Big OverFeed Ruins Everything? Nope.
AnnPT77
Posts: 32,023 Member
I'm posting this in counterpoint to the frequent "Fell off the wagon - all progress destroyed!!!!" woe-is-me "self sabotage" threads.
I'm in maintenance, but trying to lose ultra-slowly because I'm a bit above maintenance range. Last weekend, I went to a weekend workshop with art buddies, and really kicked out the jams. Here's the history:
Date - AM Weigh-in - Apprx Net Cals - Notes
Th 9/28 - 128.8 - 1892 - Low weight baseline
Fr 9/29 -130.6 - 2476 - Travel day
Sa 9/30 - NA - 6097 - No scale; cals partly guessed
Su 10/1 - NA - 4444 - No scale; some cals estimated
Mo 10/2 - 135.2 - 1960 - Back to normal routine
Tu 10/3 - 131.8 - 2401 - normal day
We 10/4 - 131.0 - 1800 - normal day
Th 10/5 - 129.8 - 1814 - normal day
Fr 10/6 -128.0 - ??? - Eating ??, day not over
I'm 5'5", 61 years old. My actual net maintenance calories are in the mid-2000s somewhere. My current net goal is 1850, but I plan to (and do) majorly exceed that at least once a week, for an average net more in the 2000-2200 kind of range.
Though there was some estimating in those weekend days, I'm pretty confident they're close. I can really eat, and there were multiple craft IPAs, fried foods, grazing freely on cookies and treats at a bounteous and caloric potluck treat table at the event, pastry/waffles at breakfast, and more.
So, ruined everything? Sabotaged myself? What do you think? I think I lost a week in my otherwise slow descent back to goal range. And I had fun.
So, meh. No drama - pointless. Just back on track.
edited: tables don't work)
I'm in maintenance, but trying to lose ultra-slowly because I'm a bit above maintenance range. Last weekend, I went to a weekend workshop with art buddies, and really kicked out the jams. Here's the history:
Date - AM Weigh-in - Apprx Net Cals - Notes
Th 9/28 - 128.8 - 1892 - Low weight baseline
Fr 9/29 -130.6 - 2476 - Travel day
Sa 9/30 - NA - 6097 - No scale; cals partly guessed
Su 10/1 - NA - 4444 - No scale; some cals estimated
Mo 10/2 - 135.2 - 1960 - Back to normal routine
Tu 10/3 - 131.8 - 2401 - normal day
We 10/4 - 131.0 - 1800 - normal day
Th 10/5 - 129.8 - 1814 - normal day
Fr 10/6 -128.0 - ??? - Eating ??, day not over
I'm 5'5", 61 years old. My actual net maintenance calories are in the mid-2000s somewhere. My current net goal is 1850, but I plan to (and do) majorly exceed that at least once a week, for an average net more in the 2000-2200 kind of range.
Though there was some estimating in those weekend days, I'm pretty confident they're close. I can really eat, and there were multiple craft IPAs, fried foods, grazing freely on cookies and treats at a bounteous and caloric potluck treat table at the event, pastry/waffles at breakfast, and more.
So, ruined everything? Sabotaged myself? What do you think? I think I lost a week in my otherwise slow descent back to goal range. And I had fun.
So, meh. No drama - pointless. Just back on track.
edited: tables don't work)
138
Replies
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Great post @AnnPT77, and totally agree.
It is consistency over time that matter long term, not the odd day, or few off track.
Cheers, h.21 -
Totally agree! Best insight ever on approaching weight loss and maintenance with a healthy mindset10
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last year I lost 32lbs between the end of june and end of November.
In August I went out for my dads birthday and I cant even imagine how many calories I had that night.
I was drinking vodka with normal coke instead of diet coke, drinking beer and all sorts of god knows what else, we had a massive meal and Id taken a hudge chocolate cake which id made so can confirm cals per slice were HIGH.
even had cheese on toast and crisps when I got home because Id got the drunk munchies lol.
that was all on top of a normal day of breakfast and lunch too.
as expected the next 2 days my weight was up by 4/5lbs, i was gutted to see that on the scale but had the best night so just got back to logging. 4 days later when I weighed in I was down....not only that 4/5lbs but also 3lbs from what Id weighed in at the morning before we went out44 -
@AnnPT77 @MoveitlikeManda - yeah, I regularly have cheat days where I really tear it up. For me that's 2400+ calories (sometimes +++) vs. my normal 1500. But the temporary hit always seems to bounce back down when I'm back in losing mode. I think, anecdotally and without scientific proof, that the occasional binge actually revs your metabolism back up, forces your body out of scarcity mode. As long as "occasional" doesn't turn into "more cheat days than regular days".20
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I think there's an element of those days doing less "damage" when rare than if they regular in the way the body uprates its needs to compensate for the sudden overfeed. So you end up not actually having as much of a surplus as would appear on paper. I may well have mis-remembered that though.
Side note: My Canadian friend is hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow (they have a different day than the US) and while I have banked some calories I'm not even going to try to log. I've whacked a quick add amount but don't care if I'm over/under. She took a hiatus to retrain as a midwife for 4 years so I am going all in tomorrow!9 -
thank you Ann for another clear and insightful post! I am one of those who over the years has fallen pretty HARD with just a few days of "crazy" and not been able to climb back up out of the hole. I know it's possible, and I am going to book mark this dang post for when I stumble to make sure it is a stumble and doesn't become a lie down drunk off your butt black out what the heck happened thing.9
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Maybe should've added: Thus was not a defense of "cheat" days. I don't believe in "cheat days", in kind of the same sense that I don't believe in Santa Claus. Who would I be cheating? How?
Some days I eat below my target calories, some right on, some above. I nearly always log it (always did, while actively losing).
It's just food, just eating - not sin, psychiatry, or anything else. It needs to balance . . . calories, nutrition, tastiness, satiation, pleasure, celebration . . . it all needs to balance over time.52 -
Just like that one big workout doesn't make you skinny, right?40
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Love this post!! I’m 5-10lb from where I would like to be and sometimes I’m over or under calories goals. I don’t sweat it anymore. I used to.6
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Gonna bump this, because there have been some "OMG I've FAILED" worry posts lately. Folks, just get back on track. Everything will work out fine.22
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Maybe should've added: Thus was not a defense of "cheat" days. I don't believe in "cheat days", in kind of the same sense that I don't believe in Santa Claus. Who would I be cheating? How?
Some days I eat below my target calories, some right on, some above. I nearly always log it (always did, while actively losing).
It's just food, just eating - not sin, psychiatry, or anything else. It needs to balance . . . calories, nutrition, tastiness, satiation, pleasure, celebration . . . it all needs to balance over time.
And you’ve said it so well!
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Now who could have marked that post as insightful?4
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I gotta *bump* this...4
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I think I'm just going to bump this thread myself . . . thinking of it as sort of an early Christmas present for the newer readers in MFP General, Health & Fitness.
Happy holidays! :drinker:15 -
My new fun phrase is "it's eating, not cheating."
Wether I consume 1200 calories or 5000 calories, it's all just eating.
Having sex with a dude (or chick I suppose) other than my spouse? Cheating.
Copying the answers off someone else or stealing an exam answer sheet? Cheating.
Consuming 6 cookies and 2 margaritas and chips and queso and a chicken taco, cheese enchilada and half a beef burrito? Eating. Over my deficit goal for sure but actually around my maintenance. Either way, not cheating, just eating.40 -
Great post. I've found that one or two days over cals always evens out within 4-5 whether I eat at maintenance or restrict (which I've stopped doing) afterwards. There's a YouTuber called Stephanie Buttermore who's a science based PhD and a fitness type and she's done a lot of videos about "cheat" days and the results once she just goes back to normal. There is one I will try to find where she does the maths on what is really happening to all the calories she consumes in that day, including the thermic effect of food and some other things.5
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