. So now I'm thinking about eating the same amount every day and see how it affects my hunger levels.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I don't get more or less hungry in any discernible pattern, at least not by whether I'm in a surplus or deficit or maintaining, and I don't feel more or less hungry when I exercise and don't, at least not much. And I don't really exercise. At any rate, I don't exercise enough to bother logging it, so there are (were) no calories to eat back.

    I eat a little more on some days and a little less on other days, but not varying by a large degree, maybe between 80-120 percent of average intake. I don't count calories anymore, but I keep a good, stable weight.

    For me, it's cravings, not hunger, that annoys me. I can much more easily tolerate being hungry than the urge to just eat. I have to be a bit strict, but sometimes I'll just eat.
  • Soopatt
    Soopatt Posts: 563 Member
    I have a low day (approx 500 cals), followed by a high day (approx 1200 + 700 saved from day before). repeat. It gives me more options on the high days. My calories still come in the same at the end of my week but I can never close my diary (either MFP screams at me that I am not eating enough on the low days, or stays silent about my "over eating" on the high days...). Its a bit of an experiment from my steady 1200 cals a day plan, but its working for me nicely for the time being.

    I am small boned, relatively sedentary and over 40, so I am not wasting away at a rapid rate doing this, nor am I hungry or tired.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Soopatt wrote: »
    I have a low day (approx 500 cals), followed by a high day (approx 1200 + 700 saved from day before). repeat. It gives me more options on the high days. My calories still come in the same at the end of my week but I can never close my diary (either MFP screams at me that I am not eating enough on the low days, or stays silent about my "over eating" on the high days...). Its a bit of an experiment from my steady 1200 cals a day plan, but its working for me nicely for the time being.

    I am small boned, relatively sedentary and over 40, so I am not wasting away at a rapid rate doing this, nor am I hungry or tired.

    You don't have to close your diary at all. The only thing you get from it would be the 5-week loss projection, which would be very inaccurate for you with the way you cycle your calories.
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    I aim for a weekly deficit of 2000 calories my range can be 1300-2300 total cals per day, I like the flexibility of eating when I'm more hungry some days or have social commitments. :) works for me and keeps me sane, I lose consistently cycling my cals this way throughout the week, I rarely eat under my BMR. Exercising helps to give me more wiggle room too. I also slightly suspect this staves of adaptive thermogenesis to a slight degree (that and the slow rate of loss). Could be wrong though.

    I'm a big fan of whatever works for you and you can maintain long term though as long as it's healthy. :)
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    So anyway, I don't eat the same amount every day but it's not too off mostly. Yesterday I had a pretty active day at work of almost 15,000 steps, but I wasn't hungry for dinner. Today I'm done with work, on only 6000 steps, but I know I still have a bunch of calories from yesterday to use because I WILL go over.
  • AliciaRenee1
    AliciaRenee1 Posts: 21 Member
    Muana1005 wrote: »
    AliciaRenee1 wrote: »
    I don't eat back any of my exercise calories (or fitbit step adjustment). I average around 800cals/day sometimes as low as 500 and always under 1000, MFP gives me 1200calories/day to lose 1kg/week. I never eat that many. I have been at it just over 3 weeks now and I don't ever feel hungry at all. I "snack" mostly on fruit or celery sticks and using organic stevia in the place of sugar actually makes me super thirsty and I easily drink 2-3L water a day, especially when im at work.
    Eating this low doesn't affect my ability to do my "home circuit" workout or my 70hrs/fortnight in night shifts.

    800 cals per day is the equivalent of around 8 large apples. I call bull here. You're either not weighing your food properly or you're lying.

    I have no reason to lie and my weight loss speaks for itself, if anything I overestimate my calories. And an FYI a medium mandarin is only 50 cals and a small apple is just 72 cals. MFP actually tells me the calories im eating and I am fastidious in ensuring the macro information is correct. Btw scales don't lie either darlin so next time you decide to try run someone down, think twice not everyone lies or fudges numbers ;)
  • LVNF04
    LVNF04 Posts: 2,607 Member
    Nope
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    nope - I do a variation of TDEE and carb cycle - so I have a Super/High/Medium and Low day in a 7 day cycle - protein stays 140g and carbs/fats vary. I avg between 2400 (low) and 2700 (super) day calories and weight stable at 147lbs and working on recomp during the triathlon season. After the season, I'll do a fat loss cycle to try and lose some more weight
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