how bad did i mess up?
YasienElbeyaly
Posts: 1 Member
i have been in a constant calorie deficit but the past 2 days i haven’t worked out and over ate like crazy, how bad did i mess up my deficit and how long will it take to smooth it out? ex: 2,100 calories daily and my maintenance calories at 180lbs are 2,600. ate 2,500 monday then tuesday ate probably upwards of 3,200 calories and didn’t work out either day. i’m really stressing
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Answers
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It's two days! Relax. So you ate one day at maintenance and one day 600 calories above maintenance. You'll have more food waste in your intestines, which obviously has weight, maybe a bit more water weight due to more salt or carbs. Both are not bodyfat but part of normal weight fluctuations. Eating one day 600 calories above maintenance means you might have gained a total of 0.17lbs of bodyfat. Great.3
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1) There's nothing wrong with a couple days (or longer) diet break. In fact it can be helpful, mentally and physically, if you've been feeling fatigue from it. OTOH, if this was just a binge type of situation, maybe try to look into the reasons why. Maybe doing any sort of working out helps keep you on track. Maybe there were 'bad' foods in the kitchen that you'd be better off not having there. Etc.
2) People binge for a single day far over maintenance and do not gain that (excess/3500) amount as fat.
Either take a maintenance break if needed, or lower the target deficit if needed so you can maintain it better, and carry on.2 -
Yeah, no big deal.
Another way to look at it, besides Yirara's comment: You have a 500 calorie daily deficit most of the time. You ate 100 below maintenance calories one day, wiping out 400 calories of deficit. That alone means you get to goal weight not quite one day slower.
The next day, you ate 1100 calories over maintenance, wiping out that day's deficit, the 100 calorie deficit from the day before, and an additional day's deficit. So, you reach goal a total of about 3 days later than if you'd kept your deficit in place. The "no workouts" might bump that out a little further, but probably not much.
How much catastrophizing does that merit? In my world, not much.
Also, like Retro said, those estimates based on "3500 calories = 1 pound" are the upper limit of impact. A very large amount eaten rarely may not have that big an impact, for various physiological reasons. Sure, the scale may jump more from waste in transit and water retention to digest/metabolize the food, but that'll drop off on its own in a few days to a week or so.
Honestly, while losing I sometimes felt it was worth a day or two delay in reaching goal for some specific cases, such as a special celebration that involved food (holiday, birthday, whatever) or a special restaurant meal. As long as it's a rare thing, I wouldn't obsess about it. Why? Beating yourself up doesn't improve the outcome, it just feels icky right now.
If you sincerely regret it and don't want to repeat it, think about why it happened, and adjust your plan going forward to avoid a repeat. Spend no more than about 10 minutes on that, because like I said there's no need to obsess: It doesn't improve the outcome.
Example "why" for some overages in my life, just so you understand what I'm talking about: Social triggers (like eating more at a restaurant because others were, FOMO), too restrictive a plan to start with, habit of eating excessive amounts in certain circumstances, boredom, fatigue.
I'd strongly suggest not trying to make up for it after the fact by eating less or working out more. That kind of thing has potential to kick off binge/restrict cycles and take a step on a path to a dysfunctional relationship with food. No one needs that.
It's going to be OK. Just consider tweaking your plan, and go on. Best wishes!
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Just a small correction. He says that binge day was +600. It was +1100 above recent levels, but +600 above maintenance.The next day, you ate 1100 calories over maintenance
I'd strongly suggest not trying to make up for it after the fact by eating less or working out more. That kind of thing has potential to kick off binge/restrict cycles and take a step on a path to a dysfunctional relationship with food. No one needs that.
I usually find that the day after I've had a binge, if I can get back on track, I find it easier to have (slightly) fewer calories that day than normal and also have a good workout, because I'm still full from the day before. I'm not suggesting make this a deliberate thing, or starve yourself the next day, or try to reverse the excess calories the next day, nothing like that. OTOH, you probably have plenty of stored glycogen at that point, that's all I mean.2 -
Retroguy2000 wrote: »
Just a small correction. He says that binge day was +600. It was +1100 above recent levels, but +600 above maintenance.The next day, you ate 1100 calories over maintenance
I'd strongly suggest not trying to make up for it after the fact by eating less or working out more. That kind of thing has potential to kick off binge/restrict cycles and take a step on a path to a dysfunctional relationship with food. No one needs that.
I usually find that the day after I've had a binge, if I can get back on track, I find it easier to have (slightly) fewer calories that day than normal and also have a good workout, because I'm still full from the day before. I'm not suggesting make this a deliberate thing, or starve yourself the next day, or try to reverse the excess calories the next day, nothing like that. OTOH, you probably have plenty of stored glycogen at that point, that's all I mean.
Oops, you're right, Retro: Thanks for correcting that lack of careful reading on my part. So more like something under two days delay in reaching goal weight, not 3.
Yeah, good point on the next day. If I weren't hungry/craving, like you I'd eat less the next day just responding to those feelings, but not a "make up for it" mindset. Not only might the higher calories fuel a better workout that day automagically, but a couple of rest days (a.k.a. skipped workouts
) might have a similar effect.
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You want to figure your calories on a weekly basis. Add seven days worth of calories and divide by seven look at that number. See how that relates to your daily target. If that number is higher than your daily target than this week, you will not lose any fat for the week. Get back on the horse next week and try to do better.
Fat loss is a product of a consistent weekly calorie deficit over time1 -
There is no past. Only the present. Let it go. Make better choices today.2
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Dont sweat a small slip. Sometimes it actually works to your advantage. I have been told in the past if you do the same thing day after day time after time week after week year after year, your body will create somewhat of a “memory”. You’re a little slip tricks it up and the body goes oh, what’s this? This may or may not be true? I choose to believe it just because there is such a thing called a cheat meal. I do one cheat meal a week. But whether it’s true or not? Don’t beat yourself up over two days. You see it you recognize it you change it. That’s how you win! Good luck I wish you the best.1
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I wouldn't give it a second thought. Just get back on track...2
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That is pretty cool...
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Nope, I didn't. I feel free to make up words, and there are cases where that one works better, so I've used it more than once. Good consequences without doing much if any work to get them = automagic. 
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Automagically is a "not unknown" word in "tech" circles2
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