Would this work? Dieting Question...

bgar1585
bgar1585 Posts: 37
in Health and Weight Loss
Just started using MFP after the holiday. Started out around 185-187 and am now down to 178-180 (I am 5'10, male). Certainly seeing results, but I am struggling staying away from sweets. I normally go to the gym once a day, and sometimes twice (When I go twice, I Lift then cardio later). Normally burn around 1700-2000 calories from cardio a week.

My question is; if I ate well everyday Monday through Friday, stayed under the calorie limit (which for me is 1800), could I reward myself with a day or 2 on the weekend in order to eat whatever I want and still lose weight? Not necessarily eat whatever I want, but you know what I mean. Maybe go over the calorie a limit once or twice a week.

I eat very well throughout the week...Things like chicken, salmon, turkey, tuna, broccoli, salad, fruit, mixed nuts, and make sure to stay away from pasta, bread, and rice

I'm looking to lose another 5-10 LBs by mid March so keep that in mind. Any insight or questions would be extremely appreciated!

Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Why not incorporate some of those foods you're missing into your daily routine? It's okay to include sweets, carbs, pasta, bread, etc. into your diet as long as you're still meeting your nutrition goals.
  • bgar1585
    bgar1585 Posts: 37
    This is true....

    I also think MFP tends to under estimate calories for some foods so I tend to have a bunch of leftover calories some days. Could be just my opinion because I am new to this, but that's what it seems like
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    This is true....

    I also think MFP tends to under estimate calories for some foods so I tend to have a bunch of leftover calories some days. Could be just my opinion because I am new to this, but that's what it seems like

    Weigh your food to be sure you are calculating accurately. Then have what the treat is that you want on the day that you want it, and adjust the rest of your food that day to stay in a deficit.
  • iggylove123
    iggylove123 Posts: 302
    I think that having a "break meal" is fine once a week! Or another option is add in sweets/carbs into your daily routine. You can eat a little candy or a few cookies here or there if you stay under your calorie limit :) It worked for me!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Without knowing your TDEE, it is hard to answer. I'm thinking that your 1800 cals a day is quite a big deficit for you, and that it would be okay to go over a couple of days because you still are going to be under maintenance for the week. But you need to do the math yourself.
  • bgar1585
    bgar1585 Posts: 37
    Without knowing your TDEE, it is hard to answer. I'm thinking that your 1800 cals a day is quite a big deficit for you, and that it would be okay to go over a couple of days because you still are going to be under maintenance for the week. But you need to do the math yourself.

    What is TDEE? Sorry, new to this. Yeah I'm 5'10, 1800 calories and pretty active... so 1800 is often pretty challenging. But true, I guess the weekly average is the most important figure to look at.
  • bgar1585
    bgar1585 Posts: 37
    Add on the fact that I'm 23 and go out drinking 1-2 times a week. That can absolutely demolish a day's progress.
  • vidasana87
    vidasana87 Posts: 75
    You can absolutely treat yourself on weekends.

    If you want to play it extra safe, I would suggest to you that Monday-Friday you keep up with your current lifestyle (sounds great), however you become extra diligent about avoiding sugar. (i.e. No bread, no rice, no potatoes, one piece of fruit per day, no sugar in coffee/tea, no flavored yogurts, no quinoa, cereal, etc etc etc etc).

    By the time the weekend rolls around, you are WAY ahead of the game in the weight loss journey.

    Remember, fat doesn't make you fat. It simply doesn't. I eat almost 100 grams of fat per day and have yet to see even a half a pound gained. (Mind you, I eat very low carb, and my fats consist of mainly of avocado, cashews, peanut butter, eggs, cheese, and coconut oil - so- "healthy" fats).

    Protein will only spike insulin levels ever so slightly if you eat too much for your body. SUGAR, however, spikes insulin which regulates fat storage. You simply can not burn stored fat when you are secreting insulin.

    Fat loss = low insulin = low, low sugar. Just remember that, and you're set.

    Hope this helps :)

    xx
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    BMR - basal metabolic rate. This is the amount they would feed you if you were in a coma.

    TDEE - total daily energy expenditure. This is all the energy you need in a day for all of your activity including working out. Also known as "maintenance calories". You would neither gain nor lose eating this much.

    A typical calorie goal for weight loss is TDEE - 20% but if you are close to your goal weight, then it should be less, 15% or 10% as you get closer to goal weight.

    There are many online calculators for TDEE, this is a good one: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Now, MFP is not a TDEE calculator, it estimates your calories for BMR and your daily life *not including exercise*. When you exercise, then you need to eat more food, and it adds those calories to your daily goal.

    A properly set MFP + exercise goal should be somewhere around the same ballpark as a properly set TDEE -% goal.

    Did you say you only need to lose about 10 more pounds? 1800 may be too few calories for you, or maybe not.

    Anyway, since TDEE is the number where you would maintain weight, if you are eating less than this you will lose weight.
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
    As loog as you are still in a dificit for the week you will lose weight. I can be easy to eat so much that you are not in a 3500 calorie deficit at the end of the weekend.
  • somefitsomefat
    somefitsomefat Posts: 445 Member
    Protein will only spike insulin levels ever so slightly if you eat too much for your body. SUGAR, however, spikes insulin which regulates fat storage. You simply can not burn stored fat when you are secreting insulin.

    Fat loss = low insulin = low, low sugar. Just remember that, and you're set.

    Huh?
  • AriDublyu
    AriDublyu Posts: 34
    Great thread, I just learned a lot. Thanks everyone!
  • nicola1141
    nicola1141 Posts: 613 Member
    If you keep track of your weekly calories (there's a graph on the app that keeps track of that) you can see how you're doing. That way you can see if your one or two days a week going over still keeps you at a net "under" for your week.
  • bgar1585
    bgar1585 Posts: 37
    BMR - basal metabolic rate. This is the amount they would feed you if you were in a coma.

    TDEE - total daily energy expenditure. This is all the energy you need in a day for all of your activity including working out. Also known as "maintenance calories". You would neither gain nor lose eating this much.

    A typical calorie goal for weight loss is TDEE - 20% but if you are close to your goal weight, then it should be less, 15% or 10% as you get closer to goal weight.

    There are many online calculators for TDEE, this is a good one: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Now, MFP is not a TDEE calculator, it estimates your calories for BMR and your daily life *not including exercise*. When you exercise, then you need to eat more food, and it adds those calories to your daily goal.

    A properly set MFP + exercise goal should be somewhere around the same ballpark as a properly set TDEE -% goal.

    Did you say you only need to lose about 10 more pounds? 1800 may be too few calories for you, or maybe not.

    Anyway, since TDEE is the number where you would maintain weight, if you are eating less than this you will lose weight.

    Appreciate it!!! So i used a calculator....it says my BMR is 1823 Calories/day. Then it says my total calories burned with a moderate activity level (desk job but go to gym 5 times a week or more) is 2826 calories a day.

    So based on what I am currently doing, am I on a good track?
  • lmd_1979
    lmd_1979 Posts: 130
    I have 1 day where I eat what I want and drink Alcohol and it hasn't affected my weight loss. As long as you stay under your TDEE for the rest of the week you'll be ok. You need to find a sweet spot between your BMR and your TDEE.
  • vidasana87
    vidasana87 Posts: 75
    Sorry! What did I say that I could clarify? :) Sometimes it makes sense in your head and now when you write it down...
    Protein will only spike insulin levels ever so slightly if you eat too much for your body. SUGAR, however, spikes insulin which regulates fat storage. You simply can not burn stored fat when you are secreting insulin.

    Fat loss = low insulin = low, low sugar. Just remember that, and you're set.

    Huh?
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    Sorry! What did I say that I could clarify? :) Sometimes it makes sense in your head and now when you write it down...
    Protein will only spike insulin levels ever so slightly if you eat too much for your body. SUGAR, however, spikes insulin which regulates fat storage. You simply can not burn stored fat when you are secreting insulin.

    Fat loss = low insulin = low, low sugar. Just remember that, and you're set.

    Huh?

    Perhaps backing it with some peer reviewed science would help us understand.
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
    I recommend still counting calories on the weekend, but eating at maintenance instead of at a deficit. This way you're not undoing the progress you're making during the week!
  • bgar1585
    bgar1585 Posts: 37
    I recommend still counting calories on the weekend, but eating at maintenance instead of at a deficit. This way you're not undoing the progress you're making during the week!

    Very good point.... so my maintenance is my TDEE?
  • DancingOnCloud9
    DancingOnCloud9 Posts: 26 Member
    BMR - basal metabolic rate. This is the amount they would feed you if you were in a coma.

    TDEE - total daily energy expenditure. This is all the energy you need in a day for all of your activity including working out. Also known as "maintenance calories". You would neither gain nor lose eating this much.

    A typical calorie goal for weight loss is TDEE - 20% but if you are close to your goal weight, then it should be less, 15% or 10% as you get closer to goal weight.

    There are many online calculators for TDEE, this is a good one: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Now, MFP is not a TDEE calculator, it estimates your calories for BMR and your daily life *not including exercise*. When you exercise, then you need to eat more food, and it adds those calories to your daily goal.

    A properly set MFP + exercise goal should be somewhere around the same ballpark as a properly set TDEE -% goal.

    Did you say you only need to lose about 10 more pounds? 1800 may be too few calories for you, or maybe not.

    Anyway, since TDEE is the number where you would maintain weight, if you are eating less than this you will lose weight.

    Appreciate it!!! So i used a calculator....it says my BMR is 1823 Calories/day. Then it says my total calories burned with a moderate activity level (desk job but go to gym 5 times a week or more) is 2826 calories a day.

    So based on what I am currently doing, am I on a good track?

    Here's a thread that I used to figure out what calories I should be eating. (I initially did the 1200 minimum for women, which MFP had suggested, but it wasn't working, loss of focus, tired, and between work and the gym, I needed more energy) So saw this thread
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide

    I went from 1200-1600 net calories. I figured my calories based on a desk job, even though I work out 5 days a week usually. I eat back whatever additional exercise I do. (Since this is an average for the whole week and my weeks can have different schedules, having a daily figure and it helps to keep me in my average)

    Read the first post on the thread and follow the suggestions to the links on computing. :)
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    BMR - basal metabolic rate. This is the amount they would feed you if you were in a coma.

    TDEE - total daily energy expenditure. This is all the energy you need in a day for all of your activity including working out. Also known as "maintenance calories". You would neither gain nor lose eating this much.

    A typical calorie goal for weight loss is TDEE - 20% but if you are close to your goal weight, then it should be less, 15% or 10% as you get closer to goal weight.

    There are many online calculators for TDEE, this is a good one: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Now, MFP is not a TDEE calculator, it estimates your calories for BMR and your daily life *not including exercise*. When you exercise, then you need to eat more food, and it adds those calories to your daily goal.

    A properly set MFP + exercise goal should be somewhere around the same ballpark as a properly set TDEE -% goal.

    Did you say you only need to lose about 10 more pounds? 1800 may be too few calories for you, or maybe not.

    Anyway, since TDEE is the number where you would maintain weight, if you are eating less than this you will lose weight.

    Appreciate it!!! So i used a calculator....it says my BMR is 1823 Calories/day. Then it says my total calories burned with a moderate activity level (desk job but go to gym 5 times a week or more) is 2826 calories a day.

    So based on what I am currently doing, am I on a good track?

    Did you choose 10% deficit? What did it tell you for a calorie goal?

    You should probably be eating in the 2300-2500 calorie range. 1800 is too low when you are only 10 pounds from goal.
  • Indiri13
    Indiri13 Posts: 104 Member
    BMR - basal metabolic rate. This is the amount they would feed you if you were in a coma.

    TDEE - total daily energy expenditure. This is all the energy you need in a day for all of your activity including working out. Also known as "maintenance calories". You would neither gain nor lose eating this much.

    A typical calorie goal for weight loss is TDEE - 20% but if you are close to your goal weight, then it should be less, 15% or 10% as you get closer to goal weight.

    There are many online calculators for TDEE, this is a good one: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Now, MFP is not a TDEE calculator, it estimates your calories for BMR and your daily life *not including exercise*. When you exercise, then you need to eat more food, and it adds those calories to your daily goal.

    A properly set MFP + exercise goal should be somewhere around the same ballpark as a properly set TDEE -% goal.

    Did you say you only need to lose about 10 more pounds? 1800 may be too few calories for you, or maybe not.

    Anyway, since TDEE is the number where you would maintain weight, if you are eating less than this you will lose weight.

    Appreciate it!!! So i used a calculator....it says my BMR is 1823 Calories/day. Then it says my total calories burned with a moderate activity level (desk job but go to gym 5 times a week or more) is 2826 calories a day.

    So based on what I am currently doing, am I on a good track?

    Did you choose 10% deficit? What did it tell you for a calorie goal?

    You should probably be eating in the 2300-2500 calorie range. 1800 is too low when you are only 10 pounds from goal.

    1800 during the week *may* be okay depending on how much over he goes on the weekends. If the net for the week comes out in the 23-2500 daily avg then it's okay. I eat anywhere from 1000-2000 on a daily basis but my daily average for each week ends up right in the middle, which is perfect for me.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    BMR - basal metabolic rate. This is the amount they would feed you if you were in a coma.

    TDEE - total daily energy expenditure. This is all the energy you need in a day for all of your activity including working out. Also known as "maintenance calories". You would neither gain nor lose eating this much.

    A typical calorie goal for weight loss is TDEE - 20% but if you are close to your goal weight, then it should be less, 15% or 10% as you get closer to goal weight.

    There are many online calculators for TDEE, this is a good one: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Now, MFP is not a TDEE calculator, it estimates your calories for BMR and your daily life *not including exercise*. When you exercise, then you need to eat more food, and it adds those calories to your daily goal.

    A properly set MFP + exercise goal should be somewhere around the same ballpark as a properly set TDEE -% goal.

    Did you say you only need to lose about 10 more pounds? 1800 may be too few calories for you, or maybe not.

    Anyway, since TDEE is the number where you would maintain weight, if you are eating less than this you will lose weight.

    Appreciate it!!! So i used a calculator....it says my BMR is 1823 Calories/day. Then it says my total calories burned with a moderate activity level (desk job but go to gym 5 times a week or more) is 2826 calories a day.

    So based on what I am currently doing, am I on a good track?

    Did you choose 10% deficit? What did it tell you for a calorie goal?

    You should probably be eating in the 2300-2500 calorie range. 1800 is too low when you are only 10 pounds from goal.

    1800 during the week *may* be okay depending on how much over he goes on the weekends. If the net for the week comes out in the 23-2500 daily avg then it's okay. I eat anywhere from 1000-2000 on a daily basis but my daily average for each week ends up right in the middle, which is perfect for me.

    Correct, that is why I urged him to run his own numbers in an earlier post.
  • bgar1585
    bgar1585 Posts: 37
    So in theory, if my TDEE is 2800, I can eat 2300 calories a day and lose a pound a week? (500 calorie deficit * 7 days=3500 cals).

    Is this correct?
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    So in theory, if my TDEE is 2800, I can eat 2300 calories a day and lose a pound a week? (500 calorie deficit * 7 days=3500 cals).

    Is this correct?

    Yes, that math is correct. However since you are 10 pounds or less from goal, you might not lose that quickly. The last 10 pounds is the slowest. Choosing half a pound a week is better, but if you do not weigh/measure everything that goes in your mouth I suppose shooting for 1 pound wouldn't be a bad idea to account for inaccuracies in logging.

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