Over calories for day. Now what?

I also have known dinner options that are filling but have fewer calories (chicken or pork loin). If lunch was truly bad and I don't think I'll really be that hungry come dinner, I might go without or just have a protein shake, I won't have dinner simply because it's dinner time.

I'd eat dinner (something calorie efficient but nutritious) if hungry, skip if not hungry, or something in between if most appropriate. If the over-goal earlier eating gave me some extra energy (happens sometimes) or I just felt like it, I might do some extra activity, but not with a "make up for" mindset.

For me, that sort of thing isn't mentally healthy, or particularly helpful. For me, "making up for" can lead to a roller coaster of indulgence and compensation, possibly a poorer attitude toward both eating and activity . . . I don't need that. Mental health - i.e., balance - is important, too.

Some things I believe:

One day's intake is a drop in the ocean. The majority of our days determines the majority of our progress.

Food isn't sin that requires us to suffer to expiate it. It's just food. We need some, not too much, the right stuff to get reasonably nutrition at appropriate calories, from foods that are tasty and practical to us, ideally.

Weight loss is a process of experimentation and adjustment. For me, it's trying to narrow in on a set of reasonably-happy habits that I can practice and perform more or less on autopilot, to stay at a healthy weight long term, ideally permanently. Experiments inevitable involve some outcomes, on the way, that aren't productive to the long-term objective in a direct sense. As long as I think of them as learning experiences, rather than "failures" of a "bad person", they can actually contribute to positive progress by showing me things that aren't helpful for me.

Guilt or shame are optional, burn no extra calories, feel icky, don't help me succeed. I try not to go there.

(FWIW, I'm in year 6+ at a healthy weight, after around 30 years previously of overweight/obesity. I'm not saying I'm set forever, because IMO weight management is permanent part of life, not a project with an end date. So far, so good, though. 🤞)

crb426 wrote: »

AZAlyssa wrote: »

Mom24_2021 wrote: »

I usually just eat my dinner and call it a day. Depending on what you have your goals set to, you can be over and still have eaten less than what you need to maintain or gain weight so I always try to keep it less than what my maintenance calories would be

I hadn't considered evaluating the calories against the maintenance level. That is a helpful way to frame it. Thank you.

This is when I take a peek at that "in 5 weeks your weight will be..." number at the bottom. If it's higher than my current weight I know that I'm over maintenance. If it's the same or under, then I feel just fine if I ate more than I planned to that day.

Of course, if it is more, then I know to chill out for the next several days and just make sure I track a little better. It won't completely mess you up to have one over day now and then, it will just take a little bit longer to get to goal.

This is a useful tip!

But, FWIW, it may not be universally applicable. MFP (set up with correct info for me) will tell me that in 5 weeks I'll weigh more. It did that when I was losing weight at a good clip, it would still do that now, even though I've been maintaining a healthy weight for 6+ years now at roughly my current calorie intake.

It's just an estimate. Yes, it's right or close for a lot of people (average people, i.e., most people), but I'd encourage people new to calorie counting not to over-rely on that metric until sticking with counting and body-weight tracking for at least 4-6 weeks to either validate or know how to adjust MFP's estimate. It can be a bit off (high or low) for some people, surprisingly far off for a rare few. That's the nature of statistical estimates. We don't know for sure where we fall on the scale of average-ness. (Reasons for being statistically unusual may not be obvious, either.🤷‍♀️)

I eat my dinner as planned if I’m hungry and get right back on-track. If I’m not too hungry or just snackish I just go for something high-protein like greek yogurt with protein powder.

Then, look back at the day to see what set me off-plan, and make a note to help plan for it in the future. Busy with errands and grabbed a snack or fast-food? Plan for that snack and bring it along, or plan for fast food and plan something that fits in with my meal plan (think ahead with restaurants and entrees that are ok in a pinch, have a list to draw from.)
Weekends that you like to meet up with friends for an outing? Save up calories through the week for it.
That time of the month and you’re dealing with true hunger? Up to maintenance calories for two days.
Been too restrictive for the past week and you “blew it”? Lighten up your goal and adjust your calorie deficit a bit.

I'd eat a reasonable dinner and try to calculate better the next day. Me personally, if I allow myself to get hungry, and then stressed from kids or whatever, I'll get flustered and binge eat. It's better to have a light dinner, even if I'm over, than a binge session.