If I eat on my maintainence, will I still lose weight for that week?

Sparkle097

I eat 1400 cals to lose weight. Today I wanna have a cheat day. Nothing too crazy. My maintenance is 1800-1900 cals. If I eat on my maintenance level today, will this have a negative impact on my weight loss progress?

livingleanlivingclean

If you take your weekly calorie goal in to consideration, are you in a deficit or at maintenance?

jjpptt2

Think about it like finances.

If you save every day for a month, then save nothing for 1 day (spending exactly what you earn not more than that), then get back to saving, does that 1 day have any impact on your savings?

RelCanonical

If you have a 500 calorie deficit and stay on track the rest of the week, you will lose 6/7ths of a pound...approximately, in theory, 'cause fluctuations and tracking accuracy and all that. If you didn't have a maintenance day, you would lose approximately 7/7ths of a pound, or 1 pound. Maths and stuff.

In other words, a small impact, but it will probably get eaten up in fluctuations. Being consistent is more important.

sijomial

You will get to goal weight one day later - in the context of the rest of your life how significant is that?

Seffell

Lets think that through.

You lose weight when you eat less calories than you burn, i.e. when you eat at a deficit.
To eat at maintanance means to eat as many calories as you burn. When you eat at maintananca you maintain your weight.

So the days when you decide to eat at maintanance you will not lose any weight. The days when you eat at a deficit - you will lose.

In the above when I say weight I exclude water weight.

Purplebunnysarah

Overall, you likely won't even notice the effects if you go right back to a deficit tomorrow.

If you weigh daily you may see a small increase tomorrow depending on when you weigh vs when you poop. Also there may be some water retention. Don't panic if that happens - it's transient and will be gone in a few days.

Seffell

sarahthes wrote: »

Overall, you likely won't even notice the effects if you go right back to a deficit tomorrow.

If you weigh daily you may see a small increase tomorrow depending on when you weigh vs when you poop. Also there may be some water retention. Don't panic if that happens - it's transient and will be gone in a few days.

My water ratains last for several weeks. Three times in the past 2 years they lasted for six weeks before a huge whoosh. So they will not necessarily be gone in a few days for everyone.