cheat day while finding maintenance?
Wingg_
Posts: 395 Member
Currently I am trying to find out the amount of calories needed to maintain my weight, but does that mean I should not have my cheat day?? I am worried that the calories intake may be wrong due to the cheat day... So should I have a cheat day while finding my calories intake to maintain my weight??
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Replies
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By cheat day do you mean a day when you can eat what you want? I think that just sabotages what you are trying to achieve. If you are going to the effort of tracking your calories on other days and you want to know what your maintenance calorie intake level is then having a day off where you eat whatever seems very counter-productive.
Track it all, look at what level of calories you need to eat over a week to maintain your weight, and eat accordingly.0 -
Why have a cheat day? You can instead have a very tasty day with whole, unprocessed foods
You'll enjoy it and be guilt free when you go to bed.0 -
My mum booked a table to eat buffet on wednesday, and these 2 days I've been eating 600-700++ calories and I planned to eat 600 calories tomorrow as well so that I can eat the buffet... On the day when I eat buffet I will only eat that meal for the entire day. Does doing these help? Or should I just eat buffet and restart my journey to find my maintenance calories??0
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I'm not sure you CAN cheat once you're on maintenance. Surely it's all about finding out what your body can tolerate or can't. It also depends on what you mean by cheat. Do you have a day when all bets are off and you eat anything and everything or do you just have a couple of squares of chocoloate?
Personally I don't like the idea of any food being labelled 'cheating'. No food is bad for us in moderation. Whatever you consider a cheat food I think I'd work small amounts of it into my maintenance plan. For instance, once I reach my goal weight I know I can't eat huge amounts of carbs. They play havoc with my blood sugars and my weight but I'll still have a cream tea once in a blue moon and have the odd roast spud with my meat and veg.
The best maintemance plan I ever saw was the old WW one from the 1970's. You got back 50 calories a day with a different type of food every week. I think it lasted for 8 weeks so eventually you were back up to about 2,000 calories a day.
You shouldn't starve yourself for days and then have one huge blowout on unhealthy foods. You'll feel so deprived you'll stuff yourself till you burst and then you'll feel like crap. You need to learn to regulate what you choose from a buffet. Just remember....NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS BEING SLIM FEELS. :-)0 -
You shouldn't starve yourself for days and then have one huge blowout on unhealthy foods. You'll feel so deprived you'll stuff yourself till you burst and then you'll feel like crap. You need to learn to regulate what you choose from a buffet. Just remember....NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS BEING SLIM FEELS. :-)
Yes, nothing taste as good as being slim feels! When I go to buffet, its Japanese so mostly sashimi, and also grilled meat and some dessert. I will limit myself to not eat fried food or just a bite. xD0 -
Wow - 600/700 calories a day?? I hope your maintenance isn't much higher or your body is going to be shocked!0
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My maintenance is 1420(im short) .. I've been eating 1350cal, only ate 600-700 these 2 days and also tomorrow...0
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:noway:0
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Well it's basically a planned binge, if you have 'saved' 1800 calories for one meal. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with saving up a few calories so you can have an extra glass of wine at the weekend or something, but in this case since you are eating so little in preparation for a huge feast I think it's unhealthy. Just because you are going to a buffet doesn't mean you need to eat as much as possible! If we go to a buffet I eat sushi or healthier options, which I think is less extreme than giving yourself a free pass to eat whatever. Are you planning to manage your weight this way forever? Semi-starve yourself for a half week in advance so you can have a blow out at a buffet? Because it sounds like disordered eating, and not a great way to approach long-term how you will eat now that you have lost all that weight.0
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:noway:
So does this means no buffet?...0 -
Well it's basically a planned binge, if you have 'saved' 1800 calories for one meal. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with saving up a few calories so you can have an extra glass of wine at the weekend or something, but in this case since you are eating so little in preparation for a huge feast I think it's unhealthy. Just because you are going to a buffet doesn't mean you need to eat as much as possible! If we go to a buffet I eat sushi or healthier options, which I think is less extreme than giving yourself a free pass to eat whatever. Are you planning to manage your weight this way forever? Semi-starve yourself for a half week in advance so you can have a blow out at a buffet? Because it sounds like disordered eating, and not a great way to approach long-term how you will eat now that you have lost all that weight.
When I go for buffet I opt for sashimi and healthy as well, little or no fried food too and lots of veggie and fruits.
This is the first time I'm doing this after I've started counting calories. I lost all my weight without counting calories.During that time I do go for buffet but I do not semi-starve myself for a few days. I did not know about counting calories in the past so I just eat the healthier food at the buffet. After I've started to count calories I am doing this because I can't possibly bring a scale and weight my food there, so I just decided to 'save' some calories for the buffet although I most probably wouldn't be eating lots of unhealthy food there.0 -
Well that much of a deficit in the preceding days before a buffet is not healthy - either for your body or your mind, and if you are planning on eating healthy things one you're there then restricting so much seems mad, Why not go to the buffet, try and eat normally, and log what you remember when you get home? And if it pushes you over your calorie goal then eat a little less over the next day or two so that your 7-day calorie intake is about right?0
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This is pretty simple math. If your on maintenance you eat below your maintenance calories one day, and eat those back on the day you want to have a cheat meal. So lets say you were eating 1200 to lose weight, but now your eating 1800 to maintain. You would eat 1400 one day, then on the cheat meal day you can eat 1800 + 400. If you exercise that day or the day before, you can eat those exercise calories aswell on that cheat meal day.0
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The way I maintain (and have been for a long time) is to eat at a deficit during the week (~1800 calories/day for me) knowing I'll go over on the weekends. Basically I'm saving calories for the weekend.0
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My mum booked a table to eat buffet on wednesday, and these 2 days I've been eating 600-700++ calories and I planned to eat 600 calories tomorrow as well so that I can eat the buffet... On the day when I eat buffet I will only eat that meal for the entire day. Does doing these help? Or should I just eat buffet and restart my journey to find my maintenance calories??
Why in the world are you only eating 600-700 calories???
ETA: The 600-700 part shocked me so much that I didn't even read the rest. So, you're just eating that little so that you can splurge at the buffet, but you're going to go back to your normal calories afterwards? If that's the case, it's not even a cheat day; you're just dividing your calories in an unevenly manner. Mathematically, I don't think that it would make a difference, just like that wouldn't have mattered if you were trying to lose weight.0 -
My mum booked a table to eat buffet on wednesday, and these 2 days I've been eating 600-700++ calories and I planned to eat 600 calories tomorrow as well so that I can eat the buffet... On the day when I eat buffet I will only eat that meal for the entire day. Does doing these help? Or should I just eat buffet and restart my journey to find my maintenance calories??
When on maintenance, why not keep tabs on your weekly daily average instead of each day? That way, you can eat over on some days and under on others......just like in real, everyday, non-weight loss days.
Eat when you're hungry, don't over do it, don't eat when you're not hungry, try for healthy foods with a few snacks/treats thrown in throughout the week and enjoy the buffet. It'll balance out just right in the end. Trust me; it works.
You're maintaining now. Time to get back to eating normally and responsibly and balancing what you've learned while losing.0 -
I maintain by keeping a weekly average, rather than meeting every daily goal. However, I'd always make sure I ate enough each day.
I never understand who or what people think they're cheating …0 -
The way I maintain (and have been for a long time) is to eat at a deficit during the week (~1800 calories/day for me) knowing I'll go over on the weekends. Basically I'm saving calories for the weekend.
So you're maintaining your weight fine this way?0 -
My mum booked a table to eat buffet on wednesday, and these 2 days I've been eating 600-700++ calories and I planned to eat 600 calories tomorrow as well so that I can eat the buffet... On the day when I eat buffet I will only eat that meal for the entire day. Does doing these help? Or should I just eat buffet and restart my journey to find my maintenance calories??
When on maintenance, why not keep tabs on your weekly daily average instead of each day? That way, you can eat over on some days and under on others......just like in real, everyday, non-weight loss days.
Eat when you're hungry, don't over do it, don't eat when you're not hungry, try for healthy foods with a few snacks/treats thrown in throughout the week and enjoy the buffet. It'll balance out just right in the end. Trust me; it works.
You're maintaining now. Time to get back to eating normally and responsibly and balancing what you've learned while losing.
If I only eat when I'm hungry I will eat below maintenance calorie...0 -
I'm eating enough, because I eat bread and drink soups so it's pretty filling.0
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I maintain by keeping a weekly average, rather than meeting every daily goal. However, I'd always make sure I ate enough each day.
I never understand who or what people think they're cheating …
Well said. And to truely find your TDEE, or what it takes to maintain, you'll need to carefully track your intake for a month or more, depending on how close you are to your true calorie goal. (Btw: You may be way, WAY undefeeding yourself, even for being "short". My BMR is 1355, but my TDEE is above 2500. I lose steadily at around 2300, and stall out and plateau below 1900.)0 -
I just realised that I've been tracking the calories of my rice wrongly. I weight it after it is being cooked instead of dry ones, so I've been eating the wrong calories, so should I restart to find my maintenance calorie intake?? My BMR is 1167... How do you manage to eat so much and maintenaning>??I maintain by keeping a weekly average, rather than meeting every daily goal. However, I'd always make sure I ate enough each day.
I never understand who or what people think they're cheating …
Well said. And to truely find your TDEE, or what it takes to maintain, you'll need to carefully track your intake for a month or more, depending on how close you are to your true calorie goal. (Btw: You may be way, WAY undefeeding yourself, even for being "short". My BMR is 1355, but my TDEE is above 2500. I lose steadily at around 2300, and stall out and plateau below 1900.)0 -
I just realised that I've been tracking the calories of my rice wrongly. I weight it after it is being cooked instead of dry ones, so I've been eating the wrong calories, so should I restart to find my maintenance calorie intake?0
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If you aren't accurately tracking food intake, and are eating very inconsistent amounts from week to week, you're going to have a very difficult time establishing maintenance calories. It's fine to eat a little less on some days and more on others; but you still need a certain degree of consistency.0
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Just remember....NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS BEING SLIM FEELS. :-)
I hate that quote- I first thought I liked it- but then the more I thought about it- the more I hated it.
Yes I love my body and I love the results I get form working hard- and NOTHING tastes as good as THOSE RESULTS. But tasting as good as slim feels?
to me that just- ughhhh seems like it sets you up for ED issues.0 -
If you aren't accurately tracking food intake, and are eating very inconsistent amounts from week to week, you're going to have a very difficult time establishing maintenance calories. It's fine to eat a little less on some days and more on others; but you still need a certain degree of consistency.
So I should restart my journey of finding maintenance calorie and start tracking calories of my rice accurately? I am suppose to weight the rice dry and not cooked right according to the nutrition info given on the package... Im confused.0 -
Just remember....NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS BEING SLIM FEELS. :-)
I hate that quote- I first thought I liked it- but then the more I thought about it- the more I hated it.
Yes I love my body and I love the results I get form working hard- and NOTHING tastes as good as THOSE RESULTS. But tasting as good as slim feels?
to me that just- ughhhh seems like it sets you up for ED issues.
Okay, Nothing taste as good as eating healthy!0 -
If you aren't accurately tracking food intake, and are eating very inconsistent amounts from week to week, you're going to have a very difficult time establishing maintenance calories. It's fine to eat a little less on some days and more on others; but you still need a certain degree of consistency.
So I should restart my journey of finding maintenance calorie and start tracking calories of my rice accurately? I am suppose to weight the rice dry and not cooked right according to the nutrition info given on the package... Im confused.
It doesn't matter which one you use, so long as you add it correctly into your diary, You can search for both dried or cooked rice on here. Dried rice is a heck of a lot easier to weight0 -
People who have a cheat day or cheat meal one day and then eat well bellow maintenance the next are setting themselves up for eating disorders. Go ahead and have the cheat day or cheat meal and the following days just normally.0
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People who have a cheat day or cheat meal one day and then eat well bellow maintenance the next are setting themselves up for eating disorders. Go ahead and have the cheat day or cheat meal and the following days just normally.
Maybe for some but I've been doing this for years with no problems. I hardly think eating 200-300 calories below maintenance 4 days a week to allow a little wiggle room on the weekends is an eating disorder. Unless being a healthy weight (neither too thin nor too heavy) for nearly all of one's life constitutes an eating disorder...0
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