Eating 1200 weekdays and binge on weekends?

manningania
manningania Posts: 52 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hello so I'm going to do a little math lol in order to maintain my weight I need 1600 calories daily (according to websites) that would be 11200 calories. If I ate 1200 calories Monday thru Friday and ate 2600 on Saturday and Sunday could that work as well?
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Replies

  • italiangirlinva
    italiangirlinva Posts: 16 Member
    The real question is why do you want to binge on weekends? Or at all? This could be a sign of a food addiction. Check out www.oa.org.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    I know a girl on here who would "save" her calories for the weekends as well. It worked for her. I've never tried cuz I couldn't eat that little during the week, I would go nuts. But do what works for you
  • chelstakencharge
    chelstakencharge Posts: 1,021 Member
    I am on 1200 calories and no binges at all
  • Miska_
    Miska_ Posts: 84
    Eat the 1600 calories.

    If you want to eat more, work out more.

    One big meal isn't going to make you fat just like one salad isn't going to make you skinny.

    It's consistency in eating that makes us gain or lose.
  • lunapetu0311
    lunapetu0311 Posts: 96
    This is what I am doing right now to maintain. I am eating fewer calories during the week and enjoy more treats on the weekends. It has worked for me for maintaining. Good luck :happy:
  • katinachaos
    katinachaos Posts: 90 Member
    I think one of the biggest disadvantages to how this site is set up is that it really forces you to focus on the daily, instead of the overall. It took me a while to not get so hung up on going over a few days because I went out for beers or whatever, even if I was under the the overall week. I would suggest trying to bank your EXERCISE calories (that is, still eat 1600 cal/day, work out, and don't eat those calories back, so that when Friday rolls around, you may have been netting 1300 calories per day) rather than trying to just keep the calories low by not eating. The progress report will look the same as if you just ate less, but you'll be getting in exercise as well as not necessarily being hungry all the time (of course, if working out makes you more hungry, you still might get grumpy).
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I find the phone app is better for getting your weeklies because if you look at your nutrition report for the week it gives you an average and it also tells you how many calories you have left for the week. That makes it easier to see where you are with all the daily fluctuations.

    I don't think binging is ever good. I don't have any problem with eating more some days than others. Just saying.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    I think there's a difference between a planned weekend caloric surplus and a binge. I would consider a binge to be more eating uncontrollably, until your stomach hurts.
  • McKenzieLeigh
    McKenzieLeigh Posts: 113 Member
    I think that is how I will maintain. I am still early in the journey, but as of now I find it so easy to stay within my limits during the week with planned snacks at my desk, but at home around my family on the weekends is much harder. I never know when we will go out to eat, etc. I have found things at restaurants that we like to frequent that still fit in my calories most days, but I still struggle. I have found it is easy for me to maintain that way, but it is keeping me from losing now so I have to be more diligent!
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
    Is 2600 really a "binge"? I ate 3k during a holiday and felt fine. I think the term "binge" is eating out of control, stuffing your face until you're sick not just snarfing a few extra calories during a short time period. Now if you said 5k-10k I'd look into getting help ASAP!
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
    Technically, a binge is 10,000-20,000 calories eaten in a single day.

    Let's not do that, mmkay?
  • henriettevanittersum
    henriettevanittersum Posts: 179 Member
    Though I eat 1400 during the week and not 1200 , I have been doing that for a year now, works perfect to maintain. My goal has been set for 1730/day This way I can drink a couple glasses of wine and do the Sunday family dinner without problems.
  • Atishi87
    Atishi87 Posts: 51 Member
    For all the people saying that binging is bad etc., OP is talking about 2600 calories on weekends! That's hardly considered binging. I usually keep my calorie intake around 1500 throughout the week and eat homecooked food. On weekends I like to go out to eat at my favorite restaurants and that easily adds upto 2000-3000 calories on Saturdays and Sundays. I consistently do this and I am at a very healthy weight and my performance in the gym is at an all time high. Also, I feel happy and satiated all the time. OP you can totally do that, but make sure you are not starving during the weekdays!
  • oxers
    oxers Posts: 259 Member
    I think one of the biggest disadvantages to how this site is set up is that it really forces you to focus on the daily, instead of the overall. It took me a while to not get so hung up on going over a few days because I went out for beers or whatever, even if I was under the the overall week. I would suggest trying to bank your EXERCISE calories (that is, still eat 1600 cal/day, work out, and don't eat those calories back, so that when Friday rolls around, you may have been netting 1300 calories per day) rather than trying to just keep the calories low by not eating. The progress report will look the same as if you just ate less, but you'll be getting in exercise as well as not necessarily being hungry all the time (of course, if working out makes you more hungry, you still might get grumpy).

    This this THIS. Pick a moderate calorie goal you can meet every day without making yourself crazy, something nice and stable and sustainable, and if you want to bank extra calories to go nuts on the weekend, bank it in exercise. Like, seriously, I can't recommend it enough. An eating plan that swings around that much will make maintenance SO hard, and no one wants to gain everything plus more back.

    I mean, ultimately, if it works for you it works for you, but that sounds like it's indicative of a really unhealthy relationship with food, and that'll make your life so much harder in the long run.
  • k_nicole87
    k_nicole87 Posts: 407 Member
    Technically, a binge is 10,000-20,000 calories eaten in a single day.

    Let's not do that, mmkay?

    That sounds good!
  • SalemBoSox88
    SalemBoSox88 Posts: 237
    I would say why weekends? I mean we are all human and need to enjoy ourselves. If you have a day you blow some calories who cares. I mean life is one day at a time and we have to enjoy it. All of us know how hard it was to get where we are and will do anything to stop from getting back.
  • KaysKidz
    KaysKidz Posts: 208 Member

    One big meal isn't going to make you fat just like one salad isn't going to make you skinny.

    If we had siggies, I would steal this. I love it!
  • Eleonora91
    Eleonora91 Posts: 688 Member
    I asked a similar question on the forum long ago. My question was: how many calories am I allowed to eat on certain events in order to not gain weight, considering that I'm still having a certain deficit during the other week days?

    First of all you must be sure of your TDEE - what's your height and weight at the moment, and what's your activity level?
    Once you're accurately determined your TDEE you will exactly know how many calories you are allowed to eat daily in order to maintain your weight. I've personally found I can still lose weight on the recommended amount of calories - so it's not that easy to find your true TDEE without adjusting your calories while on manteinance.

    Anyway, if your TDEE is 1600 and you're eating 1200 lets say 6 days out of 7, you're getting a 400 kcals deficit per day - 2400 kcals deficit/week.
    You are theoretically allowed to eat 2400+1600 on the 7th day to erase your weekly deficit and mantain your weight (that would be 4000 kcals).
    If you ate more than that, you'd gain weight instead of mantaining.

    I am saying this is just theoretical because your body doesn't restart after 1 week - it's more of a continuous process. At least that's how I've been explained on the forum. This means that you might see a gain or a loss after overeating depending on several factors - dehydration, water retention, sodium intake and so on.

    I have personally found that overeating for a single day didn't kill my progresses, but it's easier to keep in control while eating a reasonable amount of food throughout the whole week instead of purposely undereating during the week and allowing myself to literally splurge during the weekend. I now use this concept to allow myself to eat out with my family or friends at times, but I try not to abuse of what I've learnt. Balance is the most effective way to see progresses on a long term.
  • rebalee8
    rebalee8 Posts: 161 Member
    Technically, a binge is 10,000-20,000 calories eaten in a single day.

    Let's not do that, mmkay?

    While a binge can be that high, medically, there is no caloric definition for a binge. Binge eating is determined by behavioral and emotional symptoms, not the amount of calories consumed. For some individuals with disordered eating 2600 calories could bea binge.

    But, I think we can definitely agree that what the OP is talking about is not binge eating.
  • mrsdwp
    mrsdwp Posts: 13 Member
    Yes, I do this. I eat 1400 during the week and around 2000 on the weekends, and I've maintained for 3 months.
  • nicolemontagna22
    nicolemontagna22 Posts: 229 Member
    I was maintaining for weeks accidentally. Lol I'd meet my goal m-f then Saturday and Sunday go over it. I'm back on track following my deficit and losing but that is gonna be my plan when I reach maintenance. On weekends I want higher calorie foods such as Chinese.

    Do you feel hungry on the amount you want to eat during he week?
  • Isakizza
    Isakizza Posts: 754 Member
    I've heard of people going by a weekly calorie allotment instead of daily. Giving them more calories to eat on weekends. The phone app is easier to use for keeping track of your weekly calories. I've never tried it but I'm sure it would work. Working out is also a great way to give you more wiggle room for eating.

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  • mjglantz
    mjglantz Posts: 508 Member
    I sort of do this. During the week I aim for 1975 calories/day and on the days I go to the gym I'll be under and don't "eat back" those calories. On the days I don't go to the gym I'm usually pretty close to my calorie goal. I will go over 1975/day on the weekend and usually am at goal when I factor in my calories burned. I don't binge on the weekend, but will eat and drink more.
    This has worked for me for the period I was losing weight and now for maintenance.
  • gemmamummy
    gemmamummy Posts: 185 Member
    Speaking from personal experience, this is exactly what I used to do a few years ago and I was the lightest I'd ever been in my adult life. Probably because I felt motivated to be healthy during the week then let go a bit at the weekend. I ate really healthily during the week, worked out 4 times and then ate out, had takeaways and had booze on the weekends. As long as you keep control over your weekend extras. All you can do is give it a go, if it doesn't work then try another method.
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
    I do this. But...

    I was actually doing 5:2 and now I do 6:1. My days are often like this:

    M: 1980
    T: 600
    W: 1800
    Th: 2000
    F: 1950
    S: 3000
    S: 2200

    You get the idea. Regardless, it works. I check the weekly calorie count toward the end of the week. I've been maintaining since December. If I don't do 6:1, I try to stick to maintenance everyday that week.
  • kagevf
    kagevf Posts: 509 Member
    sounds like ME ! hahaha!
  • svelt123
    svelt123 Posts: 173 Member
    :noway: This is a way to fail! I am speaking from experience!. it simply isn't a healthy way to live. Love yourself. You deserve better. You can do this the right way. (sensible and healthy) You can do this!. It's not easy but you can do it! :smile:
  • kagevf
    kagevf Posts: 509 Member
    :noway: This is a way to fail! I am speaking from experience!. it simply isn't a healthy way to live. Love yourself. You deserve better. You can do this the right way. (sensible and healthy) You can do this!. It's not easy but you can do it! :smile:

    says who? 2600 on weekends is not a failure.

    i eat roughly 1600-1900 sunday to thursday. and I eat 4000-5000 on Fri and sat.

    as long as it fits your weekly calories, its all good.
  • MissBabyJane
    MissBabyJane Posts: 538 Member
    Yes. I think it would work, but honestly why do you want to restrict yourself so much and then binge? You can try eating 1400 and save 200 from everyday. Or just eat the 1600 and you won't feel the need to binge on weekends - I promise! I'm on maintance right now (I used to eat below 1200, then eat like 2000 in one day) my maintaince is also 1600 and I don't feel the need to binge at all. It's all good
  • rebalee8
    rebalee8 Posts: 161 Member
    This is not binging.

    And there are all kinds of reasons to do this.

    Weekend warrior? Someone who has a desk job and doesn't get much exercise beyond some walking during the week then turns it on on the weekend. They will naturally need more calories on the weekend than during the week.

    Social butterfly? Again, working all week with less caloric needs, then on the weekends going out drinking with friends or brunching and lunching and cocktail parties and dinners out and such? Something that's just part of one's normal social life takes up more calories. Would suck to have to be constantly denying yourself when everyone else is indulging, and be harder when you constantly have opportunities to screw yourself right in front of you. But having planned to have more calories available means cheers to that mimosa and eggs benedict. And a whole milk cappuccino besides.

    And I'm sure there are other scenarios.

    In all cases, knowing and planning for such things... adapting your diet (as in eating pattern for life) to your lifestyle is smart and sensible and is going to increase your chances to succeed.

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