Reset Monday

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Curlylocks7242
Curlylocks7242 Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
Again. I have this déjà vu thing going on - every Monday is reset monday. I am in this horrible pattern of being right on track throughout the week and then completely and totally falling off the rails on the weekend. So, after two days of crap eating (which is really just overeating my healthy food given my food sensitivity limitations) I feel awful on monday, tell myself I'm never gong to do it again and then, well...you know the rest, right?

I don't even know how I got on this cycle. I've always been meticulous about counting calories, admittedly sometimes a bit too obsessively. I eat approximately 1300 calories per day during the week, burn 700-800 calories per workout 6 days per week and then on the weekends, I can eat 2500 calories per day. The scale seems to be inching up and, most of all, I feel awful, physically and emotionally.

I want to change this pattern but it's like the non-rational portion of my brain takes over, despite the fact that rational part is screaming "what are you doing???????"

Help! :-(

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    Try pre-logging your food. You're the only one that can make this happen-go get it!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    are you eating back the 700 cals you burn during working out? do you use a HRM to get that burn?
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    Perhaps going off the rails on the weekends is a sign that your calorie goal during the week is too low. 1300 and not eating back exercise calories will net you under 1000 calories per day. No wonder you're hungry on weekends.
  • lindzalexis
    lindzalexis Posts: 44 Member
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    I have this same issue. I'm great during the week and just fall completely off the rails on the weekends. I'm committing this week to not eating out at ALL this coming weekend and having meals prepared to get me through. Good luck!
  • frecklesandfries
    frecklesandfries Posts: 32 Member
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    Yes, girl, me too! I have this same problem but I realized that if you eat terrible every Saturday and Sunday that's almost 1/3 of your diet. I am still struggling with this but I think I will take Liftng4Lis advice and just prelog food and stick to it! Or workout on the weekends, if I work out in the morning on Saturday and Sunday I find my food choices to be much better!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    are you eating back the 700 cals you burn during working out? do you use a HRM to get that burn?

    The answer to this could tell all.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    I agree- 1300 will be too low with those work outs and you'll be legitimately hungry on the weekends. What are your workouts and how do you estimate those burns? Even if they're half of what you estimate, you won't be eating enough to fuel that.

    As for the giving up and starting again: I heard a quote that's something along the lines of "if you're tired of starting over, stop quitting". You can do this!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Cortneyrenee04 wrote: »
    I agree- 1300 will be too low with those work outs and you'll be legitimately hungry on the weekends. What are your workouts and how do you estimate those burns? Even if they're half of what you estimate, you won't be eating enough to fuel that.

    As for the giving up and starting again: I heard a quote that's something along the lines of "if you're tired of starting over, stop quitting". You can do this!

    Yeah but if she is not really burning 800 calories, maybe 400 instead, plus eating at maintenance or above on the weekend...She could be averaging maintenance, or even a surplus.
  • Curlylocks7242
    Curlylocks7242 Posts: 7
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    I use my Polar HRM to get those burns, and I usually subtract a little bit (~ 50-75 calories) for logging purposes. My TOTAL calorie intake for the day is 1300, not my net calorie intake.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
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    Maybe you're feeling so deprived during the week, that you are just going overboard during the weekends. The feeling of deprivation would get to me in the past and then I'd have a "cheat day" which would make me maintain or gain weight. Perhaps up your weekday calories and do not give yourself a "cheat day". Just work what you want to eat into your log.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    Perhaps going off the rails on the weekends is a sign that your calorie goal during the week is too low. 1300 and not eating back exercise calories will net you under 1000 calories per day. No wonder you're hungry on weekends.

    This.
  • Curlylocks7242
    Curlylocks7242 Posts: 7
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    So, an update. I reached out to a nutrition coach who comprised a macro plan for me which has me eating approximately 1850/day. We have discussed how much this TOTALLY freaks me out, especially since I started this last Thursday (4 days ago) and the scale has already crept up 3.5 pounds. She warned me that with an increase in carbs, my body may have a tendancy to store more...but this doesn't stop me from flipping me out. As in, totally. I haven't eaten 1800+ calories per day regularly in YEARS. This, of course, is aside from the binging. I sort of wonder how it is possible to lose weight on this plan and I am really trying hard NOT to panic...it's sort of working and sort of not.

    Anyone have any thoughts and/or experience with increasing and still losing? In my messed up calorie-restriction mind, it seems ridiculous...but...I don't know...
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Yes!! We've all been taught that to lose weight we have to deprive ourselves of food and eat very little calories. I found this group here on MFP community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3817-eat-more-2-weigh-less and the explanations on this page have really helped me not to freak out about raising my calories and still be able to lose weight... which I did freak out and was scared that I wouldn't lose weight!! And yes, they explained that at first you'll gain some weight but then you'll lose it slowly. I raised mine up to almost 1700 and I'm losing weight and inches off my body. Very slowly mind you, but still, slow progress is progress. I suggest you read up on what that page says, it'll really help you too. :flowerforyou:
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Everything you describe sounds like eating disorder behavior, especially the part about eating when part of you is screaming, "No!"

    You need to get it together, lol. If you're not eating enough during the week, start doing that. See if the weekends aren't easier. Overeating on the weekends is a habit that needs breaking, but it will be hard to break if you've been hungry all week.

    I would see a therapist who specializes in eating disorders, for sure. Even if she determines that you don't have one, she would be able to help you with the food issues.

    Don't keep cycling through this. Take some action. Get some help. Lose that weight.

    You can beat it and live a healthy, normal life. Others before you have and you can, too! (Really!)

    :)
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    Everything you describe sounds like eating disorder behavior, especially the part about eating when part of you is screaming, "No!"

    You need to get it together, lol. If you're not eating enough during the week, start doing that. See if the weekends aren't easier. Overeating on the weekends is a habit that needs breaking, but it will be hard to break if you've been hungry all week.

    I would see a therapist who specializes in eating disorders, for sure. Even if she determines that you don't have one, she would be able to help you with the food issues.

    Don't keep cycling through this. Take some action. Get some help. Lose that weight.

    You can beat it and live a healthy, normal life. Others before you have and you can, too! (Really!)

    :)

    Didn't you just read her update? She found help. :huh: Help from a nutrition coach...
  • CorlissaEats
    CorlissaEats Posts: 493 Member
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    Curlylocks7242 wrote: »
    So, an update. I reached out to a nutrition coach who comprised a macro plan for me which has me eating approximately 1850/day. We have discussed how much this TOTALLY freaks me out, especially since I started this last Thursday (4 days ago) and the scale has already crept up 3.5 pounds. She warned me that with an increase in carbs, my body may have a tendancy to store more...but this doesn't stop me from flipping me out. As in, totally. I haven't eaten 1800+ calories per day regularly in YEARS. This, of course, is aside from the binging. I sort of wonder how it is possible to lose weight on this plan and I am really trying hard NOT to panic...it's sort of working and sort of not.

    Anyone have any thoughts and/or experience with increasing and still losing? In my messed up calorie-restriction mind, it seems ridiculous...but...I don't know...

    If you have been on an under fueling and then binge eating cycle for years, it might just take a few weeks for your body to figure out what is going on. Stick with it. Give it time. If your coach accurately calculated your burn and gave you a decent deficit it will work. Eating more to lose more works! Just don't eat more than your daily burn. ;)

    And if you still find you tend to eat more on the weekends, talk to her about reducing you to 1790 on week days and 2000 on weekends split? I am home on the weekends, its natural that I eat a little more. I'm also more likely to bake or cook an elaborate meal. It happens, I adjust when needed.

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