Is This How You Think About Over-Goal Days?
AnnPT77
Posts: 34,225 Member
On Sunday 1/10, I was up 2 pounds from a recent new low weight. Since I’m very near goal, 2 pounds was 1.6% of my body weight!
At that point, I’d been seeing a lot of agony and angst on my MFP feed from friends whose weight had fluctuated upward “unexpectedly”. I find that level of stress . . . non-essential. So, I decided to post a status update about how I think about this. (I also boldly predicted what would happen to me next.
)
I’m writing this post because I routinely see the same kind of agony and angst in the forums.
How did my 2 pound gain happen? On Saturday, I ate 1335 calories over my goal. Yup, quadruple digits over! This included way more than usual in several so-called "bad" categories: Carbs, saturated fats, salt, alcohol, sugar. Yikes, huh? No.
1335 calories over goal is about 1100 calories over my estimated maintenance calories, in round numbers. My current deficit is around 250 calories per day, or a 0.5 pound per week loss rate, because I’m close to goal weight. I’ve weighed myself daily for years, even when not trying to lose, so I know how my body behaves.
Here’s my thought process after seeing the gain:
1100 calories over maintenance should be approximately 1/3 pound of real weight gain (around 3500 calories in a pound). So, of that 2 pound gain, about 2 and two-thirds pounds is probably water weight.
From weigh-in experience, I know I drop water weight quickly if I return to a normal way of eating & normal activity. So, I predicted my water weight would be gone in a couple of days. In fact, it was gone the next day, Monday - I had dropped back to 0.4 pounds over my previous low, close enough to that predicted 1/3 pound real gain.
At my current deficit, 1100 calories is roughly 4 days’ worth of deficit. So, the extra calories should be wiped out in about that much time. (Obviously, I could eat a little less, or work out a little more, if I wanted that to happen more quickly.)
However, I know that my weight does fluctuate day to day (a pound or two) even when eating consistently under goal, because of things like salt consumption, physical weight of food/beverages still in my system at weigh-in time, water involved in muscle repair from some workouts, and more.
Therefore, I predicted that if I returned to my normal routine, I’d see a new low on the scale in (conservatively) 1-2 weeks. (I knew it could take time to show up through the ups & downs of daily fluctuation.)
Today, 5 days after my day of indulgence, I hit a new low, down 0.4 pounds from my previous low. (Yes, that’s a small number; remember, I’m trying to lose sloooowwwwly.)
Will everyone's body behave exactly this way? No. But generally, probably yes.
TL;DR: What’s my point?
IMO, if you have an over-goal day, there’s no need for drama. Don't stress, don't think you've ruined everything, don't give up (!), don't feel you're a bad person. Just get back on your healthy track, and things will be fine. Any occasional over-goal day is just a delay, not a disaster.
But this isn’t how everyone chooses to think of it. How do you think about over-goal days and weight fluctuations?
At that point, I’d been seeing a lot of agony and angst on my MFP feed from friends whose weight had fluctuated upward “unexpectedly”. I find that level of stress . . . non-essential. So, I decided to post a status update about how I think about this. (I also boldly predicted what would happen to me next.
)I’m writing this post because I routinely see the same kind of agony and angst in the forums.
How did my 2 pound gain happen? On Saturday, I ate 1335 calories over my goal. Yup, quadruple digits over! This included way more than usual in several so-called "bad" categories: Carbs, saturated fats, salt, alcohol, sugar. Yikes, huh? No.
1335 calories over goal is about 1100 calories over my estimated maintenance calories, in round numbers. My current deficit is around 250 calories per day, or a 0.5 pound per week loss rate, because I’m close to goal weight. I’ve weighed myself daily for years, even when not trying to lose, so I know how my body behaves.
Here’s my thought process after seeing the gain:
1100 calories over maintenance should be approximately 1/3 pound of real weight gain (around 3500 calories in a pound). So, of that 2 pound gain, about 2 and two-thirds pounds is probably water weight.
From weigh-in experience, I know I drop water weight quickly if I return to a normal way of eating & normal activity. So, I predicted my water weight would be gone in a couple of days. In fact, it was gone the next day, Monday - I had dropped back to 0.4 pounds over my previous low, close enough to that predicted 1/3 pound real gain.
At my current deficit, 1100 calories is roughly 4 days’ worth of deficit. So, the extra calories should be wiped out in about that much time. (Obviously, I could eat a little less, or work out a little more, if I wanted that to happen more quickly.)
However, I know that my weight does fluctuate day to day (a pound or two) even when eating consistently under goal, because of things like salt consumption, physical weight of food/beverages still in my system at weigh-in time, water involved in muscle repair from some workouts, and more.
Therefore, I predicted that if I returned to my normal routine, I’d see a new low on the scale in (conservatively) 1-2 weeks. (I knew it could take time to show up through the ups & downs of daily fluctuation.)
Today, 5 days after my day of indulgence, I hit a new low, down 0.4 pounds from my previous low. (Yes, that’s a small number; remember, I’m trying to lose sloooowwwwly.)
Will everyone's body behave exactly this way? No. But generally, probably yes.
TL;DR: What’s my point?
IMO, if you have an over-goal day, there’s no need for drama. Don't stress, don't think you've ruined everything, don't give up (!), don't feel you're a bad person. Just get back on your healthy track, and things will be fine. Any occasional over-goal day is just a delay, not a disaster.
But this isn’t how everyone chooses to think of it. How do you think about over-goal days and weight fluctuations?
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Replies
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I think of it similarly to you. I have never actually done math to soothe myself, I just talk my way through it. Yesterday was one of my "bad" days. I always have one pms day where I could literally eat the whole house. So i ate. Probably more than I tracked because some of it was so very random. And I was tired so I only did yoga and no crazy cardio or lifting session. I find when I work hard consistently, my weight will not even move after a bingy type day, but no workout means I retain more water. So, up 3lbs on the scale this morn. I weigh daily so I expected the flux. I will be down at least 2 by tomorrow as long as I follow calorie goal today and get in my workout(done)! I don't sweat it at all. I track only the lows on mfp, I don't want congrats for losing the same lb over and over again so when I do truly lose I really soak up all the love!!0
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My problem isn't a one night binge. I get in ruts where I consistently go over goal by 200-500 calories, at which point I think that this is all too hard and get ready to throw in the towel. I'm at that point right now. I have been lifting more and heavier, which makes me ravenous and sleepy. So not only am I super hungry, but I'm too tired to do something that distracts me from that hunger.
I think this sort of habit is a lot more destructive than a one-day binge to overall weight loss, because one day is not a habit. Once you go over 200-500 4 or 5 days in a row, you've slowly dug yourself into a hole that takes a lot more work to get out from.0 -
That's the way I see it too, the key is not to make it a common occurrence.0
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@holothuroidea if you are feeling sleepy during or after lifting then you may need to fuel your body pre and during workout with a pre-workout shake or maybe you aren't eating enough. Remember you should adjust your calorie intake to your daily life. If you workout more then you need to consume more calories because you are burning more energy. I find that on the days that I have a light lunch I'm not as energetic during my afternoon workout as I am when I have a a lot of protein and carbs (from fruits and veggies of course). Don't give up.0
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holothuroidea wrote: »My problem isn't a one night binge. I get in ruts where I consistently go over goal by 200-500 calories, at which point I think that this is all too hard and get ready to throw in the towel. I'm at that point right now. I have been lifting more and heavier, which makes me ravenous and sleepy. So not only am I super hungry, but I'm too tired to do something that distracts me from that hunger.
I think this sort of habit is a lot more destructive than a one-day binge to overall weight loss, because one day is not a habit. Once you go over 200-500 4 or 5 days in a row, you've slowly dug yourself into a hole that takes a lot more work to get out from.
You presumably know this, as someone who's been around MFP a while, but I'm commenting partly for newbies' benefit:
That should only be a problem if your daily deficit is smaller than 200-500. If your deficit's higher than your over-amount - when looked at on a weekly basis, even - it should still just be a delay.
I, too, find that when I lift, it's better if I eat a little more. The tiny amount of extra calories I get from recording lifting as "cardio" is enough to get in another small protein serving, and helps. It looks like you're vegan, and eating fairly low protein for a lifter. (Please don't assume I'm being a bro-science critic: I'm ovo-lacto veg . . . I'm trying to say I know it can be a little more challenging.
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@holothuroidea if you are feeling sleepy during or after lifting then you may need to fuel your body pre and during workout with a pre-workout shake or maybe you aren't eating enough. Remember you should adjust your calorie intake to your daily life. If you workout more then you need to consume more calories because you are burning more energy. I find that on the days that I have a light lunch I'm not as energetic during my afternoon workout as I am when I have a a lot of protein and carbs (from fruits and veggies of course). Don't give up.
I don't feel tired during lifting, I feel tired during recovery. I don't know if that's really problematic, it seems to just be part of the process for me because sleep is an important part of the recovery process.
The hunger is the problematic part. I do log 200 extra calories for an hour of lifting (my gym routine is pretty packed, it's not a leisurely hour), and eat them. My calorie goal is a lot easier to meet on days that I lift, it's harder on the days I'm in recovery. Some days I just want to eat the whole house. It's very possible that my calorie goal is too low. I have a really difficult time getting the protein and iron I need at this point. Maybe I should set it a bit higher, but I don't really have room to move. My deficit is only 200 calories.
Protein shakes freak me out!!! It's a completely mental thing but I just can't do them. I do eat a good higher protein meal before I go to the gym, though.
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holothuroidea wrote: »My problem isn't a one night binge. I get in ruts where I consistently go over goal by 200-500 calories, at which point I think that this is all too hard and get ready to throw in the towel. I'm at that point right now. I have been lifting more and heavier, which makes me ravenous and sleepy. So not only am I super hungry, but I'm too tired to do something that distracts me from that hunger.
I think this sort of habit is a lot more destructive than a one-day binge to overall weight loss, because one day is not a habit. Once you go over 200-500 4 or 5 days in a row, you've slowly dug yourself into a hole that takes a lot more work to get out from.
You presumably know this, as someone who's been around MFP a while, but I'm commenting partly for newbies' benefit:
That should only be a problem if your daily deficit is smaller than 200-500. If your deficit's higher than your over-amount - when looked at on a weekly basis, even - it should still just be a delay.
I, too, find that when I lift, it's better if I eat a little more. The tiny amount of extra calories I get from recording lifting as "cardio" is enough to get in another small protein serving, and helps. It looks like you're vegan, and eating fairly low protein for a lifter. (Please don't assume I'm being a bro-science critic: I'm ovo-lacto veg . . . I'm trying to say I know it can be a little more challenging. )
My deficit is about 200 calories. I eat back my exercise calories and I do log lifting as cardio.
Even though it's a small deficit, it is really really difficult to keep my calories this low and get the protein and iron that I need while eating foods I like. I'm hungry all the time. I exercise and get calories back but then I feel more tired and hungry.
Sometimes my goals seem unattainable.0 -
double post
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I find it's so helpful to actually gather and look at the data you collect over time. I use 30 day data chunks, myself, and then I feel more confident in making adjustments. For me the Fitbit app is the most helpful for this since it provides a rolling 30 chart for calories in/calories out.0
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Thanks for sharing. I hope many read this and it helps them remove some of their stress over the scale.0
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great idea for a post, I think it would be nice for some people to read through the logic slowly and arrive at the same conclusion you did!0
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Since I've been logging every day, I've realized that my weight bounces up twice a month - at ovulation and before menstruation - and since I accept these natural fluctuations, it's easier to accept others.0
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So this is what my beautiful daughter has been trying to explain to me. She's one smart kid. Thanks for sharing. I feel 100% better.0
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