out of calories = quit eating for the day?

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Replies

  • chrischinchilla
    chrischinchilla Posts: 109 Member
    You should eat. Typically, when I totally blow an early meal like breakfast or lunch, I try to lighten up on the remaining meals--but I NEVER let myself get that rumbly hungry feeling. It's very important to satiate hunger, even if you've overeaten earlier in the day. People mistakenly think that when they don't eat, it'll help them lose weight because they're losing fat. Not true. Your body holds fat in reserve, so when you go hungry, your body starts eating away at your MUSCLE first, leaving nothing but fat behind! So, if you're over your calories already, lighten up on dinner--get your veggies and lean meats--and drink a bunch of water. Maintaining a healthy diet is all about course corrections--a tweak here, a tweak there. Did you know that when a plane flies it's actually off course 90 PERCENT of the time?! But the pilot continues to make slight alterations--a tweak here, a tweak there--and voila! the plane makes it to its destination in the right amount of time. Same with you. Stick to the principles. Do a bit better tomorrow, and then better the next day, and the next, with all those tweaks.

    Don't know how you ration out your daily calorie intake, but the best way to avoid bad binges throughout the day--and get better at improving your diet and health--is to start the day right with a good breakfast. People say they don't have time for breakfast, but that's like saying, "I don't have time for my kids." Yep, breakfast is THAT important to a healthy, productive life! Eggs and bacon, and/or cereal (good stuff like Shredded Wheat, not crap), toast and organic peanut butter, a glass of milk--something! Most of all, avoid the absolute worst possible breakfast: no breakfast! Eat something in the morning, EVERY morning, and you'll find that it's easier to stay on track most of the time. Good luck!
  • darbydoll90
    darbydoll90 Posts: 3
    well i only have 693 calories left for the day any suggestions?
  • Coaster99
    Coaster99 Posts: 6
    All or Nothing:frown:
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    I would go over BUT I would go over with some veggies and protein
  • Coaster99
    Coaster99 Posts: 6
    I have only 675 left. You are better off than I.:smile:
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    I completely disagree with people that are saying "don't punish yourself". It think you SHOULD punish yourself, otherwise you will make the same mistake again!
  • reydar76
    reydar76 Posts: 13
    I totally wish we could star posts.. honestly I just went through this yesterday.. I ate something I knew I shouldn't have and I was miserable. I was angry at myself because I knew that I shouldn't have done it.. but honestly, I looked at it as a learning experience and I won't be doing that again... I'm here because I'm tired of being fat and I'm going to do everything in my power to change my bad habits and behaviors... but quite frankly I already know I'm not perfect and I'm going to mess up but I can't beat myself up because of it and I can't torture myself either, I have to learn from my mistakes and move on. Good luck and keep with it girl.. Its not easy and nobody said it would be... Its a struggle and what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.. :D
  • Bikini27
    Bikini27 Posts: 1,290 Member
    I think they whole "don't eat, punish yourself" is frankly, a dangerous mindset. I say admit the mistake, eat to feel good with whole grains, some lean protein, and tons of dark/colorful vegetable, and just move on. The whole binge-punish reinforces this idea that food is the enemy and in my opinion, only encourages more binges in the future.

    Agreed. Accepting that you messed up, learning to plan better in the future, and moving on with your day is (in my opinion) a healthier option. Remember, lifestyle changes come with obstacles. You don't wake up one morning totally perfect. You are still learning.
    :flowerforyou:
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    I completely disagree with people that are saying "don't punish yourself". It think you SHOULD punish yourself, otherwise you will make the same mistake again!

    Hmmm... don't know if I agree with this... I personally can punish myself so much harder mentally and honestly, the feeling of "hunger" and the headaches and irratibility (I become a witch (w = b) when I feel hungry, does not make it pleasant for anyone I'm around). While some people may be comfortable punishing themselves physically by not eating the rest of the day, it's not always a good thing for everyone...
  • Cris725
    Cris725 Posts: 81
    I think they whole "don't eat, punish yourself" is frankly, a dangerous mindset. I say admit the mistake, eat to feel good with whole grains, some lean protein, and tons of dark/colorful vegetable, and just move on. The whole binge-punish reinforces this idea that food is the enemy and in my opinion, only encourages more binges in the future.

    Agreed. Accepting that you messed up, learning to plan better in the future, and moving on with your day is (in my opinion) a healthier option. Remember, lifestyle changes come with obstacles. You don't wake up one morning totally perfect. You are still learning.
    :flowerforyou:

    I think you both said it well. Definitely spend the rest of the day being smart about your intake. Good healthy foods and a good workout if at all possible. One thing I do is make a conscious effert to not eat any goodies until after dinner. If I've had a good day, I treat myself. If I'm cutting it too close, then I put on my list for the next day. I make sure that I do it right so that I can have that treat. Last night I got my brownie and tonight I will too. Tomorrow is a new day for you. You have to really think about what you're doing though.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    On a solely Calories In vs Calories Out mindset, not eating would be the right choice. No one is going to starve from missing a meal...

    It's how it affects you psychologically that's the problem. If making yourself skip a meal breaks your entire urge to eat healthy the following days/weeks, then ... do what you have to do to stay on track.

    America is so chunky, we could all do with skipping dinner at least once a week. I doubt our bodies are so malicious that they would instantly start feasting on our muscles because of it. That wouldn't be very productive if you think about it from a survival standpoint.

    "He didn't catch the food, so I'm going to make it EVEN HARDER for him to catch the food" - Sincerely, Your Body (while eating muscles)
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
    I love brownies. You should just eat another one.

    MUAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

    :devil: :devil: :devil:

    We all go over................it's not a big deal. Eat lightly for the evening, and begin anew tomorrow!
  • 1Timothy4v8
    1Timothy4v8 Posts: 503 Member
    it took me awhile to learn its not worth waiting my cals on fast food, but when I do I wont eat for the rest of the day and I let the hunger learn me a lession,

    now I pack high fiber foods cause there lower on cals and way more filling
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    I completely disagree with people that are saying "don't punish yourself". It think you SHOULD punish yourself, otherwise you will make the same mistake again!

    Hmmm... don't know if I agree with this... I personally can punish myself so much harder mentally and honestly, the feeling of "hunger" and the headaches and irratibility (I become a witch (w = b) when I feel hungry, does not make it pleasant for anyone I'm around). While some people may be comfortable punishing themselves physically by not eating the rest of the day, it's not always a good thing for everyone...

    and that's your incentive to not repeat the behavior! Frankly I don't "mess up" or go over. So this is not a problem for me.
  • 0AmyMarie0
    0AmyMarie0 Posts: 315
    I went over the other day and exercised until I was back under my calorie goal so that I could still eat dinner.
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
    You cannot out-exercise a bad diet. If you're hungry you should eat something. What is "going hungry" going to do for you in the long run if you're not ready to initiate change.

    If you can't be trusted near the brownies, either don't make them or plan your day with them. Sometimes throwing something down the garbage disposal is a good option if you can't be trusted around food :)

    Hit your pantry and toss the junk. Remove the temptations!
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    You cannot out-exercise a bad diet. If you're hungry you should eat something. What is "going hungry" going to do for you in the long run if you're not ready to initiate change.

    If you can't be trusted near the brownies, either don't make them or plan your day with them. Sometimes throwing something down the garbage disposal is a good option if you can't be trusted around food :)

    Hit your pantry and toss the junk. Remove the temptations!

    nicely stated!
  • she_the
    she_the Posts: 25 Member
    So, what did you decide to do?
  • Graciecny
    Graciecny Posts: 302 Member
    FWIW, I started out my very first day here (only downloaded the app just before lunchtime) waaaay over. I mean WAY. OVER. I was honest, I input everything I had eaten that morning already (can we say stuffed-face-with-kids-super-sugar-rush-cereal?!) as well as everything else the rest of the day, and then received a devastating call from my sister that evening and totally pigged out on dessert . Honestly, I was so upset I just didn't give a crap - anything to make you feel better, KWIM? Not typical behavior, but this wasn't your typical news either (30-something, big C).

    Later though, I was so mad at myself when I saw the overage. But I couldn't change what I had done, and I didn't want to let it get me down. So my goal was to shoot for being under every day the rest of the week, just 75 here, 100 there. And by the end of the week, my daily AVERAGE was almost spot on. I really liked that, as it lets me know if I slip that I haven't totally fallen off the wagon, I've just slipped (and I'm sure I will!) but I can stand back up and keep going. No chasing the wagon. :)

    I know others will argue that I shouldn't be eating my calories back (now that I am finding myself doing more at the gym I am trying to leave some on the table, but baby steps, right?). Maybe my baby steps are smaller than most, but I'm doing what I can, which is FAR more than I have EVER done before. That has to be worth something, right?!
  • inittothinit42
    inittothinit42 Posts: 64 Member
    Thank you for all the responses! I'm going to get out for a walk, eat a light dinner, and start fresh tomorrow. I don't think I could exercise enough to "make up" for the brownies but it will make me feel better and help me get back into a positive frame of mind.
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    Have a great walk!
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
    FWIW, I started out my very first day here (only downloaded the app just before lunchtime) waaaay over. I mean WAY. OVER. I was honest, I input everything I had eaten that morning already (can we say stuffed-face-with-kids-super-sugar-rush-cereal?!) as well as everything else the rest of the day, and then received a devastating call from my sister that evening and totally pigged out on dessert . Honestly, I was so upset I just didn't give a crap - anything to make you feel better, KWIM? Not typical behavior, but this wasn't your typical news either (30-something, big C).

    Later though, I was so mad at myself when I saw the overage. But I couldn't change what I had done, and I didn't want to let it get me down. So my goal was to shoot for being under every day the rest of the week, just 75 here, 100 there. And by the end of the week, my daily AVERAGE was almost spot on. I really liked that, as it lets me know if I slip that I haven't totally fallen off the wagon, I've just slipped (and I'm sure I will!) but I can stand back up and keep going. No chasing the wagon. :)

    I know others will argue that I shouldn't be eating my calories back (now that I am finding myself doing more at the gym I am trying to leave some on the table, but baby steps, right?). Maybe my baby steps are smaller than most, but I'm doing what I can, which is FAR more than I have EVER done before. That has to be worth something, right?!

    Great response!

    I just don't understand the whole punishment/reward thing if this is going to be a lifestyle change and not simply a diet. Heck, thin, fit and healthy people splurge once in awhile, too. Are brownies nutritious? No, but if you eat healthy and nutritious foods about 90% of the time some calorie dense goodies are not going to harm you or be enough to make you have to try to out-exercise a bad diet.

    I know I push zig-zagging your calories a lot but I basically do what the quote above does. I hate a weekly calorie target that varies depending on my exercise calorie burn and that's what I shoot to eat for the week, not the day. I can have several small splurges a week, one big splurge, whatever and still eat mostly healthy nutritious foods to properly fuel my body while, also, having a brownie or bowl of ice cream or pie or whatever. I must say the Android phone app makes this much easier to track than the website does.

    Anyway, I never feel deprived eating this way, am never hungry, and I am losing while nourishing my body properly. I rarely go over my weekly calorie target. But, gosh, even if I do, let's say I'm in a 2500 calorie deficit for the week instead of a 3500 calorie one. OK, that means that I theoretically lose about 0.66# instead of 1#. In the long run, big deal.

    There are no bad foods. There are just "10% of the time" foods.
  • MrDude_1
    MrDude_1 Posts: 2,510 Member
    i think alot of this problem is mindset.

    not eating is NOT punishment... its not punishing yourself.

    food is fuel. not a source of happiness.. not a goal.. and not something that should be consumed because of habit.

    you fuel up when you need it, and otherwise its not required.



    you filled up your tank early that day... not eating anymore that day isnt punishment, its just not required.
  • MariaMariaM
    MariaMariaM Posts: 1,322 Member
    FWIW, I started out my very first day here (only downloaded the app just before lunchtime) waaaay over. I mean WAY. OVER. I was honest, I input everything I had eaten that morning already (can we say stuffed-face-with-kids-super-sugar-rush-cereal?!) as well as everything else the rest of the day, and then received a devastating call from my sister that evening and totally pigged out on dessert . Honestly, I was so upset I just didn't give a crap - anything to make you feel better, KWIM? Not typical behavior, but this wasn't your typical news either (30-something, big C).

    Later though, I was so mad at myself when I saw the overage. But I couldn't change what I had done, and I didn't want to let it get me down. So my goal was to shoot for being under every day the rest of the week, just 75 here, 100 there. And by the end of the week, my daily AVERAGE was almost spot on. I really liked that, as it lets me know if I slip that I haven't totally fallen off the wagon, I've just slipped (and I'm sure I will!) but I can stand back up and keep going. No chasing the wagon. :)

    I know others will argue that I shouldn't be eating my calories back (now that I am finding myself doing more at the gym I am trying to leave some on the table, but baby steps, right?). Maybe my baby steps are smaller than most, but I'm doing what I can, which is FAR more than I have EVER done before. That has to be worth something, right?!

    Great response!

    I just don't understand the whole punishment/reward thing if this is going to be a lifestyle change and not simply a diet. Heck, thin, fit and healthy people splurge once in awhile, too. Are brownies nutritious? No, but if you eat healthy and nutritious foods about 90% of the time some calorie dense goodies are not going to harm you or be enough to make you have to try to out-exercise a bad diet.

    I know I push zig-zagging your calories a lot but I basically do what the quote above does. I hate a weekly calorie target that varies depending on my exercise calorie burn and that's what I shoot to eat for the week, not the day. I can have several small splurges a week, one big splurge, whatever and still eat mostly healthy nutritious foods to properly fuel my body while, also, having a brownie or bowl of ice cream or pie or whatever. I must say the Android phone app makes this much easier to track than the website does.

    Anyway, I never feel deprived eating this way, am never hungry, and I am losing while nourishing my body properly. I rarely go over my weekly calorie target. But, gosh, even if I do, let's say I'm in a 2500 calorie deficit for the week instead of a 3500 calorie one. OK, that means that I theoretically lose about 0.66# instead of 1#. In the long run, big deal.

    There are no bad foods. There are just "10% of the time" foods.

    Great response. I also think like you.
    I eat very healthy and have no problems sticking to a daily calorie intake during the weekdays. When weekend comes, it is just difficult mostly because the day is not as organized as weekdays (I sleep in, eating times changes, go with friends, etc). At the beginning, I would be really bummed about my choices and will try to "over exercise" to burn the extra indulgences. I am glad it didn't take me long to realize that if I derailed 10% of the time, it won't be too bad. I just make the mental note to try and improve next time around. It has been over 2 years since I lost the weight I needed and I have only been able to maitain it because I am flexible and live by what I just wrote. It became a lifestyle, not just a diet I would do for "x amount of time"
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