“Cheat Days” (Maintenance Days)

ChipChocolatePancake
ChipChocolatePancake Posts: 77 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Do you ever have a day where you feel simply ravenous, and make the conscious decision to eat at maintenance for a day to tame the beast? If so, does it help you stay on track in the further to have an occasional break from dieting, or does it tend to derail your efforts?

For some reason, MFP has grossly underestimated my TDEE, and as a result I’m losing at a rate of about 5lbs/week even though I’m eating the calories that MFP says should make me lose only 2lbs/week. I’m happy about the weight loss, but honestly I have pretty low energy all the time and I’m thinking about having a “maintenance day” once a week to make my energy levels a bit higher. Does anyone else do this? Have you had good success with it?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited March 2018
    I have days at maintenance... it's not cheating anything, It's just eating at maintenance.

    Why not just eat at a more reasonable deficit though?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    In your case, I would seriously consider increasing your daily calories so that you're losing at the rate you initially expected. 5 pounds a week is . . . a lot. You're hungry because you aren't eating enough daily and it's going to be difficult to fix that by eating slightly more one day a week (because if you eat where MFP says you would maintain, then you're still going to be at a deficit).
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    I do on occasion, but it's usually more so I can participate in family events or whatever else. If I was feeling low on energy, I'd eat more on a daily basis (provided the numbers supported it, which they obviously do in your case).
  • goatg
    goatg Posts: 1,399 Member
    That would have been the wise way to approach yesterday.

    How long have you been losing this much weight? If you're consistently losing 5 pounds per week and are hungry, why don't you eat more and adjust your settings (activity level, workouts, etc)?
  • ChipChocolatePancake
    ChipChocolatePancake Posts: 77 Member
    edited March 2018
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    In your case, I would seriously consider increasing your daily calories so that you're losing at the rate you initially expected. 5 pounds a week is . . . a lot. You're hungry because you aren't eating enough daily and it's going to be difficult to fix that by eating slightly more one day a week (because if you eat where MFP says you would maintain, then you're still going to be at a deficit).

    You’re right, of course. I’m so confused because I used MFP several years ago to lose weight, and it only *slightly* underestimated my TDEE at that time, and it seems ludicrous to me that my my TDEE would be so drastically off this time around. I keep waiting for the ball to drop (like, I’ve lost at a really fast rate for a few weeks now, but maybe it will slow eventually once my body gets used to the new regime/finishes losing water weight?).
  • ChipChocolatePancake
    ChipChocolatePancake Posts: 77 Member
    goatg wrote: »
    That would have been the wise way to approach yesterday.

    How long have you been losing this much weight? If you're consistently losing 5 pounds per week and are hungry, why don't you eat more and adjust your settings (activity level, workouts, etc)?


    A little over 3 weeks. I guess I’m not convinced that it’s not still water weight...but I don’t know at what point water weight loss stops and actual weight loss begins. I’m also very overweight, so I’m pretty sure it’s safe for me to cut calories drastically until I come into a more normal range. But I’ll definitely try to figure out what my actual TDEE is so that I can have a less hangry existence :)
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    Yes, diet breaks are wonderful. I just ate at Maintenance for a week and now I'm getting back into my usual deficit.

    They're awesome for mental health AND regulating your hunger hormones.

    And as a side-note... you should increase your calorie goal. You don't need to suffer to lose weight. Slow and steady is much better in the long run.
  • heumpirej
    heumpirej Posts: 12 Member
    If you're very overweight then it's normal that you lose the weight fast, but you should eat more on a daily basis or do a maintenance kcal day once a week or two.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    In your case, I would seriously consider increasing your daily calories so that you're losing at the rate you initially expected. 5 pounds a week is . . . a lot. You're hungry because you aren't eating enough daily and it's going to be difficult to fix that by eating slightly more one day a week (because if you eat where MFP says you would maintain, then you're still going to be at a deficit).

    I second this. Fast weight loss seems great until your hair starts falling out.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    In your case, I would seriously consider increasing your daily calories so that you're losing at the rate you initially expected. 5 pounds a week is . . . a lot. You're hungry because you aren't eating enough daily and it's going to be difficult to fix that by eating slightly more one day a week (because if you eat where MFP says you would maintain, then you're still going to be at a deficit).

    I second this. Fast weight loss seems great until your hair starts falling out.

    maybe that was my problem...
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    You do realise MFP does not give you your TDEE (deficit included), but your NEAT (deficit included).

    If you are exercising, you are supposed to eat those calories back.

    Start logging and eating your exercise cals.
    (If you are losing 5lbs instead of 2 that means you have a deficit of an extra 1500 cals a day. Make sure you are weighing and logging your food correctly)

    Cheers, h.

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