Rebounding from restaurants

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  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,831 Member
    Phoebe5164 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Phoebe5164 wrote: »

    I don’t think banking calories all week will help ?? I’d doesn’t work that way

    What exactly is it that you don't think 'works that way'?

    You might notice I said “ I don’t think...” I’ve never heard of saving your daily calories and then using them up later ... why not have a monthly calorie goal?

    You could.

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,831 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    caras1982 wrote: »
    How does everyone else plan around a night out? I am going to a really good restaurant and I am not skimping just this one meal, which could be bad later on, but how do you get through after?

    Banking some calories through the week and do a long run the day I am going out is my solution.

    Yep ...

    I'll usually come in maybe 100 calories below my goal for 5 days or so ... giving me an extra 500 calories to work with. And then I'll go for a long bicycle ride, or these days, a longish run which might give me an extra 500-1000 calories to work with. Plus my usual calories for the day ... and I'm set for a decent restaurant meal. :)
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    caras1982 wrote: »
    How does everyone else plan around a night out? I am going to a really good restaurant and I am not skimping just this one meal, which could be bad later on, but how do you get through after?
    • Enjoy your meal, food isn't just fuel it's also a great social pleasure in life.
    • Good food also doesn't mean the same as lots of food or very high calories. Quality not quantity in other words - when I eat out I want something special not a feeding trough! ;)
    • Remember if you are losing weight your goal already has a deficit so a higher calorie meal might just mean you have a weight maintenance day - it's not a big deal in the great scheme of things.
    • A big exercise day can help offset a bigger meal - that's a bit of a virtuous circle as you get a fitness benefit and have a nicer meal too.
    • There is no "bad later on" or "get through afterwards" unless you have unreasonable guilt about enjoying a nice meal.
    • Put one meal in perspective - over time it's totally trivial.
    • Thinking of a weekly allowance is perfectly sensible and far less restrictive than a daily balancing of the books, dieting isn't fun and making your life revolve around your diet can be miserable.
  • AudreyJDuke
    AudreyJDuke Posts: 1,092 Member
    Good ideas!
  • mommacara82
    mommacara82 Posts: 15 Member
    So here’s the update/clarification. Went to Lola Bistro, for anyone who knows restaurants, there could be a lower cal version of my brain wanted to go there, but I didn’t. Compared to the damage I would’ve done a few years ago though, I went above maintenance for the day but that was in drinks (which I forgot to add in when I was guesstimating as I ate 🙈) word to the wise- watch your drink calories!!!! I’m usually better on that but I was having a birthday lol
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited November 2018
    caras1982 wrote: »
    So here’s the update/clarification. Went to Lola Bistro, for anyone who knows restaurants, there could be a lower cal version of my brain wanted to go there, but I didn’t. Compared to the damage I would’ve done a few years ago though, I went above maintenance for the day but that was in drinks (which I forgot to add in when I was guesstimating as I ate 🙈) word to the wise- watch your drink calories!!!! I’m usually better on that but I was having a birthday lol

    One meal really isn't a big deal.

    Just don't weigh yourself straight away, restaurant food is always a sodium bomb!
  • indiacaitlin
    indiacaitlin Posts: 691 Member
    Enjoy it and then forget about it the next day, straight back to the deficit :)
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,981 Member
    caras1982 wrote: »
    So here’s the update/clarification. Went to Lola Bistro, for anyone who knows restaurants, there could be a lower cal version of my brain wanted to go there, but I didn’t. Compared to the damage I would’ve done a few years ago though, I went above maintenance for the day but that was in drinks (which I forgot to add in when I was guesstimating as I ate 🙈) word to the wise- watch your drink calories!!!! I’m usually better on that but I was having a birthday lol


    Ah yes, drink calories can be a trap :)

    But sounds like you have a good handle on this - accept going over, that's real life, but don't go totally overboard and then just continue on after that......
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,981 Member
    Phoebe5164 wrote: »
    Ok @travistocktoad , questioning something is a normal reaction to something Ive never heard of , unlike following blindly , I’ll ask for the facts ...which I’ve not seen yet !

    If it works for you ?good


    Adios amigos, I’m not doing a weekly or monthly or yearly calories count because that just doesn’t make sense ,when you go to bed content and wake up hungry that’s a reset to me ....

    Good luck 🌼


    Well you dont have to do it, thats fine -like any strategy, it is not for everyone.

    But weekly calories makes perfect sense for many of us and is a good strategy and MFP provides the format to do this.

    Questioning new things is fine - not sure why you have the sarcastic attitude about it though :*

    Nor what facts you want? - it is a strategy or tool , not a scientific fact
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,012 Member
    A monthly goal for weight management would work . . . but the scale weight roller-coaster would be a little more dizzying, and that math a little more tedious.

    I was on a weight-gain plan that spread over many decades, some days under maintenance calories, but most days over . . . and it worked just fine to make me overweight, then obese. There aren't resets on the way up - the overages kept accumulating on my hips; there haven't been any on the way down, either (I'm in maintenance) . . . though there may be some minor short-term differing effects related to homeostasis effects, water weight, digestive contents, nutrition and what-not.

    Weekly banking/balancing works, as does fitting in some extra exercise in advance or day of, or eating lightly day of.

    I don't recommend trying to "catch up" by working out more or eating less after an over-goal day: That can set up the denial phase of an undereat/binge cycle, whereas reducing the days beforehand by a bit will leave the bigger day standing in for the "catch up" binge.

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