If everyday were like today I would GAIN weight?

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Right now I weigh 161.2 (am 5'7''). I've been on MFP since Jan and lost 45 lbs so far. Today I went out to eat for the first time and ate like 600+ calories over the 1200 I am set at. I normally eat back all my exercise calories and don't usually eat only 1200 a day, but very rarely go over that much. But I told myself one day won't kill me and it's not like I'm going to GAIN weight, even if I ate that amount everyday, since it's under 2,000 calories (what I thought would be my maintenance calories). So why when I completed my diary today, with 1876 calories for the day, did it say, "If everyday were like today you would weigh 162.6 in 5 weeks"? Really? I have been looking forward to more calories on maintenance and did not think I would gain one pound by eating 1876 calories daily?

Replies

  • stephanie1133
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    Ignore that. It's dumb anyway!
  • epmck11
    epmck11 Posts: 159 Member
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    Unless I am misunderstanding your post, I don't get what you're confused about. You ate 600 calories above the 1200, which is presumably what you are supposed to eat to lose 1lb per week (500 calories below maintenance). So your maintenance level would be 1700. You ate 100 more calories than your maintenance level, so you would gain a slight amount of weight if you ate like that every single day. It's just one day so you don't have anything to worry about, but if you eat above your maintenance level every day, of course you'd gain weight.
  • fatchiick
    fatchiick Posts: 105
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    Don't worry you should be fine eating at least 2000 cals at maintenance... the default for MFP seems to be 1200 if you were to raise it, I think your message would be different... example you went 800 so it says you'll gain that's only because its set to 1200 if it was set at 2000 you'd have a -200 and it would say you'd lose... don't pay attention to that...
  • lauraarenee
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    As long as you work out those calories and don't go out to eat regularly, you should be fine girl! Every bodies different and this app is set for the general public, some people lose weight faster than others, don't take this app too much to heart
  • bemott
    bemott Posts: 180
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    Thanks guys! I appreciate the feedback.
    EPM, I thought my maintenance calories were going to be at least 2000 a day.
    1700 seems way to low. I have MFP set to lose 2 lbs a week, that's why I'm at 1200 now.
    I suppose I will worry about maintenance when I get there. ;-)
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    I'd strongly recommend setting to 1 lb per week. 2 lbs and set at 1200 is very agressive and hard to comply with.
  • bemott
    bemott Posts: 180
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    I know what you mean mmapags. But I'm about done now, lost 45 lbs in less than 6 months, and feel great. I very rarely only ate the 1200 I didn't want to be on a "diet." The goal just helped me to stay within a nice range.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    I know what you mean mmapags. But I'm about done now, lost 45 lbs in less than 6 months, and feel great. I very rarely only ate the 1200 I didn't want to be on a "diet." The goal just helped me to stay within a nice range.

    Great going! Congrats!!
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    I give up reading that statement long time ago. I still use MFP just to track what I eat everyday.
  • Erisad
    Erisad Posts: 1,580
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    Yeah, it's rarely accurate anyway. I would be 4 pounds lighter than I actually am now if it worked that way. I'm building muscle and it doesn't take that into account. :P