had a baddd day yesterday, what can I do today?

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Hey, so yesterday I ate soooooo much foodie. MFP gave me a 1200 cal diet. Its been going good so I'm not complaining about that.......However I ate like 2000 cal plus. I think I have this mentality when I think its a cheat day, I crave everything in sight. Thats something I neeeeedd to work on. Well since today is a newwww day should I eat my daily goal which is 1200?...... or less to make up for it? confused. Since my weigh in is on sat, I dont want to be disssapppointed too. hmmm

Replies

  • mondriantree
    mondriantree Posts: 37 Member
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    I'd do the 1200. That's already a pretty low calorie count and if you go a lot under that it'll make your cheat days even more tempting.
  • algwynt
    algwynt Posts: 76 Member
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    accept it as a bad day and move on.its a long time process, your gain wasnt in a couple of days and neither will your loss.you will have other bad days but as long as your good days outnumber them its ok.be strong.
  • WellPickles
    WellPickles Posts: 7 Member
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    Just keep going. A cheat day does not mean the end of the world, it was just one day. What really matters is what you do 95% of the time.

    I am in no way an expert, but 1200 seems really low for daily calories. Is that something that you can sustain comfortably? If it were me, I would feel hungry all the time and be prone to binges.
  • dwm2112
    dwm2112 Posts: 77 Member
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    Forget about yesterday. It's in the past, there's nothing you can do to change it. In the long run, yesterday isn't going to matter. Don't let it rob you of today's rewards. Just go back to what's been working for you.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    accept it as a bad day and move on.its a long time process, your gain wasnt in a couple of days and neither will your loss.you will have other bad days but as long as your good days outnumber them its ok.be strong.

    Agreed. Just start eating normally again and all will be OK.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    well first things first eat more than 1200 a day...with 72lbs to lose your goal should be 1.5lbs a week that will give you more food.

    2nd don't eliminate food you love from your daily/weekly intake...just eat reasonable portions then guess what you don't need cheat days...cause you aren't craving anything...

    Remember that this is not a temporary change it has to be lifelong...are you going to give up the food you love/crave for the rest of your life...no...who would.

    If you set a reasonable deficet, weigh your food, log everything (choosing correct entries) and don't eliminate food this will be a very easy journey as it wont be deprivation ridden...and eat back some of your exercise calories if you choose to exercise.
  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
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    An occasional high day of calories is not going to ruin anything, just move on and forget about it.
    2000 calories is not even bad, if you are at least moderately active. The 1200 is probably too low anyway, so hopefully you usually eat back your exercise calories.

    You might find some helpful info here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13
  • captmiddy
    captmiddy Posts: 147 Member
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    You may want to consider removing cheat days from your program. Especially if they are weekly and you might tend to consume your entire week's deficit in one day.

    But other than that, don't look back, get back on the horse and keep on trucking.

    And definitely consider what your program is set to, you may be shorting yourself too far, my smallest calorie count was 1375 and I hated it, but I wanted to finish the first year at 100lbs down so I kept on trucking at 2lbs a week, I should have slowed to 1.5lbs after the first 25 or 50lbs. I am now at 1lb a week and at 1800 calories approximately. If your deficit is too large you will end up blowing your plan when you allow yourself to go off book.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    Never strive to go under 1200. One day at 2000 cal is not really that bad. If you are set at a 500 calorie deficit, 2000 calories is only a 300 calorie surplus... That would not even gain a pound in a week. One day does not mean anything just start fresh every day and I hope you enjoyed yesterday... I think that you are doing just find; keep up the great work!
  • dlionsmane
    dlionsmane Posts: 672 Member
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    Yesterday is in the past. there is nothing you can do about it today. Especially feel guilty or beat yourself up! Learn, move on and do better in the future.
  • Wwonderful
    Wwonderful Posts: 145
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    2000 Cals, that's it?
  • itzjulz
    itzjulz Posts: 57 Member
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    One day won't kill you. I had a bad day yesterday too -- too many snacks (the cals in healthy snacks add up too!) and two beers in a social setting, plus a takeout naked burrito from qdoba that was a little calorie-heavy. I also don't make it to the gym on Tuesdays because of said social commitment, which is a routine Tuesday event.

    An extra 1000 calories, once, will not cause you to gain or fail to lose a substantial amount of weight. Keep in mind that 1200 is the bare minimum your body needs to function -- your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is likely significantly higher, and probably closer to, if not more, than the 2000 calories you consumed yesterday. Get back on track today and drink plenty of water over the next couple of days (if you ate lots of snacky or prepared foods yesterday, you probably had a lot of sodium, which can cause you to retain water, so drink up to flush it out).
  • ekztawas
    ekztawas Posts: 114 Member
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    The best thing to do is get back up and remind yourself that one cheat day is not going to ruin you. Don't make it a habit, though. Definitely eat the 1,200 calories and even look into other calorie calculators out there on the web. In my opinion MFP's is very low.

    What would happen if you ate less than 1,200 calories as a punishment for your binge yesterday? Your body could go into starvation mode because it's not sure when it will get more nutrients. When it goes into starvation mode it will cling on to any fat. It's just not a good idea. Keep fueling your body. :)
  • johncorbin581
    johncorbin581 Posts: 12 Member
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    I think of it as a weekly avg. So you went over one day, stick to the plan and you will lose. Many of us here have quit once or twice, the key is just to keep going. You will lose, just takes time.
  • Bounce4
    Bounce4 Posts: 288 Member
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    I had a horrible day yesterday too.

    Today I'm just doing the normal - actually I went in and changed my settings to l lb a week and now I have more calories. I don't eliminate food so it wasn't cravings. It was stress from other things and wanting to feel full but I have trouble with my off switch ;)

    But I gained more than a couple thousand extra calories, lol. I learned I need a plan. What am I going to do when I feel stressed and empty? What am I going to do when I want self care - because exercise is not it for me and eating can't be it and just saying no didn't work....so I need to figure out other strategies/options so I have fewer bad days.
  • krystal0927
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    You guys are great! I really do appreciate the feedback.
    Im getting a lot of people saying...1200 is too low, however thats what MFP gave me. How do I find out my REAL daily intake?
  • itzjulz
    itzjulz Posts: 57 Member
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    You guys are great! I really do appreciate the feedback.
    Im getting a lot of people saying...1200 is too low, however thats what MFP gave me. How do I find out my REAL daily intake?

    There are two measurements you want to look at:

    BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate):
    BMR is an estimate based on your stats of how many calories you burn in a given day just, living. In other words, not including your exercise or daily activities.

    TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure):
    TDEE is an estimate based on your activity level, of your average calorie burn in a day. This includes your daily activities and factors in exercise (to a certain extent; again, it's an estimate)

    The general school of thought is that you should eat at or above your BMR (so as to provide your body with the energy it needs to survive), but below your TDEE. Basically if you are eating AT your BMR but also leading an active lifestyle, you'll be operating on a calorie deficit and will lose weight.

    There are lots of more detailed posts explaining these concepts and others that might give you a better picture of how you should structure your meal plan, so browse around and read up :)
  • itzjulz
    itzjulz Posts: 57 Member
    Options
    You guys are great! I really do appreciate the feedback.
    Im getting a lot of people saying...1200 is too low, however thats what MFP gave me. How do I find out my REAL daily intake?

    There are two measurements you want to look at:

    BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate):
    BMR is an estimate based on your stats of how many calories you burn in a given day just, living. In other words, not including your exercise or daily activities.

    TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure):
    TDEE is an estimate based on your activity level, of your average calorie burn in a day. This includes your daily activities and factors in exercise (to a certain extent; again, it's an estimate)

    The general school of thought is that you should eat at or above your BMR (so as to provide your body with the energy it needs to survive), but below your TDEE. Basically if you are eating AT your BMR but also leading an active lifestyle, you'll be operating on a calorie deficit and will lose weight.

    There are lots of more detailed posts explaining these concepts and others that might give you a better picture of how you should structure your meal plan, so browse around and read up :)

    I should add that both BMR and TDEE can be determined here: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ (input your measurements and you'll get both your BMR and TDEE)
  • rmcolorado
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    Forgive, forget and keep going. Might add a little to your daily goal because your body might be lacking something and causing your cravings.