Saving up calories for weekends/life happening?

I've read a lot of people on here say that they go under their calorie goal during the week to make sure that their weekly deficit isn't impeded by any weekend overeating. I sympathize with that a lot - as a college student, my life is highly scheduled during the week and I'm able to preplan every day by the night before generally. I do my best on the weekends, but if my parents are coming for dinner or I'm going to dinner with my friends or I'm going to be drinking, I generally go over even with exercise. Last week when I tried managing by weekly calories, I was over only by around 175 for the week. The two previous weeks, I was over by at least 1,000 calories which is almost all of my deficit. My birthday was in that period, so it's not like I go crazy every weekend, but I was still surprised to see that.

So my question is, is it a problem to be sub-1200 (or around there) for a few days during the week and use that to make up during the weekend or other times when fun food things happen? It's definitely tricky and takes a lot of planning, and I'm really only trying to lose that last 5 buffer lbs before I switch to maintenance. My goal now is 1400 a day, and I'd like to keep it between 1100-1300 net for at least 3 days during the week so that I have some room to not freak out when I'd like to enjoy food with others. Right now I'm at 1100 (net, 1450 gross) and drinking some tea to curb the cravings I'm having as I'm procrastinating on some homework before bed. Is this reasonable?

Replies

SingingPilgrim

It probably depends on how often it happens. My current goal is 1310, and so I just have to be 111 calories under to be under 1200-- so I don't worry about it.

And there are people who practice intermittent fasting like the 5:2 diet who are eating 500-600 calories two days a week, and more like 2000 other days of the week. I did that in the past and it was great and I recommend it actually, but it's not practical fo rme at the moment because I'm cooking for my very-much-not-on-a-diet husband and it's just too hard to try to eat 500 calories when I'm making a few very filling meals for him a day. When I was just worrying about my own food, it was much easier. It's got lots of health benefits to eat that way beyond weight loss.

The point is though, it's more about your average calorie intake for the week. So it's okay if you're making it up. If you're supposed to eat 1400 a day, then you should be eating around 9800 a week... and at least 8400 (that's 1200 a day). So basically if you dip below 1200 one day, you should make sure you make it up later that week... and also, you should try not to do it two days in a row.

Starvation mode is a myth if you just eat too little occasionally, and as long as you're averaging over 1200 a day in a week, I don't think your menstruation should be affected.

egrusy

You are amazing to be sticking so tightly to your plan especially as a college student! That's difficult!

Have you re-entered your data on MFP recently given your current weight and goals?

MizSookeh

I save up for the weekends, but I'm curious to know if your situation of staying on a low-ish number of calories for a few consecutive days makes a difference. I'm still learning, but the general message I see around the place is to try and stay over 1200. I don't know any of your stats or situation though.

My target is 1550, I usually hover around 1300-1400, and bank the rest for a drink on the weekend. That doesn't include exercise. If I'm hungry or really craving something in particular, I have to either sacrifice that drink, or do some exercise to get both. Ultimately, I usually end up saving ~150-200 each week day (roughly a standard beer), and then use them on the weekend.

julianadelbosque

You are amazing to be sticking so tightly to your plan especially as a college student! That's difficult!

Have you re-entered your data on MFP recently given your current weight and goals?

Thanks! Luckily I am in a house this year, so I am able to cook almost every single thing that I eat. I'm up every morning to make breakfast and lunch for the day. It's a good thing I love cooking, or else I would be completely screwed in this weight loss goal! I have edited my goals semi-recently. I'm definitely slightly under what my weight says now, but I want to give it another week to see where it stays around. I don't actually have a scale at my house, so I generally weigh myself on weekends at my boyfriend's house, and that's not the most accurate weight I'm sure!

I save up for the weekends, but I'm curious to know if your situation of staying on a low-ish number of calories for a few consecutive days makes a difference. I'm still learning, but the general message I see around the place is to try and stay over 1200. I don't know any of your stats or situation though.

My target is 1550, I usually hover around 1300-1400, and bank the rest for a drink on the weekend. That doesn't include exercise. If I'm hungry or really craving something in particular, I have to either sacrifice that drink, or do some exercise to get both. Ultimately, I usually end up saving ~150-200 each week day (roughly a standard beer), and then use them on the weekend.

I'm still trying to see as well - last week I had 3 days (two consecutive and then Sunday) that I was 150-250 calories under my goal, and the others (aside from Saturday which is when I made all that up plus some) were all +/- 100 calories like a pretty normal day. Since I do eat back exercise calories for the most part, I'm rarely going to be below 1100. Since I can't see myself being below 1200 for more than 3-4 days in a row during any given week, I'm hoping this is sustainable for the next few months as I lose that last bit. But seeing as I'm 250 under today, we shall see how hungry I am tomorrow as I try to stay under some more!

joshdann

I've never really understood this concept. I know some people take comfort in "allowing themselves" to overeat... but doing all that hard work to just wipe most of it out a few days later doesn't jive for me. If it keeps you sane, then go for it. Just remember that the surplus you eat on those days will be stored as fat.

julianadelbosque

I've never really understood this concept. I know some people take comfort in "allowing themselves" to overeat... but doing all that hard work to just wipe most of it out a few days later doesn't jive for me. If it keeps you sane, then go for it. Just remember that the surplus you eat on those days will be stored as fat.

Why not? I'm not getting out of a restaurant or homecooked meal with less than 600-700 calories unless I really try and stress myself out about it. Given that I have 1400 calories a day and the fact that I don't have the time or desire to exercise off every surplus calorie I eat during the week means that it makes sense for me to save up a little during the week. Either I overeat on the weekend after eating at my goal all week and go over for the week, or I overeat during the weekend and have that buffer room so that I don't go over for the week. I do exercise on the weekend, but given that I'm a college student there are a lot of things going on that often limit my time and provide social situations with food. I plan so much for food during the week that it's nice to let loose a little on the weekends. Not completely, I still try to be reasonable, but it's another thing that helps me relax.

FattieBabs

I do the same as weekends with the family are always difficult to keep control of calorie-wise so sometimes, I try to get a 200 deficit for 2-3 days in order to fit in more at the weekend. Seems to work..

nomeejerome

There are a lot of people that go by a weekly goal and not a daily goal for calories. If you are meeting your nutritional needs, it is not a big deal.

SideSteel

Generally speaking yes you can save up calories provided basic needs are being met and provided that your overall calorie intake is appropriate.

As far as training performance goes you may want to look into how you adjust that so that the low days have minimal impact on training and the high days potentially benefit training.

joshdann

I've never really understood this concept. I know some people take comfort in "allowing themselves" to overeat... but doing all that hard work to just wipe most of it out a few days later doesn't jive for me. If it keeps you sane, then go for it. Just remember that the surplus you eat on those days will be stored as fat.

Why not? I'm not getting out of a restaurant or homecooked meal with less than 600-700 calories unless I really try and stress myself out about it. Given that I have 1400 calories a day and the fact that I don't have the time or desire to exercise off every surplus calorie I eat during the week means that it makes sense for me to save up a little during the week. Either I overeat on the weekend after eating at my goal all week and go over for the week, or I overeat during the weekend and have that buffer room so that I don't go over for the week. I do exercise on the weekend, but given that I'm a college student there are a lot of things going on that often limit my time and provide social situations with food. I plan so much for food during the week that it's nice to let loose a little on the weekends. Not completely, I still try to be reasonable, but it's another thing that helps me relax.

well, like I said... if it keeps you sane, then go for it. But, IMO, this pattern of consistently overeating is not a good idea. Sure, people do it... I mean, who doesn't like overeating? It's the reason we all got fat in the first place. Humans will find a way to justify anything if they really want it. I just don't think it's a healthy way to look at food... when people say that long-term maintenance requires a change in lifestyle, they are right. "saving up" calories is (again, IMO) not part of a healthy long-term plan. Eating well should not stress you out.

TemikaThompson

Eating should not stress you out but it does require careful planning as anything else would that you want to be successful in. I really don't see how going under your cals for a few days would store fat. When I was doing weight watchers, we weighed in each week. We were given a certain number of points to eat per day and extra points that we could use if we wanted for the week. Let's just call the points cals. You could eat the extra cals all in one day or you could do it over a weeks’ time and be almost guaranteed to still lose no matter what you ate with those extra cals as long as you were eating clean for the rest of that week or within your cals. This method did work as I am a witness. I pigged out one day a week. I SAVED my extra cals (points) for the weekend on purpose and still lost as many other people and it was healthy and safe. If this method was not a healthy lifestyle, then WW (a reputable company) would not have introduced it. (Not saying that companies don't come up with unhealthy methods) As a matter of fact, the reason why WW did introduce it is because it is more likely that people WILL overeat once a week and the extra cals helped.

joshdann

they do get stored as fat, though. your deficit over the week is an average. You lose more on the days you are in a greater deficit. You lose less (or none, or even gain) on the days you "saved up" for. The average will be the same... but if you did not overeat on that weekend day, you would lose more. Weighing in once a week will not show that trend. If you weighed daily it would be easier to see.

nelinelineli

Your body doesn't know the "magic number" 1200. That's just a guideline a bunch of nutritionists decided to be a fair bottom line for most people, it doesn't have any biological meaning. What's 1200 for you is 1569 for someone else and 995 for another someone.
Second, your body doesn't understand 1440 minutes (24h). It only understands "Right now at this moment I have enough/don't have enough of the stuff X I need", but given the digestion and absorption rates, eating properly every "day" is again, a fair guideline. Balancing the books over few days is not an issue, however undereating for 5 days a week (not saying that you are, just that you might have to) has the risk of making you a bit unhappy

So nutrition-wise, I don't quite see a problem with your plan. If that's what works for you, then go for it.

And I'm also echoing joshdann's comment. Your body doesn't "allot" calories for a week or a day or anything. When you overeat, you gain, when you undereat, you lose - over any arbitrary period of time. Simple as that. But life happens - and it's all about balancing out how much you want/need to eat with how much you want to lose.

julianadelbosque

they do get stored as fat, though. your deficit over the week is an average. You lose more on the days you are in a greater deficit. You lose less (or none, or even gain) on the days you "saved up" for. The average will be the same... but if you did not overeat on that weekend day, you would lose more. Weighing in once a week will not show that trend. If you weighed daily it would be easier to see.

Responding to an earlier post, I'm overeating maybe one or two meals a week, and even then I rarely go over maintenance. Last week I was under or very slightly above my deficit goal every day except for one in which I was 300-400 over maintenance. My boyfriend's mom made us filet mignon and sweet potatoes for dinner. There was also some ice cream involved which I could have done without, but I wanted it, and it was 100% worth it! I am 20 years old, 5'4" and 116 casually trying to lose the a couple of lbs (down from 125) so that when I go to maintenance I don't automatically go back up to 120. If I do gain half a pound after a day of overeating, I will be fine. I am pretty happy where I am at right now.

joshdann

eating at maintenance occasionally, especially for someone with as little fat as you have, is a perfectly fine idea. I was more talking about those who have a chronic overeating problem resulting in them being very overweight or obese. "saving up" calories just gives them a way to justify the indulgence of bad habits. What you're doing isn't the same thing

xmysterix

I generally don't plan for overeating as much as I make up for it. So, instead of saving calories, if I have a big eating day I just stay very mindful of portions/calories the next day and do some extra exercise to make up the overage. This has worked pretty well for me for the last 10kg (3 on MFP, 7 before). I mean, it's a pretty natural thought process. Eat too much one day? Eat less the next. Spend a day lazing in PJs? Add an extra km or two the next day. And the truth is, if I've indulged, my body doesn't generally want so much food the next day anyway. If I've had a day of junkier food, my body tends to crave fresh greens, etc. My grandmother was always slim and this is what she did as just part of her everyday life but it's something I've had to re-learn!

julianadelbosque

eating at maintenance occasionally, especially for someone with as little fat as you have, is a perfectly fine idea. I was more talking about those who have a chronic overeating problem resulting in them being very overweight or obese. "saving up" calories just gives them a way to justify the indulgence of bad habits. What you're doing isn't the same thing

Thanks, just wanted to clarify that

I didn't mean that I overindulge like crazy on weekends and justify it by eating less during the week. I mean more along the lines of my parents are coming for dinner tomorrow and it's nice to know I can enjoy whatever reasonably-healthy-but-probably-over-calorie dinner I eat, because it's not worth the effort to figure out how to stay within my 300-500 general calorie allotment at a restaurant.

And the truth is, if I've indulged, my body doesn't generally want so much food the next day anyway. If I've had a day of junkier food, my body tends to crave fresh greens, etc.

This is me as well! The day after I had my birthday dinner with friends, I had a birthday lunch with my family planned. I honestly didn't even want food to begin with, much less a restaurant meal and cake. I ended up getting a salad (which was admittedly delicious and reasonably healthy) and ate a third of it and stuffed the cake down for the sake of my birthday. After a weekend of overindulging with Indian food when I was out of town for a wedding, I just wanted a salad! I don't even like the feeling of being overstuffed with unhealthy food these days. After a night out or a big dinner, I am more than happy to cook up some broccoli and green beans and call it lunch.