Do you bank calories, or do you find it too stressful?

I've got my premium account set up so I get more calories on a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. I find it hard on the other days with less calories to work with and start to feel a bit frazzled when I'm left with about half. I think I need to work out what meals are worth what and find appropriate lunches, dinners and snacks for lower calorie days.

When I work out I naturally get more calories to eat, and that happens most days. So is there any point banking calories? I feel like it's the only reason I purchased premium.

Replies

  • sugarfreesquirrel
    sugarfreesquirrel Posts: 268 Member
    (Haven't tracked calories for a week or so because I've been really sick)
  • sugarfreesquirrel
    sugarfreesquirrel Posts: 268 Member
    To be fair, with premium, I like the barcode scanner as well
  • PeachHibiscus
    PeachHibiscus Posts: 163 Member
    I kind of bank calories naturally. I usually eat less calories on weekdays, as my breakfasts and lunches are fairly light, so this evens out if calories on the weekends are a little more. I don't like feeling full at work so this is just kind of how it works out.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    Your body doesn't know anything about MyFitnessPal. All it knows is what you are taking in and what you are using.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,881 Member
    edited September 2023
    Honestly, I dislike any structured regimen :smiley: Programming specific higher and lower calorie days would most likely provoke rebelliousness and, yes, unnecessary stress. I have the same calorie goal day on MFP each day, but how much I actually eat is quite intuitive (depending on mood, amount of exercise, practical circumstances...). I just use the weekly view of my calorie intake to see what the average is (making sure the 'over goal' days are balanced by the 'under goal' days).
  • pony4us
    pony4us Posts: 165 Member
    I just look at the weekly average if I see a gain and need to dial it back.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    I calorie bank in maintenance, but not by having different MFP goals on different days. I set my MFP goal the same every day, but at a level that's very slightly less than estimated maintenance calories. Then I occasionally eat over goal (implicitly spending calories from the bank) but not on a predefined schedule.

    It's not stressful. Very little, maybe nothing, about any of this is stressful. Occasionally there are situations to be analysed or problems to be solved, but it's more like a fun science fair experiment for grown-ups, not any kind of crisis.
  • Winning4EJ
    Winning4EJ Posts: 47 Member
    To be fair, with premium, I like the barcode scanner as well

    I miss the barcode scanner... I remember when it was free to have.
  • MurphmomSparkles
    MurphmomSparkles Posts: 208 Member
    I am on the fence on this. I have noticed it is often hard for me to eat all my calories on days I work and hard for me to stay within my calories on days I don't work. That would seem to suggest I should adjust the goals so not all days are the same. However, I find when I eat under my goal, even if I'm satisfied, that the next day I wake up really hungry and then I go a bit off the rails for the day.

    I think I'm going to try to get in all my calories every day, and occasionally go over if something special is going on, and not worry about it unless I plateau.