Calorie deflict
K3rB3ar89
Posts: 263 Member
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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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.1 -
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
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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.3
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Look at your weekly goal. If you're not over, you're good to go.0
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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.0
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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.1
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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:)1 -
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?2 -
Yes if overall you are still under on calories. However it's maybe not as healthy as you'd like.0
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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:(0
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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.0 -
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:2 -
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 etc1
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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.
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
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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
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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.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.2 -
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 punishment2 -
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.0
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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:(0 -
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 desire0 -
deannalfisher wrote: »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
The whole " this work out is ONLY 20 mins" is how i did so good the first time. I have videos. I was good at them lol.. maybe ill try logging it before hand aswell.. then im kinda obligated since it will suck to delete it lol0 -
As already mentioned, you may want to keep an eye on your weekly deficit. You said "all week i do soo good under my calorie goal track everything."
How far under your goal are you? A goal is to be met. If you're just talking about 50 calories or something, no big deal. If you're under more like 100 every weekday, that gives you an extra 500 for the weekend. If you're under more than that consistently, you should probably work on getting closer to your goal. However, this only really applies if you're logging accurately. If you're not weighing your food and ensuring the entries you choose are accurate, you may be eating more than you think, anyway. But, the bottom line is that, along with the other good advice in this thread, it might be helpful for you to take a look at your weekly deficit.0 -
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.
Oh, the idea of punishing yourself is terrible. There really is no other way to put it than bluntly, I'm sorry, because that is entering disordered behavior territory that leads to binge/restrict cycles. And the only way out of those is to not restrict.
OP, I agree with those suggesting that you start logging your weekends as accurately as possible, and then look at the big picture of your deficit for the week. You might be doing better than you think.
The other thing you could do is, as suggested, budget for say 2 slices of pizza with a salad, or a small bowl of chips, and prelog those. A lot of people save or bank extra calories during the week for the weekend.
The idea is to be in control of your indulgences and making them intentional instead of just diving in without a plan of attack.0 -
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
This. Exercise is something I used to loathe and I have come to love it. Furthermore, the idea of punishing yourself for overeating is very disordered behavior. It's part of binge/restrict cyclical behavior that is very insidious and hard to get out of. I've been there.1 -
I think you're being a little too hard on yourself.
When I want pizza or chips or chocolate or whatever I make it fit into my calories. I have a serving, log it, and move on. If I want more I remind myself I have already had my serving and I can always have more tomorrow or then next day. If I'm still hungry, I eat something that isn't so calorie dense.
Pizza pairs well with a big salad and if I'm eating chips I usually am eating them with a sandwich. Isn't hard to stop at a serving because I'm usually full then anyways.0 -
As already mentioned, you may want to keep an eye on your weekly deficit. You said "all week i do soo good under my calorie goal track everything."
How far under your goal are you? A goal is to be met. If you're just talking about 50 calories or something, no big deal. If you're under more like 100 every weekday, that gives you an extra 500 for the weekend. If you're under more than that consistently, you should probably work on getting closer to your goal. However, this only really applies if you're logging accurately. If you're not weighing your food and ensuring the entries you choose are accurate, you may be eating more than you think, anyway. But, the bottom line is that, along with the other good advice in this thread, it might be helpful for you to take a look at your weekly deficit.
That is true. I have a hard time getting close to my goal spec when i eat super healthy foods.. weighing isnt my problem. Ill take a look. Is there a part in the app for that?0 -
I think you're being a little too hard on yourself.
When I want pizza or chips or chocolate or whatever I make it fit into my calories. I have a serving, log it, and move on. If I want more I remind myself I have already had my serving and I can always have more tomorrow or then next day. If I'm still hungry, I eat something that isn't so calorie dense.
Pizza pairs well with a big salad and if I'm eating chips I usually am eating them with a sandwich. Isn't hard to stop at a serving because I'm usually full then anyways.
I agree... sometimes maybe its easier knowing im not the only one out there with issues like this haha and now to easier manage it. Its all appreciated...0 -
As already mentioned, you may want to keep an eye on your weekly deficit. You said "all week i do soo good under my calorie goal track everything."
How far under your goal are you? A goal is to be met. If you're just talking about 50 calories or something, no big deal. If you're under more like 100 every weekday, that gives you an extra 500 for the weekend. If you're under more than that consistently, you should probably work on getting closer to your goal. However, this only really applies if you're logging accurately. If you're not weighing your food and ensuring the entries you choose are accurate, you may be eating more than you think, anyway. But, the bottom line is that, along with the other good advice in this thread, it might be helpful for you to take a look at your weekly deficit.
That is true. I have a hard time getting close to my goal spec when i eat super healthy foods.. weighing isnt my problem. Ill take a look. Is there a part in the app for that?
Hopefully someone else can help you with that. I just track it informally, based on my daily leftover calories, or look at my fitbit info. I think you might have to use the myfitnesspal app, which I don't have.
I just saw in another thread that you said your goal is 1700 and you only get 1100-1400 if you're lucky. Given that, the pizza you ate probably hardly dented your deficit since you likely created a much larger one than you asked MFP for. And now you're talking about eating "super healthy foods." You're probably being more strict with yourself than you need to be. It's important to have a well-rounded diet to get the nutrition you need, but you don't need to eat "super healthy" all the time. Without seeing your diary, you could probably stand to add more calorie dense items to your diet - like avocado, nuts, nut butter, oils. And you can still plan on the weekends being higher calorie while keeping your intended deficit. Maybe eat 1500 during the week, then you have an extra 1000 for the weekend.1 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »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?
For the most part, I agree with this, with the caveat that if someone is achieving their goal of losing or maintaining weight (or even gaining weight at a controlled rate) without weekend tracking, or if they're satisfied with their rate of loss even if it's a little slower than they had originally hoped or planned for, they don't need to start tracking on the weekends if they would prefer not to. Not everyone cares about the data, just the results.
I say this although I'm in the "track everything" camp myself. I've only missed a handful of complete days in three and a half years (perhaps 6 days out of more than 1200 total), and maybe another half dozen times at most I haven't logged a last snack because it was late and I was tired -- and even then I usually go back and log a "best estimate" the next day. I like having the data to calculate my NEAT and TDEE.0 -
As already mentioned, you may want to keep an eye on your weekly deficit. You said "all week i do soo good under my calorie goal track everything."
How far under your goal are you? A goal is to be met. If you're just talking about 50 calories or something, no big deal. If you're under more like 100 every weekday, that gives you an extra 500 for the weekend. If you're under more than that consistently, you should probably work on getting closer to your goal. However, this only really applies if you're logging accurately. If you're not weighing your food and ensuring the entries you choose are accurate, you may be eating more than you think, anyway. But, the bottom line is that, along with the other good advice in this thread, it might be helpful for you to take a look at your weekly deficit.
That is true. I have a hard time getting close to my goal spec when i eat super healthy foods.. weighing isnt my problem. Ill take a look. Is there a part in the app for that?
Hopefully someone else can help you with that. I just track it informally, based on my daily leftover calories, or look at my fitbit info. I think you might have to use the myfitnesspal app, which I don't have.
I just saw in another thread that you said your goal is 1700 and you only get 1100-1400 if you're lucky. Given that, the pizza you ate probably hardly dented your deficit since you likely created a much larger one than you asked MFP for. And now you're talking about eating "super healthy foods." You're probably being more strict with yourself than you need to be. It's important to have a well-rounded diet to get the nutrition you need, but you don't need to eat "super healthy" all the time. Without seeing your diary, you could probably stand to add more calorie dense items to your diet - like avocado, nuts, nut butter, oils. And you can still plan on the weekends being higher calorie while keeping your intended deficit. Maybe eat 1500 during the week, then you have an extra 1000 for the weekend.
I just got avocado yestetday actually.. its not my favorite food tho... maybe ill have to look into making it taste better! Lol0
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