3500 CALORIES CLARIFICATION ?

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So I know 3500 equals a lb. Saturday i had a mega cheat day and ate about 3500 cals in total which made me about 2240 over my goal for the day....do you gain weight if you 3500 over your maintenance goal or if you just eat 3500 cals a day period? My mainenance goal is 2240 I think....

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  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    If maintenance is 2240 and you ate 3500, you were only 1260 over. Average this out over the week and you're fine.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    If maintenance is 2240 and you ate 3500, you were only 1260 over. Average this out over the week and you're fine.

    ^^ This.

    Since it sounds like you've set yourself a 2lb a week loss, if you've been eating at your goal each day, you shouldn't gain anything (although you may lose a little less than the 2lb goal). 1260Cal = approx 0.35lb. So, in theory, if you ate at your goal every other day during the week, you'd lose 1.65lb
  • bclarke1990
    bclarke1990 Posts: 287 Member
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    You're thinking of it wrong. Think of it as a sliding scale, between your goal weight and your current weight. Every day your caloric deficit or surplus will push you in one direction. Eat less than you burn and you will lose weight.
  • simply_bubbz
    simply_bubbz Posts: 245 Member
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    Ok so to clarify you have to eat 3500 over your maintenance goal to gain a lb?
  • Alex040312
    Alex040312 Posts: 2 Member
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    Ok so to clarify you have to eat 3500 over your maintenance goal to gain a lb?
    Yes. And don't forget that you are burning calories just by existing. So you would have to eat 3500 calories OVER everything you burned throughout the day. I doubt there is a need for you to be concerned. Just don't go over your calories consistently and you will be fine.
  • simply_bubbz
    simply_bubbz Posts: 245 Member
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    Ok so to clarify you have to eat 3500 over your maintenance goal to gain a lb?
    Yes. And don't forget that you are burning calories just by existing. So you would have to eat 3500 calories OVER everything you burned throughout the day. I doubt there is a need for you to be concerned. Just don't go over your calories consistently and you will be fine.
    Ok makes sense. But i was just afraid i was gonna step on the scale tomorrow and see that i gained a lb! It seems like every time I have a cheat DAY on a wknd I gain a lb when i go to get on the scale the following Monday . it's so frustrating
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Never, ever weigh yourself a day or two after a calorie splurge. That goes double if it was a very high sodium day. ..
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Ok so to clarify you have to eat 3500 over your maintenance goal to gain a lb?
    Yes. And don't forget that you are burning calories just by existing. So you would have to eat 3500 calories OVER everything you burned throughout the day. I doubt there is a need for you to be concerned. Just don't go over your calories consistently and you will be fine.
    Ok makes sense. But i was just afraid i was gonna step on the scale tomorrow and see that i gained a lb! It seems like every time I have a cheat DAY on a wknd I gain a lb when i go to get on the scale the following Monday . it's so frustrating

    You may well do because weight loss isn't linear and your body is subject to fluctuating water weight. So if you've had excess sodium, changed up exercise, are ovulating or due on its easy to retain an extra few pounds of water

    So you can't get psyched out by scale weight day to day or week to week. You need to watch your weight trend over 6-8 weeks

    Look ...these black dots are actual scale weights and show my water weight fluctuations whilst in maintenance

    uxxugqzmeya0.jpg
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,940 Member
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    Either do as @rabbitjb suggests and use weightgrapher.com, trendweight.com, libra on android, or happy scale on iphone to record your daily weights and then ignore them in favour of your "trend" weight, or switch your weigh in day to Friday BEFORE you have a potential weekend derailment.

    You retain water because of changes in exercise, consumption of excess sodium, consumption of carbs if you have been low-carbing, hormonal changes associated with TOM, and I am sure even more reasons I am currently forgetting ;-)
  • simply_bubbz
    simply_bubbz Posts: 245 Member
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    Yeah I usu
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Either do as @rabbitjb suggests and use weightgrapher.com, trendweight.com, libra on android, or happy scale on iphone to record your daily weights and then ignore them in favour of your "trend" weight, or switch your weigh in day to Friday BEFORE you have a potential weekend derailment.

    You retain water because of changes in exercise, consumption of excess sodium, consumption of carbs if you have been low-carbing, hormonal changes associated with TOM, and I am sure even more reasons I am currently forgetting ;-)

    Yeah I usually do weigh in on fridays but when I cheat on a wknd I usually want to see how much damage I have done so that's why I do it occasionly on mondays but I will cut that out considering allt he factors you guys gave me! How does change of exercise affect? I love learning new things!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Yeah I usu
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Either do as @rabbitjb suggests and use weightgrapher.com, trendweight.com, libra on android, or happy scale on iphone to record your daily weights and then ignore them in favour of your "trend" weight, or switch your weigh in day to Friday BEFORE you have a potential weekend derailment.

    You retain water because of changes in exercise, consumption of excess sodium, consumption of carbs if you have been low-carbing, hormonal changes associated with TOM, and I am sure even more reasons I am currently forgetting ;-)

    Yeah I usually do weigh in on fridays but when I cheat on a wknd I usually want to see how much damage I have done so that's why I do it occasionly on mondays but I will cut that out considering allt he factors you guys gave me! How does change of exercise affect? I love learning new things!

    Change up of exercise impacts on your muscles. Exercise causes microscopic muscle tears (it's how they strengthen and increase in size) cause fluid retention during the repair cycle ...up to 2-3 days later...there's also some hormonal response