Dealing with a weekend of overeating

jenbob1985
jenbob1985 Posts: 14 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi all, I'm currently maintaining my weight at around 128-129 lbs (I'm 5'8") and trying to recomp lifting 3 times per week. I was at a wedding this weekend and had a LOT to eat and drink. Ballpark estimate of 8000-10000 calories over Saturday and Sunday. My TDEE is around 2400 calories and I ate at pretty much bang on maintenance Monday-Friday so over the course of the week I've overeaten by roughly 3000-5000 calories.

I can't decide whether to eat at deficit over the next week or two to try and even things out (I presume this wouldn't be too detrimental to my recomp goals?) or just accept a probable pound or so gain and continue eating at maintenance. Thoughts?

Replies

  • Pinnacle_IAO
    Pinnacle_IAO Posts: 608 Member
    edited August 2015
    I'd take a week to cut.
    In the past when I started allowing my weight to creep up, it just became a trend.
    My suggestion: stop the bleeding now.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Eat at deficit this week and that will undo the extra cals at the weekend.
  • worldofalice
    worldofalice Posts: 148 Member
    One weekend of overeating really won't make that much difference - any weight gain you see today will mainly be water retention and food in your stomach, it will go down again! As for eating at deficit - your body will know what to do. Don't deprive yourself when hungry, and you definitely don't need to eat at a deficit for two weeks! Be moderate - if you try to over-compensate, you risk entering the cycle of yo-yo dieting or binge-restrict cycles. Maybe just cut out any unnecessary treats for the next few days or increase your activity a bit, but so long as you don't do the same thing this weekend you really shouldn't notice any difference!
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
    If it was me I would not immediately cut. The next few workouts will probably be awesome! Keep an eye on the scale. You might not gain any weight (just temporary water weight). If after a couple of weeks it turns out that you did gain 1 pound and you want to lose it I would not create a huge deficit. Maybe 100-200 calories/day.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Pinnacle_IAO wrote: »
    I'd take a week to cut.
    In the past when I started allowing my weight to creep up, it just became a trend.
    My suggestion: stop the bleeding now.

    Ditto.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I actually disagree. If OP has been working as hard as she says - and she must be to maintain that weight (when I was there I was dancing 6 days a week several hours a day) - her body is pretty well regulated. First, she will probably shed some of that food quickly. It's been my experience that when you unexpectedly overeat your body just sheds much more of those calories than if you drip them on. Second, I bet she will be naturally less hungry for a few days because her body IS well regulated. So she may be at a deficit because she's not hungry, but she won't need to enforce that deficit.

    I would suggest at least her normal exercise routine. Maybe more aerobic exercise - even some long walks to work things through her system - for a few days. Lots of water. And see how things are. If, two weeks from now, she's gained, sure, go for a deficit until it's gone. But I bet she doesn't see one.

    Well tuned bodies are pretty self correcting if it's a one-time thing.
  • pinkteapot3
    pinkteapot3 Posts: 157 Member
    Personally, I'd just keep eating at maintenance and doing what I normally do with exercise. During both maintenance and loss I've found that very occasional blow-outs (like once every couple of months) don't seem to hurt. I log it, know I've gone over, but I just carry on from the next day and ignore it.

    If, in a week or two, you're sure you're up a lb, then worry about it and go on deficit for a bit, but you'll probably find you aren't.

    Where people fall down is in thinking "oh, I've blown it now" and one bad night/weekend makes them stop logging and give up completely. The important thing is to get back on track which it sounds like you're doing anyway. :smile:
  • paris458
    paris458 Posts: 229 Member
    I over ate this weekend too. I long as I eat normal and do my workouts my weight goes back to where it was after 2-3 days.
  • jenbob1985
    jenbob1985 Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks so much everyone for your responses and advice. I think I will continue to eat at maintenance with my normal activity level and see where my weight is in a couple of weeks or so. It was definitely a one off splurge so hopefully my body will regulate itself but I'll reassess in a fortnight. Thanks again :smile:
  • musclegood_fatbad
    musclegood_fatbad Posts: 9,809 Member
    Maintenance really is more about the long term. There will be days that you go over and days that you go under. I continue to try to hit my calorie goal on a weekly basis thus taking some of the ups and downs out of it a bit. Even so, an extra 2,000 calories for one week will not even equate to one pound. Just don't do it over and over again.
  • kkorzeniowska
    kkorzeniowska Posts: 24 Member
    I was doing the same....eating like a crazy over the weekends and then I was wondering how much I'll put on weight, disgusted with myslef that I was so weak...and u know what? I never put on even a bloody pound. Yes I was heavier in next couple of days,but then everything was going back to my normal 128lb. Just carry on as normal. If u needed that all food over the weekend maybe your body was telling u something....maybe u need more energy as u do strength trainings. I lift 4 times a week plus one day of cardiovascular. We can't really judge how many calories we burned when we lift, maybe u burned more than u even imagine and your body needs fuel to build that muscles. Carry on and smile. It takes a lot to put on weight over the week. Nevermind over the one weekend. I've learned that from my own experience. So smile and don't worry. I stopped long time ago
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I've had weekends like this and they've never derailed me. I always take about 3 days to reset things and get back to regular healthy ways...so I'll work out as usual but eat slightly less than my usual calorie allotment, just 500 or so less. And I'll stick to mostly healthy whole foods and no added sodium. Lots of water too.
  • KBmoments
    KBmoments Posts: 193 Member
    I personally would eat at a deficit for the next week so I wouldn't gain the extra pound or two (quite noticeable on MY small frame). I imagine if you go over maintenance calories, you would gain weight/fat. If you were already in a deficit, you'd stay the same. I guess I don't understand the advice to go on as normal because it won't affect you...IMO, that's how the weight creeps up.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    jenbob1985 wrote: »
    Thanks so much everyone for your responses and advice. I think I will continue to eat at maintenance with my normal activity level and see where my weight is in a couple of weeks or so. It was definitely a one off splurge so hopefully my body will regulate itself but I'll reassess in a fortnight. Thanks again :smile:

    I think you made the right decision. There is absolutely no reason to cut your calories over one weekend of eating extra calories. I just did the exact same thing this past weekend due to attending 2 parties. One of which was held at an all you can eat buffet, lol. All I did was drink an extra 16oz of water for the past 2 days and after stepping on the scale today, it said I lost a half a pound. Cutting calories would have resulted in even more weight loss that I don't need. Drink more water and weigh yourself in a day or two and I'll bet you don't gain anything from going over your calories for the weekend.
  • BasicGreatGuy
    BasicGreatGuy Posts: 857 Member
    A weekend of eating doesn't change who you are as a person nor does it negate all you have done to that point. You and your life are much more than calories. At least that should be the case.

    Keep moving forward and don't put weight on your shoulders that doesn't belong there.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    KBmoments wrote: »
    I personally would eat at a deficit for the next week so I wouldn't gain the extra pound or two (quite noticeable on MY small frame). I imagine if you go over maintenance calories, you would gain weight/fat. If you were already in a deficit, you'd stay the same. I guess I don't understand the advice to go on as normal because it won't affect you...IMO, that's how the weight creeps up.

    I guess I don't understand why people would suggest a calorie cut because of one weekend of going over on calories. Everyone's body is different and not everyone will gain weight from one weekend (some might). I went over by at least 3,000 calories and ended up losing a half a pound. I'll bet the OP being as active as she states won't gain any weight from this one weekend.
  • pug11
    pug11 Posts: 23 Member
    From experience....lol....I'd also say there's no reason for you to cut your calories, you may not be as hungry and eat below maintenance for a day or two but that's okay, don't force yourself to eat, you'll get back on track really soon so don't worry.

    I used to cut calories for a week or to if I ever ate too much one day and I ended up hungry but suffered through it and there is no need to do that, my mind set now is completely different, just get back on track, we're all human, we're not "bad" because we over ate.

  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    Get it under control ASAP. Only requires a small cut.
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
    Get what under control? The OP had a rare weekend where she overate. She has no idea if she gained weight. Why overreact and immediately cut calories? Why not wait to see what happens?

    Also the OP is working on recomp. This means she is following a progressive lifting program. Immediately jumping into a cut could mean lower energy for her workouts. Why suffer if it is not needed? In a few weeks she will know if this rare occurrence did anything to her maintenance weight.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I might use the opportunity to run a little experiment and see what happens. You could also cut next week or the week after. I might be uber careful this week though (sometimes I take extra licks in maintenance, I don't know about you).
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Also-super jealous of your 2400 calorie maintenance. I have to bank all week to be able to eat that much on Saturday.
  • jenbob1985
    jenbob1985 Posts: 14 Member
    Thank you everyone for the input, I appreciate it. So far I'm happy with my decision, as weirdly my weight hasn't even spiked (yet). Monday 129lbs, Tuesday 128lbs, this morning 130lbs - nothing outside of my normal fluctuations. And my workout on Monday was great with all the extra calories :smile: However I will keep an eye on my weight, be more vigilant with my intake (no extra licks as arditarose said), but most of all not stress about it.

    I do love my 2400 calorie maintenance - my only activity other than lifting is walking, as I rarely use my car and walk everywhere which amounts to around 60 miles a week (according to my Fitbit). I might try squeeze some extra miles in this week if I can.

    Thanks again!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Also-super jealous of your 2400 calorie maintenance. I have to bank all week to be able to eat that much on Saturday.

    Mine is 2200 or so but I've been eating 1800 most of the time to make up for week ends/PMS week. I still want to lose a couple pounds too but I've been maintaining this way for a year, so I'm guessing that if I actually ate at maintenance most days I would have gained a few pounds because of 'those' days.
  • labohn91
    labohn91 Posts: 113 Member
    If you want some peace of mind add in some cardio this week. If you can't take two days off your diet and see progress you might want to change up something.
  • brynnsmom
    brynnsmom Posts: 945 Member
    I overeat on the weekends occasionally and always, always scale it back for a day or two afterwards. If nothing else it makes me feel better physically - less bloated and sluggish, etc.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    just go work it off

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