NOT EATING AT A DEFICIT EVERY DAY. AM I SABOTAGING?
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kristinstephenson86
Posts: 27 Member
About 2 days out of the week I am eating at maintenance. So there are, truly, only 5 days a week I am at a deficit which isn't always exactly 500 calories but 3-500. I need support/encouragement here. Am I sabotaging? Am I still going to lose weight like this? And do you have any tips to work towards a deficit 7 days a week? This is really difficult for me. Thanks.
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You don't gain at maintenance - that's why it's maintenance. You just lose slower 'cause two days are maintaining rather than deficit. If you're fine with the rate of loss, and those two maintenance days help with your sanity, I say stick to 2 days of maintenance.12
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I always look at weekly calories, so as long as you are in a deficit over time, you will lose. You might not lose as fast, but adherence is very important too.9
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There’s an argument that the way you’re doing it is more effective, and there’s and even stronger argument that the way you’re doing it is more sustainable. Eating at maintenance is a non-issue if it happens twice a week. A five day deficit (combined with two days maintenance) will still result in weight loss.5
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I have been doing this for about 3+ weeks now. I put my goal in at loosing 1.5lbs per week. And even that i find difficult as I have not got into weighing and measuring every little thing before eating it. Some days im over my cals by 100 or 2. Some days i stay right now. Never under. its frustrating and i feel like im failing and do go up and down depending, but at the end of each week always seen to loose atleast a half a pound or more. So ive lost a little over 2lbs in almost 4 weeks. Not the fastest journey at this rate but..better than getting frustrated or deprived and binging!3
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I always look at weekly calories, so as long as you are in a deficit over time, you will lose. You might not lose as fast, but adherence is very important too.
This is spot on-as long as you're eating at a deficit over time you'll lose weight, it just might be at a slower pace. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since what you do also has to be realistic and sustainable for you.3 -
Depends on how accurate your logging is. If you are weighing all your food and meeting your MFP weight loss calorie goal on some days while eating at maintenance on other days, then you will lose weight. However, if you are not weighing your food, then you are likely eating more than you expect. Depending on how much error there is in your logging, you may not have as big a deficit as you think.
It also depends on what you mean by "deficit." Does that mean you eat the number of calories MFP tells you to eat for weight loss, or you eat 300-500 calories less than that? Whatever your MFP calorie goal is for weight loss, it already has a deficit built in. This is an important distinction because some people think they need to eat less than the MFP calorie goal in order to create a deficit.
Finally, it also depends on how accurate MFP's maintenance calories are for you. Some people in maintenance find that they don't maintain on the number of calories MFP recommends.
Overall, weigh all your food, give it a month, and see how you're doing.4 -
Depends on how accurate your logging is. If you are weighing all your food and meeting your MFP weight loss calorie goal on some days while eating at maintenance on other days, then you will lose weight. However, if you are not weighing your food, then you are likely eating more than you expect. Depending on how much error there is in your logging, you may not have as big a deficit as you think.
It also depends on what you mean by "deficit." Does that mean you eat the number of calories MFP tells you to eat for weight loss, or you eat 300-500 calories less than that? Whatever your MFP calorie goal is for weight loss, it already has a deficit built in. This is an important distinction because some people think they need to eat less than the MFP calorie goal in order to create a deficit.
Finally, it also depends on how accurate MFP's maintenance calories are for you. Some people in maintenance find that they don't maintain on the number of calories MFP recommends.
Overall, weigh all your food, give it a month, and see how you're doing.
I am weighing as much as I can and sticking to small portions. My logging probably isn't perfect, but I'm pretty sure I'm eating at a deficit!! And I am eating the recommended amount by MFP that already has the deficit in it.0 -
kristinstephenson86 wrote: »Depends on how accurate your logging is. If you are weighing all your food and meeting your MFP weight loss calorie goal on some days while eating at maintenance on other days, then you will lose weight. However, if you are not weighing your food, then you are likely eating more than you expect. Depending on how much error there is in your logging, you may not have as big a deficit as you think.
It also depends on what you mean by "deficit." Does that mean you eat the number of calories MFP tells you to eat for weight loss, or you eat 300-500 calories less than that? Whatever your MFP calorie goal is for weight loss, it already has a deficit built in. This is an important distinction because some people think they need to eat less than the MFP calorie goal in order to create a deficit.
Finally, it also depends on how accurate MFP's maintenance calories are for you. Some people in maintenance find that they don't maintain on the number of calories MFP recommends.
Overall, weigh all your food, give it a month, and see how you're doing.
I am weighing as much as I can and sticking to small portions. My logging probably isn't perfect, but I'm pretty sure I'm eating at a deficit!! And I am eating the recommended amount by MFP that already has the deficit in it.
Good! Then yes, you should still lose weight, just a bit more slowly. I agree with those who recommended looking at your weekly rather than daily calorie goals. Many people "bank" calories during the week so they can eat more on the weekends but have a consistent deficit.3 -
No you're just losing a bit slower, but if it works don't worry, you'll still get to goal eventually.1
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Consistency is key! It is very challenging, but worth it. Think of it this way... those two days out of the week that you eat at maintenance level, are you treating those as cheat days or are you doing it with purpose? Be honest with yourself! Ask if yourself if there is anything that you can do better. Only you can answer these questions, since you know yourself better than anyone else!
Usually, when a client tells me they are following a nutrition plan 80% of the time, it is more like 60% of the time.3 -
If you had a debt of $1000 and 5 days out of the week you made daily payments of $20 but two days out of the week you made no payment would you still end up paying off your debt over time?
Same answer for your caloric deficit and maintenance days.13 -
Sambo_fitness wrote: »Consistency is key! It is very challenging, but worth it. Think of it this way... those two days out of the week that you eat at maintenance level, are you treating those as cheat days or are you doing it with purpose? Be honest with yourself! Ask if yourself if there is anything that you can do better. Only you can answer these questions, since you know yourself better than anyone else!
Usually, when a client tells me they are following a nutrition plan 80% of the time, it is more like 60% of the time.
No!! I really am only doing it 1 or 2 days out of the week. I consider eating at maintenance def cheating for me. I don't want to go over maintenance that is just not worth it. Maintenance is usually my limit. It's usually emotional or on accident.
I am gonna be vulnerable and honest here. I just looked in the mirror and saw how much weight I have put on and how much my shape is gone. And it triggered me to eat more. I didn't, but still. Why does my brain tell me I will never lose it and look decent again??? I am working on a healthier relationship with my food and body.
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I typically do this as I’ve changed my approach to fitness and eating. I will eat in a small deficit (1800-1900 calories) throughout the week, and workout 4x a week. Then on occasion (2x a week usually) I’ll eat at maintenance (2000) just so that it’s sustainable and something I can continue long term. I lose more slowly than I did when I was eating 1300-1500 calories, obviously but it’s so much better for my mental health which is my priority right now.4
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kristinstephenson86 wrote: »Sambo_fitness wrote: »Consistency is key! It is very challenging, but worth it. Think of it this way... those two days out of the week that you eat at maintenance level, are you treating those as cheat days or are you doing it with purpose? Be honest with yourself! Ask if yourself if there is anything that you can do better. Only you can answer these questions, since you know yourself better than anyone else!
Usually, when a client tells me they are following a nutrition plan 80% of the time, it is more like 60% of the time.
No!! I really am only doing it 1 or 2 days out of the week. I consider eating at maintenance def cheating for me. I don't want to go over maintenance that is just not worth it. Maintenance is usually my limit. It's usually emotional or on accident.
I am gonna be vulnerable and honest here. I just looked in the mirror and saw how much weight I have put on and how much my shape is gone. And it triggered me to eat more. I didn't, but still. Why does my brain tell me I will never lose it and look decent again??? I am working on a healthier relationship with my food and body.
Your brain is trying to sell you a lie. Keep doing what you're doing. Eventually you will get to where you want to be. The main thing is that your in overall calorie deficit -do that consistently and you can't fail.
All the best.3 -
Just so you can see the math of it:
Let's say your days off deficit are all 300 calorie deficit days. At five days off deficit, for the week, you've reduced your calories by 1500. That means that you would average .428 pounds per week loss. It may not be the pound a week your originally set up your profile for, but it's still downward. And if those 300 days are all 500 days, then that's 2,500 for the week and .714 average for the week.
Your may want to get a weight trending app to make sure that you're rate is what you expect it to be. But what you're doing is totally reasonable, especially if it's working for you.5 -
Just so you can see the math of it:
Let's say your days off deficit are all 300 calorie deficit days. At five days off deficit, for the week, you've reduced your calories by 1500. That means that you would average .428 pounds per week loss. It may not be the pound a week your originally set up your profile for, but it's still downward. And if those 300 days are all 500 days, then that's 2,500 for the week and .714 average for the week.
Your may want to get a weight trending app to make sure that you're rate is what you expect it to be. But what you're doing is totally reasonable, especially if it's working for you.
Thank you. I weighed myself yesterday and somehow I have lost 5 pounds in the past month!! I get scared that that is false. I don't know how to get over the mental stuff. I'm like: "it's just a fluke it seems like I lost- probably mostly water." lol I feel like half of this is all mental. I don't weight myself much for this reason. I do work out but don't eat back all the calories since I have read that calorie trackers are usually considerably incorrect.0 -
kristinstephenson86 wrote: »Just so you can see the math of it:
Let's say your days off deficit are all 300 calorie deficit days. At five days off deficit, for the week, you've reduced your calories by 1500. That means that you would average .428 pounds per week loss. It may not be the pound a week your originally set up your profile for, but it's still downward. And if those 300 days are all 500 days, then that's 2,500 for the week and .714 average for the week.
Your may want to get a weight trending app to make sure that you're rate is what you expect it to be. But what you're doing is totally reasonable, especially if it's working for you.
Thank you. I weighed myself yesterday and somehow I have lost 5 pounds in the past month!! I get scared that that is false. I don't know how to get over the mental stuff. I'm like: "it's just a fluke it seems like I lost- probably mostly water." lol I feel like half of this is all mental. I don't weight myself much for this reason. I do work out but don't eat back all the calories since I have read that calorie trackers are usually considerably incorrect.
Some of it may be water. That's normal. Water weight fluctuates all the time. However, no one loses five pounds of water, then stays at the lower weight, then loses five more pounds of water, etc. You'd get pretty dehydrated if that was the case. Five pounds is a reasonable amount of fat loss to expect in a month for many people who are trying to lose weight.
Weighing yourself more often and using a trend weight app can help with understanding normal water fluctuations. The scale goes up and down every day for everyone. Trend weight apps help smooth out that fluctuation and show you the "actual" change in your weight. (Besides, if you only weigh once a month, you might just happen to catch a day when you're a little bloated or have a little less waste in your system than usual.)3 -
I think you're doing just fine. You won't lose weight as fast but you'll still get there, and it sounds like this is more sustainable for you.0
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