Calories left at the end of the day?

NCMeg
NCMeg Posts: 57 Member
edited October 2 in Food and Nutrition
If you have calories left at the end of the day (or have consumed less than 1200 calories) do you eat something else to get to either the 1200 calories or what ever your goal for your day is? I've run into this a couple of times...(sorry if this is a frequent question, but the search function wasn't working).

Replies

  • mimaduck83
    mimaduck83 Posts: 175 Member
    I had calories left over...I just got in from work (at 12.30am GMT) - so I had 2 cookies. Oh god were they good. seriously needed the sugar too!
  • glenner
    glenner Posts: 160 Member
    There is another discussion going on about this LOL- I personally am not going to eat them all back- what is the point of exercising if I eat that much more?? But on the days that I work out alot I might allow myself a treat by having a little more. I am strictly going to just look at my calories eaten.
  • routerguy666
    routerguy666 Posts: 188
    Nuts are a good way to pick up a lot of calories quickly.
  • nicbic123
    nicbic123 Posts: 75 Member
    can't really comment as i almost NEVER have any left!! lol
  • scompton73
    scompton73 Posts: 5 Member
    I have read that if you eat under 1200 your body starts to conserve those calories instead of burning them. I try to eat some cheese and lunchmeat or peanut butter and apples or banana in the evening when that happens. I save all my calories for dinner because Im the hungriest then but I find that I dont use them all. You could also make a smoothie.
  • avaloneternal
    avaloneternal Posts: 216
    Yes, you need to nourish your body to allow it to function properly. I aim to eat a minimum 1200 calories net. I am an athlete and my body needs fuel to function optimally. I am not sure about the whole starvation mode theory but I do know that going below 1200 cals/ day only leads to cravings and binges. Do yourself a favor and eat well or you will mess up and give up.
  • NCMeg
    NCMeg Posts: 57 Member
    Sorry glenner, I didn't see it when I looked. If I eat less than 1200 calories I get a little message telling me I can go into starvation mode and won't loose weight. I'm not counting the calories lost to exercise towards the initial 1200..

    ETA - I am eatting, don't worry, and I feel like I am eating pretty well, but for example I had 350 calories left, and 15 grams of fat.
  • jazzy020106
    jazzy020106 Posts: 485 Member
    I ALWAYS have calories left over. I only eat them if I feel like I want a snack or something and I make sure to not go over. But that rarely happens either =/ lol
  • jazzy020106
    jazzy020106 Posts: 485 Member
    Nuts are a good way to pick up a lot of calories quickly.

    Or Almonds!! YUMMMM
  • bethdris
    bethdris Posts: 1,090 Member
    I almost never NET 1200...pretty much only the days I don't work out. It hasn't held me back.
  • kevinlynch3
    kevinlynch3 Posts: 287 Member
    Go to the url below...credit to taso42..this brings you to a bunch of articles on the board related to this topic

    Then make up your own mind

    http://www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/
  • nicksaysnever
    nicksaysnever Posts: 38
    I only eat dessert on the days I have martial arts - that way I have a motivation to go more times a week then I normally would. If it's been a low exercise day and I have a lot of calories left (more than 100), I will choose a healthy snack like a piece of fruit or a slice of toasted flax bread so I don't go to bed feeling hungry.
  • Jill_newimprovedversion
    Jill_newimprovedversion Posts: 988 Member
    if you haven't exercised them off, then yes- for sure.

    I don't like to make it up w/ a high dose of sugar, but rather protein.

    A couple light string cheeses, an light English muffin w/ some natural PB,

    or if you like something crunchy, some rice cakes w/ fat free cream cheese, light laughing cow cheese wedges,

    or Kellogg's Special K cracker chips ( my FAVorite TV snack)
  • Priscillawants74gone
    Priscillawants74gone Posts: 24 Member
    Never consume under 1200 calories... it's different if you've gotten some back due to exercise. Just always make sure you've eaten at least 1200 per day.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    If you have calories left at the end of the day (or have consumed less than 1200 calories) do you eat something else to get to either the 1200 calories or what ever your goal for your day is? I've run into this a couple of times...(sorry if this is a frequent question, but the search function wasn't working).

    No, whatever is my cal intake even going below 1,000 cals., I don't force myself to eat after dinner. That's something many people (including myself before) are doing which is why they/we fail because they think they/we can eat anything they/we want as long as they're/we're exercising. Its not advisable to eat 2 hours before going to bed. Instead, I just make it up the next day or as they call it zigzag your calories. Its something that worked well for me. But I don't like to get a red 0 on my calories at the end of the day. I don't have any device to be relied on that is more accurate & just inputting my cals burned & consumed through MFP database which is not 100% accurate (probably its only 50% or less accurate) so its better to be safe & give some 300-500 calorie allowance.
  • clarebrad
    clarebrad Posts: 188 Member
    I often have calories left over. i am doing alot of excercise and don't aim to eat them back as have been told just cause your are excercising doens't mean is good to eat more. As long as had good meals, nutirious food that will give me what i need i don't worry, i don;'t think is good idea to think i have 400 calories then eat something that isn't so good and if don't feel liek eating or feel need anymore i wont' as will just get me into old bad habbits. I also feel this is more a guide and a tool and never 100% sure all that is inputted is correct or rights wieghts etc.
  • csmith4567
    csmith4567 Posts: 82 Member
    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/calorie_calculation101.asp

    I thought this link was a good outline of how the calorie counts are made ... this site uses the same principles as MFP. Read it and then make your own determination based on your parameters. If you feel you are underguessing your food ... then maybe leaving a buffer of calories isn't a bad idea ... However, undereating consistently will trigger mechanisms in your body that affect your BMR, essentially slowing it down, making weight loss more difficult.

    So, take a look at the parameters, then look at your actual weight loss. If you are entering your activity and food correctly and meeting your goals .... you should be losing 1-2 pounds a week.

    I can tell you what works for me. I generally leave a "buffer" of about 200 calories. So, if I exercise enough to have 1500 or 1600 calories, I may only eat 1300 or 1400 calories. I do this because I do not always have time to measure or weigh my food, so I assume I under estimated my food quantity and over estimated my exercise quality.

    However, at least once or twice a week, I meet the goal close without going over. I have been consistently dropping 1/2 a pound every 3-4 days for weeks, so this is working for me.

    You need to pay attention to your trends and see what works for you. Our BMR's are different, our habits for measuring and logging are different, so the answer for you will be different than the answer for me.

    I hope some of this is helpful.

    Cindy
This discussion has been closed.

Categories