Keeping a deficit to make up for 'binges'

Francl27
Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I'm still trying to lose 3 pounds and have lost 2 pounds in the last 3 months this way... so it's pretty close to maintaining. I eat at a 200-300 deficit (I think. TDEE calculators vary by quite a bit there) and go over my TDEE by 100-500 once a week or something. I'm considering just keeping that goal pretty much forever, knowing that there'll always be days when either I can't exercise as much as I'd like (I pretty much walk or bike 1.5 hour every day, otherwise my goal is pretty much my sedentary TDEE), and days when I'll eat over when we go out or there's a Holiday or I just have massive cravings or something.

Has anyone done something like that with good results?

Replies

  • joshdcarp
    joshdcarp Posts: 1
    Yeah, this is pretty much what I've been doing as well. Keep a 5-600 calories deficit all week long, and then typically have a binge of booze and food on Saturday.
  • brynnsmom
    brynnsmom Posts: 945 Member
    Yes, I've maintained my weight loss for several years by eating a slight deficit during the week so I can go over on the weekends. However, I do not like the term "binge," it calls to mind uncontrolled behavior. Even for my size, a 2000-2500 calorie day is not a binge. Especially considering I am more active on the weekends.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I know, didn't want to say cheat either, lol.
  • Julzanne72
    Julzanne72 Posts: 468 Member
    I like to refer to it as my free day, free from logging, working out....but I dont' binge, I just eat what I want to and don't sweat it.
  • theflatpick
    theflatpick Posts: 106 Member
    I am no where near maintaining yet, still have many to lose. But, I don't eat back the calories I burn at the gym so that in the evening if I go over, or have a few beers, I don't worry about it cuz I know I am at a deficit for the day. I have no idea if that is good or bad, but it is working, and I don't feel like it is cheating to over eat some evening because I know I burned them at the gym. If I stick to my original calorie goal, then I feel like the deficit I created helped drop some more weight.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Although I don't binge, I like to called it my relaxed day/weekend this is what I do and it has made maintain pretty easy for me for the past year.

    Monday - Thursday I eat at a slight deficit. Friday night is date night (pizza!!!!) and on Saturday I may go out for DQ or have another meal out or bake something really tasty like a cheesecake and have a couple of slices. I don't pig out all day on the weekend, but some of the things I eat are high calorie.

    Between my active lifestyle and banking some calories from earlier in the week I don't gain weight. The extra sodium always add a little extra water weight but usually come off within a couple of days.
  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
    I sort of do this, automatically-- but it ends up that I'm sometimes way under on the weekends (because I am extremely active then) and go over a few weekdays. So far, while maintaining, I've gone 2 lb below my goal weight doing this, and my weight right now seems to be creeping up a little, but is still well within my maintenance range.

    So yes, planning for a deficit for some days each week to equal out when you eat over maintenance levels is a good idea, I think!
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    I'm still trying to lose 3 pounds and have lost 2 pounds in the last 3 months this way... so it's pretty close to maintaining. I eat at a 200-300 deficit (I think. TDEE calculators vary by quite a bit there) and go over my TDEE by 100-500 once a week or something. I'm considering just keeping that goal pretty much forever, knowing that there'll always be days when either I can't exercise as much as I'd like (I pretty much walk or bike 1.5 hour every day, otherwise my goal is pretty much my sedentary TDEE), and days when I'll eat over when we go out or there's a Holiday or I just have massive cravings or something.

    That's a really great idea IMO.

    I don't calorie count, but my maintenance plan involves IFing and leaving myself a deficit as a catch all to help balance out inevitable overages. I relish the idea of having a safety net.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    If it all fits into your WEEKLY calorie goal, it's not a "binge" or a "cheat." It's just eating. It all evens out in the end.

    My TDEE is around 2000-2200 (I think). I eat an average of 1800 gross calories per day when averaged over the week. However, i eat about 1650 M-F and 1800-2400 on weekends. Eating 1650 during the week is easy because I'm working, I bring my own meals and snacks into the office, and I don't eat out. On weekends, I don't cook, so my husband and I grab food out more often than not. Eating at a larger deficit during the week allows me to be a little more relaxed about calories (but still logging all of it) and enjoy myself while still losing weight. Weekends are also my rest days, so I hardly exercise at all. Still losing weight.

    It has worked for me. Plenty of people will tell you to incorporate these "treats" into your day and just work it into your daily calorie goal. That's perfectly fine if it works for you, but if not, eating more once or twice a week while staying under your weekly goal is perfectly fine. You gotta live!
  • miss_mckenna
    miss_mckenna Posts: 18 Member
    FREE DAY! Yes, I've been doing it forever. And, I've had it actually recommended to me by trainers and nutritionists.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It has worked for me. Plenty of people will tell you to incorporate these "treats" into your day and just work it into your daily calorie goal. That's perfectly fine if it works for you, but if not, eating more once or twice a week while staying under your weekly goal is perfectly fine. You gotta live!

    Oh I do. Just some days I'm hungrier than others, or have more cravings, or go to that place with delicious desserts we never go to etc... lol.
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
    Yep. It's what I do.
  • inthezone77
    inthezone77 Posts: 23 Member
    I eat around 1500 per day Monday - Friday and don't eat back exercise so that on the weekend I can relax. So far (2 mths) I've stayed around 57-58kg. My waist measurements go up a few cms tho when I eat more carbs
  • 43mmmgoody21
    43mmmgoody21 Posts: 146 Member
    When i was losing weight I kept weekly caloric goals-- and so if my average a day was 2200 (15,400/week) i could have more food one day (say on a date night) and less on another day/s (but not too low) so that in the end my weekly target was met.

    I didn't call these cheat days because technically i wasn't cheating because i was hitting my goals (and following iifym).
  • BarbieFromHellx
    BarbieFromHellx Posts: 758 Member
    I did this when I was maintaining and managed to successfully stay the same weight for months (but now I want to lose more again so it's harder haha).
  • sweetnlow30
    sweetnlow30 Posts: 497 Member
    I was just talking to a friend about this last night . I plan to have one free day a week, probably Saturday. I will offset this by eating lower on Friday and Sunday. I think it's good to have a break to be less mindful. It will make maintenance sem like less of a chore for me ;)
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    I like to refer to it as my free day, free from logging, working out....but I dont' binge, I just eat what I want to and don't sweat it.

    I like that idea.
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    When i was losing weight I kept weekly caloric goals-- and so if my average a day was 2200 (15,400/week) i could have more food one day (say on a date night) and less on another day/s (but not too low) so that in the end my weekly target was met.

    I didn't call these cheat days because technically i wasn't cheating because i was hitting my goals (and following iifym).

    I really like that idea, too. :)
  • wertgirlfor
    wertgirlfor Posts: 161 Member
    That's what I've been doing. I eat at the amount MFP says I should to lose .5 pound a week, but I let myself eat at maintenance or a little above one or two days a week. It's been working pretty well for the past few months
  • IdcShrimp
    IdcShrimp Posts: 71
    Yes, I've maintained my weight loss for several years by eating a slight deficit during the week so I can go over on the weekends. However, I do not like the term "binge," it calls to mind uncontrolled behavior. Even for my size, a 2000-2500 calorie day is not a binge. Especially considering I am more active on the weekends.

    i like the way you put this. it's the reason people say 'once in a while' when it comes to eating out, etc. and the fact that you're able to do this every week is something i applaud. my old nutritionist said you could have one small treat a day...but if you never have any small treats during the week it only makes sense that you have one BIG treat every weekend...well put.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    I have an avg that I aim for for the week. Eat more on days I'm more hunger, less on days I'm not. All evens out by the end of the week as long as you don't go too extreme.
  • Christi132
    Christi132 Posts: 67 Member
    Happy to hear I"m on the right track. For me, maintaining takes a completely different attitude than losing. After a year of maintaining, I feel I finally have some good strategies. Although I used to do the weekly free day, I'm trying to get away from the restrict/binge mentality. Instead, I've been working on a 80/20 rule. Be extremely healthy 80% of the time and forgot about it 20% (although still try not go on a total food binge during that 20%).
  • JassiBear
    JassiBear Posts: 268 Member
    Hmmm I guess there's nothing wrong with it :/ I heard some people do weekly goals anyway... rather than daily.
  • Ideabaker
    Ideabaker Posts: 542 Member
    I did not use this method to lose my weight, however, as I'm still rather new to maintenance, I'm considering trying it for a few weeks to see if it works for me. I don't "binge" on weekends, but certainly do eat about 500 cals over my daily goal.

    Am trying this week to have two or three days with deficits during the week to offset the weekend excess.
  • kateangel2312
    kateangel2312 Posts: 242 Member
    I do this every weekend, seems to be I maintain doing this. my average cals come out around 2300 a day
  • CAC10456
    CAC10456 Posts: 117 Member
    I am no where near maintaining yet, still have many to lose. But, I don't eat back the calories I burn at the gym so that in the evening if I go over, or have a few beers, I don't worry about it cuz I know I am at a deficit for the day. I have no idea if that is good or bad, but it is working, and I don't feel like it is cheating to over eat some evening because I know I burned them at the gym. If I stick to my original calorie goal, then I feel like the deficit I created helped drop some more weight.

    This is what I do too.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    I save making a huge deficit for big events. For instance, I created a 1,000+ deficit through whittling away a small amount of cals off my intake each day the week of my birthday, and fit in extra workouts so I could justify the beer + sushi I had the night of my birthday. I personally don't make it a regular thing, because I like food.

    If you're having trouble with binges, I'd recommend trying to get to the root of that problem. Don't want to be in an endless cycle of doing this in the future, and you do want to make sure you're hitting goals daily.

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