Spike day help!!

Kayla165

I saw a lot of you talking about spike days so I thought I would give it a try. Last Sunday I did not exercise and ate around 3,000 calories. I went to weigh in yesterday and I did not loose anything at all. What did I do wrong? Any thought on this are greatly appreciated.

TeddyBear47

Spike day doesn't mean you don't exercise. Actually during that time you should probably exercise more. The spike day is just to rev up your metabolism. If I overeat I try to over exercise too.

keeponkickin

I saw a lot of you talking about spike days so I thought I would give it a try. Last Sunday I did not exercise and ate around 3,000 calories. I went to weigh in yesterday and I did not loose anything at all. What did I do wrong? Any thought on this are greatly appreciated.

You are right to NOT exercise on spike day. You need to take that day and rest. Your best day of exercise will be the day after the spike. Also, you usually pick up a couple of pounds the day after a spike and you will lose that along with more before the following weigh in (one week later). Hang in there and watch over the next few days and see what happens.

krystinaarlene

Wow, fantastic picture keeponkickin!!

ahinski

For one, how many calories do you normally eat? 3,000 may be way too much.

But even if it is too much, that's may not matter just yet. It may take more time for your body to react. This was just one week.

gp79

It's not just as simple as eating an excess of food one day out of the week and losing weight.

It can be set up a few different ways but for me it looks like this.

Monday - Friday 2000 cals
Saturday 3500 cals
Sunday 4500 cals

I average about 3100 (no exercise) - 4000 (exercise) calories burned in a day, so as you can see, I am in a large deficit throughout the week. I eat 18000 calories in a week, which if you divide that by 7, works out to a 500+ calorie deficit.

Jordynnsmom

I saw a lot of you talking about spike days so I thought I would give it a try. Last Sunday I did not exercise and ate around 3,000 calories. I went to weigh in yesterday and I did not loose anything at all. What did I do wrong? Any thought on this are greatly appreciated.

You are right to NOT exercise on spike day. You need to take that day and rest. Your best day of exercise will be the day after the spike. Also, you usually pick up a couple of pounds the day after a spike and you will lose that along with more before the following weigh in (one week later). Hang in there and watch over the next few days and see what happens.

Sunday is my spike day and I take it as a day of rest as well. I only go over my daily by about 500 to 600 calories, so still under 2000. I have noticed that the next days work out is excellent and I feel strong. Usually the day before my spike day I struggle through my work out like I'm running out of fuel. I then drop a few pounds. Good luck and maybe try not so many calories.

BrendaLee

I saw a lot of you talking about spike days so I thought I would give it a try. Last Sunday I did not exercise and ate around 3,000 calories. I went to weigh in yesterday and I did not loose anything at all. What did I do wrong? Any thought on this are greatly appreciated.

Be careful not to wipe out your week's deficit on spike day.

keeponkickin

It's not just as simple as eating an excess of food one day out of the week and losing weight.

^^THIS^^

Mine is about like this. I'm at a deficit when you total the week. For me it breaks down as follows: I eat just below bmr for 6 days a week. This is 1450 a day. Then on spike day I eat double my bmr, so about 2800 to 3000 calories. I eat higher protein and lower carb 6 days a week and spike day I eat whatever I want and eat higher carb. So far it works brilliantly.

fishndad

I saw a lot of you talking about spike days so I thought I would give it a try. Last Sunday I did not exercise and ate around 3,000 calories. I went to weigh in yesterday and I did not loose anything at all. What did I do wrong? Any thought on this are greatly appreciated.

You are right to NOT exercise on spike day. You need to take that day and rest. Your best day of exercise will be the day after the spike. Also, you usually pick up a couple of pounds the day after a spike and you will lose that along with more before the following weigh in (one week later). Hang in there and watch over the next few days and see what happens.

X2

fishndad

This happened to me the first time I tried it. Had the same question, but you really should rest also. It will come off again if you're true to your original program

xraychick77

spike was my fav character on buffy

JennieAL

Bump

Going to calculate my BMR again and try to figure this out. So basically eat slightly below BMR all week then double that number on the spike day?

Motivationrequired

Does this really work??? I'm finding it SO hard at the moment as I always end up bingeing on a sunday (its my rest day from the gym too)....any advice I'd so appreciate as I just can't shift the weight

redfroggie

spike was my fav character on buffy

THIS THIS THIS! That's why I came to this thread, I thought it was about a day of Spike. Imagine my sadness when it wasn't.

peachNpunkin

It's an interesting theory. I might try it.

fimary

Wow, fantastic picture keeponkickin!!

agree, brilliant photo

elfo

Can someone just quickly define what "spike day" entails?

hannata86

Bump

Going to calculate my BMR again and try to figure this out. So basically eat slightly below BMR all week then double that number on the spike day?

Have you read the book? Your low days should be BMR - 500. High days for exercise should be your BMR, and spikes x2 BMR. (make sure you can justify having the High days with enough exercise, and it should be weight training too)

But the above is a GUIDELINE. You do have to tot up what you have planned to eat cals wise, (based on the above)

maintenance = (BMR *1.2) *7. You need to be looking at 3500 less than the maintenance to get a loss.

If it works out at too small a deficit you need to tweak it. Just make sure your spike is at least 1.5x BMR and your low days are no less than 1200 net.

Kayla165

Thanks everyone, I decreased my spike day this week to 2500 calories and am trying to drink way more water. I love mfp great people all after the same thing. Your all wonderful.

JennieAL

Bump

Going to calculate my BMR again and try to figure this out. So basically eat slightly below BMR all week then double that number on the spike day?

Have you read the book? Your low days should be BMR - 500. High days for exercise should be your BMR, and spikes x2 BMR. (make sure you can justify having the High days with enough exercise, and it should be weight training too)

But the above is a GUIDELINE. You do have to tot up what you have planned to eat cals wise, (based on the above)

maintenance = (BMR *1.2) *7. You need to be looking at 3500 less than the maintenance to get a loss.

If it works out at too small a deficit you need to tweak it. Just make sure your spike is at least 1.5x BMR and your low days are no less than 1200 net.

I've got to read another book?? Lol.

This info should get me started, thanks!

JennieAL

Ok... looks like I'll have to go with 1200 on regular days because 500 less than my BMR is less than 1200. And so then I spike 1 or 2 days at around 2025 - 2600 (that's 1.5 to 2 x my BMR). Used Harris Benedict to calculate BMR, not MFP, btw.

Does 1200 and 2025 sound ok?? And do I spike 1 or 2 days? I know gp79 does two days from what I can tell. Also, it's REST day on those two days, right? And weight lifting on the day after? I do Starting Strength M, W, and F. And interval run/walk on days in between... so I guess this will work.

msjilybean

Are spike days useful regardless of the amount of weight you have to lose?

CorinthiaB

Bump!

SmartAlec03211988

My regular allowance is 1550/day, but on spike day (Sunday) I eat about double that (3100-3400), and lost 3 lbs since my last weigh-in the day after.

No idea how, but I definitely see it.