Thoughts on having one high calorie day...

arotella
arotella Posts: 98 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I found this info on a forum (quoting a blog from Shay Sorrels ) and I really think this would prevent me from hitting another plateau and losing motivation… plus I had a metabolic screening two years in a row and found out I did some serious damage to my metabolism since last year. What are your thoughts on having one high calorie day? Has anyone tried this? Also, does anyone know if Jillian Michaels encouraged the Biggest Loser contestants to eat their exercise calories back?


“On the biggest loser ranch we had set calories to intake and a calorie burn goal every day… except one. We always had a “high calorie” & Rest day. Now what “high calorie” meant on the ranch was that you can eat up to double your daily calories for one day- but with ONLY healthy, clean food and leisure activity was encouraged. So on those days we had steak or we had a cereal that was higher in calories, we had frozen yogurt or we used butter in cooking. It did not mean all out war path eating and it did not mean hitting your closest drive thru. Having the high calorie days is supposed to keep your body guessing (homeostasis hates this) and keep you from going into “storage mode”. This is very different from having a cheat day or having a “treat”. It was not a reward. It was a part of the process.”
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Replies

  • eberz1000
    eberz1000 Posts: 16 Member
    I can't help but have a rest day once a week (today :3) where I just eat whatever I want and don't count the calories. It helps motivate me, first off, but also I think I do believe n the metabolism point.
    I never used to realize how important eating enough calories was for your metabolism, and I used to think it was only to you wouldn't lose weight too quickly and become underweight, so my net intake for a long time was probably ridiculously low, like 600 calories, because I used to work everything off in the gym. My metabolism just ended up completely slowing down and, ironically, I just ended up gaining a ton of weight. But now, I try to make sure I get 1200 calories a day and I feel way better. I'm losing the weight slowly, (hopefully) even with the rest days.

    I feel like that response was unnecessarily convoluted. I hope you understood :P
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    Arotella, just give it a go and see if it benefits you by at least just keeping you sane whilst dieting and I do think it would help with plateaus.
  • Colofit
    Colofit Posts: 177 Member
    Very good advise. I have been reading a ton from some other top pros in the field and they all say the same ( but it does not mean sit on your couch all day and eat cookies and big Macs!) but enjoy a day (or 2) off training and let the calorie intake go higher! Perhaps a second helping of chicken and potatoes and a little treat too! If we are all in this to make "life long" changes than this has to e a good idea! Good luck to you!!!!
  • pawamonster
    pawamonster Posts: 23 Member
    I'm in no hurry to lose weight as long as the general trend is downward rather than upward. I figure, it took me 6 months to pack this on, so I can take 6 months getting rid of it and lead a fairly sane, sensible life.

    That being said, I have a story to share: Last night, after a particularly emotionally miserable day, my roommate and I decided to do takeout rather than cook. I figured pizza would be a total calorie bomb, so instead we decided to make a better decision and share Applebees. I ended up eating 1/3 of the oriental chicken salad, dressing on the side, 5 boneless buffalo wings, and then we shared chocolate cake as a treat. I figured the calorie count would be a little high, but I was shocked when I entered it.

    1/3 salad, very light dressing
    5 wings
    1/2 slice shared cake and 1/2 scoop ice cream
    ______________________________________
    1,102 calories

    Jeez, that's almost as much as I eat an entire DAY. Two slices of pizza would have been better.
  • Elizadolots
    Elizadolots Posts: 178
    I am hoping to change my eating habits to be very clean during the week and relax it over weekends. Trying to find a bit of balance I suppose! From what I read a treat day is good for your mind as well as metabolism.
  • Tara4boys
    Tara4boys Posts: 515 Member
    I heard a podcast that Jillian where she was talking about calorie cycling or zigzagging - which is varying your calories throughout the week but still maintaining the weekly deficit goal. She said, she used to do that but then decided to make it easier she kept the girls at 1200 and then one 2000 calorie day after weigh-in which was also their rest day.

    Check out the Spike Diet group on here for more info
  • ToniLTL
    ToniLTL Posts: 5 Member
    I generally have always had at least one high calorie day per week. Having a four year old there is always the kiddies parties to attend and I just cannot help myself so instead of feeling guilty that day I will eat whatever I like. I also take at least two days off a week from exercise firstly it's good for your body and seriously don't have the time!!

    I seriously believe it works when I get stuck and slow down in my weight loss I relax then hit it again and the weight comes off.
  • ahersh00
    ahersh00 Posts: 85
    I've been doing rest days more often than once a week and I've lost 18 pounds over the course of 4 mos....
  • revncarmichael
    revncarmichael Posts: 15 Member
    I too wonder about that. I have a lot to lose and am staying under the calorie limit does not seem to be a big problem. However eating enough is since I switched to salmon and other fish of the sea. Chicken and an occassional sirloin or tenderloin steak. I often eat two portions of fish with veg. My calorie limit is high. 1635 to lose 1 and a half pounds per week. I am using Advocare products and go to Boot camp three days a week. I love this site, it really helps me to understand what I am eating. Just for the record, I was told that Applebee's chicke oriental salad was one of the highest calorie items on the menu. Love it. :smile:
  • healthbunny
    healthbunny Posts: 86
    Bump to read later :D
  • grassette
    grassette Posts: 976 Member
    I'm trying a variation of that: vegan during the week, with a break day for eggs, dairy, fish and meat, all around 1200 cals.on Sundays. After being on a plateau since Xmas, I've started losing again.
  • jonwuebker
    jonwuebker Posts: 3
    I do think it's important to allow yourself some foods that you like, as you don't want to experience total deprivation. Total deprivation is not a good plan and will eventually lead to abandoning your plan, IMO. My approach has been to look at my calories and weigh-in's on a weekly basis, still tracking all consumption and exercise, and staying under my cumulative calorie limit for the week.

    This allows for me on certain days in the week to go over my daily limit, as long as I make up for it on other days during the same week. For me this works better, as I find I can control my intake easier Mon-Fri when I go to work. It also allows me to have some "treats" during the week, usually on Sunday (for me, some subs, pizza, or beer).

    Also, when I know I am going out to a restaurant, I typically try to look at the menu on-line and plan what I am going to eat/drink in advance, and budget/plan my calories ahead of time.

    I think this helps build good habits, in terms of still budgeting my calories, still keeping a diary daily, but I know I will be able to have my treats now and then and not deprive myself. These are the same habits I will want to do every day/week AFTER reaching my weight-loss goal, so I don't rebound.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
    Yes! A high calorie day is good for you. It has to do with fueling your metabolism, raising leptin levels and a bunch of other hormonal things that I don't understand. I just know it works. I typically show my best scale weight loss after a splurge day. And there is no need to stick to just nutritious foods that day. Enjoy some pizza, pie, ice cream, donuts, whatever it is you would really enjoy.

    Do a search in the forums for zig-zagging, calorie cycling, and Spike and you'll find a lot of good posts about it.
  • Juawill
    Juawill Posts: 16 Member
    If you're in it for the long haul, you've got to allow yourself to splurge once in awhile. I, however, strongly believe that you must still record those splurged calories and not simply take a total day off. That's defeating the purpose of MFP.

    What I've also found is that the longer I stick to the program and eat properly, the less my splurges impact my overall program. In other words, a splurge a year or so ago would have been huge (perhaps a whole pizza!). Today, a splurge might just see half of the pizza before I'm full. Your body adapts to your eating style. We all know that when you eat a lot of fats and sweets, your body craved a lot of fats and sweets. The opposite is true as well.

    Just don't make things so restrictive that you are not happy and always dread inputting into MFP. For it to work, you've got to get some enjoyment out of it.

    Now, go have that big bowl of ice cream and enjoy it.
  • TarquiniusJ
    TarquiniusJ Posts: 1 Member
    I hope it OK resurrect this old thread that I read with interest - I think this is really interesting. I have to say that having break for a couple of days a week seems to work well for me...

    I've been dieting for about 4 weeks now and have lost about 7 pounds, which I'm very happy with, but the last 2 or 3 days I've started feeling really tired and listless - no energy to do anything. Now the causes may not be food related - work has been stressful and I know I also need more sleep, but here's the story...

    Last night I had a blow-out Indian takeaway - the full works - probably 1500 cal in one meal plus beers. And you know what - this morning I really feel great - my mood and energy has improved massively! I have no idea whether these things are related, and I also can't say whether I feel better because of psychological effects of having a day off, or whether my body is physically now replenished with some fat and carb stores.

    But for whatever reason, having a day or two off a week does seem to work for me. I try to vary my calories each day - anwhere between 1200 cal and 2000 cal per day generally and trying to keep the average as close to 1500 as I can.

    Really 1500 is a struggle - I am probably closer to 1750 average total intake but try to reduce that to 1500 net calories by doing exercise.
  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
    One thing that stood out for me in the OP was the term "storage mode".

    I think everyone should use that instead of "starvation mode" !!!!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I think you should not look to the Biggest Loser for weight loss advice, honestly. That show has a bad reputation for sacrificing the health of the participants to get ratings.

    As far as a high calorie day, many people have success with this route. I've always gone with the moderation approach instead and kept my calorie goal a little higher so I could stick to it every day. But really as long as your weekly goal is on target I think a "spike" day can work for many people. The problem comes when a person doesn't log and ends up eating up their weekly deficit in one day, but you'd have to go pretty nuts for that to happen.


    ETA: Dammit, fooled by a zombie thread. :noway:
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I hope it OK resurrect this old thread that I read with interest - I think this is really interesting. I have to say that having break for a couple of days a week seems to work well for me...

    I've been dieting for about 4 weeks now and have lost about 7 pounds, which I'm very happy with, but the last 2 or 3 days I've started feeling really tired and listless - no energy to do anything. Now the causes may not be food related - work has been stressful and I know I also need more sleep, but here's the story...

    Last night I had a blow-out Indian takeaway - the full works - probably 1500 cal in one meal plus beers. And you know what - this morning I really feel great - my mood and energy has improved massively! I have no idea whether these things are related, and I also can't say whether I feel better because of psychological effects of having a day off, or whether my body is physically now replenished with some fat and carb stores.

    But for whatever reason, having a day or two off a week does seem to work for me. I try to vary my calories each day - anwhere between 1200 cal and 2000 cal per day generally and trying to keep the average as close to 1500 as I can.

    Really 1500 is a struggle - I am probably closer to 1750 average total intake but try to reduce that to 1500 net calories by doing exercise.

    Generally you'll make the members less stabby if you just start a new thread rather than resurrecting a long-dead one.
  • Mother_Superior
    Mother_Superior Posts: 1,624 Member
    I think you should not look to the Biggest Loser for weight loss advice, honestly. That show has a bad reputation for sacrificing the health of the participants to get ratings.

    As far as a high calorie day, many people have success with this route. I've always gone with the moderation approach instead and kept my calorie goal a little higher so I could stick to it every day. But really as long as your weekly goal is on target I think a "spike" day can work for many people. The problem comes when a person doesn't log and ends up eating up their weekly deficit in one day, but you'd have to go pretty nuts for that to happen.


    ETA: Dammit, fooled by a zombie thread. :noway:

    Zombie thread or not, all of this is solid info. I used to do the day off from logging and eating whatever, and found that more often than not, I wasn't losing any those weeks, so I logged a few and saw that I was eating back my weekly deficit more often than I wanted to admit. It's cool to have a go nuts and eat whatever day, but log and make sure that you're not undoing your weekly deficit.
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
    I have found having high carb weekends is good. We all know about calories in vs calories out, and as a general rule of thumb it works.

    If I know I will have a high calorie day (like today) then I plan to have a low calorie day (tomorrow) and fit in some exercise as well. It is getting the balance right. If you want to lose 1lb, you need a 3500 deficit for the week. Imagine if you make a 1750 deficit (1/2lb) for the week then splurged it by having 2 high calorie days? That is what I used to be doing by following your mentality of having a day 'off' - I didn't gain, but I didn't lose either.

    Make it a day off, but a smart one where you plan ahead and don't go overboard.

    As for if they ate back exercise or not, it depends on what the trainer does. They may account for the exercise in advance, or add it back AFTER. E.g. I am eating about 1500 a day, exercising, and not eating back. This is like eating 1200 a day, exercising, and eating back 300 calories. The maths is the same in the end.

    Good luck :)
  • LongIsland27itl
    LongIsland27itl Posts: 365 Member
    One high calorie day would be ok if you created even more of a deficit during the week. Not my cup of tea
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Every week, I do a total fast for 1 day, and I have 1 high-calorie day. It works for me, because I know that there is 1 day out of every week where I can pretty much eat whatever I want, so I don't feel deprived.

    ETA: I always log, even my high-cal days.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Oh, crap, this an ancient thread...yep. Stabby.
  • nomorebingesgirl2014
    nomorebingesgirl2014 Posts: 378 Member
    Bump
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    I have a high day occasionally. Works out to 2-3 times a month. I don't go crazy, don't eat everything in site. And I find it useful. A way to allow for the unexpected, enjoy things I might not want to fit into 1400-1600 a day which is my usual target. I think of it as eating at maintenance, an extra 500-1000 calories opens many options.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    I track my calories goal as a weekly average so I have high cal and low cal days. As long as I’m within my weekly goal I don’t worry about it.
  • whatalazyidiot
    whatalazyidiot Posts: 343 Member
    I don't know anything about the science or physical benefits, but I like the mental benefits of it. I didn't incorporate higher calorie days until after the first month, and it has been a huge game changer for me. And I haven't personally seen any negative effects from it (like plateaus or whatever), so I am all for it.

    But coming from a history with compulsive overeating and binge eating disorder, I have to be careful. If it turns into a full on cheat day, I risk it turning into a week-long binge fest based on my own personal history, so I usually go more for just staying within maintenance for a day or so.

    Which is why I think it can be a different experience for everyone.. you know yourself best and what will work for you.

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