Eating 1200 weekdays and binge on weekends?

I know a girl on here who would "save" her calories for the weekends as well. It worked for her. I've never tried cuz I couldn't eat that little during the week, I would go nuts. But do what works for you

Eat the 1600 calories.

If you want to eat more, work out more.

One big meal isn't going to make you fat just like one salad isn't going to make you skinny.

It's consistency in eating that makes us gain or lose.

I think one of the biggest disadvantages to how this site is set up is that it really forces you to focus on the daily, instead of the overall. It took me a while to not get so hung up on going over a few days because I went out for beers or whatever, even if I was under the the overall week. I would suggest trying to bank your EXERCISE calories (that is, still eat 1600 cal/day, work out, and don't eat those calories back, so that when Friday rolls around, you may have been netting 1300 calories per day) rather than trying to just keep the calories low by not eating. The progress report will look the same as if you just ate less, but you'll be getting in exercise as well as not necessarily being hungry all the time (of course, if working out makes you more hungry, you still might get grumpy).

I think there's a difference between a planned weekend caloric surplus and a binge. I would consider a binge to be more eating uncontrollably, until your stomach hurts.

Is 2600 really a "binge"? I ate 3k during a holiday and felt fine. I think the term "binge" is eating out of control, stuffing your face until you're sick not just snarfing a few extra calories during a short time period. Now if you said 5k-10k I'd look into getting help ASAP!

Though I eat 1400 during the week and not 1200 , I have been doing that for a year now, works perfect to maintain. My goal has been set for 1730/day This way I can drink a couple glasses of wine and do the Sunday family dinner without problems.

I think one of the biggest disadvantages to how this site is set up is that it really forces you to focus on the daily, instead of the overall. It took me a while to not get so hung up on going over a few days because I went out for beers or whatever, even if I was under the the overall week. I would suggest trying to bank your EXERCISE calories (that is, still eat 1600 cal/day, work out, and don't eat those calories back, so that when Friday rolls around, you may have been netting 1300 calories per day) rather than trying to just keep the calories low by not eating. The progress report will look the same as if you just ate less, but you'll be getting in exercise as well as not necessarily being hungry all the time (of course, if working out makes you more hungry, you still might get grumpy).

This this THIS. Pick a moderate calorie goal you can meet every day without making yourself crazy, something nice and stable and sustainable, and if you want to bank extra calories to go nuts on the weekend, bank it in exercise. Like, seriously, I can't recommend it enough. An eating plan that swings around that much will make maintenance SO hard, and no one wants to gain everything plus more back.

I mean, ultimately, if it works for you it works for you, but that sounds like it's indicative of a really unhealthy relationship with food, and that'll make your life so much harder in the long run.

I would say why weekends? I mean we are all human and need to enjoy ourselves. If you have a day you blow some calories who cares. I mean life is one day at a time and we have to enjoy it. All of us know how hard it was to get where we are and will do anything to stop from getting back.

I asked a similar question on the forum long ago. My question was: how many calories am I allowed to eat on certain events in order to not gain weight, considering that I'm still having a certain deficit during the other week days?

First of all you must be sure of your TDEE - what's your height and weight at the moment, and what's your activity level?
Once you're accurately determined your TDEE you will exactly know how many calories you are allowed to eat daily in order to maintain your weight. I've personally found I can still lose weight on the recommended amount of calories - so it's not that easy to find your true TDEE without adjusting your calories while on manteinance.

Anyway, if your TDEE is 1600 and you're eating 1200 lets say 6 days out of 7, you're getting a 400 kcals deficit per day - 2400 kcals deficit/week.
You are theoretically allowed to eat 2400+1600 on the 7th day to erase your weekly deficit and mantain your weight (that would be 4000 kcals).
If you ate more than that, you'd gain weight instead of mantaining.

I am saying this is just theoretical because your body doesn't restart after 1 week - it's more of a continuous process. At least that's how I've been explained on the forum. This means that you might see a gain or a loss after overeating depending on several factors - dehydration, water retention, sodium intake and so on.

I have personally found that overeating for a single day didn't kill my progresses, but it's easier to keep in control while eating a reasonable amount of food throughout the whole week instead of purposely undereating during the week and allowing myself to literally splurge during the weekend. I now use this concept to allow myself to eat out with my family or friends at times, but I try not to abuse of what I've learnt. Balance is the most effective way to see progresses on a long term.

Yes, I do this. I eat 1400 during the week and around 2000 on the weekends, and I've maintained for 3 months.

I've heard of people going by a weekly calorie allotment instead of daily. Giving them more calories to eat on weekends. The phone app is easier to use for keeping track of your weekly calories. I've never tried it but I'm sure it would work. Working out is also a great way to give you more wiggle room for eating.

Speaking from personal experience, this is exactly what I used to do a few years ago and I was the lightest I'd ever been in my adult life. Probably because I felt motivated to be healthy during the week then let go a bit at the weekend. I ate really healthily during the week, worked out 4 times and then ate out, had takeaways and had booze on the weekends. As long as you keep control over your weekend extras. All you can do is give it a go, if it doesn't work then try another method.

sounds like ME ! hahaha!

:noway: This is a way to fail! I am speaking from experience!. it simply isn't a healthy way to live. Love yourself. You deserve better. You can do this the right way. (sensible and healthy) You can do this!. It's not easy but you can do it!

says who? 2600 on weekends is not a failure.

i eat roughly 1600-1900 sunday to thursday. and I eat 4000-5000 on Fri and sat.

as long as it fits your weekly calories, its all good.

This is not binging.

And there are all kinds of reasons to do this.

Weekend warrior? Someone who has a desk job and doesn't get much exercise beyond some walking during the week then turns it on on the weekend. They will naturally need more calories on the weekend than during the week.

Social butterfly? Again, working all week with less caloric needs, then on the weekends going out drinking with friends or brunching and lunching and cocktail parties and dinners out and such? Something that's just part of one's normal social life takes up more calories. Would suck to have to be constantly denying yourself when everyone else is indulging, and be harder when you constantly have opportunities to screw yourself right in front of you. But having planned to have more calories available means cheers to that mimosa and eggs benedict. And a whole milk cappuccino besides.

And I'm sure there are other scenarios.

In all cases, knowing and planning for such things... adapting your diet (as in eating pattern for life) to your lifestyle is smart and sensible and is going to increase your chances to succeed.