Too many calories!!!

megtheeggo · August 2018

Some how I’ve ended up eating 4000cals today, if I’ve eaten under 1400cals every other day this week will I gain a lot of weight from today?

estherdragonbat · August 2018

One bad day may give you a couple of bad days on the scale, but in the great scheme of things, it's a blip on the radar. Keep in mind: in general, 3500 calories above your maintenance=1lb of fat. You already know that your maintenance is not 500 calories/day, so no matter what the scale tells you, a large part of the bad news is going to be water weight and undigested food. It'll pass.

Also, your body doesn't reset at midnight. It's overall calories over time. So, yeah, one day of eating over averaged with days of eating under... the damage isn't as much as it appears at first blush. Basically? It works out to "So you'll hit your goal weight a couple of days later."

The important thing to do now is move on. Don't dwell on today. If there's something you can take away, some plan in case you're in this situation again, something that you think might be able to help you stay on target next time, then work on that. But don't beat yourself up and don't do what I used to: decide today is already shot and I might as well eat even more of the things. (And if you do, own them and log them.)

You're human. Stuff happens. Let it go.

AnnPT77 · August 2018

Depends on whether you're still in an overall calorie deficit for the week (or so) or not. If you are, you'll lose. If not, you won't.

Either way, you'll see a scary (but mostly) meaningless scale jump from the combo of water weight (more carbs and salt than usual, NBD), and increased digestive system contents (also NBD).

Don't sweat it; it'll drop off pretty soon (few days) because almost none of it is fat gain.

You already ate it. If you wish you hadn't, spend around 10 minutes figuring out why, and thinking how best to avoid a repeat. Then log it, and get back on a healthy track.

You'll be fine. Best wishes!

megtheeggo · August 2018

Thankyou so much, both so helpful appreciate it truly, cannot thank you enough !!

middlehaitch · August 2018

Nothing to add to the excellent advice above.

Just something to think on.

You say you are eating under 1400 cals most days.
Is 1400 your goal given you by MFP?
If so eat to that, not under it.

Is your deficit too high?
0.5-1lbs a week for under 50lbs.
2lbs if over 75lbs to lose.

Are you eating back at least a portion (50-100%) of your exercise calories consistently?
MFP expects you to.

Sometimes when one has a day eating so much more than their deficit, it indicates that their deficit is too low, or they are not meeting nutritional goals.

Sometimes, of course, we eat more just because we feel like it, it is an occasion, etc etc. And we write that day off (logged if possible), with no guilt.

Cheers, h.

Too many calories!!!

Replies

Categories