OLDARMYMED's CalorieKing blog
Monday, Jul 21 2014 - Is My Calorie Target Too High?
View OLDARMYMED's food & exercise for this day
Here's a question for any of the nutrition experts out there. CK gives me a target intake of calories for each day. What is the down-side of coming up short by a few hundred calories at the end of the day? I eat three meals and four snacks, take a multivitamin, and do not feel deprived or hungry, and still come up short by up to 500 calories. Should I strive to hit the target or is is OK to just leave the deficit at the end of the day? Should I manually adjust my daily calorie target down a notch or two?
BTW, Thanks to THEFATCHICK for the pointer on pre-listing my meals for the day. I am doing it for the first time today and it seems to eliminate the highs and lows by giving me an overview of the day and is encouraging because I can look forward to see that the next refueling is not that far away. It also helps me get closer to my daily calorie target without having to load up in the evening.
BTW, Thanks to THEFATCHICK for the pointer on pre-listing my meals for the day. I am doing it for the first time today and it seems to eliminate the highs and lows by giving me an overview of the day and is encouraging because I can look forward to see that the next refueling is not that far away. It also helps me get closer to my daily calorie target without having to load up in the evening.
2 comments so far.
2.
a decade ago
CK calories is only an estimate. So if you are satisfied and successful with your current plan then keep doing what you are doing. I often come up short in my calories which is okay and on those days when I go over, I don't beat myself up. Remember it is averages and trends over time that are important - none of this is a perfect science.
by LORILOVE
1.
a decade ago
Glad that helped
=D
:y:
=D Hang in there, it's a learning process but you will get it and we are all in this together...you are not alone. 
:wave1:
I'm not a nutrition expert but I too had this problem and had to force myself to eat all my calories per day but it fuels me, giving me energy. I know it's a crazy notion to eat more and loose weight but it works and it's just as much about what or the quality of what you eat. Now my body tells me when it's time to eat, I don't even mind.
My trainer set my caloric goal; CK is about 100 calories higher so it's ok to eat about 150 less or more than your CK recommended and you will still get the green check mark. If you exercise make sure to enter your calories burned and then try to eat back as many of them as you can... I usually aim to eat back until I'm at least back upto a minimum of 1200 consumed...my daily goal is 1400. Also make sure you drink plenty of water too.
You should check the program outline by clicking on TOOLS>PROGRAM TOPIC OUTLINE> reading the sections under BRONZE that explains about calories and the body.
Also copy and paste this link. Www.livestrong.com/article/518807-negative-side-effects-of-eating-less-than-1-200-calories-day/
Hope this helps
by THEFATCHICK