Trying something new: calorie counting and setting a total over five days. Has anyone else tried a weekly calorie target?

[BadSkiingMum]

Having been slim for much of my life I’m fairly new to weight loss and could probably do with losing a stone to get back into the normal BMI range. Currently 26.6 BMI and size 14.

I like calorie counting and have found it really eye opening to realise the number of calories in some innocuous everyday foods! But I also find that it triggers a slightly obsessive tendency if I do it too much. Love all the weighing and measuring! 😁 Had some disordered eating in my teens, so have to be a little careful not to trigger that side of myself…I also eat fairly low carb and have really cut back on poor food choices in the last couple of years. I’m definitely a better shape and have lost a tummy but haven’t shed weight as such.

I am trying something new this week and decided to set my app limit as a total of 9000 calories over a five day period Sun-Thurs, then have Friday and Saturday ‘off’. I realise that is 1800 per day so doesn’t necessarily lead to weight loss, but if I set that as a total I can probably get under it. Whereas if I set a low target I just miss it and feel negative!

Has anyone else tried working towards a weekly calorie total?

I calorie count across a week as it meant at first I wasn't ever failing. I continue to do it to maintain.
I'm short so my weekly allowance to maintain is 9400. I think the important bit is getting an accurate calorie amount by working out what you need to maintain and loose. If I was eating 1800 a day plus having two days whereby I didn't have a limit I'd be putting on weight. Hence you need to know if the 1800 is realistic and also will you go mad on your two days off and ruin 5 good days or will you be sensible? Everyone works differently I'm best with routines and rules to follow but also have a bit of flexibility when needed so that I dont ever feel ive failed. You have to look at how you work and how you'll best be able to do what ever you decide long term.
I've kept the weight off (5 stone) for three years so it has helped me. I dont have days off just incorporate a Sunday dinner or meal out into my week.
It helps to have a shortlist of low calorie meals that will keep you on target if your running low on calories. For example a homemade soup and roll, something (beans, tomatoes, mushrooms etc) on a slice of toast or omelette and salad.
After a few weeks I realised what meals would fit my weekly needs and managed to rotate the meals for variety.
It might not be for you but I did intermittent fasting to start with which helped me get started. I actually felt less hungry while I was doing it which helped me get used to the new calories.

Thanks. I wouldn’t go mad on those two days but that’s when I might eat out or have a glass of wine, so it’s all a bit trickier to calculate. Plus wanting the rest from calorie counting, to avoid becoming obsessed with it!

I feel pretty confident that I will come in under 1800, as I have done so many times before. Surprisingly I am on just 1313 so far today mostly by pushing back breakfast as I was busy outdoors.

Soup is a v useful meal, agreed.

I will give it a try and report back.

Edited to update calories for today, told you I was obsessive!

Time will tell . If you aren’t losing, which is likely given the high allowance, you can always adjust.

It’s a good way of eating to adjust depending on what you have already eaten. For example if you meet up for a brunch you don’t have breakfast before and then a smaller evening meal. Balancing over the day or week is sensible. Yesterday I met my adult DD for lunch at 2pm. I was a still full when I got home at 9.30 so had a cup of tea and went to bed.
personally I would just focus on eating whole foods and keeping en eye on portions. Fill your plate with vegetables and protein with a small amount of good fats and whole grain carbs.

your days off are the issue, it’s very easy to lose track and undo the work done the rest of the week, I’d advocate you have a cal total for the full 7 days, and then eat less during the week giving extra for the weekend. So you still stay in a defecit.

id also say 1800 is quite high to lose weight on for many women, it seems fine on paper, but unless very active most struggle at that level.

A weekly total is a great way to calorie count. It allows for flexibility however I would also incorporate the weekends into it. I know you can’t completely accurately count but you can definitely guesstimate. Infact the app I use has loads of different restaurants on it so you can get an idea of the calories when you eat out. If you aren’t tracking over the entire week then it’s very likely you won’t loose weight as it’s very easy to underestimate calories.

I'm doing something different. I've worked out the level of calories above which I'll put on weight and try to stick under that at the weekend, while in the week I have a much lower level which should enable weight loss. It does mean tracking everything, which can be a pain, so it tends to fall apart when I'm eating out or away on holiday. But it does mean I am (slowly) losing weight while also having a bit of a life!

I honestly pretty much eat the same on a Friday and Saturday, apart from any going out, so it’s more to have two days off from the process of calorie counting. I track everything including milk in hot drinks.
My OP explained that I have previously had an episode of disordered eating so need to be a little careful.

I am keen on wholefoods and eat plenty of lentils, beans, oats, vegetables, chia seeds, nuts, fruit, eggs, soup etc. I was vegetarian for a long time and don’t eat much meat now.

As I said, I am aiming to come in well under 9000 for the five days but am hoping that the flexibility of an overall total rather than a daily total will help me to stick with it.

Oh well, I will see how the week pans out.

I like your approach too @Nothungrycat

Chia seeds, nuts and seeds are obviously healthy but very high in calories.

That's how Weight Watchers used to operate. You got a daily points allowance but you could 'save' points over the week.

I am very careful during the week, but at the weekend I allow myself two treat meals in which I'll have whatever I like. I'm type 2 diabetic and have to be extremely careful with carbs so don't go mad but all week if I'm really craving something, I'll mentally bank that as my cheat meal. Seems to keep me on the straight and narrow.

I eat 10g of chia, 5g of walnuts and 5g of mixed seeds with my breakfast each day, so I don’t think they will be my downfall! I was just mentioning them in response to someone saying that I should eat plenty of whole foods.

It’s the tiramisu that I have to keep an eye on... 😂

I take my hat off to you dealing with the constraints of diabetes - must be hard.

That puts my minor weight loss concerns into perspective.

Lots of apps which will show you you calories over the week. If you eat the same every sat/sun you could add them in as a “recipe “ called Saturday and can just add them in with a couple of clicks.

i use mfp as it is free

Yes, the tiramisu could be an issue… 😂

I use Nutracheck which allows you ‘easier days’ so I usually set them to Sat/Sun (or a different day if I’m going out or whatever) and it adjusts the rest of the week accordingly. It means I can relax a bit but not go completely off the rails.