Question about saving calories for a day!?

Chapchap83
Chapchap83 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so I was told that if you cheated that is sabotaging your progress which I understand why bc if you over eat one day a week that if you divide that up over the week it will add to your caloric intake and potentially put you over your daily limit! So does it work the other way around? If you maybe save some of your calories during the week you can splurge a little on the weekend as long as when you add it up and divide it by the week you are still at or under your calorie intake? And I’m not talking starving yourself all week so you can eat and drink whatever you want but just being extra good!! I eat mostly protein a little healthy fat like 2tables of avocado with dinner or 10 almonds and LOTS AND LOTS of veggies mostly green with a few carrots and cherry tomatoes! I’m starting to plateau and I didn’t know if this is sabotaging me!! Just need some advice!

Replies

  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,735 Member
    edited April 2021
    yes, from what I read over & over, you can add up how many calories you should eat in a week & eat within that amount. If you go to your home page & reports, it will show you how much you ate in a week. It's called weekly digest
  • Chapchap83
    Chapchap83 Posts: 8 Member
    Can those calories include alcohol as long as you are still in that window!?
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    Chapchap83 wrote: »
    Can those calories include alcohol as long as you are still in that window!?

    For weight loss purposes, a calorie is a calorie.

    I wouldn't recommend setting aside a LOT of calories for alcohol, simply because it's not going to be very satiating or nutritious, but IMO as an occasional thing, or if you're not drinking many calories, then you can absolutely fit it in a weight loss plan. I generally prefer not to drink alcohol because I'd rather use my calories for food, but every once in a while, I have a glass of wine (or splurge on a margarita.) I also don't personally enjoy low calorie or "diet" alcoholic drinks.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I don't "cheat", because I don't agree with the negative connotations.

    But I DO "save" calories during the week so I can "spend" them on the weekend. Weekly average calorie count comes out the same :-)
  • Chapchap83
    Chapchap83 Posts: 8 Member
    Awesome ty so much that’s been really helpful!! I am down 31 lbs since middle to the end of December and I’m just kind of stuck at a plateau and I still have about 35 or 40 lbs Togo! I am starting to exercise more bc I have a desk job and I’m not able to be more active during the day but I also get up at 330 in the morning for work and try to be in bed by 830😢 to get enough sleep!! I only have about 3 1/2 to 4 hrs when I get home to get everything done and be back in bed!!! But so far I’ve managed it 4 days this week and 3 days last week!! Trying my best to stay on track with that!!!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,183 Member
    Chapchap83 wrote: »
    Can those calories include alcohol as long as you are still in that window!?

    I won't guarantee it would stay true if you consume *so much* alcohol that you get overall bad nutrition to an extreme, but consuming moderate amounts of alcohol as part of calorie goal works out the same as any other way of getting those calories, in weight loss terms. (I've done this often enough in nearly 6 years of logging to be fairly certain this is true.)

    The thing to know is that when you consume alcohol, your body will burn those calories first, generally putting other food you've consumed on hold for later calorie burn. If you're in a calorie deficit overall, eventually things should work out about the same. You may find that alcohol causes you to retain water weight (so be a little heavier on the scale temporarily), as some people report seeing this; or you may find alcohol dehydrating, so causes you to drop a little water weight (so be a little lighter on the scale than you expect temporarily), as other people report seeing that. Water fluctuations are not fat gain/loss, so not meaningful in the big picture, but they make people freak out a little sometimes when the scale looks funny for a while.

    I pretty much do what you're describing in maintenance: Eat a little under goal some days (calorie banking), somewhat over goal other days, so that things average out where I need them; and I sometimes consume moderate amounts of alcohol as part of those calories. My weight, over time, behaves in the way I'd expect based on my calorie totals.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,240 Member
    Your real concern is that with 35lbs left to lose you're no longer losing at a rate of 10lbs a month.

    That's what I hear you say, and then I hear you wondering if how you count and average your calories and what and how you eat and drink is affecting the "much slower loss" you're experiencing now that you're not losing 10lbs a month.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,240 Member
    edited April 2021
    If the above was a correct quick summary of your concerns:

    -- it is more than common to not lose the last 35 lbs at the same rate as the first 35. I would argue that it would be a terrible plan to even try to

    -- your counting methods may or may not be precise enough for micro adjustments. Down the road that may or may not matter.

    -- total calories over time is what drives things. Better nutrition is more often than not a good thing to aim for...

    Hopefully others will chime in more....
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,183 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Your real concern is that with 35lbs left to lose you're no longer losing at a rate of 10lbs a month.

    That's what I hear you say, and then I hear you wondering if how you count and average your calories and what and how you eat and drink is affecting the "much slower loss" you're experiencing now that you're not losing 10lbs a month.

    PAV is making an excellent point. I didn't pick up on the loss rate, but yeah. Maybe a pound a week, tops, for the next 15 pounds-ish if that, then half a pound a week: Much better plan. Build yourself a gradual on-ramp to maintenance: Makes it easier to stay at a healthy weight permanently, reduces health risks while you're getting there.
  • Chapchap83
    Chapchap83 Posts: 8 Member
    Ty so much for your inputs everyone! I agree 100 percent! Honestly I guess I just didn’t even consider that as I got closer to my goal that doing the same things wasn’t going to work as fast or as well! I will try cutting out alcohol completely until I get to my maintenance stage at least and see how it goes!!
  • katierthanmost
    katierthanmost Posts: 25 Member
    I follow a variation of the 5:2 'fasting' diet, which is essentially eating quite low calories (700 to 800) 2 days a week and eating around 1900 the other 5 days a week. I'm very deliberate as to which 2 days I select for lower calories, and don't exercise on those days, but this is a more sustainable approach for my circumstances.
  • Chapchap83
    Chapchap83 Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks I actually cut out alcohol for 2 weeks now almost! I’m not an everyday drinker but I definitely like to go out with my friends on Friday or Saturday night and even only drinking vodka soda water or gin and soda water with lemon and lime one night a week and including everything in my calorie goal my weight still waste budging any more! but Since I skipped the last 2 weekends out with my friends I’m down 4 more lbs!! But I also do the 1200 calories a day that’s what my Dr told me to do! But I’m really short!!! And supposed to be small!! Or that’s how I’m built! But honestly it doesn’t bother me in the slightest to do 1200 as long as I don’t eat out. I actually sometimes have a hard time hitting my goal bc my work schedule and I also try to eat tons of veggies raw before lunch and in the afternoon not only to help supplement but to get all the vitamins and minerals I need! I also usually try to drink 100 oz of water a day that also keeps you full longer but once I’m too my goal weight I might try something like that to give me a little more freedom! And a steak and a glass of wine sounds sooo amazing!!! Thanks for the tip!!

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