Does anyone else do this.... eating uneven calories at maintenance?

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xKoalaBearx
xKoalaBearx Posts: 181 Member
edited February 2016 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
So I've been at maintenance for about 8 months after losing 60 pounds (by eating around 1500 cal/day) over the preceding 9 months, and I reverse dieted to figure out my maintenance level is about 2000-2200 cal/day. I've been maintaining my weight within a 5 lb range over that time. I weigh myself twice a day, every day, and log my food every day. I've created a spreadsheet to see how my weight fluctuates over the short and long term depending on my caloric intake for any particular day and week.

Anyway, I've been playing around with different ways of maintaining just to see if I could do it and what different ways are possible.

The first way I tried was the obvious 2100 cal/day, every day. This worked very well, and I easily maintained my weight.

The second way I tried was eating about 3500 cal on Saturday as a "splurge" day, then 1500 cal on Sunday, then 1800 cal/day from Mon-Fri. (Avg 2000 cal/day for the week.) I really enjoyed having that extra food on Saturday, especially since most family/friend events occurred on Saturday, and I could be more relaxed. Except that I didn't enjoy cutting back so much on Sunday. I didn't mind cutting back Mon-Fri, because I just work and it seems easy for me. This way worked just fine also and I maintained my weight.

But because I wanted to see if I could do something about Sunday, I tried balancing out the weekend and did 2500 cal/day on Sat and Sunday, and 1800 cal/day Mon-Fri. This worked fine too, and I maintained my weight, but wasn't as much fun because I was only eating a little over my maintenance on the weekend, which doesn't really add up to that much more food.

So I decided to try to adjust again... I felt that I could give up more on Mon-Fri since I really didn't splurge during the work week.

So currently I eat about 3700 cal on Saturday, 2550 cal on Sunday and 1550 cal/day Mon-Fri. From my logging, my weight does temporarily bump a pound or two by Monday, but steadily drops back to my starting weight by Saturday morning (And usually by Wednesday). I guess this is kind of like calorie cycling, but at maintenance.

(Strangely, if I switch calorie goals for Sat and Sun by eating 2550 on Sat then 3700 cal Sun, I am unable to get back to starting weight by the next Saturday morning and have to stay at 1550 through the following weekend just to get back.)

I've been able to maintain my weight, I've been able to enjoy the weekends a lot more, and I haven't felt deprived Mon-Fri, especially knowing the weekend is just around the corner.

I do realize that some people might have concerns that eating more calories on weekends could spill over into the work week, but I have a maintenance weight range of 5 lbs and feel I have a good grasp on how to control this aspect of it. I also anticipate that I will switch between these different modes, depending on my mood and goals for the week.

Has anyone else done anything like this (eating more on weekends and less during the work week) and have still been able to maintain?



Replies

  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
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    This is pretty much how I eat. I bank calories from more active or less calorific days, and eat the extra back if I'm socialising or there's a treat I'm looking forward to. I don't do it to extremes, as I need to eat to fuel my running, but has worked well for me for a number of years. I'm interested more in weekly calorie intake than daily.
  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
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    I think a lot of us probably eat that way or something very similar. We almost always go out to eat dinner on Saturday and Sunday nights, so I consume more calories those days than on weekdays. My difference isn't nearly as great as yours, but if it works for you that's all that matters.
  • xKoalaBearx
    xKoalaBearx Posts: 181 Member
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    yesimpson wrote: »
    This is pretty much how I eat. I bank calories from more active or less calorific days, and eat the extra back if I'm socialising or there's a treat I'm looking forward to. I don't do it to extremes, as I need to eat to fuel my running, but has worked well for me for a number of years. I'm interested more in weekly calorie intake than daily.

    Thanks for your insight.
    Pawsforme wrote: »
    I think a lot of us probably eat that way or something very similar. We almost always go out to eat dinner on Saturday and Sunday nights, so I consume more calories those days than on weekdays. My difference isn't nearly as great as yours, but if it works for you that's all that matters.

    Thanks, makes sense. And to be honest, I don't necessarily eat 3700 calories, but rather, it's my limit to still be able to average 2000 cal/day for the week.
  • areallycoolstory
    areallycoolstory Posts: 1,680 Member
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    as i approach maintenance i hadn't thought about the possibility of eating more on weekends. i am glad for this insight, as i have lately missed the fun of having the occasional big sunday morning breakfast. it is good to know there will most likely be a way to still work pleasures like this into my eating plan. :)
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    I eat more occasionally, and then eat less. The main thing is that I keep track of it so I don't eat more, let that become normal, and then eat even more.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
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    Yes, I calorie cycle. Two days a week I set my goal to what it was when I was losing (partly to remember how to and not take my ability to eat more for granted and partly to keep things interesting). I also have 2-3 high days to coincide with when I want to take it easy, and the others are normal.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
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    Yes in a way i do this too.

    I eat 14000 calories a week. Some days i eat more others less. But the average is 2000 a day atm.

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  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    edited February 2016
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    HappyCampr1 wrote: »
    I tried this, but I discovered that I hate eating in a deficit any more. I can cut a few hundred calories here and there and save them up. But, it's not enough to make it worth it for the deprived feeling I get. It's funny...I never felt deprived when I was losing my weight. Now that I'm eating in maintenance, I totally notice a couple hundred calories missing from my day. After a few days of this, I'm ready to eat huge amounts of everything. It's better for me if I just try to stay as close to maintenance as I can on a daily basis.

    I feel that way too. Yet I go through phases where I can barely get myself to eat more than 1000 calories so that MFP will let me log it, like today, and the last few days. Last week I was having a terrible time stopping myself from going over 1800, and forgetting to log the heavy cream I put in coffee. I think it averages out, though my cycling seems to take longer than people who get it to average out in a week.
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
    edited February 2016
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    I think eating a staggered amount of calories is good.
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
    edited February 2016
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    I think listening to your body is most important, so do what works for you.
  • LisaTcan
    LisaTcan Posts: 410 Member
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    I'm not as methodical as you, but I almost always eat more calories on the weekend and fewer calories during the week. I tend to eat out or spend time with friends on the weekends. I log my Saturday morning weight as that is usually my lowest weight of the week.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I've been maintaining going on three years...I don't log...my day to day calories fluctuate quite a bit...that's how "normal" people eat. Also keep in mind that maintenance isn't exactly XXXX calories...nobody has a TDEE of exactly XXXX calories. It's a range. I figure I fluctuate anywhere from 2600 - 3000 calories per day depending on the day...additionally, I have more active days and less active days...I definitely eat more on more active days.
  • jeepinshawn
    jeepinshawn Posts: 642 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I've been maintaining going on three years...I don't log...my day to day calories fluctuate quite a bit...that's how "normal" people eat. Also keep in mind that maintenance isn't exactly XXXX calories...nobody has a TDEE of exactly XXXX calories. It's a range. I figure I fluctuate anywhere from 2600 - 3000 calories per day depending on the day...additionally, I have more active days and less active days...I definitely eat more on more active days.
    That is a fact! My fit had shown me my tdee ranges from 2400 on sluggish days to 3300 on active days.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Doing that is entirely how I've lost 76lbs and exactly how I plan on maintaining. During the week, it is so easy for me to eat at a lower level and weekends is when I love to cook and entertain, so it just makes the most sense. I'd feel like I was wasting calories on weekdays if I started eating significantly more then and went to even calories through the week.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    to much work.
    just eat approximately XXXX calories and if you have a high day - fine whatever- if you have a low day- fine whatever-. That's the whole point of maintenance.
  • paulandrachelk
    paulandrachelk Posts: 280 Member
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    Check out the reports section of MFP for checking trends-love the graphs.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    Maintaining for 12+ years and have always used a weekly calorie allotment rather than a daily one. It works just fine.

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