Could this work????

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Sammfp
Sammfp Posts: 21
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so just a little bit of advice I need I'm some what of a newbie to this whole calorie counting thing and I have calculated my bmr and tdee so what I've been doing is eating at my bmr which is 1700 calories but on Sundays which is my weigh day I don't count cals at all and would probably eat around 3000 I know I shouldn't really cheat but as it is the only day I get to see my fiancé we go for meals, cinema drinks etc so my question is should I cut my daily calories to 1500 or 1600 instead of 1700 to accommodate the 3000 I would eat on Sundays would this help my weightloss as I'm saving around 600 cals a week I hope I make sense as this has been really bothering me p.s I'm female 22 and 97 pounds to loose thanks :-)

Replies

  • holliebevineau
    holliebevineau Posts: 441 Member
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    I would just make healthy choices when dineing with the fiance. Plan your outing, locate places that offer healthier meals.

    I have banked calories for special occasions, not once a week.
  • sofitheteacup
    sofitheteacup Posts: 397 Member
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    A lot of research and groups here support having a cheat day each week- which sounds exactly like this. How long have you been doing the once a week 3000 cal day? Are you still logging that day and that's how you know the amount, or is it just the one day you don't track calories? I'd say do it for a month and see what your results are. You can make healthy choices while out, but you also need to have fun too.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    I would just make healthy choices when dineing with the fiance. Plan your outing, locate places that offer healthier meals.

    I have banked calories for special occasions, not once a week.

    By "healthier meals", do you mean lower calories? Calories =/= "healthy" or not.

    There's also nothing wrong with tracking weekly, I've been doing it for a couple years now.
  • bethannien
    bethannien Posts: 556 Member
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    I'm not against a cheat day at all. I do think you should log it though. Things add up quick and it's easy to eat 3500 calories if you're dining out most of the day. It would be a shame to undo your whole deficit in one day.
  • daniellemm1
    daniellemm1 Posts: 465 Member
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    I know you want to celebrate when you are with your fiancée and I say go for it. Maybe try to cut down just a bit though so that your weight loss continues.

    My husband and I love to eat out here's an example of how I have cut down. At Outback we get cheesy fries (yum) still get them, We used to eat like 3-4 loaves of bread now we eat 2 and sometimes just 1, Instead of getting the chicken slathered in cheese with fries on the side I now get the seasoned chicken with broccoli. I really didn't need more fries since I already ate the cheesy fries. And we usually skip dessert now but on occasion we will get the cake pops for a few hundred calories versus over a thousand calories for a full dessert.

    Make a few small changes/substitutions and you can still enjoy and keep your weight loss on track. Best of luck to you :)
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
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    A couple of things to consider here:

    1. You will hear a lot about re-feeding as a strategy to keep metabolism high, but the reality is it doesn't really effect you yet. Until you are down to a range of 25-30% body fat your body is perfectly capable of using your bodies fat stores for energy (eg causing weight loss) without any real slowing of your metabolism.

    2. Your overall intake is the most important thing. If you have one day per week at high calories it will be fine as long as your overall intake is below your TDEE (the total amount of energy you expend). If you are sedentary (eg office worker with not a lot of general activity) then your TDEE will likely be around 20% higher than your calculated BMR.

    If you find having one day per week to eat above maintenance calories helps with long term adherence to your eating plan, then go for it. Just make sure you log everything and that your intake over the course of the week is where you need it to be.
  • Sammfp
    Sammfp Posts: 21
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    Thanks everyone for your replies the reason why I take one day 'off' a week is because I used to have an eating disorder (bulimic) and my doctor has recommended me to do this to keep me from getting over obsessed as the last time I was just so strict dieting and over exercising and it almost ruined my relationship so I don't want it to happen again I was thinking about tracking weekly but I've heard that can make your weight fluctuate a lot p.s I try my best to choose healthy meals when I am out but this time around I want to enjoy my life aswell
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
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    Well knowing you have a history of disordered eating does change things a little. Having a day that is free of tracking (and associated guilt) is likely to be an important part of your recovery plan. Listen to your doctor.

    As for overall intake, I would offer the same advice. It is the total caloric intake that will effect your weightloss and/or gain. Eat at a given level (ie 1600cals per day) for a month, then weigh in. After a month you will be able to see if you have gained or lost weight and be able to adjust your calorie intake accordingly. It is important to give it a month as changes in hormone levels and water retention vary greatly throughout the month and can affect the scales.

    Take my advice for what it it worth (as a non-qualified stranger on an internet forum) but ultimately you need to follow your doctors avice. Recovery and non-disordered eating is the most important thing to focus on! Be healthy. :flowerforyou:

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