Best way to prepare for a calorie bomb?

jtboner
jtboner Posts: 59 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Details: birthdays are extremely important to me. This year it will be my first birthday with my fitness pal. Of course I don't want to gain weight but of course I'm gonna eat my face off :P so far my ideas to maintain my weight is:
To exercise a lot the day of birthday
Exercise all week
Eat 1200 calories a day for the previous week or two
Any other ideas?
P.S. just wondering, how much calories would one buffet meal bebe? 1500?

Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    I eat less in the days leading up to the bomb if it's going to take me over maintenance. If it's not, I chalk it up as a festive occasion on which I didn't gain weight and just move on.
  • ForestFairy022
    ForestFairy022 Posts: 99 Member
    Well I don't plan for them but my body kind of naturally helps me with that. For example, on autopilot, this week looked like this:

    Monday: 1200
    Tuesday: 713
    Wednesday: 1290
    Thursday: 1600
    Friday: 840
    Today: So far 1300 and counting.

    So yeah. I don't mind days like that because I know somewhere in the week I'll probably be less hungry than usual. They work themselves out.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Well, for me, whatever plan I have to save calories for events doesn't typically work, because my appetite varies. But starving yourself to save calories for a week later really doesn't sound like a good plan at all, in my opinion it's the best way to ensure that you will binge BEFORE your birthday.

    You're 20. Your 1300 goal is already too low for you (although by looking at your diary, your logging seems sloppy, so I'm going to assume that you're eating 1600). Your TDEE is probably 2400 or more. So that's a 800 calorie deficit (with 5 pounds to lose, you should aim for 300, by the way). Even if you ate 4000 calories on your birthday, it would take you two DAYS to make up for it.

    So seriously, don't even worry about it.

    Oh and buffet calories? Anywhere from 400 to 6000 calories, depending on what you pick.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,630 Member
    edited August 2015
    I had all plans to eat a significant amount of calories on my birthday. I planned for about 4000 calories. Went to the gym, burned 2000 calories, and figured I would have no problem indulging in what ever I wanted. Didnt exactly work the way I thought. I ate well, had a great time, but it wasnt quite the calorie bomb I expected - my body was just used to other foods

    So what I am really trying to say? Enjoy your birthday. You know what to do afterwards.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    20yearsyounger wrote: »
    I had all plans to eat a significant amount of calories on my birthday. I planned for about 4000 calories. Went to the gym, burned 2000 calories, and figured I would have no problem indulging in what ever I wanted. Didnt exactly work the way I thought. I ate well, had a great time, but it wasnt quite the calorie bomb I expected - my body was just used to other foods

    So what I am really trying to say? Enjoy your birthday. You know what to do afterwards.

    Ok how in the world do you burn 2000 calories at the gym? Were you there for 6 hours?
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
    I eat lighter in the days before (at least 1200), do a bit more cardio, and then eat whatever I eat and move on. Realize that you already have a deficit for the week and are unlikely to gain on what you consume in one day. (You know about water weight at this point, yeah?)

    I've eaten whatever I want pretty much every holiday and birthday since September and I hit my 70 pound goal this morning. Never gained (although I maintained over Christmas).
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    I've been at this long enough to realize that you simply can't do much damage in one day no matter how hard you try. Lets say you are eating @ 1500 and trying to lose 1 pound a week. If you eat 5000 in one day (which is harder than you might think!) and you eat your 1500 the other 6 days you won't gain, you just won't lose your pound that week. 1500x7=10,500 1500X6+5000=14,000 14,000-10,500 = 3500 which is the pound you were hoping to lose so you are even for the week instead of dropping. (this in theory of course)
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    edited August 2015
    I eat 100-150 cals leading up to the days before or after to keep my weekly calories in check.

    In the event that it's a vacation, and I actually gain something, I'll eat at a deficit (currently trying to maintain) for a few weeks.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,630 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    20yearsyounger wrote: »
    I had all plans to eat a significant amount of calories on my birthday. I planned for about 4000 calories. Went to the gym, burned 2000 calories, and figured I would have no problem indulging in what ever I wanted. Didnt exactly work the way I thought. I ate well, had a great time, but it wasnt quite the calorie bomb I expected - my body was just used to other foods

    So what I am really trying to say? Enjoy your birthday. You know what to do afterwards.

    Ok how in the world do you burn 2000 calories at the gym? Were you there for 6 hours?

    About 3.5.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    20yearsyounger wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    20yearsyounger wrote: »
    I had all plans to eat a significant amount of calories on my birthday. I planned for about 4000 calories. Went to the gym, burned 2000 calories, and figured I would have no problem indulging in what ever I wanted. Didnt exactly work the way I thought. I ate well, had a great time, but it wasnt quite the calorie bomb I expected - my body was just used to other foods

    So what I am really trying to say? Enjoy your birthday. You know what to do afterwards.

    Ok how in the world do you burn 2000 calories at the gym? Were you there for 6 hours?

    About 3.5.

    Ok then you must be seriously overestimating your burn.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,630 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    20yearsyounger wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    20yearsyounger wrote: »
    I had all plans to eat a significant amount of calories on my birthday. I planned for about 4000 calories. Went to the gym, burned 2000 calories, and figured I would have no problem indulging in what ever I wanted. Didnt exactly work the way I thought. I ate well, had a great time, but it wasnt quite the calorie bomb I expected - my body was just used to other foods

    So what I am really trying to say? Enjoy your birthday. You know what to do afterwards.

    Ok how in the world do you burn 2000 calories at the gym? Were you there for 6 hours?

    About 3.5.

    Ok then you must be seriously overestimating your burn.

    I lost on schedule and I am maintaining so the results don't show that. Also used a HRM.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I changed my thinking that so that volume =/= indulgence. I treat myself with variety, tastes, textures, and time.

    Eat with chopsticks.

    Get one good chocolate. I mean, really, really good.
    Chocolate-Pudding-300x245.jpg
    If chocolate is not your thing, pick something else.
    therichest.com/luxury/most-expensive/the-top-ten-most-expensive-desserts-in-the-world/

    Put on your favourite music and surround yourself with your favourite people. Savour the treat as long as you can. Take a pic, blog it, and talk about it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Heck, one buffet meal could be limitless; 4,000 calories or more.
    I pile half my plate with salad before I pick anything else.
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
    Let it be, it's just one day. I've done birthday tweaks before for that purpose and the only one I would recommend was a homemade double layer strawberry shortcake sheet cake. It'll probably be either a triple layer or an oversize sheet if I do it again - unlike regular cake where people look for the smaller slices, this stuff got inhaled.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    If I eat too much, I do. It's one day. It happens.

    I don't really prepare. I might work out extra before or after. But, it's one day. If I pick up a pound, I can take that off.

    It's just not a thing...but it's pretty dang rare, so I can blow it off. If I did this every month, it might be another story. :)
  • vadim605
    vadim605 Posts: 9 Member
    Two options. 1 eat as low calories as you can the week or so before. You should easily create a deficit big enough to wash out your planned binge. If anything your stomach insides might even shrink in the process due to less food volume. Then pig out as planned. Or option two is keep eating normal macros and pig out then continue to your normal routine. One day won't hurt anything.
  • jtboner
    jtboner Posts: 59 Member
    barbecuesauce wrote: »
    I eat lighter in the days before (at least 1200), do a bit more cardio, and then eat whatever I eat and move on. Realize that you already have a deficit for the week and are unlikely to gain on what you consume in one day. (You know about water weight at this point, yeah?)

    I've eaten whatever I want pretty much every holiday and birthday since September and I hit my 70 pound goal this morning. Never gained (although I maintained over Christmas).

    I know very little about water weight, I know it's associated with bloating, don't know what that is either
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