Do you switch MFP off on your birthday?

Ooci

Mine's tomorrow. I'm wondering what to arrange. I at last saw a pound off today!! It feels like the weight loss has been very very slow since October, though when I really analyse it I see I've lost 4 lb in Jan which is fantastic, especially as I'm 5ft 1/2 inch and my calories seldom go below 1800. But I think because I've only lost a stone (14lb) since last June the weight loss seems very tentative. I have lost three stone since starting in Nov 2013 though.

Anyway this pound off is so precious and has at last got me to a BMI of 25.0 - for which I could just fall on my knees in gratitude!

Tempted to largely ignore my birthday - what do you do?

Vanilla_Lattes

I overate but logged it

cityruss

Enjoy yourself. Log it.

One day will not change anything in the grand scheme of things.

Sued0nim

Not had one yet - but I didn't on Christmas so can't see me not logging my birthday

you don't want to lose your streak do you (small things like that encourage me.. I'd hate to see it drop to 0)

acmanna

Go enjoy your birthday! But still log your food. It isn't a big deal if you go back up a little bit in weight for a day or two..it will come back down...don't worry. Happy Birthday!

Ooci

rabbitjb wrote: »

you don't want to lose your streak do you (small things like that encourage me.. I'd hate to see it drop to 0)

Would it be possible to gain 4 in a day?? It wouldn't, surely?

But the streak - yes, so good for self-belief that I might be able to get to goal!

acmanna wrote: »

Go enjoy your birthday! But still log your food. It isn't a big deal if you go back up a little bit in weight for a day or two..it will come back down...don't worry. Happy Birthday!

Thanks!! I love fish - maybe I'll go to the best place for that round here.

ilovesweeties

Hi, I had a birthday about four months in, I had lost about 28 pounds at that point. I took a break from my deficit, but I didn't go as mad as I have in previous years. I think it is still important to enjoy the social and celebratory side of food, even when cutting calories, if that's what floats your boat.

I gained a couple of lbs in water weight (avoid having a takeaway if you don't want a water weight spike on the chart!), but they were gone, and more, once I got back to my deficit. The mozzarella sticks and cocktails were worth it though. I did the same over Christmas for about 10 days. I gained 7 lbs, about 3 of that was true gain. It was a little depressing, but I was expecting it. It really just inspired me to get back on track, rather than carry on destroying all my hard work.

cacri

I didn't switch MPF off. I overate but logged it and put it as a note that I knew I was overdoing the calories. One day of gluttony in a lifetime of healthy eating is not worth agonizing over...

bethouiseevans

Its mine in 2 weeks I'm planning to log it and be aware but not worry if all my intake is on cake and chocolate that day haha

DawnieB1977

I didn't log on my birthday. I share a birthday with my husband, and we had a family meal out at an Italian restaurant, and also had cake. I doubt I overate massively, and since I exercise so much and eat well the majority of the time, my weekly deficit will still have been good.

You only have one birthday a year!

maccarossi1

Log it, it's hard to have a day that is that bad that would even ruin an entire week let alone do any damage to your loss, still have to have fun

malibu927

I logged the best I could, because my birthday last year ended up being the day my brother got married. Enjoy yourself and get back to work the following day!

MarianneDarroch

Mine is Friday so have the same dilemma, have decided to have a meal out and enjoy myself within reason and try and log as accurately as possible. I am also going to get a gym session in that morning to try and counter balance any potential damage :-)

However I figure it's only one day!

kristen6350

My birthday is a no log day - I check in to keep my streak but I eat what I want. Donuts at work, cake, dinners out. Doesn't count that day!

Timorous_Beastie

As long as you log into the website or app, you won't lose your streak.

I don't log on weekends and major holidays and that works for me. My husband's and my birthdays are major holidays for us.

ladieofthebees

I ate what I wanted (within reason) but logged all the calories. Don't deprive yourself on your birthday - feeling deprived always breaks down my will power! Remember you've earned it

Bry_Fitness70

I log everything every day. I like to have a complete record of what I'm doing, without holes for days that I exempted myself for a birthday or holidays.

As I've been on this site for almost two years, now it serves to provide me with perspective: what did i eat for my birthday last year? Christmas? I actually did a copy forward from Thanksgiving 2013 to 2014 because everything I ate was basically the same, and then tried to eat a little bit better. I think it is all about evolving, which is difficult to measure if you don't capture the data...

cincysweetheart

Enjoy your birthday. Log it. Get right back on track the next day. Drink plenty of water and don't weigh yourself for another week.

girlviernes

It's up to you, but one reason to log though would be if you want to use a spreadsheet like the excel export tool to figure out your observed TDEE.

Paul_Collyer

Depends where you are at in the process. In my first year or so I logged everything, including the biggest parties and binges, and it paid off as I lost the majority of my excess weight.

Since then, I tend to take one or two days off a week, and often go through a period without logging at all eg holidays, Xmas etc. As long as you watch your weight and eat sensibly most days it doesnt really do any harm, but it's easier to say that having lost most of the excess already!

yopeeps025

Mine Bday is March 19 and I will be logging that day too.

Angierae75

My birthday. Thanksgiving. Christmas. Other various parties. I eat what I want. I log it. This is a lifestyle change, and in our lives, we have big meals and celebrations occasionally. I won't feel guilty about it, but I do log it so I know.

mistikal13

I log it just like every other day and enjoy the treats guilt free as always

TheVirgoddess

brwelch1 wrote: »

I overate but logged it

This exactly. We went out for a super fat steak dinner - it was awesome. I went over, but I logged it and didn't feel a second of guilt.

madamepsych0sis

Enjoy yourself (but don't OVERindulge), but definitely still track!

jjasmelon

Mines on the 9th Mar, I think I will log it but definitely will be a cheat/treat day.

stumblinthrulife

Nope. I log a massive five to six thousand Calorie blowout and then bask in the awe of my friends at my prodigious capacity for eating delicious food.

Then the next day I go back to my regular eating habits and continue to make steady progress toward whatever goal I happen to have set at the time.

MKEgal

Ooci wrote:

Would it be possible to gain 4 in a day?? It wouldn't, surely?

1 lb = 3500 calories
4 lb = 14,000 calories
Doubt you'd be able to eat 14,000 calories in one day.
[ETA: that's over your BMR, so if that's 1500, you'd have to eat 5,000 in order to gain 1 lb.]

Eat what you want, enjoy it, log it, accept that getting to your goal will be delayed a little bit.
Changing your eating habits for good is not about depriving yourself, but about learning moderation. Make good choices most of the time, don't worry too much about the rest.

For my birthday Sunday, I've planned to have pancakes & eggs for breakfast,
cheese ravioli with bacon, cream, red bell pepper, & asiago for lunch (will probably add broccoli &/or spinach),
and haven't decided on dinner yet, but dinner is usually small.
Yes, that will be considerably over my calorie goal, even if I count exercise calories (which I usually try not to).

Ooci

I LOVE reading all these responses, thank you everyone! Brilliant to see people having a controlled view of indulgence.
Booked Stapleford Park restaurant near Melton Mowbray ( UK) The menu looks to die for.

Ooci

girlviernes wrote: »

It's up to you, but one reason to log though would be if you want to use a spreadsheet like the excel export tool to figure out your observed TDEE.

I don't really understand this?? Could you explain a bit more? Xx

malibu927

MKEgal wrote: »

Ooci wrote:

Would it be possible to gain 4 in a day?? It wouldn't, surely?

1 lb = 3500 calories
4 lb = 14,000 calories
Doubt you'd be able to eat 14,000 calories in one day.
[ETA: that's over your BMR, so if that's 1500, you'd have to eat 5,000 in order to gain 1 lb.]

Eat what you want, enjoy it, log it, accept that getting to your goal will be delayed a little bit.
Changing your eating habits for good is not about depriving yourself, but about learning moderation. Make good choices most of the time, don't worry too much about the rest.

For my birthday Sunday, I've planned to have pancakes & eggs for breakfast,
cheese ravioli with bacon, cream, red bell pepper, & asiago for lunch (will probably add broccoli &/or spinach),
and haven't decided on dinner yet, but dinner is usually small.
Yes, that will be considerably over my calorie goal, even if I count exercise calories (which I usually try not to).

It's 3500 calories over maintenance/TDEE, not BMR