Does saving calories on weekdays for weekends work?

Wingg_

I've heard lots of people saying that they're eating a deficit on weekdays and eat those calories back on weekends does that really work? Are you still able to maintain your weight that way?

NCSteveVH

That's what I do and it works for me. I eat at about a 200 - 300 calorie deficit on weekdays and eat a 1000 - 1500 total surplus on a weekend. It fits my lifestyle and I've been maintaining my weight lost two years doing this.

zoeysasha37

I don't personally do this, but my friend does. She was constantly going over on weekends. So she lowered her weekday calories, and put those extra calories on her weekends. She doesn't go over anymore, and she says it's worked well for her, as she's lost about 1 pound per week since swapping the calories around.

gypsy_spirit

I have people on my FL that do this as well. I can not. I do stay within my calorie deficit for the week, which gives me a little room. It's just that eating a bigger amount of food is counterproductive to me right now. I am losing and re-learning how to eat correct portions. For me, a big cheat meal on the weekends might undo what I have worked so hard to do for 22 months. Maybe someday.

levitateme

I've been able to consistently lose weight doing this. Last week I didn't lose any weight, but I'd been losing for 11 weeks.

If you are planning to eat a lot more than you normally do on Saturday and Sunday, the best advice I can offer is...

Don't weigh yourself on Monday mornings. The day after a larger calorie allowance, you will most certainly be retaining water. For example, one week I weighed 163 on Monday but 159.2 on Thursday (which was a loss from the previous week). Pick a day in the middle of the week and make that your official weigh-in day. You can weigh on Monday just to see the water weight gain (like I do) but don't let it discourage you. As of right now, I use MFP's system M-F and on Sa-Su I try to eat my TDEE. Sometimes I eat way more than my TDEE on Sunday, but I don't beat myself up about it.

rainbow198

I eat at a slight deficit during the week and go over during the weekend. I've been maintaining a little over one year doing this with ease. Over the weekend I don't crazy and eat all day but I do plan my meals/treats, still look at menus online before going out to eat etc. During the week I fit in a small treat here and there along with a small dessert after dinner.

What usually happens is that I gain 1 - 3 pounds of water weight over the weekend. I work it off during the week and repeat the next weekend so my weight is maintained...I don't gain or lose.

On the flip side I have a friend that tried this and he found it a little too restrictive so he ended up binging over the weekend so it's better for him to spread out his calories all week. For me though it's been great and something I can sustain.

Edited to add...I completely agree with the comment above about not weighing on Monday. I weigh on Friday mornings to keep my stats consistent. I will be up on Monday for sure. That drove me crazy before I learned the science about water weight. I don't overeat over the weekend...it's the sodium.

eslcity

For my diet... i have a cheat day... which is on a saturday... however, even on a cheat day I don't go crazy.... I just don't worry as much about going slightly over...

Blokeypoo

Yep! I've done it for over a year.

I eat at a 250 deficit on my Fitbit account, log food here, and eat more at w/e. I don't go mad but do relax it a lot!

I plan my food each night and set a 1500cal minimum M-F then add in any extras I've earned on the day, so maybe some choccie in evening etc. I generally hit 1700ish in week which is enough and worth it for the time off earned. I log food at w/e and up my activity as more time to do so but still let my cals spill over into the pre-earned deficit.

I probably only feel brave enough to do it because my Fitbit is tracking activity so I know whether I've burned what I've earned as it were.

I weigh daily with my official one on Sat am to prevent me adding a Fri night into the "days off" category. It won't work if you can't face the Mon morning wt jump lol but it goes again by Friday. On hols I eat freely all week then get straight back to business after and it soon goes again.

TavistockToad

Yes your weekly total is more important than a daily one. having a couple of slightly lower days so that you can have a high day is a great way of fitting in real life... for example, i am going out for dinner on thursday, so i will try and 'save' 100 cals monday -wednesday so i can enjoy the meal without worrying about being over my cals on thursday.

beesareyellow

Monday to Friday I eat at a deficit and not on the weekends. However, I also do weights(3 x W) and cardio (2 x W) M-F and always eat my exercise calories back. The end result being that, for the week ,I try to get 1800 to 1900 total calories and on the week end I don't usually go to the gym so I "cheat " at 2000 or so calories.
Point is, if you eat back your exercise calories it feels like every day is a cheat day:)
I am losing between 1 to 1.5 ponds a week doing this and never, ever feel like I'm on a "diet".

You need to try different approaches to come up with what combination works for you. It has taken me years to finally find the sweet spot for my particular weight lose journey, good luck

nomad1000

I tried that but for me, since my weekends are so busy and my activity level is so much higher than during the week I end up with extra food cals anyway so I never ended up eating the ones I "saved" from the work week and then in Monday, I would feel like I was starving and wanted to eat all the things.

So now I am just staying within plan daily since I have learned for my body if I am too much under my net target for a couple of days in a row, it can trigger a binge.

But as you can see from the responses, everyone is different and not saving cals is what works for me.

husseycd

I do this. The only thing you have to watch is your overage. Because mine tend to correspond with night's out, it's easy to overdo it on the "cheat" days. But yeah, I've maintained and even lost doing this.

Appalachiacola

I find it more difficult to stick to the 1200 calories on the weekend because I tend to socialize more over the weekends. I often join friends out for a meal, have a glass of wine, that extra latte. So on the days I know I am likely to go over the calorie count, I make sure I exercise. I do that during the week as well but am more diligent about getting in those miles over the weekend.

Lonestar5775

I can not. I do stay within my calorie deficit for the week, which gives me a little room. It's just that eating a bigger amount of food is counterproductive to me right now. I am losing and re-learning how to eat correct portions. For me, a big cheat meal on the weekends might undo what I have worked so hard to do for 22 months. Maybe someday.

^^^This^^^ I found as I lost weight and ate smaller protions my stomach capacity shrank and I like it that way since I now feel satisfied by eating less. I do eat more frequently but much smaller portions.

I think if the "eating over" method works for some people, no problem. It's hard to argue against success. Good luck!

TheSwoleMinister

Blokeypoo

I can not. I do stay within my calorie deficit for the week, which gives me a little room. It's just that eating a bigger amount of food is counterproductive to me right now. I am losing and re-learning how to eat correct portions. For me, a big cheat meal on the weekends might undo what I have worked so hard to do for 22 months. Maybe someday.

^^^This^^^ I found as I lost weight and ate smaller protions my stomach capacity shrank and I like it that way since I now feel satisfied by eating less. I do eat more frequently but much smaller portions.

I think if the "eating over" method works for some people, no problem. It's hard to argue against success. Good luck!

I don't always have bigger meals though, just allow myself more cals/freedom. If I try to eat large portions these days I have to sleep upright with 2 pillows because it feels like I've eaten a sofa sideways lol.

Chadomaniac

That's what I do and it works for me. I eat at about a 200 - 300 calorie deficit on weekdays and eat a 1000 - 1500 total surplus on a weekend. It fits my lifestyle and I've been maintaining my weight lost two years doing this.

I do this during a cut

seltzermint555

I don't do this. I really prefer to consider each day a clean slate and work off DAILY cals/macros instead of trying to keep track of weekly and work within that. For some people, it seems to work well. For me I really think it would be a bad idea and a slippery slope into eating too few calories Mon-Fri and too many on weekends. In fact, I think that's kind of how I ate (not knowingly) before I joined MFP. I would eat almost nothing for lunch and a light dinner Mon-Thurs and then Fri/Sat night I probably had 2,000 calories just for dinner. I could be totally wrong but I think that confuses our bodies. JMHO.

GBrady43068

I've heard lots of people saying that they're eating a deficit on weekdays and eat those calories back on weekends does that really work? Are you still able to maintain your weight that way?

I do try to "budget" extra calories for days I expect to be more tempting calorically. Sometimes that's the weekend, sometimes that's a day I know I'm eating out, getting takeout pizza, etc.

Basically as long as I have a calorie deficit over the week as a whole, I have almost always lost weight. One caveat: As a few others have mentioned, if your huge meal is the day before your weighin, you'll probably be retaining water...especially if the big meal was Chinese cuisine, Mexican food, big bag of potato chips...basically anything high in sodium.

jlynnm70

I try to stay within cals during the week -but because I go skating on Sundays - and that seems to log a lot of calories, I eat what I want - within reason that day. A hot dog and nachos at the rink - or if Sunday family dinner (all the kids come home) I want a glass or two of wine, or it isn't the best low-cal option (because cooking for the masses sometimes is a high carb meal) - I dont' sweat it. Seems to be working so far.....I'll keep at it for now.

GBrady43068

Point is, if you eat back your exercise calories it feels like every day is a cheat day:)

Absolutely this. I have said to myself "I am GOING to get pizza...and I am GOING to have three pieces today....so I will add in some extra time on the elliptical to "pay" for it. :bigsmile: "

AntWrig

This can lead to binging for some. What matters is your overall weekly intake. That being said, it's counterproductive to have massive caloric swings from day to day. For example 1500 and then 3000, 1500, repeat.

scottkjar

Recently I find myself doing the opposite. I often end up in work situations eating with colleagues -- especially on Thursday and Friday -- and I have to reduce on the weekend to stay on track.

cwolfman13

If you are ultimately in a net deficit position, why would it matter? Purely from an energy standpoint, it doesn't. My biggest issue with this is people who do heavy exercise and then save up those calories rather than providing the body the nutrients it needs to recover and repair. The harder you're training, the more you are breaking down your body thus requiring more energy and nutrients for recovery and repair.

sue_langley

I want to be under a little every day because I typically want to eat more the three days before my periods, and I allow it, so this discourages me from over eating the rest of the month. It's working for me so far, and planning it that way prevents me from feeling guilty that time of the month when I'm already feeling emotionally low from low hormones : )

numsquat

Try it for four weeks and see how it goes for you. Technically it will work but it's a mental thing for most people and if your brain is telling you it's not working, well, then it won't work.

Personally I count calories based on a weekly total (Fri-Thu). When not training for a race, I typically don't work out on weekends and do save calories from weekdays (though weighing on Fridays it's more like catching up during the weekdays) but I still set a daily limit for Sat/Sun. When training though my long run day is Sunday and I pretty much stick to daily counting with Friday being more of my binge day for the week. Never had a problem either way.

ShannonMpls

This can lead to binging for some. What matters is your overall weekly intake. That being said, it's counterproductive to have massive caloric swings from day to day. For example 1500 and then 3000, 1500, repeat.

Counterproductive to what? If what matters is overall weekly intake, how are big swings a problem as long as you're running a weekly or overall deficit/maintenance/surplus, depending on goals?

I can see that this might be an issue if your goal is muscle building, but for those whose goal is simply maintenance and a sane, comfortable lifestyle, it can work quite well. I know - I've been maintaining for 18+ months using a deficit week/surplus weekend plan, and that's how I lost weight too (3-4 days of surplus a month). I lost like clockwork, never hitting a "plateau" and I don't think calorie cycling hurt me a bit.

uptomoonandback

I also eat at a deficit during the week. I have MFP set to 1/2 loss, that allows me to go over 1750 during the week (80% of which happens during the weeknd). This allows me to not be so rigid. I know if I ate to the total 1570 that it gives me each day come the weekend, I would need to stay at that also and with the meals we eat going out after church, that wouldn't work.

bradXdale

I eat really well Mon-Fri.

On Fri / Saturday / Sunday I eat a little bit less restrictive. Usually breakfast & lunch are my normal lunches but for dinner I'll have a few more calories or a scoop or two of ice cream. A treat. Been losing since January 1st doing it this way.

caseythirteen

I do this to an extent but I have to be careful with how much of a deficit I create during the week. If I don't keep to at least close to 2000/day during the week then I start to get really hungry and the weekend ends up worse. So it's a minor deficit during the week to allow for what I know will be over on the weekend. That being said, I will often end up decently over on the weekend especially if both days involve social situations. That usually ends up to averaging a bit over what I think is maintenance but then that balances out with the weeks with fewer social obligations so it's more like a monthly balance. I just feel too restricted on the weekends if I try to keep to a constant calorie limit and that doesn't work for me.

ShannonMpls

I just feel too restricted on the weekends if I try to keep to a constant calorie limit and that doesn't work for me.

Exactly how I feel. There is no way I would have been successful losing what I have, and maintaining the loss for a year and a half, if I tracked calories every day and restricted at social events. I'd go nuts.