Calorie deflict

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K3rB3ar89
K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just curious and this may be a super dumb question but... all week i do soo good under my calorie goal track everything. On the weekend however it all kinda goes out the door and pizza and chips are being eaten without being tracked. Can i lose weight this way still? Its easier to track and be good when my husband isnt home all weekend!
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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    Could it work? Possibly. Is it optimal? Probably not. Could you completely erase a weekly deficit with a weekend of over indulgence in all the foodz? Hell yeah...

    Many people are more relaxed on the weekends, but that doesn't mean they're unaware or going off the rails with all the foodz.
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
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    Maybe i just need more variety. Figure out a way to maybe make these things in a more healthy way... i kinda just do it mindlessly :(
  • mrramsey1969
    mrramsey1969 Posts: 46 Member
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    Be 100% accountable and track it all! You only cheat yourself by doing so. Add some additional exercise on the weekends to help compensate. Want pizza? get a different kind, veggie or just have 2 slices in stead of 3. It's all about give and take and finding a balance. You can still eat those things but do so in moderation and track it.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Look at your weekly goal. If you're not over, you're good to go.
  • missteena88
    missteena88 Posts: 153 Member
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    Why not plan some of your weekend meals ahead of time instead of just "winging it?" That way you can plug them in to the app and see where you are calorie wise and allow yourself X amount of this and X amount of that. You can still eat pizza and chips on the weekends, just not a whole pizza or a whole bag of chips. Or, I would try to get a rough idea of how much you're eating on the weekends and if it's not that much over your daily calorie limit, maybe sacrifice some throughout the week. Or, exercise more. Punish yourself for eating that extra slice of pizza by doing 45 minutes of cardio. There are solutions if you seriously do not want to change anything about what you're doing. You just have to find them.
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
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    I would try splitting the difference. Bank some calories during the week so you can indulge a little more over the weekend, but as others have said, plan ahead for those splurges and moderate them. When I have pizza, I have to do it my way (instead of four slices to get full, as I'd have done before, I'll do one slice, a big salad, and a Greek yogurt to get full). It feels better than skipping the pizza altogether, and I feel better not being in a food coma and knowing i didn't undo hard work.
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
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    emilysusana wrote: »
    I would try splitting the difference. Bank some calories during the week so you can indulge a little more over the weekend, but as others have said, plan ahead for those splurges and moderate them. When I have pizza, I have to do it my way (instead of four slices to get full, as I'd have done before, I'll do one slice, a big salad, and a Greek yogurt to get full). It feels better than skipping the pizza altogether, and I feel better not being in a food coma and knowing i didn't undo hard work.

    I never thought to make a big salad with my pizza! I love making my own dressings ect aswell so maybe ill look into that.. its weird in the moment sometimes you dont think of the simpelest things. Went grocery shopping yesterday and i told him and my daughter i got nothing for myself yet EVERYTHING was for me less they spicificly asked for something:p the process is there its just sometimes you need some encouragment:)
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    I would start, not by changing it, but by tracking it. That's the only way you can possibly know if you're undoing your deficit or not, because there is no one answer.

    One person, when they pull out all the stops, might only hit maintenance and so will still lose weight if they only do it once a week. Another person might eat 4000cal over maintenance and end up with a net gain over the week.

    If you want to know where you fall on that scale, you need to track it. Track everything. I mean, why wouldn't you? Who are you trying to hide it from? Yourself?
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
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    Yes if overall you are still under on calories. However it's maybe not as healthy as you'd like.
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
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    I dont track on weekends because i pretty much write it off.. not on purpose. My maintence is quite high tho and my calorie goal in a normal day is super hard for me too meet.. i have done this before but doing it again seems super difficult:(
  • dfc4
    dfc4 Posts: 109 Member
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    Track every day, having a "cheat day" or "cheat 24 hours" will slow down your progress but you should still lose weight if you keep it up for 5 - 6 days a week.
    Try cheating from friday evening to saturday evening or saturday till sunday.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    Log the weekends as accurately as possible. Sometimes you need to see it in black and white to really get motivated to do better.

    Are you maybe overrestricting during the week? Some people can eat light during the week and then use the banked calories on the weekend. But for others, eating super light during the week just makes them binge on the weekend.

    Whichever way you do it, log it all. The benefit of logging is having data to work with, and not being able to mindlessly eat more than you need to in order to get to your goal.

    Try not to put pressure on yourself to be perfect. Everyone has days where they blow past their goal or make bad decisions. Log it and learn from it. You can't learn from it if you don't acknowledge what it was and why it was the wrong decision :drinker:
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    track everything and try to pre-plan meals - i.e. if I'm planning on going out to dinner on the weekend, then I try to find nutrition info for restaurant menu ahead of time - so I know what I can fit into my allowance etc
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
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    dfc4 wrote: »
    Track every day, having a "cheat day" or "cheat 24 hours" will slow down your progress but you should still lose weight if you keep it up for 5 - 6 days a week.
    Try cheating from friday evening to saturday evening or saturday till sunday.

    Yeah this time was more like a cheat evening lol.. i logged it just now just to kinda see and it wasnt THAT bad. I think i more beat myself up becauase i feel i should have more self control. Then wake up the next day dissapointed in myself. I feel silly and maybe thinking i should be 100% on point is irrational all in itself :p
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    deannalfisher wrote: »
    track everything and try to pre-plan meals - i.e. if I'm planning on going out to dinner on the weekend, then I try to find nutrition info for restaurant menu ahead of time - so I know what I can fit into my allowance etc

    Did this Friday. Had a craving for Swiss Chalet and had it all logged before lunch so I knew where I would be for the day. 1200 calories planned for dinner does make for a snack free day though :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    missteena88 wrote: »
    Why not plan some of your weekend meals ahead of time instead of just "winging it?" That way you can plug them in to the app and see where you are calorie wise and allow yourself X amount of this and X amount of that. You can still eat pizza and chips on the weekends, just not a whole pizza or a whole bag of chips. Or, I would try to get a rough idea of how much you're eating on the weekends and if it's not that much over your daily calorie limit, maybe sacrifice some throughout the week. Or, exercise more. Punish yourself for eating that extra slice of pizza by doing 45 minutes of cardio. There are solutions if you seriously do not want to change anything about what you're doing. You just have to find them.

    I disagree with using exercise as punishment for an over indulgence. Regular exercise should be performed for your health and general wellness and fitness. This is one of the main reasons that I strongly advocate following structured programming. Using exercise as punishment can and often does result in a disordered relationship with food and fitness...that relationship should be positive, not negative.
    K3rB3ar89 wrote: »
    I dont track on weekends because i pretty much write it off.. not on purpose. My maintence is quite high tho and my calorie goal in a normal day is super hard for me too meet.. i have done this before but doing it again seems super difficult:(

    I haven't tracked or logged anything in years...that doesn't mean I just do things mindlessly. Yesterday we took our boys (4 & 6) out for pizza after their soccer and football games...I knew we were going out for pizza so I made it a point to just eat a smaller breakfast. My wife and I split a small veggie supreme and had a salad. Today my Phins are playing their first playoff game in ages and I'm baking wings for the game to celebrate. I'll probably eat a dozen or so as well as beer...I skipped breakfast and my wife is making a light dinner tonight.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    I hate the idea of exercise for punishment as well - I eat to fuel my body, so that I can perform to my best at a physical level

    food is fuel, exercise is not punishment
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I don't view exercise as punishment, but I often reward it. If I'm at my limit but feel like a glass of wine, then I'll do 30 mins walking on the treadmill. Of course, 1/2 the time when I'm done I no longer feel like the wine, but lots of times I do.
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
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    deannalfisher wrote: »
    I hate the idea of exercise for punishment as well - I eat to fuel my body, so that I can perform to my best at a physical level

    food is fuel, exercise is not punishment

    About 3 years ago i had this work out bug. Everyday just about for 3 months. Then i met my husband and i just stopped..

    I wish i could get that going again it was so easy. Now im more relying on calorie deflict.. i often lay in bed reading threw here and telling myself tomorrow ill work out. But it never happens:(
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    I've found that putting my workout onto my daily calendar (mostly because I need to make sure that I balance them correctly) has really helped me to adhere to daily workout - even if its only 20min of weights

    I stream a lot of workout videos off youtube (fitness blender is a favorite) - so I can work out in my basement at 10pm if I so desire

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