Cheat days on maintenance calories?

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LRH94
LRH94 Posts: 20 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
This weekend, I went out to dinner and got a huge rack of bbq ribs and chocolate cake for pudding. Combined with drinking alcohol, I probably racked up about 4000 calories this day.
This isn't usual for me, but I maintain at about 2000 calories per day. My question is, do I now need to 'make up' for this weekend's splurge by eating at a deficit? Or can I just go back to maintenance calories? When dieting, I didn't mind my cheat days as I knew the worst they could do was stall or slow my weight loss as I'd made a deficit all week, but when eating maintenance calories, surely the logic Is that I would gain weight?
On the other hand, I want to be able to have splurge weekend's where I can enjoy myself without having to spend the rest of the week trying to compensate for the amount of calories I went over.

Replies

  • sassyjae21
    sassyjae21 Posts: 1,217 Member
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    Balance it out over the rest of the week, If you want. 3500 cals is a pound of fat right? so if you ate 4000 calories and your tdee is about 2000, you still wouldn't gain a full pound unless you continually ate in a surplus. That would only be about 1500 extra calories, that's what like a few oz? (I cannot math).

    In other words, you won't gain a full pound, and since your maintenance level should be a RANGE and not a number, you're fine and it's nothing to worry about. Just go back into maintenance. If you're seriously worried about it, which you shouldn't be, just lower your intake a a couple hundred the next day or something.

    Don't over complicate this. It's going to make maintenance really hard for you if you do.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
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    Go by weekly targets. Over one day, under another - it equals out!
  • sassyjae21
    sassyjae21 Posts: 1,217 Member
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    This weekend, I went out to dinner and got a huge rack of bbq ribs and chocolate cake for pudding. Combined with drinking alcohol, I probably racked up about 4000 calories this day.
    This isn't usual for me, but I maintain at about 2000 calories per day. My question is, do I now need to 'make up' for this weekend's splurge by eating at a deficit? Or can I just go back to maintenance calories? When dieting, I didn't mind my cheat days as I knew the worst they could do was stall or slow my weight loss as I'd made a deficit all week, but when eating maintenance calories, surely the logic Is that I would gain weight?
    On the other hand, I want to be able to have splurge weekend's where I can enjoy myself without having to spend the rest of the week trying to compensate for the amount of calories I went over.

    I'm worried about this also. I never go over by that much, but I feel I should be able to once in a while if something comes up. I think this is part of learning to be in maintenance. Learning to enjoy yourself and then if your weight starts creeping, then quickly recognizing that and making adjustments to lose those couple pounds to get back to your goal. I haven't gotten to that point yet myself. I'm new to maintenance, so I live in terror of the scale, lol.

    As long as you're counting and staying aware, you should be fine. Keep in mind that you should have a maintenance range of about 5lbs (well, that's my range). That way if your weight starts creeping up, you are no longer in maintenance and need to begin cutting again. All you have to do is keep an eye on it.

    I went on vacation this week and ate a ton of food, didn't log a damn thing, and didn't exercise but once. I got back and I had gained a few oz to a lb. And I'm great with that. My range is 120 to 125., Right now i'm about 121.6. And that's ok. I just have to keep an eye on it and adjust as I go. If I eat too much one day, lower the next, etc.

    This is a life long battle and you have to learn how to manage it if you're going to stay successful. This mess never ends lol.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    If this type of behavior is regular then you are going to have issues maintaining. If this type of behavior is occasional, it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

    Nobody became fat because of an occasional splurge at a BBQ or a holiday or a birthday or whatever...it's when you do these things regularly that they become problematic. The human body is very good at utilizing excess energy and strives to maintain...it takes consistently over-eating or under-eating (dieting) to override this ability.

    Think about it this way...if you had a day where you weren't feeling well of whatever and didn't really eat...but you ate normally the rest of the week, do you think you would lose weight? The same principle applies in reverse.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I'd lower your goal for 100 calories or something for a while until it evens out. My plan is to eat at a 100 deficit every day to make up for those days.
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
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    I've been going over calories every week now for the past month (at least) and have been at my lowest weight, which makes me think even with a maintenance of 2K before exercise, I can afford a few extra calories here or there. Honestly, I find that it doesn't matter for me. (YMMV) If I go over once a week or so, as long as I'm not doing it everyday, it seems all right.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I look at my weekly...but last week I went over by 3000 calories because of a weekend outing...but that being said I am at a net of 1400 over the last 6 weeks and it will probably be a net of 1k after this week is done...
  • LRH94
    LRH94 Posts: 20 Member
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    Go by weekly targets. Over one day, under another - it equals out!
    Yes, but because im eating maintenance calories every other day, I'm over my weekly calorie limit :(
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
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    Why not check the scales after a few days, and and see if you're happy ?

    I haven't hit maintenance yet, but when I do, I'm leaning towards eating a little less Monday to Friday, and banking that for the weekend. That way I see myself not being in the situation where I have to fret too much about social days where I want to just enjoy myself and not worry about what I'm eating. Not sure whether it'll work out that way, but should be able to tell you in about 16lbs time :)
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Go by weekly targets. Over one day, under another - it equals out!

    Bingo. And there's always extra exercise.

    When you're at a deficit and go over, you go up to maintenance. When you're at maintenance and go over, you gain weight.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    Go by weekly targets. Over one day, under another - it equals out!
    Yes, but because im eating maintenance calories every other day, I'm over my weekly calorie limit :(

    Then don't worry about it and start fresh next week.

    If it's something you constantly do, then you can eat a bit lighter through the week to accommodate a weekend splurge.

    If you're typically over by 500 on a Sunday, for instance, then eat maintenance - 100 every week day (or 250 under on a Mon+Tue and maint Wed-Fri, for example.) There's a million ways to do it.

    Adherence over the long term should be the goal, so re-jig your week to fit with your personal preferences and social life.
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,212 Member
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    If this type of behavior is regular then you are going to have issues maintaining. If this type of behavior is occasional, it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

    Nobody became fat because of an occasional splurge at a BBQ or a holiday or a birthday or whatever...it's when you do these things regularly that they become problematic. The human body is very good at utilizing excess energy and strives to maintain...it takes consistently over-eating or under-eating (dieting) to override this ability.

    Think about it this way...if you had a day where you weren't feeling well of whatever and didn't really eat...but you ate normally the rest of the week, do you think you would lose weight? The same principle applies in reverse.

    Truer words were never spoken. Bodies want to maintain.

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