Let me get this straight...

lilsassymom
lilsassymom Posts: 407 Member
edited October 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I am fairly new on this site and I was wondering something. Sometimes if I KNOW I won't get an exercise in the next day I will end up doing 2 workouts the day before...Now from what I am reading on this site----exercise/calories in & out is a day-to-day thing. So, working out extra the day before won't /can't help the following day?
So, If I go over on calories the day I DON'T workout, then the extra workout I did the day before won't help?

Sorry, if this doesn't make sense. I am trying to figure out a better way to ask this:wink: .

Replies

  • jayliospecky
    jayliospecky Posts: 25,022 Member
    I think what you're asking makes sense.

    Unfortunately, I don't know the answer.

    It's probably another one of those things people disagree on. Some people look at their calories on a weekly total basis, in which case you could do the same with exercise, and there you go. Others just go day by day. Some people zig zag their calories (eat more some days and less on others).

    I dunno'. If I go over on calories one day I often try to make up for it a little the next day by working out more or eating less or both.

    Whatever works.
  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
    I look at my week as a whole, rather than each day. Some days I go over, some days I'm under, but I try to keep under for the week. This makes up for days where I might have a bad food day, or a great exercise day. It's working now that I've started having more good days than bad days... in the last few months I've had a lot more bad days, and let myself go for a week or so instead of just acknowledging the bad day and moving on the next day.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    I understand your question.

    Your weight loss is not dictated on a daily schedule, it is continuous. You can go over on one day and under on the next to balance things out, basically.
  • glendeb
    glendeb Posts: 129 Member
    I sometimes "save" my calories too. Like this week, I'm going to have a big day tomorrow, so I've saved between 200-400 calories most days. One day over is not going to stall your weight loss, and in fact in my experience it actually helps as it juggles things up a bit.
  • cjpg
    cjpg Posts: 433 Member
    Think of it in terms of a bank account for calories.

    You make a deposit (exercise) of 100 calories.
    It's still there until you withdraw it (eat back the exercise calories).

    So for example:
    - Day 1, limit is 1700 calories. You eat 1500 calories. You also exercise 350 calories, bringing your net calories for Day 1 at 550 remaining.
    - Day 2, limit is 1700 calories. You eat 1700 calories. You don't exercise for 0 calories, bringing your net calories for Day 2 at 0 remaining.

    Over Day 1 and Day 2 you will still have a calorie deficit of 550, regardless the math you use.

    You can apply this to each week and bring a 'net calories consumed' report to indicate how everythings averaged out.

    But believe me when I say this: Stick to your goals, and exercise regularly and you'll be absolutely fine. :)
  • valeriebpdx
    valeriebpdx Posts: 497 Member
    Of course it helps. Pretend your body is a perfect machine and loses fat precisely for the calories you burn (or like a bank account):
    today you eat 1400 calories
    today you burn 900 calories + 1445 bmr
    1400 in minus 2345 out = -845, so you "lost" a quarter pound

    tomorrow you eat 1300 calories
    tomorrow you only burn your 1445 bmr
    1300 in minus 1445 out = -145 you "lost" about 2/3 ounce.

    Put them together and you have a reasonable caloric deficit over the two days, resulting in a quarter pound loss. This site is just a way to keep track of calories in and out and the process isn't that precise--your body doesn't give a crap whether it is 11:59 p.m. or 12:01 a.m. when you eat food or work out, but it could change your numbers drastically on one day or the other. Just try to eat enough and the right things and get enough activity on most days; don't worry so much about one day's numbers vs. another's. (Also please don't let my zero-pound weight loss make you think I don't know what I'm talking about. I am very active and reasonably healthy--I just like my food too much. LOL)

    ETA, look at us, cjpg, posting about caloric bank accounts at the same moment. Yay for like-minded math nerds.
  • lilsassymom
    lilsassymom Posts: 407 Member
    Ok. I am glad I worded it so people could understand. Thank you for all your feedback and replies. I appreciate it. It makes sense now:smile: .
  • seven8seven
    seven8seven Posts: 58 Member
    It makes sense to me! And I've wondered this myself!
  • cjpg
    cjpg Posts: 433 Member
    Of course it helps. Pretend your body is a perfect machine and loses fat precisely for the calories you burn (or like a bank account):
    today you eat 1400 calories
    today you burn 900 calories + 1445 bmr
    1400 in minus 2345 out = -845, so you "lost" a quarter pound

    tomorrow you eat 1300 calories
    tomorrow you only burn your 1445 bmr
    1300 in minus 1445 out = -145 you "lost" about 2/3 ounce.

    Put them together and you have a reasonable caloric deficit over the two days, resulting in a quarter pound loss. This site is just a way to keep track of calories in and out and the process isn't that precise--your body doesn't give a crap whether it is 11:59 p.m. or 12:01 a.m. when you eat food or work out, but it could change your numbers drastically on one day or the other. Just try to eat enough and the right things and get enough activity on most days; don't worry so much about one day's numbers vs. another's. (Also please don't let my zero-pound weight loss make you think I don't know what I'm talking about. I am very active and reasonably healthy--I just like my food too much. LOL)

    ETA, look at us, cjpg, posting about caloric bank accounts at the same moment. Yay for like-minded math nerds.

    Haha, I ended up reading your post at the time I submitted mine... at first I thought 'hrmm... that sounds... a bit different to what I typed...'

    We'll just pretend we both were in cohoots the whole time, planning it all along... hehe
  • mamasyd
    mamasyd Posts: 80 Member
    Your metabolism will actually respond better if you vary the number of calories you intake from day to day. I like to use the weekly 'allowance' concept and have some higher and some lower days. That keeps my body guessing and it doesn't regulate to a new lower 'normal'. I do try to make my higher days the ones that I have exercised a bit more to compensate for the extra calories, but that's just because I'm a little "OC" and like to see the post that says I was below my calorie goal every day. LOL
  • SHDenver
    SHDenver Posts: 87 Member
    I believe the reason it lists the calorie deficit in 24 hour periods is because that is how they calculate your BMR. Once you know how many calories a day you burn to keep your basic body functions going, you can create deficits to aid in weight loss, gain or maintenance. Valerie and CJPG describe this perfectly.

    It's interesting to notice how much we're conditioned to think in such strict terms regarding anything to do with what we eat. At least I notice myself doing that often.

    My goals around viewing food right now are not to look at things in terms of "bad" and "good" but in terms of calories in vs. calories out. Nothings off limits or "bad" as long as it fits in with my calorie and nutrition goals. That's of course easier said than done. I'll continue working at it :)

    Welcome to the site!
  • rochey1098
    rochey1098 Posts: 285
    As people have said, the body doesn't know what time or day of the week it is but don't over do it and hurt yourself
  • saffronblue
    saffronblue Posts: 78 Member
    I agree with that you all have posted, with one addition...be healthy, and try not to binge and then starve....
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