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When you fall off track but don't gain weight?

holly55555
holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm recovering from an awful breakup and although I've counted consistently for 250 days, I just went "ugh I don't care" while on a trip this last week and only partially logged. I drank lots of wine, ate fast food, and absurd amounts of ice cream cake.

I got back last night and weighed in this morning fearing a gain.. and I maintained my same weight?!

I'm back on track today (and from now on!) but I was wondering, what happens when you all of a sudden eat at a surplus but the scale doesn't reflect it? I'm scared I'm going to wake up tomorrow to a 5 lb gain or something ridiculous. Did I just get lucky? I was definitely eating over maintenance and not working out or doing anything active.

Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Enough over maintenance to washout any normal fluctuations? If you weren't logging, how do you know? It's not like weight loss, or gain, is linear.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    May I suggest not worrying about it.

    Wait until you actually gain the weight, you seemed o be concerned over a possible future.

    Get back on track and if the weight shows up deal with it then not before hand.
  • holly55555
    holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    Enough over maintenance to washout any normal fluctuations? If you weren't logging, how do you know? It's not like weight loss, or gain, is linear.

    Because I was eating fast food meals (1000+ calories for one meal) and all kinds of desserts AND not weighing tracking my food. It was quite the binge.

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    How far over maintenance were you for the week?
  • julieglenn2014
    julieglenn2014 Posts: 1 Member
    Many diets allow a cheat day where you can eat and drink anything. You would need to consume like 5500 calories just to gain a pound. I think a day here and there is good. Give yourself a day off once in a while :)
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    julieglenn2014 wrote: »
    Many diets allow a cheat day where you can eat and drink anything. You would need to consume like 5500 calories just to gain a pound. I think a day here and there is good. Give yourself a day off once in a while :)

    That would be 3500 calories, not 5500.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    holly55555 wrote: »
    I'm scared I'm going to wake up tomorrow to a 5 lb gain or something ridiculous. Did I just get lucky? I was definitely eating over maintenance and not working out or doing anything active.

    A five-pound gain would entail eating 17,500 calories extra. Wine has a lot of calories, as does fast food and ice cream cake. And if you ate 2,500 calories more than maintenance every day for a week, for about a total of 5,000 calories a day depending on your weight and height, then you'll probably gain that five pounds at some point. But that's a LOT to eat and drink in one day, and I doubt you did it every day for an entire week. Since you weren't logging, chances are you are way overestimating how much you consumed.

    A couple of weeks ago, I went on a weekend trip where I was sure I gained weight. I was afraid to get on the scales. When I did, I actually lost 1.5 pounds. Never underestimate the power of CICO!
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    julieglenn2014 wrote: »
    Many diets allow a cheat day where you can eat and drink anything. You would need to consume like 5500 calories just to gain a pound. I think a day here and there is good. Give yourself a day off once in a while :)

    That would be 3500 calories, not 5500.
    No. It would take 3500 above maintenance to gain 1 lb. So assuming 2000ish is maintenance (admittedly a leap w/out more info about the OP), 5500 would be correct.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    jennifer_417 wrote: »
    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    julieglenn2014 wrote: »
    Many diets allow a cheat day where you can eat and drink anything. You would need to consume like 5500 calories just to gain a pound. I think a day here and there is good. Give yourself a day off once in a while :)

    That would be 3500 calories, not 5500.
    No. It would take 3500 above maintenance to gain 1 lb. So assuming 2000ish is maintenance (admittedly a leap w/out more info about the OP), 5500 would be correct.

    A pound is an additional 3500 calories, not 5500.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    jennifer_417 wrote: »
    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    julieglenn2014 wrote: »
    Many diets allow a cheat day where you can eat and drink anything. You would need to consume like 5500 calories just to gain a pound. I think a day here and there is good. Give yourself a day off once in a while :)

    That would be 3500 calories, not 5500.
    No. It would take 3500 above maintenance to gain 1 lb. So assuming 2000ish is maintenance (admittedly a leap w/out more info about the OP), 5500 would be correct.

    A pound is an additional 3500 calories, not 5500.

    If her tdee is 2000 calories, then it would take an extra 3,500 calories on top of that to gain a pound.

    2,000 + 3,500= 5,500 calories
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    edited September 2015
    christinev297 wrote: »
    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    jennifer_417 wrote: »
    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    julieglenn2014 wrote: »
    Many diets allow a cheat day where you can eat and drink anything. You would need to consume like 5500 calories just to gain a pound. I think a day here and there is good. Give yourself a day off once in a while :)

    That would be 3500 calories, not 5500.
    No. It would take 3500 above maintenance to gain 1 lb. So assuming 2000ish is maintenance (admittedly a leap w/out more info about the OP), 5500 would be correct.

    A pound is an additional 3500 calories, not 5500.

    If her tdee is 2000 calories, then it would take an extra 3,500 calories on top of that to gain a pound.

    2,000 + 3,500= 5,500 calories

    That's exactly what I said. Doesn't matter what her TDEE is.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    regardless of the semantics of how much you have to eat to gain.... dont worry about it and be thankful LOLOLOL

    i went on vacation for a week and ate all the things and only gained a pound and a half, which came off within a few days.

    weight loss is not linear. its likely you didnt take in as many calories as you THINK you did, or you somehow managed to burn a lot of them off.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    All I can say is - well done you :)
    And congratulations for still making that effort to track loosely despite going through a difficult time.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    You were obviously eating at maintenance, so well done :smile:
This discussion has been closed.

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