I had a really bad day (and a really delicious fruit tart) so it's 1 pm and I've already gone over my calorie allotment (in retrospect, I hate that tart). I've read a few suggestions on this forum about what to do if you eat more calories than you intended for breakfast/lunch and end up with less calories than usual for dinner/snacks.

My options:
1. Exercise double the amount, but that would require spending over an hour at the gym which I don't think I can manage
2. Skip dinner...I can eat a 100 cal snack at the end of the day to keep me semi-happy.
3. Take it away from tomorrow's calories.
4. Screw it and get back on track tomorrow.

This happens to me frequently and I usually end up skipping a meal, but I'm not sure if that's the best thing to do. Suggestions?

Thank you!

If you do have 100 calories to "spend" then I would omit the snack and eat some low cal soup, a seafood stirfry, a baked (sweet/regular) potato, or something else low cal but more filling/real.
Some ideas are 100 calorie meals

Just enjoy a veggie-laden dinner - don't beat yourself up or exercise for two hours - our bodies sometimes really bounce back well from a higher-calorie day. Drink plenty of water and have a veggie salad for dinner - with a little protein/fat combo to keep you satisfied - I make a large salad without lettuce sometimes - carrots, peppers, onions, cukes, sundried and regular tomatoes, whatever you find yummy - and enjoy it. Don't punish yourself, though. Don't take from tomorrow - then you'll be tempted to go over again because you're wanting food!

Savor a cup of tea or something lo-cal to drink later on, as well...

I would have a resonably small dinner (250-350 cals) and perhaps do a bit of a longer workout session. Then try to do better from then on, if you are constantly going over your calories by hundreds maybe you are eating too few

I would go with number 4 . Start fresh tomorrow and forget about today. That fruit tart has most likely not done any irreparable harm.

I often do this...or wind up with only 200 calories left for dinner. What i do is eat raw veggies and don't count the calories. I don't count the calories from raw veggies (but of course if i dip them in something then i count that) because they are so low and i'm really not going to overeat veggies. So at the very least i can eat a bunch of snap peas or a red bell pepper or whatever, instead of skipping dinner.

Also...eggs are a good choice. If you want to eat 70 calories worth of chicken, that's a pretty pathetic meal, but you can eat a whole egg for 70 calories and not feel like you're only eating half of something.

If it happens frequently I think you need to reassess your daily calories (too low?), when you eat them (I have to save for night time) and if all is on track, figure out why you keep going over (do you need more fat, less carbs, are you bored?).

I agree to just continue your day as normal, eat a 300ish calorie dinner and call it a night. That tart shouldn't hurt you too bad.

I would do a moderate combination ... eat a small dinner, workout for an extra 10 minutes or so, and cut like 100 cals from tomorrow. But thats just me.

You guys are amazing, thanks a lot for all the responses!

I don't think my calories are too low (around 1200 for a REALLY sedentary person) and it's not even hunger that causes me to eat. I've just been spending too much time at home studying (I have this huge life-determining placement exam coming up in 3 months). Stress, boredom, too much food, and too little self control...and I end up overeating. I know the best thing to do is get out of the house, which is my new plan from now on.

It seems like there's a consensus to eat a small dinner 100-300 cals and then maybe exercise a bit more than usual today to make it up. Better than my usual solution of sleeping early and hungry.

Yeah no point in punishing your body- you could still sleep early- I love doing that

Hi Kelly,

Any chance you can take a walk after dinner? Excercise a bit at home perhaps? Walking up and down stairs maybe? This happens to everyone, tomorrow will be better. I had a chocolate shake a few days ago (damn those fast food drive thrus) and I enjoyed it so much I licked the underside of the cover after I was through and I'm still having fond memories of it. Above all eat your normal meal tonight.

Yes! IMO, eggs (or in my case, egg substitute - 30 calories for the equivalent of 1 large egg) are one of the best lots of for little calories foods. 3/4 cup of egg substitute for 90 calories and top with 10 calories of salsa and you've got your 100 calories used. Or only use 1/2 cup, throw some veggies in there and make an omelette. Either way, it's a pretty large amount of food that fills me up.