Cheat weekend whilst maintaining weight

Hi all at Christmas I was 95kg but wanted to lose weight so started dieting and exercising and now I'm looking to maintain my current weight which is 61kg but I count my weekly calories and I believe I can have two really high calorie days a week as long as I make up for it on the other days by banking calories, please see below

I burn approximately 14,000 calories a week, if I consume let's say 6,500 calories from Monday to Friday, I have 7,500 calories left for Saturday and Sunday, could I eat 4500 on Saturdays and 3000 on Sundays or 5000 on Saturdays and 2500 on Sundays and still maintain my weight, would this be OK? Would I not gain fat or anything? Saturday and Sunday are chill out days whilst watching the weekend football :)

Thanks
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Replies

  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Personally, I think the bias is a bit extreme.

    I would try for at least 1500 per day, so 7500 during the week. To get the male daily minimum in.
    This would leave 6500 for the weekend.
    This is just if I were you.

    You can try the split you propose and adjust as needed.

    Cheers, h.
  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    Personally, I think the bias is a bit extreme.

    I would try for at least 1500 per day, so 7500 during the week. To get the male daily minimum in.
    This would leave 6500 for the weekend.
    This is just if I were you.

    You can try the split you propose and adjust as needed.

    Cheers, h.

    That sounds OK so I could have 4500 for Saturday and 2000 Sunday whilst having 1500 the other 5 days and still maintain? I've ended up going 1000 over maintenance today will this give much fat gains? Starting fresh again tomorrow. Thanks
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
    joseph4230 wrote: »
    Personally, I think the bias is a bit extreme.

    I would try for at least 1500 per day, so 7500 during the week. To get the male daily minimum in.
    This would leave 6500 for the weekend.
    This is just if I were you.

    You can try the split you propose and adjust as needed.

    Cheers, h.

    That sounds OK so I could have 4500 for Saturday and 2000 Sunday whilst having 1500 the other 5 days and still maintain? I've ended up going 1000 over maintenance today will this give much fat gains? Starting fresh again tomorrow. Thanks

    So does that mean you had 15,000 calories this week? Just trying to be clear about your comment that you went 1,000 over maintenance today.
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
    joseph4230 wrote: »
    Hi all at Christmas I was 95kg but wanted to lose weight so started dieting and exercising and now I'm looking to maintain my current weight which is 61kg but I count my weekly calories and I believe I can have two really high calorie days a week as long as I make up for it on the other days by banking calories, please see below

    I burn approximately 14,000 calories a week, if I consume let's say 6,500 calories from Monday to Friday, I have 7,500 calories left for Saturday and Sunday, could I eat 4500 on Saturdays and 3000 on Sundays or 5000 on Saturdays and 2500 on Sundays and still maintain my weight, would this be OK? Would I not gain fat or anything? Saturday and Sunday are chill out days whilst watching the weekend football :)

    Thanks

    Also be mindful that you will weigh more on Monday due to extra food content and sodium from the weekend.
  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    leejoyce31 wrote: »
    joseph4230 wrote: »
    Personally, I think the bias is a bit extreme.

    I would try for at least 1500 per day, so 7500 during the week. To get the male daily minimum in.
    This would leave 6500 for the weekend.
    This is just if I were you.

    You can try the split you propose and adjust as needed.

    Cheers, h.

    That sounds OK so I could have 4500 for Saturday and 2000 Sunday whilst having 1500 the other 5 days and still maintain? I've ended up going 1000 over maintenance today will this give much fat gains? Starting fresh again tomorrow. Thanks

    So does that mean you had 15,000 calories this week? Just trying to be clear about your comment that you went 1,000 over maintenance today.

    Yes that's correct 15,000. Will 1,000 matter much?
  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    leejoyce31 wrote: »
    joseph4230 wrote: »
    Hi all at Christmas I was 95kg but wanted to lose weight so started dieting and exercising and now I'm looking to maintain my current weight which is 61kg but I count my weekly calories and I believe I can have two really high calorie days a week as long as I make up for it on the other days by banking calories, please see below

    I burn approximately 14,000 calories a week, if I consume let's say 6,500 calories from Monday to Friday, I have 7,500 calories left for Saturday and Sunday, could I eat 4500 on Saturdays and 3000 on Sundays or 5000 on Saturdays and 2500 on Sundays and still maintain my weight, would this be OK? Would I not gain fat or anything? Saturday and Sunday are chill out days whilst watching the weekend football :)

    Thanks

    Also be mindful that you will weigh more on Monday due to extra food content and sodium from the weekend.

    I know mate that's normal though
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    1000 over is less then 1/3 of a pound. It will make very little difference.
    If you did that every week for a month you would put on just over a pound.

    3500 Cals= 1 pound.

    Just try to keep within your weekly goal most weeks, with 1500 week days, and you will do fine.

    Cheers, h.
  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    1000 over is less then 1/3 of a pound. It will make very little difference.
    If you did that every week for a month you would put on just over a pound.

    3500 Cals= 1 pound.

    Just try to keep within your weekly goal most weeks, with 1500 week days, and you will do fine.

    Cheers, h.

    So I won't even notice 1000 calories in body composition wise?

    Yes I will keep within my weekly calories goal. I've still got a little more bit of fat to lose so might consider dropping to 57kg which is 9 stone which would suit me well I am only 5ft 7in and 18. So if I decide to 1lb a week that's only 10500 left for the week, let's say 5500 for weekend so 3800 on Saturday and 1700 Sunday, 1100 Friday, Monday and Wednesday 1300 each and 700 each on Tuesday and Thursday this equals 14100 I could easily burn the other 100 can i do it this way and burn 1lb a week still? Thanks
  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    edited August 2016
    Or should I lose half a lb a week and have a little more leeway in regards to calories? Should I be in any rush or just lose half a lb of fat until I reach 57kg? Thanks
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Go for the .5. I think you will be happier with that.
    Are you doing any weight lifting?

    If not.
    You may find following a weight lifting programme and staying with the weight you are at (recomp) will give you the physical appearance you are looking for.

    Cheers, h.
  • evilokc
    evilokc Posts: 263 Member
    I "cheat" every weekend and still lose weight. the way I do it is by eating foods ( twinkies,pizza,burritos,indian food)that I don't consume during the week but still sticking with my overall daily calorie goals. so I get the deliciousness of my favorite foods but don't cancel out my week of hard work. the way I see it is this is my life. its not a contest that will be over soon so I have to find ways to make it worth it.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    OP do you think you may be overthinking things a little? I've read many of your threads lately, and it seems you are stressing yourself out over the tiniest of details that don't really matter in the bigger picture.

    Eat what you want and keep an eye on the scales. If you weigh over your maintenance range for more than a week, cut down a little for the next week and vice versa.

    ^^^^
    This!

    Obsessing over every calorie and imagining a noticeable body composition change from one day of eating isn't a healthy and happy way to maintain.
    Think long term not day to day or week to week.
  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    OP do you think you may be overthinking things a little? I've read many of your threads lately, and it seems you are stressing yourself out over the tiniest of details that don't really matter in the bigger picture.

    Eat what you want and keep an eye on the scales. If you weigh over your maintenance range for more than a week, cut down a little for the next week and vice versa.

    ^^^^
    This!

    Obsessing over every calorie and imagining a noticeable body composition change from one day of eating isn't a healthy and happy way to maintain.
    Think long term not day to day or week to week.

    So does it not matter? I'm back on track again today.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    joseph4230 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    OP do you think you may be overthinking things a little? I've read many of your threads lately, and it seems you are stressing yourself out over the tiniest of details that don't really matter in the bigger picture.

    Eat what you want and keep an eye on the scales. If you weigh over your maintenance range for more than a week, cut down a little for the next week and vice versa.

    ^^^^
    This!

    Obsessing over every calorie and imagining a noticeable body composition change from one day of eating isn't a healthy and happy way to maintain.
    Think long term not day to day or week to week.

    So does it not matter? I'm back on track again today.

    What do YOU think?
    You have done all that convoluted maths, you know how much you have to over-eat to gain fat....

    If you think it matters put into words why it does and how much it matters. Quantify it.


  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    joseph4230 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    OP do you think you may be overthinking things a little? I've read many of your threads lately, and it seems you are stressing yourself out over the tiniest of details that don't really matter in the bigger picture.

    Eat what you want and keep an eye on the scales. If you weigh over your maintenance range for more than a week, cut down a little for the next week and vice versa.

    ^^^^
    This!

    Obsessing over every calorie and imagining a noticeable body composition change from one day of eating isn't a healthy and happy way to maintain.
    Think long term not day to day or week to week.

    So does it not matter? I'm back on track again today.

    What do YOU think?
    You have done all that convoluted maths, you know how much you have to over-eat to gain fat....

    If you think it matters put into words why it does and how much it matters. Quantify it.


    It's only 1000 it's not even 1/3 of a pound but I won't even notice it. Actually my activity level is lightly active with boxing 2/3 times a week for an hour and weights/cardio for 3/4 times a week for 2 hours each (1 hour weights and 1 hour cardio) so I go gym 6 days a week and rest on Saturdays and lightly active says my maintenance is about 2200 a day? My BMR is 1600 would this be right? If that's the case 2200 x 6 = 13200 + 1600 = 14800 so I've only gone into a 200 calorie surplus all week as I've consumed 15000 all week?
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Have you been at maintenance long enough to start trending your maintain weight? It seems that you are trying to complicate it with complex math and theories of what your picture of weight loss/maintain should be on paper, but not using real world results..

    I am with @christine_72 and @sijomial about not overthinking and obsessing over every calorie, find a happy balance to maintaining.
  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    Have you been at maintenance long enough to start trending your maintain weight? It seems that you are trying to complicate it with complex math and theories of what your picture of weight loss/maintain should be on paper, but not using real world results..

    I am with @christine_72 and @sijomial about not overthinking and obsessing over every calorie, find a happy balance to maintaining.

    I've only been at maintenance for 2/3 weeks but think I'm the same weight. I'm still 4 pounds up from Saturday and Sunday because of the carbs/salt/sodium this should be gone within a few days. Can I still consume my normal 150g of carbs for boxing days as I'm in boxing tonight? Thanks
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
    OP do you think you may be overthinking things a little? I've read many of your threads lately, and it seems you are stressing yourself out over the tiniest of details that don't really matter in the bigger picture.

    Eat what you want and keep an eye on the scales. If you weigh over your maintenance range for more than a week, cut down a little for the next week and vice versa.

    Unfortunately, some people are worriers by personality type. That's just probably who he is. I am one of those people as well.
  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    edited August 2016
    Guys I fell off the wagon this week by eating 1000 calorie surplus over my weekly calories limit so from today it's been a fresh start.

    Now I look lean enough in the mirror but I can still pinch a bit of fat so I want to lose 0.5 lb of fat per week until I reach 9 stone I am about 9st 8lb now so just 8lb to go which will take me 16 weeks if losing 0.5 lb a week so about a week before Christmas which is fine that's my goal anyway.

    I don't want to lose 1lb a week because I want to treat myself on weekends and I want to preserve as much lean mass/muscle as possible. I have 3 questions

    1. How much protein per day do I need? I'm currently about 134 pounds now and I have heard you should consume between 0.8-1g protein per lb of lean body mass instead of body weight, my LBM is 112lbs so 0.8g-1g would be about 90g-112g of protein, would 90g-105g be OK to preserve muscle mass?

    2. I do about 1 hour weights 3-4 times a week would this be fine and I do boxing twice a week for 1 hour and I do 1 hour treadmill cardio 4 days a week, I'm in the gym 6 days a week. Would this be OK?

    3. I calculate my calories weekly I burn 14000 a week and I've already planned my week ahead it is going to be as follows

    Today I've consumed 1295 calories
    Tomorrow 650
    Wednesday 1220
    Thursday 650
    Friday 1800
    Saturday 4425
    Sunday 2200
    Burn 1750 for 0.5lb of fat
    This equals just under 14000

    I don't mind undereating on Tuesday and Thursday because it allows me a cheat weekend and I can still lose 0.5lb but would this be fine? In those 2 x 650 calories days I will consume 120g protein on each of those 2 days (4 x chicken breast fillets) and 2 handfuls of veg which equals 650 it will get me a sufficient amount of protein?

    Would this be fine? I need your advice

    Thanks everyone
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited August 2016
    Edited to change my post as I see now you want to eat at a calorie deficit to loose .5/lbs a week now and no longer want to maintain?

    If I read this right, then create your calorie deficit to loose .5 pounds and do that.

    Distribute your macros according to your fitness and activity levels, the protein at .8 gr/lb is good. If you choose to "sort of fast" two days to indulge on the weekends, that is fine too.. You really can do this anyway you want to that satisfies your lifestyle.

    Should you not reap the results that you are looking for in your fitness. body composition and weight loss goals, change it accordingly..
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    1) Set protein to 0.8-1.2g/lb of bodyweight
    2)Yes that will be fine, training is muscle sparing
    3)Calorie cycling is fine if you can stick to it
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    18 year old male with a goal weight of 9 stone (126lbs) ?

    How tall are you?
  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    Edited to change my post as I see now you want to eat at a calorie deficit to loose .5/lbs a week now and no longer want to maintain?

    If I read this right, then create your calorie deficit to loose .5 pounds and do that.

    Distribute your macros according to your fitness and activity levels, the protein at .8 gr/lb is good. If you choose to "sort of fast" two days to indulge on the weekends, that is fine too.. You really can do this anyway you want to that satisfies your lifestyle.

    Should you not reap the results that you are looking for in your fitness. body composition and weight loss goals, change it accordingly..

    Great thank you :)
  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    1) Set protein to 0.8-1.2g/lb of bodyweight
    2)Yes that will be fine, training is muscle sparing
    3)Calorie cycling is fine if you can stick to it

    Would this be a minimum of 0.8g per lb of body weight or lean body mass? I heard it was lean body mass as you only preserve the pounds you weigh in the lean mass and not the pounds you weigh in fat or something?

    And that's great thanks :)
  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    18 year old male with a goal weight of 9 stone (126lbs) ?

    How tall are you?

    I'm 5ft 7in 170cm
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    joseph4230 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    18 year old male with a goal weight of 9 stone (126lbs) ?

    How tall are you?

    I'm 5ft 7in 170cm

    That's pretty light for your height - definitely don't go for a big deficit. You are training hard so need to support that with good nutrition and sufficient calories.
    Good advice from @trigden1991
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    joseph4230 wrote: »
    1) Set protein to 0.8-1.2g/lb of bodyweight
    2)Yes that will be fine, training is muscle sparing
    3)Calorie cycling is fine if you can stick to it

    Would this be a minimum of 0.8g per lb of body weight or lean body mass? I heard it was lean body mass as you only preserve the pounds you weigh in the lean mass and not the pounds you weigh in fat or something?

    And that's great thanks :)

    Personally I go for total bodyweight for a number of reasons. As long as you are in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight though. Whatever you can be consistent with is best though.
  • joseph4230
    joseph4230 Posts: 80 Member
    edited August 2016
    sijomial wrote: »
    joseph4230 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    18 year old male with a goal weight of 9 stone (126lbs) ?

    How tall are you?

    I'm 5ft 7in 170cm

    That's pretty light for your height - definitely don't go for a big deficit. You are training hard so need to support that with good nutrition and sufficient calories.
    Good advice from @trigden1991

    Yes it is but 9 stone is my goal weight by Christmas as I still have a bit of body fat I think I'm about 14% but wanna cut to about 10%-11% by Christmas I've not lost all the fat yet. I don't want to lose 1lb a week as I feel this is too much for me with only little more fat to lose and not only that I won't be able to have a cheat weekend losing 1lb.

    So would losing 0.5lb a week be fine as then I can have a cheat weekend whilst calorie cycling on some days to eat loads more on the weekends?

    Thank you
  • ouryve
    ouryve Posts: 572 Member
    joseph4230 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    18 year old male with a goal weight of 9 stone (126lbs) ?

    How tall are you?

    I'm 5ft 7in 170cm

    Why so small? That right at the bottom end. Are you trying to achieve a particular boxing weight?