R u meant to save up calories for a "special" day

LernRach
LernRach Posts: 286 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi people,

My husbands birthday is on Wednesday and we going out on the town to an awesome restaurant. I really want to just be able to eat! Not to eat chips or deep fried stuff, but to just order without thinking about the weight of the carrot etc!!!! I will write it all down and I don't mind as a one off if I go over my daily calls. The question is should I try eating 200 calories less for the next few days to counter balance this or should I just eat as I am and one day doesn't matter that much?

Thanks,

Rachel

Replies

  • glitteredgrave
    glitteredgrave Posts: 194 Member
    I do that sometimes. But then again one day won't hurt you. Just have fun! Work out extra hard the following week or something. :flowerforyou:
  • Fit_Mama84
    Fit_Mama84 Posts: 234 Member
    I've been wondering the same thing....
  • bearwith
    bearwith Posts: 525 Member
    You cannot carry over lots of calories!

    I would reduce my cals the day before and after. Increase your exercise (cardiovascular preferably) day before and after.

    Drink lots of warm water before you go.

    Enjoy yourself, be sensible, don't feel guilty but stop as soon as you are home.
  • lovechicagobears
    lovechicagobears Posts: 289 Member
    I keep track of my weekly calories. Sometimes I'm under, sometimes I'm over, but it all balances out at the end of the week. That's why I don't freak out if I go over by 200 - 300 if we go out to eat or something.
  • MizSaz
    MizSaz Posts: 445 Member
    Calories aren't cell phone plans, you don't get rollovers.

    Look, here's the thing: If you're here because you've made a lifestyle change, and you truly want to simply have a better existence, it's ok to eat something totally unhealthy ON OCCASION. We're trying to learn new habits here, and one of those should be moderation. So go ahead and splurge once and a while, but don't let it derail you.
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    A healthy lifestyle permits - - and really SHOULD include - - the occasional indulgence. If you are looking to lead a healthy lifestyle, then by all means - do so! Including indulging every now and then. But the day after his birthday, you can't say "well I went over yesterday so now . . . " or you end up back in the hole.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Calories aren't cell phone plans, you don't get rollovers.

    Look, here's the thing: If you're here because you've made a lifestyle change, and you truly want to simply have a better existence, it's ok to eat something totally unhealthy ON OCCASION. We're trying to learn new habits here, and one of those should be moderation. So go ahead and splurge once and a while, but don't let it derail you.

    Totally this. Enjoy the birthday dinner!
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
    I count my calories weekly. If you eat over a little one day - make up for it by working a little harder in your exercise all of the other days of week.

    You can indulge every once in awhile :) don't stress
  • SomeoneSomeplace
    SomeoneSomeplace Posts: 1,094 Member
    I do this all the time! When I'm running around crazy at work or school I sometimes have really light eating days cos I'm shoving my lunch down in a meeting or eating breakfast in the car on the go (normally just a coffee) and by the time I come home I'm so exhausted I can barely manage half my dinner before I crash.

    Then on the weekends I eat a lot more. I do calorie cycling. It works for me,
  • sgv0918
    sgv0918 Posts: 851 Member
    Calories aren't cell phone plans, you don't get rollovers.

    Look, here's the thing: If you're here because you've made a lifestyle change, and you truly want to simply have a better existence, it's ok to eat something totally unhealthy ON OCCASION. We're trying to learn new habits here, and one of those should be moderation. So go ahead and splurge once and a while, but don't let it derail you.

    THIS
  • Flixie00
    Flixie00 Posts: 1,195 Member
    I would recommend taking a cheat day, don't log it, and don't stress about it. Also, make sure you are back doing what you are meant to do the next day and not trying to make up lost ground. Afterwards, don't go near a scale for at least 3 days.

    Cheat days have worked for me, but I wouldn't take more than a couple a month. If you are going to be doing this for the long term, the odd day should not derail you.
  • SomeoneSomeplace
    SomeoneSomeplace Posts: 1,094 Member
    Calories aren't cell phone plans, you don't get rollovers.

    Look, here's the thing: If you're here because you've made a lifestyle change, and you truly want to simply have a better existence, it's ok to eat something totally unhealthy ON OCCASION. We're trying to learn new habits here, and one of those should be moderation. So go ahead and splurge once and a while, but don't let it derail you.
    I Could not possibly disagree with you more

    The point is it IS a life style change

    Meaning things parties, dinners , nights out....they will ALL come up. Cos it's apart of life. So of course youre going to splurge.

    Some people have more social events than others. If you're making mostly healthy choices, for the rest of the day or week, do extra cardio and still manage to meet or be under your WEEKLY calorie and macro budgets you will have success losing weight.

    Period. End of story.

    It really is that simple. You don't have to cut out nights out or entire food groups or limit yourself to fish and vegetables at every meal. In fact people who do are the ones who fail because it isn't sustainable.

    Being too strict can actually be WORSE than being too lenient. Believe me I've been there.
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
    You cannot carry over lots of calories!

    I would reduce my cals the day before and after. Increase your exercise (cardiovascular preferably) day before and after.

    Drink lots of warm water before you go.

    Enjoy yourself, be sensible, don't feel guilty but stop as soon as you are home.

    Not true. Many people do calories weekly instead of daily. You'll be fine.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    Calories aren't cell phone plans, you don't get rollovers.

    Look, here's the thing: If you're here because you've made a lifestyle change, and you truly want to simply have a better existence, it's ok to eat something totally unhealthy ON OCCASION. We're trying to learn new habits here, and one of those should be moderation. So go ahead and splurge once and a while, but don't let it derail you.

    My excel sheet and my weight loss disagree.


    ScreenHunter_4-1.jpg


    OP it's fine. Weight loss is about a calorie deficit over TIME. not per day. A day is a unit of measurement. . You can measure by week, month or year. As long as your energy consumption is less than what you burn over TIME(day/week/month/year) you will lose weight.

    I don't have a fancy excel file, but I absolutely use calories like rollover minutes (and between the two of us, we have lost 200+ lbs). I try to balance for the week-ish, but really OP, it's fine. If you will be able to relax and enjoy yourself more if you've "saved" calories for the night, then go ahead and "bank" some calories. Or burn a few more after the fact if you're really worried about it. Life includes these little celebrations-however you choose to handle it ("saving" calories or just letting it go and moving on), it's a single meal out of your life.
  • MizSaz
    MizSaz Posts: 445 Member
    To amend my comment, mostly to appease those with spreadsheets, fine, if you're counting on a weekly basis, and that's your setup, yes, by all means, but OP is going day to day. I'll reiterate, people with healthy lifestyles do, in fact, consume unhealthy things from time to time, and that's ok. Live a little. Having a nice dinner out once in a while is really one of life's simple pleasures, especially for a special occasion. Don't get hung up on that kind of thing.
  • karflowers
    karflowers Posts: 7
    A healthy lifestyle permits - - and really SHOULD include - - the occasional indulgence. If you are looking to lead a healthy lifestyle, then by all means - do so! Including indulging every now and then. But the day after his birthday, you can't say "well I went over yesterday so now . . . " or you end up back in the hole.

    Great advice!
  • LernRach
    LernRach Posts: 286 Member
    Thank u people for all your advice! The spreadsheet made me chuckle co my hubby puts his whole life on those kind of spreadsheets and I always make fun and now I see he not the only one!!! I don't mean to say I going on a binge for the next month as a result of birthday! I am being sensible the next few days in order to justify it to myself and will do some extra workout!

    I think the weekly idea makes more sense tbh, when a person budgets with money they wd also not count on a day by day they wd do a weekly not a daily account because its too exacting and punishing otherwise...

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