Do I get 500 calories back? 3500 a week to gain a pound?

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blackcows15
blackcows15 Posts: 26 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I'm pretty black and white, detailed, and dedicated and I think that's why MFP is working for me. I am saver not a spender so I don't feel a need to eat all my calories for the day, I usually save a few for a raining day. I started MFP about 6 weeks ago and have lost 18 pounds. I am at 212 and my goal is 200, I am going to get there and if I get under than so be it but that is where I want to be. As I said I am black and white, like numbers, and goals and probably oversimplfy MFP but it's working for me. My current calories for the day are about 2000 plus I add 250 for exercise, when I get to my goal weight and go into maintain mode do I get 500 calories added back? Also is the reverse true...500 extra calories a week add a pound? This is were I probably take things too literal but if I go on a vacation for a week and have drinks and some deserts and go over 3500 calories does that in theory add a pound and I can fix it the next week by eating a deficit of 500 a day for a week?

Replies

  • jvbrooks
    jvbrooks Posts: 82 Member
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    Kind of.

    Misunderstood your question
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
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    You do, but not all at once. As you get closer to your goal weight, you'll slowly add back calories and your body will adjust to the new intake level. Are you doing the TDEE-20% method? If so, when you get within 10 lbs of goal, move to TDEE-15%, then when you're five pounds from goal, TDEE-10%, which will give you a soft landing into maintenance.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    Basically, yes. But if you've lost 18lbs in 6 weeks, that's 3lbs a week or a deficit of 1500 calories a day. So you're probably gonna have to add a lot more calories when it comes time to maintain.

    In reality, it's more of a trial and error thing. Everything is just an estimate or a calculation. Once you hit your goal I'd recommend upping your calories by 250/day for a week at a time until you start maintaining.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    The "theory" is that calories in vs calories out equals weight gain or loss, and 3500 cals equals 1 pound of fat. In practice, it doesn't always work exactly that way. There are too many variables, i.e. water weight, hormone levels, miscalculating cals eaten and cals burned, etc.

    I also don't think that if you eat 7000 extra cals in one day, that you will gain 2 pounds of FAT in one day. Your body processes food differently at times and doesn't always follow the science rules exactly.
  • lukasmac
    lukasmac Posts: 216 Member
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    Unfortunately, weight loss is not black and white. There are so many variables.

    My suggestion, go on holiday, enjoy, expect to gain a pound or two. Come back and do what you have been doing as it seems to be working for you.

    Good luck
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    yes...essentially if you're on a 1 Lb per week goal, you would get 500 additional calories to maintain...

    My maintenance calories are 2,650 (gross...so that includes my exercise). If I eat around 2,150, theoretically I should lose about 1 Lb per week and that was pretty much the case when I was losing. I maintained easily grossing 2600 - 2700 calories gross per day for five months and also had plenty of days where I was over that maintenance number and still maintained. Theoretically, if I were go consume an additional 500 calories per day over my 2,650 every day for a week, I'd gain about 1 Lb...I never ate that much consistently enough for anything to happen I guess...like I said, I maintained easily for the past 5 months...probably have 2 or 3 3,000 calorie days per week.
  • Vivian06703188
    Vivian06703188 Posts: 310 Member
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    Men are much luckier than women as far as calories and weigh gain/loss maintenance go. Best of luck to your on your journey to the final number. :)
  • emobarbie7
    emobarbie7 Posts: 75
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    Unfortunately, weight loss is not black and white. There are so many variables.

    My suggestion, go on holiday, enjoy, expect to gain a pound or two. Come back and do what you have been doing as it seems to be working for you.

    Good luck

    Exactly
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
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    I'm pretty black and white, detailed, and dedicated and I think that's why MFP is working for me. I am saver not a spender so I don't feel a need to eat all my calories for the day, I usually save a few for a raining day. I started MFP about 6 weeks ago and have lost 18 pounds. I am at 212 and my goal is 200, I am going to get there and if I get under than so be it but that is where I want to be. As I said I am black and white, like numbers, and goals and probably oversimplfy MFP but it's working for me. My current calories for the day are about 2000 plus I add 250 for exercise, when I get to my goal weight and go into maintain mode do I get 500 calories added back? Also is the reverse true...500 extra calories a week add a pound? This is were I probably take things too literal but if I go on a vacation for a week and have drinks and some deserts and go over 3500 calories does that in theory add a pound and I can fix it the next week by eating a deficit of 500 a day for a week?

    Basically no to the first question.

    Your daily allotment of calories assumes you weigh what you do. When you have lost the weight you will no longer need as many calories to pump blood and breathe and such. So your requirements to maintain will have reduced.

    With luck as you get closer to goal and as you regularly update your weight, that reduction will be gradual. You'll notice if you lose weight and log it, your daily calorie limit will go down: that is to reflect that you are a smaller car as it were, needing less petrol to run.

    as to the eating 3500 cals and clawing it back: yes. Yes indeed. :) But you start to see that it's like a time payment: better to save up the cals beforehand. Just as it's better to pay cash for that VCR. you can end up with too many time payments on the go, and your future is never clear of debt. You need to start every day with a clean slate so I'd recommend saving teh cals beforehand. :)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Men are much luckier than women as far as calories and weigh gain/loss maintenance go. Best of luck to your on your journey to the final number. :)

    why?
  • Sonj1973
    Sonj1973 Posts: 188 Member
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    Unfortunately, weight loss is not black and white. There are so many variables.

    My suggestion, go on holiday, enjoy, expect to gain a pound or two. Come back and do what you have been doing as it seems to be working for you.

    Pretty much this ^^^^^ Sometimes it's good to let your hair down and enjoy Good Luck! Ps Have fun ;)

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