Eating 1000kcal extra in 1 day negates rest of week?

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Hey guys

I've been on MFP for the past week. I've worked out my daily calorie maintenance at 2100kcal per day. For 6 of the 7 days I have managed to shave about 200kcal off maintenance each day. If I add that up it comes to 1200kcal I've cut out for 6 days. But on day 7 I went out with friends and basically drank and partied and ended up consuming 3100kcal on that day. Most of the calories came from alcohol and sodas like Coke.

My question is: Does consuming the extra 1000kcal above maintenance on day 7 essentially UNDO all of the discipline I exercised in the week? I keep on remembering the equation Total calories in Vs Total calories out, but I find it hard to believe one day of bad living can undo 6 days of discipline?

Some background: I train 3-5 times a week(usually 2 weights sessions, the rest cardio). I'm 111kg (245lbs I think) and am 28% body fat. I'm 6 foot.

Thank you

Josh

Replies

  • TonyStark30
    TonyStark30 Posts: 497 Member
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    It doesn't undo everything as it won't all turn into fat, HOWEVER as the equation goes, you will have to burn that amount off before you actually burn more fat again, just hit the gym hard after for a few days and you'll be where you would have been.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    Your daily maintenance calories are NOT 2100...that is your BMR...

    BMR is the amount you would need even if you were in a coma. As soon as you step out of bed in the morning, you require more than that for the day.

    TDEE is the amount for maintenance (total daily energy expenditure).

    This is your BMR (2100 for you) multiplied by an activity factor.
    Even if you are sedentary it is X1.2
    (all the way up to 1.9 for extremely active)

    you burn 2500-3900 depending if it as a "lounge around all day" kind of day, or a killer workout and on-the-go ALL day kind of day...and anywhere in between....

    so, where you THINK you negated those 6 days by one one "bad" day, you were actually bringing yourself up to the level you NEED to be eating at for the week for a healthy loss...

    you should be aiming to NET 2100 a day (eat 2100 on rest days, and more on workout days depending on how hard you worked out that day).
  • adam85491
    adam85491 Posts: 12 Member
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    The above poster is spot on. If I know I'll be going out drinking, I try to eat less calories that day or go hard in the gym to compensate for the difference.
  • JDBIsaacs
    JDBIsaacs Posts: 8 Member
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    Excellent,thanks so much guys.
  • ScorpionReaver
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    Thanks so much for this topic!
    This is the kind of thing I'm still working on, learning and such, so thanks for the insight.

    I haven't had a drink in ages, been afraid to go actually haha
    I'm definitely taking this advice.
  • Remo_Williams
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    One other think to keep in mind is that the numbers are all estimates. MFP is estimating your energy needs and expenditures. Unless you only eat prepackaged food and/or exactly measure everything you eat, you are estimating your portion sizes. Even then, your energy needs are still only estimates.

    So what you need to do is evaluate your personal progress every three weeks or so. If your goal (losing or gaining) is not progressing fast enough (or maybe it's too fast!), then adjust your calories by no more than 500 per day, and see where you are 3 weeks later. I generally like to adjust by ~300 kCals. You can make the adjustment by any combination of diet or exercise (so long as you don't go below a required minimum number of calories). Even once you find a "number" that works for you, keep in mind that it will change over time. As you get closer to your goal (especially the last 5 lbs) the calorie deficit required may be much greater than it is in the beginning.

    Also a lot of the current diet advice involves around having one cheat day a week, and it sounds like you used this. For some people a cheat day or meal is a great strategy, for others it doesn't work so well. You have to experiment - have two more weeks of "cheating" and see where you are - if no progress then either cut them out or have a bigger deficit during the rest of the week.

    Finally, get a measuring tape; since I lift weights as well as run, there are weeks when I'm "cutting" where my weight goes up, but my waist measurement goes down. (For me this is the ultimate win!) Stick with it and you'll do great!
  • ScorpionReaver
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    Just decided I needed the measuring tape today, as I've definitely added some muscle...weight went up as I slimmed down, I see the difference!

    Thanks for the great advice, and it's awesome seeing that name of Warren Murphy & Richard Sapir fame, again! :)
  • TonyStark30
    TonyStark30 Posts: 497 Member
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    the Normal cheat day strategy worked for me early days, every Monday I'd be slightly heavier, then I would do it all again.
    Now I've got to the point where I can pretty much binge and get rid of it in a few days, but that takes a lot of gym work, but then I continue with the same effort after, it becomes the new level. But thats after almost a year of doing this!
  • Remo_Williams
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    Just decided I needed the measuring tape today, as I've definitely added some muscle...weight went up as I slimmed down, I see the difference!

    Thanks for the great advice, and it's awesome seeing that name of Warren Murphy & Richard Sapir fame, again! :)

    Chiun sends his greetings.