Post Thankgiving Maintenance Question

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Happymelz
Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I did a lot better than I thought I would over Thanksgiving weekend with 3 family gatherings to attend.

I was over my calories for last week by 2700 - 3000 calories (yesterday I did quick add calories so it isn't 100% accurate so I'm guestimating high.)

I know that if I did this every week I would quickly gain back what I'd lost.

BUT Thanksgiving week happened to fall in week 2 of my maintenance so I haven't had much practice with what to do IF you go over.

Question is, what do you do if you go over for the week?

Do you cut calories over the next few weeks to average it out? Of do you just forget it and move on?

Since it is almost 1 lb of surplus it would cause almost a 1 lb gain, right?

I mean...weight loss is just math anyway.

Insight from others who have maintained for a while would be helpful.

Thanks!

Replies

  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    I just exercised a little more thanks to the time off. Usually these big feasts are associated with extra time off, so make use of the time.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    I plan on just carrying on like normal. If the scale tells me I'm a pound or two over maintenance, I'll skip eating back exercise calories for a week or so until the weight settles down again.

    I started maintenance about 2 months ago.
  • Happymelz
    Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
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    Thank you both for the input. :)
    I wasn't able to get in extra exercise as I was working on my days off from my regular job. :(
  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
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    I would go back to your accustomed weight loss calories for a week or two. If you're only a couple weeks into maintenance, that shouldn't be difficult. If that brings you a little below your goal weight, that's easy to reverse as long as you don't have anything in particular going on that would make going a half pound below your goal a big deal.

    I was maintaining without logging for several months over the summer, then decided I wanted to lose a bit more so I'm slowly losing a couple pounds at the moment. My plan is to be a little under my calorie goal for this week to make up for the 2 gatherings I went to (after the first one, I was not hungry for a day so made up for the excess from that celebration in 1 day on which I ate very little, but unless your body tells you to do this, it's obviously not recommended!).
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    My first response is just to get back in my normal maintenance routine, typically that is enough to reveal in a couple of days what is temporary bloating as opposed to fat gain.
    After my recent all inclusive holiday I had gained 8lbs in 8 days - only 3lbs was "real" weight gain though.

    So I then have to find a way to create a calorie deficit. For me that can either be simply reducing my daily calorie goal (custom setting) by 200 cals or having an occassional very low calorie day.
    It's just a matter of time, patience and a calorie deficit created in a way that suits you best.

    My diet is exactly the same whether losing or maintaining, just the calorie amount varies to match my current goals.
  • farfromthetree
    farfromthetree Posts: 982 Member
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    dopeysmelly wrote: »
    I plan on just carrying on like normal. If the scale tells me I'm a pound or two over maintenance, I'll skip eating back exercise calories for a week or so until the weight settles down again.

    I started maintenance about 2 months ago.

    I do the same!! I never starve myself over guilt..anymore!

  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Usually I just go on as normal. If, after a month or so, I'm up at the top of my maintenance range I might go back to a deficit for a bit. But I find that occasional indulgences often won't cause anything other than water weight gain.

    I've been maintaining for 2 years.
  • focusedonfitness2015
    focusedonfitness2015 Posts: 240 Member
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    Like the others, I say just get back into your maintenance routine and forget the past. For me, my maintenance weight is a range....not a number. I could go anywhere between 121-125 in any given week based on water, food, and other factors. Thursday morning I was 121. This morning I was 124. I know I didnt gain back 3lbs in the past 4 days so I will continue to do what I know works for me....Eating at maintenance and getting back into the gym. Good thing about maintenance is, you have already been here. You know how to get back. Good luck!
  • Happymelz
    Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
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    Thank you! :smiley:
    It is helpful to get more input.
  • waltcote
    waltcote Posts: 372 Member
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    For me, I would let the scale be the ultimate judge and go from there. If I need to i adjust my calories from maintain to lose 1/2 lb a week. That has worked for me. Sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving! :D
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    I'm trying to keep a 200 calorie deficit. So far I've made up for about half the calories I overate.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited December 2014
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    I am still tracking in MFP - though I approximate more now than when I was losing & didn't log everything for Thanksgiving. I'm only 2 months into maintenance but my general theory: have an acceptable weight range. For me its 125-130. If over, I need to be strive for accuracy and perhaps trim back 100-200 calories a day. If under, I need to make sure to not go UNDER my goal for a while.

    Other than that, I don't worry about the details too much. I did get up over 130 over the past few days. Which I attribute to too much sodium, higher than usual carbs (glycogen stores up?), not enough water, TOM. Today was back under 130 so all is well.
  • Michifan
    Michifan Posts: 95 Member
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    I'm not yet in maintenance, but getting close. And the dietician has already got me primed.

    The thing is that maintenance is like working out - if you miss a day, you miss a day. You are trying to figure out how you are going to stay at a weight, and every day isn't going to be a obsessive focus on food.

    The hard part of maintenance is learning how to live your life off a diet (and by diet, I mean a short term caloric deficit designed to achieve a targeted weight). One day or a weekend will not ruin your life.

    Snowballing is the enemy, and that is usually from no longer caring, stress or other issues that have little to do with what you've already accomplished.
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
    edited December 2014
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    I'm only three months in to maintenance, but these are things that work for me when I've over-indulged.
    - I weigh every morning.
    - I have a target zone. If I'm above the zone I eat at a slight deficit that day.
    - If I'm within the zone, and just feel bloated or stuffed I aim for maintenance but tend to under eat just from feeling too full.
    - If I can predict a period of over-eating or not being able to manage my eating, I create a small under-zone deficit to "eat in to".
  • FaridPERU
    FaridPERU Posts: 172 Member
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    if you see a weight gain you can try cutting 300 to 500 calories everyday to see the change... dont cut calories to hard
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    I am typically under my calories by quite a bit every week, so I don't worry if I go over by a few hundred for one week. However, if I were over by several thousand I would try to catch that up in the following weeks if I saw movement on the scale. If I didn't, I'd let it go.

    IMHO, when you eat a lot that fast, much of it is not digested and goes where all that goes.

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