Calorie Counting Question
 

My husband has this habit of poking holes in my successes whenever I share them. I know he does it out of wanting me to do what is best for me, but it is still discouraging.

But that's not exactly what this is about.

Anyway, I told him my happiness about staying at my calorie count yesterday, as prescribed by thedailyplate. He said, "You know, you're not supposed to have the same calories every day. The amount they give you is just an average and some days you should be above and some days you should be below. That makes your metabolism work harder." He even said he tracked his calories a couple of days on a website that told him what his daily caloric intake should be based on this principal.

Have any of you ever heard of this?? Or is my DH just full of it?

nothing in this world is perfect.
Number of calories that appears to you isn't perfect
They are just "accurate" enough.
Even 2 potatoes aren't the same. They will have slightly different calories.
And so, i'm sure everyday you have slightly different calories than the other day. It's just you don't really know how much that different calories is.
So the idea of the website is just to give you a number to base on around it. You will never have the same calories intake each day even if you eat exactly the same.
And so, don't worry about stay OP.
That's personal opinion, no scientific or anything.
And honestly, i've never heard of you have to eat one day less, and the other more. This is the 1st time o.0

Some people find that having an inconsistent calorie level (significantly higher and lower days, rather than nearly consistent), helps them lose weight better. There's no proof that this works best for everyone, however. Feel free to experiment if you want to, but this isn't written in stone anywhere. If you're happy with what you're doing, carry on.

There should be a range. The amount of calories you need in a day depends on what you do during the day. I always have a range and stick with a lower number if I don't do a lot and a little more if I work out. The more I work out, the more calories I'll eat so my body has the fuel it needs.

Basically, he's right and wrong. He's right that you need a range, but your metabolism is based on activity and timing of food. Like a good, complex breakfast giving you that boost of energy for the day is your metabolism starting strong. And tell him to stop poking holes and to just be proud of you! My husband is learning I'm not like him so I have to be more careful, and so he knows encouragement works better than anything. If nothing else, one of my favorite things to remind him is "I am the key to your happiness...if I am not happy, I will make sure you are not happy" and he laughs and knows he's pushing buttons.

What he's talking about is known as "calorie cycling". It's a valid method of counting calories, but it's not the RIGHT way for everyone.

I personally cannot calorie cycle because I wind up using "high" days as an excuse to over eat and then I wind up never having "low" days. :) For me knowing that I have a range of calories to work with (currently 1500-1700) is what works best for me. On days that I hit the gym and lift, I allow myself to eat closer to 1700. On days I don't workout, I try to stick to 1500. But even if I hit 1700 every day of the week, I'll still lose - just not as fast.

There is nothing wrong with saying "I want to eat 1500 cals a day" (or whatever figure you come up with) and then sticking as close to that as possible every single day. Maybe you'll plateau at some point and you'll have to shake things up. Maybe you won't. :)

We're all different. So tell your well-intentioned but very man-like hubby to quit being a wet blanket and give you some lovin' and support! :D

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When I calculated my calorie intake it said it should be around 1600. Personally, I try to keep my calorie intake around 1200-1500 varies each day. I like to be in between most of the time. No one day is the same so you can have a range to stick to if you want. If you see that you are not loosing weight you may want to increase or decrease 100 cals and see what works for you. It also all depends on how many calories you are burning too. On days that I know I am not working out I try to stick to a lower end of my calorie intake. On days that I know I am working out, I usually stay in between my range.

I like the idea of having a range. I think I will try that out. Thanks for the advice! I was planning on having a light lunch but I'm so hungry after my light on-the-run breakfast. Since I'm working out today, I'll up the calories some and run to the mall for soup and a sandwich.

And the hubby is very supportive. Like you said, he's just a total guy sometimes and has a tendancy to say the wrong thing since things like feelings are completely foreign to him.;)