can you have one bad day a week?

[Emma2stone2go]

so I've religiously stuck to the 1400 every day but today I fell of the wagon. Saturday we always have a take away but this uses all my calories how can I carry on with this traditional and still lose weight?

[MrNiceGuy]

Of course you can, Emma.

Given that you've reduced calorie intake in the days leading up to this evening means that a sizeable deficit will have already been created, resulting in the body expending calories stored in fat to fuel daily endeavour.

If levels of activity have increased over the last few days, by including more exercise, for example, an even greater amount of calories will have been expended on top of those burned while carrying out every day duties.

Equally, if you've under-eaten this week, as you adjust to finding the correct calorie allowance, the excess in tonight's takeaway will help to compensate, thus, keeping metabolism firing, whilst also remembering that the calorie allowance you usually allow for evening meals will also contribute towards the total included in tonight's takeaway.

[Claire2stone]

Hi Emma2stone2go 😃

Don't beat yourself up !! You definitely haven't 'fallen off the wagon' either 😉

If your following the nhs12wk plan you will know this is a change for life and not just a faddy diet. It sounds like you've made a fantastic start and to continue you need to also enjoy your food and YES this means the occasional treat 👍

Have you checked your calorie allowance as 1400 is a very generic amount. If you haven't I would recommend you check yours on the nhs bmi calculator and aim for the lower amount during the week then you can go to the higher amount during the weekend 😆

The higher amount all week would give you an average of 1lb a week loss and the lower amount 2lb a week (depending on exercise).

Don't forget .... life is for living and you need to enjoy it .... a take away won't ruin your diet .... as long as your within calories (ish???)

Good luck and enjoy the rest of your weekend xx

[Emma2stone2go in reply to Claire2stone]

Claire2stone I have checked my bmi and it said somewhere between 1575 and 1900 but because I am following the 12wk NHS plan and I really want to make a change I have stuck to the 1400 until today! I have worked out today I have eaten 2000 calories!!! 😢😢😢 I have been exercising regularly for 3 years 2/3 times a week my main problem is food I love it especially sweet treats but I desperately want to be a healthy eater...I want to lose 2 stone! I see your status says you did it how did you get there what was your first wk like? Also do I weight in on day 7 which is tomorrow or the Monday? Also because my cycle started today I think my weigh in will be inaccurate.....Thanks for listening!! xxx

[Claire2stone in reply to Emma2stone2go]

Hi Emma2stone2go 😆 I'm just going to bed now but saw your lovely reply so thought I would quickly respond. There is no cast iron rule about weighing but would advise you weigh the same time and day each week. Remember that even going to the loo before makes a difference!!!! Also take some before pics and measure your tummy, legs, arms etc as when the scales don't move you might still be losing inches 😇

I'm really glad you have checked your bmi calorie allowance and as you can see it varies quite alot and gives you some wriggle room. I have treats all the time 😉 a little does you good ... but in moderation and remember to even it out with something good 😀 if you don't allow yourself a treat you will crave it more and in turn eat more of the wrong food and drink. Moderation is key 👍for the first few wks planning is really helpful. Write everything down but don't obsess too much as I really struggled to begin with to get the right balance. It does get easier as time goes on and you and your body adjusts. Oh .... and read as much as you can on this forum and post as much as you like there's always someone here with advice and support. Good luck and night night 😇

[Emma2stone2go in reply to Claire2stone]

thank you so much this your words are really encouraging thank you x I will keep going fingers crossed I will get there 😀😊 x night night!

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Emma2stone2go]

Hi Emma, sorry to butt in, but I wanted to share this with you, so that you can start to relax about your calorie intake

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

[Emma2stone2go in reply to moreless]

thank you I have just read through the link maybe I need to readjust my calorie intake, a tad confused....I will have a proper read through tomorrow. Thank you so much for all the encouragement xxx

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Emma2stone2go]

So many of us assume that the less we eat, the more weight we'll lose, but it's just not true. Our bodies are designed to deal with famine, so will thwart any attempt to starve them.

By feeding them the correct amount, they relax and stop hanging onto fat stores. Just look at how successful LessToLose has been, she's lost almost 9 stone and has NEVER eaten fewer than 1500 calories and to start with, ate far more than that. I've lost over 7 stone and regularly eat 2,000 calories.

Don't get caught in a trap, because as time goes on, then your calorie allowance will drop and then you'll be on starvation rations to keep below what you've been eating.

You can do this without being hungry, or panicking

[Emma2stone2go in reply to moreless]

Thank you once again I need to get my head around the calorie thing....is it what you eat that's the problem rather then the calorie count? I've managed to lose 1 pound in my first wk which is a start I was hoping for more you have done amazingly well very inspiring!!! Xxx

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Emma2stone2go]

My way of thinking, is to eat as much as you can, while still losing weight and that requires a bit of fiddling about, to start with. If I was you, I'd be inclined to start at the upper end of your scale and see how you get on.

You don't need to be a slave to an exact amount each day, just try to average things out over the week. I'm sure it's better to vary the number of calories each day, as it keeps your body guessing.

I have chosen to keep my carb intake low and prefer to eat whole foods and natural fats. I've found that by doing this, you cut out added sugars, are satiated for longer, which naturally reduces your calorie intake, but we're all different and what works for one, doesn't necessarily work for another.

LessToLose is a vegan, so her diet is completely different to mine, yet equally , if not more, successful, so you have to find what's right for you

I hope I haven't confused you more, but helped to ease your worries

Good luck!

[Emma2stone2go in reply to moreless]

What would whole foods be in sweet treats ? Xx

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Emma2stone2go]

Fruit!

[Emma2stone2go in reply to moreless]

Ah yes I've had an apple today. Just had a roast dinner and now I've upped my calories I still have 300 to go! Thinking of having a chocolate with skimmedmilk and kit Kat (2) is that terrible ?

[Emma2stone2go in reply to Emma2stone2go]

Sorry that's meant to read hot chocolate?

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Emma2stone2go]

Not at all, you have to do what's right for you. Many people include chocolate in their allowance. I've chosen to drink whole milk and cut sugar from my diet, because I don't have an off switch!

[Emma2stone2go in reply to moreless]

Ok thank you. I have previously cut out all sugar for a month which really effected my mood in a bad way so I need to keep something sweet in there. It's so hard this dieting lark but I do want it to be healthy and nutrious mostly (!) thank you once again such great advice xx

[Emma2stone2go in reply to moreless]

Hi moreless I have eaten a higher amount of calories this wk 1800 and lost more then last wk 2.5 lbs in fact where as last wk I lost 1!! I really can't believe it I haven't felt hungry or craved anything. Thank you for the advice x x

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Emma2stone2go]

Yaaaaay Emma!! I'm thrilled for you!!!

[Emma2stone2go in reply to moreless]

Thank you soooo much it I still feel like I've cheated but I will carry on as I am I still have the odd treat as long as I'm under these calories it seems to of worked feels amazing.Plus an inch of my waist!! Really hoping it's not just because my period is over fingers crossed it continues ☺️

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Emma2stone2go]

Just stick with it and keep an eye on things. Keep checking your allowance on the BMI calculator, because it will go down as you lose weight.

All the best!

[Emma2stone2go in reply to moreless]

Thank you x

[Ruby8]

I would say yes too, especially if you are sticking around 1400 during the week. Our healthy eating lifestyle has to be sustainable so we can stay with it.

You may even find as time goes by that you find the take away too filling and start to cut down on it a bit. Or augment it with a side salad or plain brown rice or whatever, so you can have the best of both worlds.

[HelenL1965]

I don't think of it as a bad day, its about balance.

Once you accept this and cut yourself some slack, for some reason (maybe psychological!) you likely won't want to do it every week! when I have a take away I only eat half of it and freeze the rest - saves money too.

One day doesn't affect the downward line of the graph. Its about looking at the bigger picture!

[fattybygaslight]

All previous comments sound like good advice Emma. It is my birthday on Wednesday and I am going for a nice meal and overnight stay so I will not be counting. It is too many over indulgence days that are my problem, but if you make up for it by carefully counting calories and exercising on other days it should not matter and you should lose weight. Good luck!

[Rutie]

I think a cheat day is fine, it sounds like you are doing great. 6 days of being good is still better than perhaps where you were 12 weeks ago? Be proud of your hard work and success. If you still feel bad, maybe on Sundays cut down on calories to make up for Saturday take away?

[happyhealthyjane]

I'm with the majority here. On a weekly basis, you still take less calories than you normally would. I would not even call it a bad day. what I mean is, if losing weight and keep it off is about long term lifestyle change, it has to be realistic and doable. Have food you enjoy but perfectly healthy once a week is not a sin.

[Emma2stone2go]

wow thank you so much for your encouraging comments! I do feel bad about going over my calorie count & I really do want a lifestyle change BUT some things like Saturday night take away I want to keep! I have since a child had a take away on a Saturday and sat down with the family and sort of carried on the tradition unless we go out for a meal it's a treat for the kids & we don't have it any other time.

[slimpickings 2 stone]

You need to cook a fakeaway. Like a takeaway but reduce the calories. Tonight we had curry. I made a quorn curry and served it with brown rice and quinoa. I swapped naan bread for popadoms as they have a lot less calories. I use a tiny squirt of spray oil in a non stick frying pan. You can add lentils and extra veggies too. Xx. If you precook it and freeze it then you won't be cooking either. Xx

[fattybygaslight in reply to slimpickings]

Have you tried the fakeaways in the Hairy Dieters cookbook? They are fab

[slimpickings 2 stone in reply to fattybygaslight]

Well, I am dreadful with a recipe. I do have that book but I never have all the ingredients so I make substitutions! What I end up with doesn't always look like the picture!! Xx

[fattybygaslight in reply to slimpickings]

Well your own creation sounded pretty good too. I don't follow recipes to the letter either but I use them for inspiration. Happy cooking

[Newyork2017]

I had a cheat day friday been good all week. Gym three times. Weighed myself and in a week i have lost two pounds. Got a long way to go. But a start

[Emma2stone2go in reply to Newyork2017]

Wow well done! I just weighed myself and I've lost 1 pound which is a little disappointing but better then nothing 😊Xxx

[Newyork2017 in reply to Emma2stone2go]

I forgot how hard it is xx and how easy its to put on weight xxx

[Emma2stone2go in reply to Newyork2017]

Yep I agree it's quite boring watching every single thing you put in your mouth. I'm going to try increasing my calories this week to see if it makes a difference. Xx