How to allot for cheat meals?

bella_roma

Hi everyone! I've been on Weight Watchers the past few months and have had success, but I think I'm officially over counting points. However, one thing I do really like about Weight Watchers is the 49 "anytime" points that I save up for a splurge meal on the weekend. I don't go totally overboard, but I look forward to indulging in that one meal out without worrying about being too restrictive because I know I have the points available to do so.

If I want to do something like this on MFP, any suggestions on how? I will go ahead and readily admit that I suck at math. I do work out five days a week and I also have a fitbit. If I keep to my calorie count each day but not eat back my fitness calories for the day, should that give me wiggle room to cheat once a week? I only have about another 5-7 pounds a want to lose, but these seem to be the hardest.

Thanks!
Tracy

vismal

It's all math. If you calorie goal is 2000 a day you can eat 1700 for 6 days and have a 3800 calorie "cheat" day if you want. As long as your weekly average is at or below your goal, you'll be fine.

Kalikel

If the points are too much for you, won't weighing and measuring every bite you take be even worse?

But, Yes, if you weigh and measure everything and you exercise, but don't eat anything back, you should be able to have a high-calorie meal once a month.

Just count up all your exercise calories, divide by two, and you have your extra calories to overeat with.

But it still counts - that overeating. It isn't like it won't register at all because you exercised, KWIM?

Good luck!

jazzie_red

On Black Friday 09/11/14, I went 900 calories over.... :noway:

So I started cutting back my calories. Yesterday I was almost 200 calories under. My goal is to walk and eat a lower calorie count to make up the difference....

And learn one must not eat a vanilla poppy seed muffin followed by a huge bakery macaroon, unless you don't want to eat much else the rest of the day.

janejanekitt

I believe you need to allow for a little cheating now and then. I allow myself one "free" day a month, this lets me not feel guilty on holidays, birthday etc. I try to stay at least 200 calories under every day anyway. Is there an easy way to get a weekly total of calories, or do you have to figure it out day to day?

MKEgal

If I keep to my calorie count each day but not eat back my fitness calories for the day, should that give me wiggle room to cheat once a week? I only have about another 5-7 pounds a want to lose, but these seem to be the hardest.

Well, you shouldn't be eating back your exercise calories anyway. At least, that's what my doctor & dietician told me. They said just eat 10x my healthy goal weight in calories to get to that weight. Seems to be working so far.

But if you want to splurge & spend half of what you've worked off that week, have at it.
The weight loss will just be slower.
With so little to lose, if you hit 0.5 lb per week that's something to celebrate.
(BTW, both gym machines & MFP overestimate calorie burn, so if you're going to eat back any of those calories make it maybe 1/3.)

chilly1470

Personally I hate the term "Cheat Day / Meal". Who are you cheating? Is this a good behavior for people that are notorious for bingeing and "cheating" themselves? It seems a setup for failure. It is far easier to eat healthy and sensibly all week and work in so-called goodies, or bad food, so they fit into your daily deficit. The if you go over, you fix it with exercise or being careful at the next meal. I do agree it is all math, like on guy said, but still, in this lifelong process we should be learning to avoid old behavior and habits and stop rewarding ourselves with food. It just seems counterproductive. I eat two good meals and dinner may be an extra slice of pizza instead of the serving amount of two. I had ice cream cake on my birthday and just walked an extra mile. That is how we should "cheat" so to speak.

ana3067

If I keep to my calorie count each day but not eat back my fitness calories for the day, should that give me wiggle room to cheat once a week? I only have about another 5-7 pounds a want to lose, but these seem to be the hardest.

Well, you shouldn't be eating back your exercise calories anyway. At least, that's what my doctor & dietician told me. They said just eat 10x my healthy goal weight in calories to get to that weight. Seems to be working so far.

But if you want to splurge & spend half of what you've worked off that week, have at it.
The weight loss will just be slower.
With so little to lose, if you hit 0.5 lb per week that's something to celebrate.
(BTW, both gym machines & MFP overestimate calorie burn, so if you're going to eat back any of those calories make it maybe 1/3.)

If she is using MFP's net method, which is NEAT and BMR, then yes she should be eating her exercise calories back. The only reason to NOT eat them back is if a) she is utilizing TDEE method, which includes exercise activity into the caloric needs calculation, or b) she has overestimated her non-exercise activity levels.

I actually just posted about playing around with MFP's settings. If I choose sedentary (which I am) my net intake is 1470. If I put lightly active, it's 1710. If I estimate my sedentary net needs on a website like exrx.net which allows me to enter in how many hours I spend at different activity levels, my net is closer to 1800. None of these are with taking exercise into account and they are all estimated with a goal of 1lb/week lost (or 20% caloric reduction - MFP does not do this properly and just assigns 1lb as being 500 calories, which is not the case for everyone).

So unless you've poorly explained MFP's caloric calculation method, your doctor and dietitian are incorrect. Doctors really are not generally the best resource for weight loss management anyways. People here on MFP who are doctors themselves will actually verify this.

If using MFP's drop-downs, then eating back all or almost all calories would be ideal when choosing lightly active or sedentary as one's setting. If calculating your own caloric needs with an external calculator, then eating back about half or more is ideal. 1/3rd would likely not be enough for most people unless they've entered in their information incorrectly.

Also, 10 times your goal weight is not an ideal method of calculating a caloric deficit, unless you want to use that as your net intake and then eat ALL of your exercise calories back. If I use this method with my lowest goal weight of 155lbs, I'd be eating 1550 calories. I net 1800 without exercise included, closer to 2000 with exercise included.

Much better to use a website to calculate your estimated needs, or to at least use something generic to calculate your estimated maintenance needs, and then subtract 15-20% from that.

bella_roma

Thank you all! I've always struggled with the do or don't eat back my fitness calories. Right now, based on my current weight/height and goals I am given 1450 calories a day. I'm thinking I'm just going to try to stick to 1250 per day so that at the end of the week I can indulge a little without feeling guilty or worried about overeating and not losing weight that week. I'm pretty good about keeping my portions in check, but it's just nice to go out to dinner and allow myself some sweet potato fries or a dessert!

I don't mind calorie counting and weighing/measuring out my food. Weight Watchers works, but I admit I'm not a fan of how they distribute their points as they put too much emphasis on fat. I eat less, and feel much fuller, when I allow more fat into my diet (I was doing Paleo for awhile) so I'm ready to switch back over to MFP.

Thanks again!
Tracy

Rmfowler1990

I am going to a Brazilian steak house of Friday for my dh's birthday. This is the kind of place that brings you unlimited meat until you call uncle lol. So all week starting on last Friday, I've been saving my exercise calories instead of eating them back. It's also encouraging me to go out a little longer and harder. While I have no way of measuring how many calories I'll be eating at this place I do feel better knowing that I've "worked" for this meal. Good luck!!

ChildrenCryinNCoffee

If I keep to my calorie count each day but not eat back my fitness calories for the day, should that give me wiggle room to cheat once a week? I only have about another 5-7 pounds a want to lose, but these seem to be the hardest.

Well, you shouldn't be eating back your exercise calories anyway. At least, that's what my doctor & dietician told me. They said just eat 10x my healthy goal weight in calories to get to that weight. Seems to be working so far.

But if you want to splurge & spend half of what you've worked off that week, have at it.
The weight loss will just be slower.
With so little to lose, if you hit 0.5 lb per week that's something to celebrate.
(BTW, both gym machines & MFP overestimate calorie burn, so if you're going to eat back any of those calories make it maybe 1/3.)

Your "doctor/dietitian" is incorrect. I ALWAYS eat back 1/2 or more of my exercise calories and I've lost nearly 100 pounds...

sakuya3834

They said just eat 10x my healthy goal weight in calories to get to that weight. Seems to be working so far.

10x your healthy weight is not necessarily a good goal. What about someone 5 foot who is trying to be 110 or 105? Both of which are healthy for 5 foot. Are they supposed to only eat 1100 or 1050 calories? Sounds absolutely miserable.