Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Calorie counting

31 replies

ImmortalCandle · 09/11/2021 21:29

If my tdee is, round figures, 1700 and I stick to, say 1200, I should be able to shift some weight according to my app. So, can I have a day where I go over, then go under to make up for it another day? I thought this was OK? But perhaps I am doing it wrong! Blush
Last week I was slightly over, but while one side if me says 170 calories for the week is nothing major to stress about, the other side of me is panicking. I had a dinner out on Saturday night, and a celebration at work one day, so did have a light day to help compensate, but only one day for the week was over my tdee.
Or have I got it a terribly confused?Confused I am new to calorie counting!

OP posts:
vanessalightfoot · 09/11/2021 21:36

Not an expert, but I understand that it’s the average over the week that is the important thing. If you’re in a 500 daily deficit then you would have to consume 3500 over target to gain anything.

Original poster
ImmortalCandle · 09/11/2021 21:38

So does this look OK? If 6000 is the target for last week (it wasn't a full week. This one now is my first full week)

Calorie counting
OP posts:
H1978 · 09/11/2021 21:39

If you go over on one day it’s usually fine but maybe have a bit less than your total calories on the next day but never below 1000 for the day as that is far too less.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Weight management
Pearbear · 09/11/2021 21:40

You’ll be fine going over by 170 calories, you can reduce the next few days by 50 and you’ll be back on track. Try the app Nutracheck, it’s easy to use, tracks your calories and will give you a weeks view so you can lower calories for one day to make up for going over on another day. It’s the only app I pay for and you get a weeks trial for free before you decide wether to pay or not.

delilahbucket · 09/11/2021 21:42

You need to stop counting your exercise calories, they are often wildly over optimistic. You were actually over by nearly 1500 cals for the five days, so you probably won't lose anything that week if you weren't counting the other two days.

Original poster
ImmortalCandle · 09/11/2021 21:44

I am using nutracheck. Can you still use it after the first week, without paying?

Also, why not under 1000? Today for example, is a day off and so my exercise is lower than usual (normally around 7-10k steps per work day, sometimes as much as 15k) so I only had 611 as I didn't add any exercise calories in.

OP posts:
Original poster
ImmortalCandle · 09/11/2021 21:46

@delilahbucket I am almost 2 lb down though? Same scales, same time of day. And the exercise is just pedometer steps. I work in quite a physical job and often the steps aren't counted when I carry heavy loads? (I have checked haha)

OP posts:
WeAreTheHeroes · 09/11/2021 21:47

Right - ignore the exercise calories and don't eat them back. It's very difficult to accurately calculate how many calories you burn doing exercise and eating them back will just really slow down your progress.

By my reckoning you've been eating around 1500 calories a day rather than 1200. Providing you have a calorie deficit you will lose weight. Obviously the smaller the difference between your tdee and weightloss calories the slower it will be.

L0bstersLass · 09/11/2021 21:48

Hi - yes you can balance out one day against the next. You don't need to stick to 1200 every day. You can go over one day and under the next to compensate.

170 calories over for the week is nothing.
If you did that for 20 weeks you would put on 1 pound. So please don't worry about that.

Keep at it!

WeAreTheHeroes · 09/11/2021 21:49

2lb weightloss is nothing really - that could be down to changes in the water your body retains, etc.

Original poster
ImmortalCandle · 09/11/2021 21:51

OK, will ignore the exercise calories then as a few of you have said that now.
Hopefully that will make things a bit quicker.
Thanks all Smile

OP posts:
L0bstersLass · 09/11/2021 21:51

@delilahbucket

You need to stop counting your exercise calories, they are often wildly over optimistic. You were actually over by nearly 1500 cals for the five days, so you probably won't lose anything that week if you weren't counting the other two days.
Agreed. Use the exercise as a bonus. My advice would be to try to stay within the 1200 for food.
Eltonsglasses · 09/11/2021 21:52

1200 is very low Sad

Original poster
ImmortalCandle · 09/11/2021 21:54

@WeAreTheHeroes

2lb weightloss is nothing really - that could be down to changes in the water your body retains, etc.
Oh. Sad I was quite proud of that.
OP posts:
MintyGreenDream · 09/11/2021 21:54

Remember to not eat your exercise calories back

WeAreTheHeroes · 09/11/2021 21:57

Sorry - it's just important to realise that it can be a slow process and not to think that because you were over your calories and still lost weight that that'll happen every week.

delilahbucket · 09/11/2021 22:02

2lbs in the first week is usually your body's initial reaction to eating less. It's not necessarily fat loss. Even more so you shouldn't be counting your exercise calories if it is just the normal walking around that you do every day anyway. Your body will be used to that movement and you won't be burning calories like you think you are. If you want to get the benefit of exercise you need to do something new and more vigorous.

L0bstersLass · 09/11/2021 22:06

@Eltonsglasses

1200 is very low Sad
It depends how active you are. I live a very sedentary lifestyle. I need 1600 calories a day to maintain my weight. 1200 is not very low for me.
Eltonsglasses · 09/11/2021 22:12

It depends how active you are. I live a very sedentary lifestyle.

I need 1600 calories a day to maintain my weight.
1200 is not very low for me.

But it isn't about you. OP is doing 7-10k steps a day, sometimes 15k - that's not sedentary.

Original poster
ImmortalCandle · 09/11/2021 22:13

OK so what would be a real weight loss then?
Tbh I work 10 hr shifts with 1.5hr commute 5 days a week so I don't really have time to go to a class or whatever and either leave very early (5.30am) or work late (home about 10.30pm) and am knackered, have to sort the dc and house. So that's the only exercise I can fit in, the daily on the job stuff. I will stop counting that from now on.
I worked out my tdee at 1700 something on one of those calculators. And the app wont let me go under 1200 and yet a pp said under 1000 is too little?
Today was 611, and that was 3 coffees with milk and swetnwr, some carrots and hummus and dinner. That's it.

OP posts:
Original poster
ImmortalCandle · 09/11/2021 22:17

@Eltonsglasses

It depends how active you are. I live a very sedentary lifestyle.

I need 1600 calories a day to maintain my weight.
1200 is not very low for me.

But it isn't about you. OP is doing 7-10k steps a day, sometimes 15k - that's not sedentary.

Hmm. I would say it is lightly active, not super active, as ypu are ment to do 10k a day anyway? The days I didn't are days off so just the groceries and housework, and some days I get stuck behind the till rather than doing stock, which is where rhe 13-15k days come in. The app takes off 2.5k of steps when you add them in, as that's expected. Today I slept for a bit, then groceries and picked up some bits for dd and did approximately 6.4k steps. I had to sleep as I average only 6 hrs a night so by the time I get to my two days off I am completely exhausted.
OP posts:
Original poster
ImmortalCandle · 09/11/2021 22:18

I am a week and a half in and am failing already. Maybe I should just give up and stay the way I am Sad

OP posts:
WeAreTheHeroes · 09/11/2021 22:21

Plan your meals - prep three days worth of food, even if it's just breakfast and lunch to give you some flexibility for dinner. You're less likely to consider chucking the towel in if you get organised.

H1978 · 09/11/2021 23:00

@ImmortalCandle

I am using nutracheck. Can you still use it after the first week, without paying?

Also, why not under 1000? Today for example, is a day off and so my exercise is lower than usual (normally around 7-10k steps per work day, sometimes as much as 15k) so I only had 611 as I didn't add any exercise calories in.

I use MyFitnessPal, under 1000 calories and it doesn’t let you record your calories for that day stating you’ve not eaten enough.
L0bstersLass · 10/11/2021 00:16

@ImmortalCandle

OK so what would be a real weight loss then? Tbh I work 10 hr shifts with 1.5hr commute 5 days a week so I don't really have time to go to a class or whatever and either leave very early (5.30am) or work late (home about 10.30pm) and am knackered, have to sort the dc and house. So that's the only exercise I can fit in, the daily on the job stuff. I will stop counting that from now on. I worked out my tdee at 1700 something on one of those calculators. And the app wont let me go under 1200 and yet a pp said under 1000 is too little? Today was 611, and that was 3 coffees with milk and swetnwr, some carrots and hummus and dinner. That's it.
600 is very low.

If you aim for 1200 a day and mostly achieve it then the weight will come off.

Don't get too impatient, it took a long time to put it on so it's not going to fall off quickly.

Have faith in yourself.