How bad is an off day?

lgadeke
lgadeke Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I have recently started MFP and I am eating 1500 calories a day to lose 2lbs a week.
This is all fine and I don't feel hungry or unhappy etc, however I just had a question.
It is my birthday in a week, and I am being taken out for a meal and there will be cake and sweets etc.
I know the next day I will go straight back to my MFP routine so it's not losing motivation to start again or losing track and going downhill i'm worried about as I know 100% i'll be back to normal the next day.
What i'm worried about is how bad an off day is for weight loss. Will it drastically ruin things for me or can I just pick up where
I left off the next day as it's obviously not going to be my birthday for another year so I won't be eating junk for a long time.

Replies

  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    One day isn't going to hurt you. There is nothing wrong with adjusting your calories for special occasions. It will be your birthday. Some people even eat at their maintenance level once in a while and still lost weight. Relax and enjoy!
  • Eoghann
    Eoghann Posts: 130 Member
    How long is a piece of string?

    How "bad" it is really depends on how many calories you consume.

    But while it may cause a blip in your weight loss plans unless you're doing this every week (and birthdays usually happen only once a year) it's really no big deal.
  • alexuh
    alexuh Posts: 108 Member
    Duuuude, it's your birthday!!!!! Eat the damn cake :bigsmile: and get back on MFP the next day, no harm at all done. Much more harm done in fretting over a lavish meal, the cake, the fancy drinks, and constantly worrying about calories and not enjoying yourself as much... and regretting it in years to come because you were 'on a diet'. Have a great day and happy birthday!!!
  • lgadeke
    lgadeke Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks for the replies, since I've started MFP I've become really cautious about consuming over my daily limit.
    I'm hoping I can tell my brain to shut up worrying about it and enjoy it, it's only one day! If I happen to eat too much, hey
    it will probably set me back like a week right?
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Don't worry about being set back a week unless the date on the calendar carries a significant meaning for you. The important thing is to give yourself some flexibility while achieving good health.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I tend to have one off day every couple of weeks because of friend/family get-togethers. For me, an off day means that I consume at or over my maintenance calories (around 2200+/-).

    Let's do some basic math for you. If 1500 is your calorie level to lose two pounds a week, then 2500 is what you'd need to maintain your current weight. And if you're using MFP to figure your calorie goal then that's 2500 + exercise calories. So, even if you were to eat 1000 calories over your goal, you still wouldn't gain fat for the day (you may gain some water weight, though, so you might avoid the scale for a week). It might slow your weight loss a bit, but it won't be more than a blip in the long run.

    My philosophy is that if your diet gets in the way of enjoying special occasions, then it's not a very good diet for you. We're supposed to be learning how to make lifestyle changes. Unless you never want to celebrate on your birthday again, then have some cake and some food and enjoy yourself.

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