Is 3500 calories a lot to eat even if it was just for 1 day?

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waterweight130
waterweight130 Posts: 107 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, today I took in 3500 calories and was for the most part inactive, I usually try to keep my calories below 2,000 because I want to lose weight, I weighed about 205 pounds when I woke up this morning, I wasn't completely inactive, I helped move a couch into someone's house and moved one out...

I know that they say 3500 calories equals a pound but if I stood on the scale right now I know it would say I gained a few pounds because of the salt.

Should I be more careful? I hardly ever eat this much

I'm trying to get my weight below 200

Did I set myself back because of this cheat day?

It wasn't 3500 calories of chicken breast and brown rice either

It was fast food and ice cream

Replies

  • amy_kee
    amy_kee Posts: 693 Member
    I think you know the answer to your own question and are just looking for someone to say it's ok. Yes, ...couch or no couch, it's too much fast food and ice cream
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    One day won't hurt in the big scheme of things, but probably don't want to be doing that too often if you want to hit your goal.

    BTW, spending 10 minutes at most moving some furniture really doesn't do much to move the needle off inactive.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Depends on your activity level. There are days where I eat 3500 calories while I am losing weight. From your description though and the tone you are taking it is clear that that was excessive for that day. Just avoid doing that but don't beat yourself up for having done so. Aim to hit your calorie goal daily. You can have a "Cheat" day or a high calorie day now and again but just realize its going to slow your weight loss.

    Some people eat excessively low amounts so they can eat excessively high amounts now and again. It works for some but its not the style of weight loss I'd recommend aiming for.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,487 Member
    Well you ate 1500 more than the deficit allowed...how much over tdee was this? this is the actual damage done for the day.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Decapins wrote: »
    1 day of healthy eating wont make you fit and 1 day of unhealthy eating wont make you fat. it matters what u do consistently

    Yeah, this basically. Just recognize that isn't what you need to do to reach your goals and move on.
  • kianfox2014
    kianfox2014 Posts: 1 Member
    I did that the other day but not quite that many just carry on being good with calories and it shouldn't affect anything
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    If you indeed hardly ever eat this much, don't worry about it. Just get back to keeping most days around 2000 calories and in a week or 2 all the water and fat evidence of your today will be gone.
  • paulbrttn
    paulbrttn Posts: 72 Member
    To lose 1lb a week you need an approximate 3500 calorie deficit. If your calorie goal is 2000 and you've hit that every day except for you 3500 day then you've only gone over your goal by 1500 calories for the week or just over 200 calories per day average, this should still give you a 0.5lb loss once the water retention has dissipated.

    I prefer to look at it with a long term approach and just make sure it doesn't happen too often, your 1500 extra calories is only 50 calories a day averaged over the month as long as you're at your goal for the rest of the time.
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