600 calories over today 😬 advice?
Kittyy1994
Posts: 108 Member
Hi there. I went 600 calories over today - which is about 380 over my maintenance! No particularly special day or anything, stuck to goal until after dinner when I just started craving snacks. Anyways very disappointed with myself .... do you think this will cause weight gain? Should I try and balance out over the course of this week by saving 100 cal per day or just write it off and start fresh tomorrow?
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Replies
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I would just write it off as a fresh start tomorrow, you don't want to get into the mentality of punishing yourself for eating a little over maintenance if it happens rarely.
To gain a pound of fat you'd have to eat around 3500 calories above maintenance. So if you're 380 calories over you've set back your weight loss by maybe 24 hours, which is but a drop in the ocean.
If anything, if it becomes more than a one off, getting to the root cause would be more helpful than trying to counteract it.
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It is a long haul journey, not a sprint. Don't worry about it, but try to learn from it. Start from fresh today.
It may have caused some weight gain, depending on the level of your deficit, but it will be pretty negligible. (I think 3,500 calories is about equivalent to a pound of fat. So 600 calories is equivalent to about 1/6th of a pound.)4 -
Forgive yourself. Don't sweat the small stuff. ☺5
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Agree with the other responses - it happens to all of us from time to time. For me, the big thing is not beating myself up over it - think of all the super successful days when I've done well and realize they far outnumber the once in a while day where snacking just happens.
And if it's helpful, I did the same thing last night. Good, healthy dinner and a reasonable sized dessert of fresh peach crisp...and then decided right before bed to have chips and salsa AND butterscotch pudding - and didn't even bother to measure either. Oops.4 -
It is a long haul journey, not a sprint. Don't worry about it, but try to learn from it. Start from fresh today.
It may have caused some weight gain, depending on the level of your deficit, but it will be pretty negligible. (I think 3,500 calories is about equivalent to a pound of fat. So 600 calories is equivalent to about 1/6th of a pound.)
Of the 600 only 380 was above maintenance. The 600 calories was over the calorie goal for weight loss so it's only about 1/10th of a pound.2 -
I have had several similar days recently. Accept it and make an effort not to repeat in the next day.
Usually once a week it happens where I eat too much and don't work out. But like the others have said it takes a 3,500 gain to actually put on a pound, so while the scale may show a 2 or 3 pound gain, it will quickly reverse. Move on and as I write in my log "TYN", which means trust your #'s. If you record properly any short term gain will go away. I've been taking this approach for 6 years and really appreciate MFP for just being available.1 -
Been there, done that.
Just start fresh and move forward. As long as you keep on your path, and don’t start sliding down a slippery slope, you’ll be fine.5 -
It's really not a big deal in the grand scheme. I've lost over 50 pounds and have probably gone off plan about twice per month during that time.
If it starts happening very often then that's a different story.2 -
You seem to be concerned because you have made this a topic....I record all I eat and pay close attention in the evening because I know that once overeating or craving starts, it will continue so my self-discipline and purpose for keeping weight off being my health kicks in and I let go of the craving--it fades--chew some gum, that will always break my craving. Use this situation to help create a stronger self discipline and think about how your health will improve with the weight off....
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Forgive yourself; it's just food. Log it and move on.
If it happens again, try to figure out why you are craving snacks so bad. Is your deficit too aggressive? Do you need a "diet break"?3 -
Try again tomorrow.0
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OR go for a weekly average - that means to can eat more on days you are hungrier, and less on the others.3
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There's a weight loss app at https://www.pbrc.edu/research-and-faculty/calculators/sswcp/, called the Single Subject Excel® Based Weight Change predictor. It helps you calculate your projected weight loss based on calorie intake and age, weight, height etc. It's not 100% accurate but it's close enough to be helpful.0
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No need to even “start fresh” - that implies you are “on a diet”. Just with continue your plan. If you were driving from LA to NY and took a wrong turn halfway there, you wouldn’t go back to LA, you would just get back on the route!9
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Like most are saying here...don't sweat it...it happened...move on...if it begins to happen regularly...then look at why...I have days where I feel like a remorseless eating machine at night...if I have tasty snacks in the house...they end up in my belly...whether I require them or not...it's a real failing of mine and one I keep addressing...but the way my life has gone in the last month or so...I've been a slave to it and have stopped and started on an almost weekly basis...I'll be no doubt rebooting in 7 days because we are going away on Thursday this week...so I will be leaving the gym and home-handled meals behind in favour of socializing at the Punk Festival we are attending whilst eating (somewhat sensibly) in pubs or seaside takeaway establishments...
Once that's done and dusted...I will be able to look at streamlining my food life again and picking back up the exercise regime...the point here being that life is your greatest roadblock and sometimes you gotta just roll with those punches...get knocked down...and get back up again...I keep doing it...and I'm not gaining weight...so something is working right?!2 -
Disagreeing with everyone. I'd do the banking technique and carry over the excess to the next day. That way you're always compliant with the system and never just blowing it off. You'll eat less the next day.
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its just 1 day further from the goal. Dont be depressed about it.1
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feisty_bucket wrote: »Disagreeing with everyone. I'd do the banking technique and carry over the excess to the next day. That way you're always compliant with the system and never just blowing it off. You'll eat less the next day.
If you're managing your calories over the week by planning to do so in advance that's a totally different mind set to punishing yourself for having an off day!
Trying to drop intake by 600 calories in one day to balance it out can lead to bingeing in the following days out of sheer hunger.
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My 2 cents:
380 cals over maintenance is around a tenth of a pound of fat. Unless you own a $5,000 doctor scale, it won't even be accurate enough to register that 1/10th of a pound. Those 380 calories won't make you look any different, won't make your clothes tighter, and won't show up on the scale. They just don't matter.
Ignore it and move on.
I have never known anyone in my life who, while on a diet, didn't have days when they were way over their target. It not only happens, it is guaranteed to happen. Even people who lose 100 or 500 pounds occasionally take a day off or binge on some junk food.
So, you've got the best of all worlds here. You're losing weight, and you got to take a time out and enjoy some munchies you've been denying yourself. Don't try to "make up" the calories and don't feel bad about it; you simply did what every single other dieter since around 100,000 BC has done - go off road for a night. Nothing bad there and no reason for self-doubt. Don't let it turn into two days, though. You had your fun, now get back on the horse! That is the key.
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Thanks for the replies everyone. I have been a little hungrier lately but this is the first time I have gave in.
I am currently at my goal weight (but still not happy with how my body looks) have now been looking into re-composition but have no idea how to approach this- are you supposed to eat at a small deficit still or maintenance?1 -
Kittyy1994 wrote: »Thanks for the replies everyone. I have been a little hungrier lately but this is the first time I have gave in.
I am currently at my goal weight (but still not happy with how my body looks) have now been looking into re-composition but have no idea how to approach this- are you supposed to eat at a small deficit still or maintenance?
If at goal weight... at maintenance. remember that maintenance has a range, it is not a static number. Especially at maintenance you will have days that are over. Way more over than 600 Cal.
One way that people handle this is that they "cut" 100 or so cal a day and leave room for slightly higher weekends or occasions. Another, is that the body to a degree compensates and after a slightly higher day you may find yourself slightly more active. So you don't necessarily even have to compensate at all for just the occasional indulgence--depending on the number of occasions and circumstances, of course!
The key, TBH, is not to panic and make large changes, or punish yourself, or get upset. You won't regain several (real) lbs of fat in a day or two, and you don't have to lose them in a day or two. And you don't have to react to every water weight swing.
Have a look through the maintenance forum. There are a couple of interesting threads on how to dial in your maintenance calories. And some that discuss a period of rebound hunger even after increasing intake to full maintenance.
How steep of a deficit were you at during weight loss, especially the last few months?
If you were hitting it hard or for very long there is some danger of re-bound hunger signals.4 -
tinkerbellang83 wrote: »punishing yourself for having an off day!
Trying to drop intake by 600 calories in one day to balance it out can lead to bingeing in the following days out of sheer hunger.
It's not "punishing" yourself to drop a meal; it's sticking to the system and being disciplined.
It's also standard practice in Intermittent Fasting & Time-Restricted Feeding circles. People do it all the time; it's no big deal.
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I think it depends on what works for you and your mindset. For some people cutting calories from the next week or doing too much extra cardio can be a slippery slope. For others it's like balancing a budget. It also depends on your overall deficit and activity level. If you are already at 1200 cals it's going to be hard to cut more than that.
For me if I really overindulge one day/weekend and I know I've definitely gone way over, I will sometimes balance it the next week.. I will cut some calories from the next day or following days or someone extra cardio.
I do not view it as "punishing" more like balancing. This also does not lead to binge/restrict cycles for me since I calorie cycle anyhow. Mind you my intake is fairly high so I can afford it.
In the end going a little over not a big deal overall you can either keep going or shave off some cals if you feel you can handle it. We all have to find something that works for us!2 -
feisty_bucket wrote: »It's also standard practice in Intermittent Fasting & Time-Restricted Feeding circles. People do it all the time; it's no big deal.
It's a nice way to end up in a binge - restrict cycle.
It is also not necessary.
You don't have a time limit.
The world will not end if you don't lose your next 0.25lbs on time by the end of the 2nd week of the month.
A year from now, if you actually manage to lose the next 0.25lbs by the 3rd or even 4th week of the month, or even by the second week of NEXT month, all that will matter is that you eventually managed to lose it!
And you chances of succeeding and ever managing to lose it are MUCH higher if you go back to your normal deficit as opposed to creating a larger deficit the next day by an arbitrary number of extra Calories.
Where do you draw the line on moving overages forward? Are you going to cut 1000 Cal the next day? 2000 Cal? Spread a 3000 Cal all you can eat buffet over two days of eating nothing?
Sure, if the next morning you wake up and you're less hungry, eat a little bit less. That's normal. But deliberately chasing to make up the overage-that's a much more slippery slope.
Not to mention that it turns out that the OP is maintaining and not trying to lose. So even less of a time-table and concern.5 -
Kittyy1994 wrote: »Thanks for the replies everyone. I have been a little hungrier lately but this is the first time I have gave in.
I am currently at my goal weight (but still not happy with how my body looks) have now been looking into re-composition but have no idea how to approach this- are you supposed to eat at a small deficit still or maintenance?
If at goal weight... at maintenance. remember that maintenance has a range, it is not a static number. Especially at maintenance you will have days that are over. Way more over than 600 Cal.
One way that people handle this is that they "cut" 100 or so cal a day and leave room for slightly higher weekends or occasions. Another, is that the body to a degree compensates and after a slightly higher day you may find yourself slightly more active. So you don't necessarily even have to compensate at all for just the occasional indulgence--depending on the number of occasions and circumstances, of course!
The key, TBH, is not to panic and make large changes, or punish yourself, or get upset. You won't regain several (real) lbs of fat in a day or two, and you don't have to lose them in a day or two. And you don't have to react to every water weight swing.
Have a look through the maintenance forum. There are a couple of interesting threads on how to dial in your maintenance calories. And some that discuss a period of rebound hunger even after increasing intake to full maintenance.
How steep of a deficit were you at during weight loss, especially the last few months?
If you were hitting it hard or for very long there is some danger of re-bound hunger signals.
Only wanted to lose around 5kg in total. Have lost 3.5 but happy here (was set to 0.5kg per week)- working on trying to build a bit of muscle now and tone.1 -
feisty_bucket wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »punishing yourself for having an off day!
Trying to drop intake by 600 calories in one day to balance it out can lead to bingeing in the following days out of sheer hunger.
It's not "punishing" yourself to drop a meal; it's sticking to the system and being disciplined.
It's also standard practice in Intermittent Fasting & Time-Restricted Feeding circles. People do it all the time; it's no big deal.
It is if you're doing it purely out of feeling bad for unplanned overeating on one day then it is punishing yourself.
The difference between doing intermittent fasting/time restriction is that again it's planned and it's something you do regularly, I clearly stated this in the rest of my post.
Calorie cycling (banking) might work for you but that's not to say it will work for the OP, so it's one thing to suggest trying it, but another to totally dismiss all of the other advice they have received from people who are suggesting something else (i.e. "disagreeing with everyone").
I calorie cycle too, but in the OPs case, it's not something they are currently doing, so there is no point in them trying to drop 600 calories in one day for the sake of 1/10th of a pound. Perhaps it's something for them to consider for maintenance, but not as a panic response to one overeating episode.
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Try going at maintenance and see how you do over a month or so.2
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I have a long history of trying to make up those calories the next day by eating lighter, but invariably it just ends up with me overeating again because I feel so depressed and restricted. Allow yourself to enjoy the little splurge you had and just start back in tomorrow at your usual calories.
Allow yourself to be proud of yourself for just getting back on the horse instead of spiraling out of control for days.
If you want to reaffirm your healthy lifestyle, feel free to treat yourself by making time to go out and do something active that you have been putting off because you've been busy. Maybe getting some friends together for a hike or playing some sports, or even, as has been the case for me recently, walking to your favorite deli for a calorie conscious sandwich instead of just driving for fast food or grabbing junk out of the freezer. Or hit a farmer's market for some nice fresh veggies/fruit.
I know it can be really counter-intuitive to treat yourself after a splurge, but I have found that it really can help if you treat yourself to the right things.1
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