The six day calorie deficit aka banking calories
NovusDies
Posts: 8,940 Member
Lately I have found myself explaining this more and more irl. I thought it might be worth a thread for anyone interested.
First some things to make perfectly clear:
1) I am not recommending this to anyone. It is a good system for me and it is a good system with or without some variations for some other people.
2) It makes no difference in weight loss. I have done this for over a year and I lose my weight as expected.
3) The benefits are only mental and perhaps educational for anyone who doesn't know it already. As explained the mental benefits will not be a benefit to everyone.
4) Don't you dare call the seventh day a "cheat" day.
The idea is super simple. You lose all the weight you intend to lose in 6 days instead of 7 days and you eat your maintenance calories on the 7th day. To do this you bank the extra calories by eating slightly less for the 6 days.
For each half pound you are trying to lose each week you subtract about 42 calories from your daily calorie goal.
So:
.5lb = 42
1lb = 83
1.5lb = 125
2lb = 167
On the 7th day for each half pound you are trying to lose each week you add 250 calories to that day's calorie goal.
So:
.5lb = 250
1lb = 500
1.5lb = 750
2lb = 1000
I do this because I don't benefit as much from small daily treats as much as having a bigger treat or set of treats 1 day a week. For me that day is Sunday. Since I always have something to look forward to it helps grease the wheels some days (mentally).
For anyone who doesn't know it this will help you understand the difference between your deficit and your maintenance calories as well as managing by weekly calorie goals instead of daily goals. It might also help some people get past the fear of eating above the line.
I will sometimes see a slight bump in the scale on Monday but for me it is almost always gone by Thurs and it is, again, nothing to fear. I have been doing this for over a year and lost a large amount of weight.
This is not the only way to bank calories or spend them. Some people want to bank just enough for bank night or bank a little more so they have extra on Saturday and Sunday. This is my system and feel free to steal it if you think it will help you.
First some things to make perfectly clear:
1) I am not recommending this to anyone. It is a good system for me and it is a good system with or without some variations for some other people.
2) It makes no difference in weight loss. I have done this for over a year and I lose my weight as expected.
3) The benefits are only mental and perhaps educational for anyone who doesn't know it already. As explained the mental benefits will not be a benefit to everyone.
4) Don't you dare call the seventh day a "cheat" day.
The idea is super simple. You lose all the weight you intend to lose in 6 days instead of 7 days and you eat your maintenance calories on the 7th day. To do this you bank the extra calories by eating slightly less for the 6 days.
For each half pound you are trying to lose each week you subtract about 42 calories from your daily calorie goal.
So:
.5lb = 42
1lb = 83
1.5lb = 125
2lb = 167
On the 7th day for each half pound you are trying to lose each week you add 250 calories to that day's calorie goal.
So:
.5lb = 250
1lb = 500
1.5lb = 750
2lb = 1000
I do this because I don't benefit as much from small daily treats as much as having a bigger treat or set of treats 1 day a week. For me that day is Sunday. Since I always have something to look forward to it helps grease the wheels some days (mentally).
For anyone who doesn't know it this will help you understand the difference between your deficit and your maintenance calories as well as managing by weekly calorie goals instead of daily goals. It might also help some people get past the fear of eating above the line.
I will sometimes see a slight bump in the scale on Monday but for me it is almost always gone by Thurs and it is, again, nothing to fear. I have been doing this for over a year and lost a large amount of weight.
This is not the only way to bank calories or spend them. Some people want to bank just enough for bank night or bank a little more so they have extra on Saturday and Sunday. This is my system and feel free to steal it if you think it will help you.
48
Replies
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Sounds like fun.2
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That's a pretty good analysis. You wouldn't think 40 or 80 per day would matter much, but it does!5
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I basically do the same thing, but with less math 😂
I eat under goal when I'm at home alone and save those extra calories for social meals once or twice a week.7 -
Its helpful to a lot of people to work on weekly averages as it takes the pressure off a little at times when they have a meal out or social gathering.
The same is useful for weight due to how much weight can fluctuate from one day to the next3 -
Calorie banking/weekly calorie goals were a game-changer for me. I still do it now that I'm more or less in maintenance
(mentally, at least, since I'm a lapsed calorie-counter and food-weigher 
) 4 -
Old school Weight Watchers allowed for banking "points". I get it.0
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Yes I'm still at a deficit where I can do this so I try to be a bit under everyday (60-100 cals) so on Saturdays I can have a bigger treat meal. I also only have 2 meals rather than 3 on the Saturdays as I get more enjoyment/feelings of satiety from bigger meals rather than a bunch of smaller ones. I wish I could do this during the week but I am always too hungry for breakfast, I think it's habit more than anything but I do walk for an hour on the treadmill every morning and I need fuel for this.
Once I'm close to my goal weight I might not be able to do this though as I am short and my daily burn will probably be much lower and it'll be much harder to have a bigger deficit.3 -
working to my weekly goal has been the best ting i've done to help with consistent weight loss.3
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OP, good post.
I think a version of this or weekly tracking could also be helpful for the all or nothing crowd. That extra slice of pizza, doughnut, cupcake, or whatever high calorie thing doesn't look quite as devastating next to a weekly calorie goal as it does your daily goal. This may be helpful for the all or nothing people to not give up as easily. I struggle with the all or nothing attitude sometimes myself.8 -
On the flip side of this, I used to "borrow" calories when I lost my weight. I did not know when treats such as dinner outings would happen as they tended to pop up randomly throughout the week. For me, instead of agonizing over the menu wondering what was going to fit into my day, I would just pick what I wanted. Bonus points if I had time to peruse the menu online ahead of time. I knew it would throw me over for the day. So I would just subtract around 50 calories per day from the days following the event. It would be just something simple like using less dressing/condiments/creamers/oils etc. So it wasn't anything I would miss or feel deprived of. I just made sure my weekly total was under maintenance calories. This system worked really well for me. When I knew of an event coming up, then I would be able to prepare and "bank" in the days ahead of the food event.14
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Sunshine_And_Sand wrote: »OP, good post.
I think a version of this or weekly tracking could also be helpful for the all or nothing crowd. That extra slice of pizza, doughnut, cupcake, or whatever high calorie thing doesn't look quite as devastating next to a weekly calorie goal as it does your daily goal. This may be helpful for the all or nothing people to not give up as easily. I struggle with the all or nothing attitude sometimes myself.
I always fell victim to the all or nothing mindset before starting this weight loss effort and using this plan of mine. I always failed too.
I notice that when I do my 6 day routine that after I eat maintenance I am more ready to face the next week of weight loss. When life has gotten in the way and I am forced out of my routine I am a little disgruntled and the following week is a little harder. Not a dramatic difference but a noticeable one.
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i like this topic. i'm a calorie banker. with cinco de mayo and the kentucky derby this weekend, i'm banking f-loads for this weekend.6
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All roads lead to Rome. Seems simpler to me to go take a walk and earn the calories of your treat but that takes getting off your butt and moving. Easy for some, not so easy for others. Again, all roads lead to Rome.19
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pierinifitness wrote: »All roads lead to Rome. Seems simpler to me to go take a walk and earn the calories of your treat but that takes getting off your butt and moving. Easy for some, not so easy for others. Again, all roads lead to Rome.
I fail to see how you bragging about how simple earning extra calories is for you is on topic in this thread.17 -
@NovusDies I think your banking formula could be useful for a whole lot of people especially those that are still going out with friends, date and work colleagues. When you look at it the way you have it allows a lot of freedom for weekends. Some people that are really busy and already active just don't have the time to squeeze in more exercise and/or a walk. Also it could be a tool for those that are just not physically able. I also see it being beneficial in maintenance...keep a small deficit during the week to offset any weekend overage...at least enough for a bloody mary!7
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@NovusDies I think your banking formula could be useful for a whole lot of people especially those that are still going out with friends, date and work colleagues. When you look at it the way you have it allows a lot of freedom for weekends. Some people that are really busy and already active just don't have the time to squeeze in more exercise and/or a walk. Also it could be a tool for those that are just not physically able. I also see it being beneficial in maintenance...keep a small deficit during the week to offset any weekend overage...at least enough for a bloody mary!
I can't know for sure obviously but I do suspect I will be doing this even in maintenance because it fits my personality and it is line with my natural eating habits. I care about what I eat more on the weekend than I do during the week.3 -
pierinifitness wrote: »All roads lead to Rome. Seems simpler to me to go take a walk and earn the calories of your treat but that takes getting off your butt and moving. Easy for some, not so easy for others. Again, all roads lead to Rome.
Not everyone has that luxury. Some have injuries that need rest😔
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Agree @MrsDan1667, hence my “all roads lead to Rome.” And, I acknowledge my post may have been offensive or hurtful to some who are disabled and this I regret.
But, most people are not disabled and my suggestion was really consistent with the OP’s math drill using an activity-based version of the eating less version.
I’d rather take a 5 minute walk than scrimp on eating 2 less stalks of celery and 4 less baby carrots embodied in OP’s math riddle example.
Everyone is different and the way we skin the fat cat will also be different.13 -
pierinifitness wrote: »All roads lead to Rome. Seems simpler to me to go take a walk and earn the calories of your treat but that takes getting off your butt and moving. Easy for some, not so easy for others. Again, all roads lead to Rome.
I’m a calorie banker. I’m also a daily exerciser. I also try to ensure a little extra activity on days when I know there will be indulgences.
The calorie banking is usually to the tune of 100-200 cals/day during the week so I have an extra 500-1000 cals for weekends. That would be quite a bit more walking, to get me to Rome, in your example, if I didn’t have the buffer banked from saving calories earlier in the week.
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pierinifitness wrote: »All roads lead to Rome. Seems simpler to me to go take a walk and earn the calories of your treat but that takes getting off your butt and moving. Easy for some, not so easy for others. Again, all roads lead to Rome.
A lot of people are already exercising to maximize their deficit or intake of calories. It's not always feasible to then exercise even more.
The point being made is that a 3500 calorie deficit results in a pound of weight lost and that this remains true whether it's accomplished by having a 500 calorie deficit over 7 days or a 583 calorie deficit over the course of 6 days with no deficit on the 7th.
People ask all the time "I ate too much tonight. Can I deduct the calories from tomorrow?" and the answer is Yes.9 -
To all who followed my post, whatever works for you is great, I was merely presenting another option. There aren’t that many extra daily steps required in burning an extra 42 calories a day following the OP’s math lesson.
I wantedy to burn an extra 100 calories this evening to close out my day at a mathematical maintenance point. I was surprised that it didn’t take much movement and activity to crank out another 100 calories.
But, I realize some might be exhausted from a hard day’s work. I sit for a living and know not of that toil.8 -
pierinifitness wrote: »Agree @MrsDan1667, hence my “all roads lead to Rome.” And, I acknowledge my post may have been offensive or hurtful to some who are disabled and this I regret.
But, most people are not disabled and my suggestion was really consistent with the OP’s math drill using an activity-based version of the eating less version.
I’d rather take a 5 minute walk than scrimp on eating 2 less stalks of celery and 4 less baby carrots embodied in OP’s math riddle example.
Everyone is different and the way we skin the fat cat will also be different.
OP's "math riddle" was to bank an extra 250 calories by spreading that 250 calorie deficit across the other 6 days so that you can have a bigger meal or treat on the 7th.
Your alternative proposal was to take a walk to earn those calories.
Most people would have to walk for an hour or more to burn that many calories.
You dont have to be disabled to not have the time or ability to go on a one hour walk on top of what you may already be doing on a regular basis to increase calorie burn.
But you go ahead with your strawman about a 5 minute walk vs eating "2 less stalks of celery."
By the way, not all roads lead to Rome.13 -
pierinifitness wrote: »To all who followed my post, whatever works for you is great, I was merely presenting another option. There aren’t that many extra daily steps required in burning an extra 42 calories a day following the OP’s math lesson.
I wantedy to burn an extra 100 calories this evening to close out my day at a mathematical maintenance point. I was surprised that it didn’t take much movement and activity to crank out another 100 calories.
But, I realize some might be exhausted from a hard day’s work. I sit for a living and know not of that toil.
The OP offered a very helpful tip which you continue to demean as a "math lesson."
We all know that walking burns calories. Good job.
What not everyone realizes is that it's our overall intake/output over time that matters and not strict adherence within each 24 hour period. Thus, I expect the OP to be enlightening to many.
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Glad you were enlightened by OP’s example @Carlos_421 but woe to me that I didn’t articulate mine to your comprehension. Nuff said by me, signing off on this one.8
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OP I agree this is a much more helpful way at looking at approaching variation in days and social events than trying to adhere to exactly the right amount of calories every single day.
I haven't done the actual maths but I always look at my calories as weekly allowances rather than daily ones and this helps with real life adherence.
Of course one still has to be mindful even on the higher days and not go stupid overboard but does mean one can enjoy treats, social occasions etc like a 'normal person'
Rather than the scenarios like somebody gave in another thread of sneaking their own food in to a social event and eating it in secret in the bathroom rather than eating the food provided.
It is ok to have treats. It is ok to go over your calories ( and to eat at less than perfect nutrition ) on some days.
Just keep the weekly calories at around the right level - and MFP very handily provides a weekly graph for you to manage that.2 -
Eating at a slight deficit through the week, to enable higher calories on the weekend for more indulgences works well for some.
Eating at a deficit during the week and at maintenance during the weekend, taking slightly longer to reach your goal weight, works well for some.
Exercising a little bit more, to burn some extra calories, to enable you to eat more on any particular day, works well for some.
You just have to find what best suits you and your lifestyle. I personally eat a little more over the weekend, but because I have more time up my sleeve, also exercise more on the weekend to counterbalance those extra calories. This works for me at this point in my life, but there is no way it would work for everyone. It may not work for me either in a year from now.3 -
pierinifitness wrote: »All roads lead to Rome. Seems simpler to me to go take a walk and earn the calories of your treat but that takes getting off your butt and moving. Easy for some, not so easy for others. Again, all roads lead to Rome.
I'm a short, older woman who weighs 115 pounds. I am VERY active. But since I am short and older, I just don't burn a lot of calories. It's simple math and physics.
I'm maintaining right now and want to lose about 5 or so more pounds of vanity weight. When I go back to losing, I'll likely hit my birthday and want a treat like cheesecake, I'll earn that treat through calorie banking.
It's very easy for men especially to forget that for many women, even active women, simply earning treats through exercise isn't even within the realm of possibility because we just don't have the body mass to BURN that many calories on a daily basis.20 -
pierinifitness wrote: »To all who followed my post, whatever works for you is great, I was merely presenting another option. There aren’t that many extra daily steps required in burning an extra 42 calories a day following the OP’s math lesson.
I wantedy to burn an extra 100 calories this evening to close out my day at a mathematical maintenance point. I was surprised that it didn’t take much movement and activity to crank out another 100 calories.
But, I realize some might be exhausted from a hard day’s work. I sit for a living and know not of that toil.
Another point to mention that I haven't seen brought up is that exercise bulimia is a thing. And a dangerous thing.
Getting into a mindset where if someone is slightly over their caloric allotment, or feel that their deficit for the day wasn't large enough, can lead them into thinking "I've gotta do an hour on the treadmill before I can go to bed!" And that's a very slippery slope. One that can all too easily lead someone into an unhealthy relationship with food *and* exercise.
OP, thank you for this thread. It's insightful and on point.
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@NovusDies I think your banking formula could be useful for a whole lot of people especially those that are still going out with friends, date and work colleagues. When you look at it the way you have it allows a lot of freedom for weekends. Some people that are really busy and already active just don't have the time to squeeze in more exercise and/or a walk. Also it could be a tool for those that are just not physically able. I also see it being beneficial in maintenance...keep a small deficit during the week to offset any weekend overage...at least enough for a bloody mary!
I can't know for sure obviously but I do suspect I will be doing this even in maintenance because it fits my personality and it is line with my natural eating habits. I care about what I eat more on the weekend than I do during the week.
I currently AM doing this in maintenance
Especially during the winter months, when there is nowhere safe to get outside and burn off some steam and it gets dark early and I find myself naturally a touch less active. Just eating at a 50 or so calorie deficit during the week by eating more "diet-friendly" treats buys me 300+ calories so I can have a beer and a garlic knot with my pizza, or have room for brunch on Sunday if my SIL calls at the last minute.
And I wouldn't mind being a couple of lbs lighter still, so if I have a week every once and awhile where I don't eat back these saved calories, I might be able to shave off a couple of extra lbs this year without fussing over it.
This kind of flexibility is so important for people to understand! So many people fall off the wagon because they feel like they have to constantly be on a regimented plan, that their body writes a record in stone at the end of every day that makes or breaks you. But the process is actually quite fluid and flexible enough to fit into your real life.8 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »pierinifitness wrote: »To all who followed my post, whatever works for you is great, I was merely presenting another option. There aren’t that many extra daily steps required in burning an extra 42 calories a day following the OP’s math lesson.
I wantedy to burn an extra 100 calories this evening to close out my day at a mathematical maintenance point. I was surprised that it didn’t take much movement and activity to crank out another 100 calories.
But, I realize some might be exhausted from a hard day’s work. I sit for a living and know not of that toil.
Another point to mention that I haven't seen brought up is that exercise bulimia is a thing. And a dangerous thing.
Getting into a mindset where if someone is slightly over their caloric allotment, or feel that their deficit for the day wasn't large enough, can lead them into thinking "I've gotta do an hour on the treadmill before I can go to bed!" And that's a very slippery slope. One that can all too easily lead someone into an unhealthy relationship with food *and* exercise.
OP, thank you for this thread. It's insightful and on point.
When I was studying psychology (which was admittedly longer ago than I like to think...) over-exercising was covered as a form of anorexia.
2
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