We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

How detrimental is one day a week of not dieting?

gemmaleigh1989
gemmaleigh1989 Posts: 241 Member
edited January 18 in Health and Weight Loss
One day a week I allow myself to not be so strict on myself. I don't binge and go crazy but I do go anywhere between 0-500 calories over maintenance level. All other days I eat at a deficit of about 300. My goal atm Is to get my bf % down.

How detrimental is this one day a week?

Replies

  • gemmaleigh1989
    gemmaleigh1989 Posts: 241 Member
    Oh I should also mention I'm quite petite and my maintenance level/TDEE is only 1500 not including additional workouts.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    Not detrimental at all if you're still in a deficit overall for the week. In fact it helps keep you going, because you don't get fed up with not eating what you want and your body doesn't get too accustomed to fewer calories.
  • boboff
    boboff Posts: 129 Member
    Agreed its good for you.
  • I think it's beneficial mentally rather than anything. You don't feel so restricted and less likely to go overboard to particular foods you feel are "bad"
  • Tanja_CHH
    Tanja_CHH Posts: 216 Member
    So you have a defiency of 1800 calories if you eat at maintenance on the day you do not diet. then if you eat 500 over, you have a deficiency of 1200 a week. So youll still loose. Just don't eat more than 1800 over your TDEE on the day you don't diet
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    So you have a defiency of 1800 calories if you eat at maintenance on the day you do not diet. then if you eat 500 over, you have a deficiency of 1200 a week. So youll still loose. Just don't eat more than 1800 over your TDEE on the day you don't diet

    ^^ This!
  • lpina2mi
    lpina2mi Posts: 425 Member
    Not detrimental at all if you're still in a deficit overall for the week. In fact it helps keep you going, because you don't get fed up with not eating what you want and your body doesn't get too accustomed to fewer calories.

    Okay, I am trusting you on this. Yesterday, I had a beer, which knowingly put me over my 30% carb ratio for the day. And this meal was after a play...so quite late. I ate healthy and enjoyed a delicious beer. We did do our usual downtown strategy, by parking the car at one end of town and walking to-fro.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    I don't worry too much about the macros - its more about calories for me (a calorie is a calorie). I've had way more than one beer this weekend:blushing:
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I've never done cheat days. I just work what I want to eat into my goal. As long as you're still logging though and you realize that your cheat day is eating up part of your deficit it should be fine.

    Weight loss is just about calories. Macros are for body composition. Micros are for health.
This discussion has been closed.