Sharing this for anyone who thinks one social meal ruins progress.
My numbers today in MFP:
๐ฅ Cut goal: 1,700 calories
๐ฅ Food eaten: 2,054 calories
That puts me 354 calories over my cut target.
BUTโฆ
My maintenance is around 2,200 calories.
At 2,054 total intake, I am still about 146 calories BELOW maintenance.
That means I am STILL in a small calorie deficit overall.
No panic.
No punishment cardio.
No โI messed upโ mindset.
I enjoyed Korean BBQ with my family โ guilt free โค๏ธ
My approach moving forward:
โ
Add more steps tomorrow
โ
Trim 50โ100 calories from my usual deficit
โ
Keep protein high
โ
Keep carbs controlled
โ
Stay consistent
What I learned ๐๐๐ฝ
Going over your CUT target does NOT automatically mean fat gain.
Fat gain happens when you consistently eat ABOVE maintenance โ not just above your deficit goal.
Thereโs a difference between:
โข Going over your cut calories
โข Eating at maintenance
โข Eating in a surplus
Tonight I went over my 1,700 cut target.
But I did NOT go over my 2,200 maintenance.
One higher-calorie meal does not equal body fat gain.
Sustained surplus over time does.
Knowledge removes panic.
Consistency builds results.
P.S.
I brought my food scale and weighed my food. No shame I got goals to meet.