Weekends

Both my daily calorie needs and consumption change day to day. I try to hit my daily goal as often as possible. I try to hit as close to the target as I can. I don't want to be under it; just hit it.

More important to me though is being close to target on average over a week. Because both my calories consumed and expended vary, I like to be really close to my goal each week. Day to day is important, but not as important as longer term.

I'm in maintenance now.

I calorie bank (eat very slightly under estimated true maintenance calories, like 100-150 under) most days. That gives me some calories I can use for occasional indulgences, yet still maintain a reasonable weight. (I'm in year 7+ of maintaining at this point.)

I'm retired, so it isn't a weekday/weekend thing, but the concept could apply in that scenario.

Some people do something like that during weight loss. MFP resets at midnight, but our bodies don't. Weight change (fat change specifically) is about the cumulative effect of net eating/activity calories over a period of time.

I agree with others that hitting calorie goal (or close) as a weekly average is a reasonable thing to do, especially if it makes it easier for you to stay with the loss plans.

Also, I think it's worth estimating your current maintenance calories, just to have a reasonable estimate of that number. Any day you eat less than maintenance, even if over weight loss calorie goal, you'd expect to lose some body fat, just a bit less loss than if you'd hit calorie goal.

Even if considering eating over goal calories for some special occasion, knowing your maintenance estimate can help make decisions about the impact. For example, if losing a pound a week, that implies a 500 calorie daily deficit. In that situation, if a person eats 1000 calories over goal one day, they delay reaching goal weight by about 2 days - the day of the extra 1000, plus it effectively zeros the next day's 500 calorie deficit. IME, that's worth it on the rare occasion, like (say) a birthday or holiday.

Be careful, though: It's fairly easy to zero out 5 days' deficit in 2 days on a weekend, and not lose weight at all. If that's a knowing choice, that's one thing. If doing it out of some misplaced idea that cheat days help the loss effort so going wild, that's a path to disappointment. (I do understand that you're not saying you plan to go totally wild on the weekend, though. ).

Best wishes!

I dont necessarily think of it as "per week". In my mind, I know the body doesn't reset every week so it makes it harder for me to roll with arbitrary timeframes.

I tend to take a more flexible diet approach though - if I'm particularly active on a day, I'll eat a bit more (but not completely eat back active calories). If I'm sedentary on a day, I won't eat as much because I don't need the additional fuel in the tank.

Different strokes work for different folks though!

For me weight maintenance is a full time 24/7 job.

If I happen to go over one day I don't beat myself up over it. I just start over and look forward.

I use the weekly average option. I could easily wipe out any progress made if I didn't keep myself accountable. The weekly average helps me with that.

Diary - Upper right pie symbol - Calories - Weekly view