One free day a week?

WestCoastMom

Does taking one day off a week to eat freely (ie. not count calories and treat myself) sabotage my fitness efforts? Does anyone have any thoughts? I know the Body For Life program did this and it helped me with my cravings. I knew that I could eat that chocolate when Sunday rolled around!

shellsies93

There was a study done saying that people lost more weight when they set a cheat date; so go for it; I would just suggest not going tooooo overboard if it's every week; like thousands of calories over, overboard.

Mines once a month and I know it keeps me on track!

JeffGDDG

Body For Life is like that and I had some success but ended up overdoing it. An idea is maybe two cheat meals a week. Or two cheat one hour periods. Better than bombing the whole day.

trackmyday1973

Does taking one day off a week to eat freely (ie. not count calories and treat myself) sabotage my fitness efforts? Does anyone have any thoughts? I know the Body For Life program did this and it helped me with my cravings. I knew that I could eat that chocolate when Sunday rolled around!

Can't you treat yourself by fitting it into your daily calories?

janel867

This doesn't work for me...I'm an all or nothing kind of girl so if I give myself an inch I'll go a mile (in the wrong direction)!!! Kudos to anyone who has tried this and has the self control to keep themselves in check
:drinker:

MsMimidoll

Does taking one day off a week to eat freely (ie. not count calories and treat myself) sabotage my fitness efforts? Does anyone have any thoughts? I know the Body For Life program did this and it helped me with my cravings. I knew that I could eat that chocolate when Sunday rolled around!

Can't you treat yourself by fitting it into your daily calories?

My thoughts exactly, as long as you don't go over, you can have a lil something special every other day or so

lharri0209

To keep myself on track, I take one day out of the WK of my choosing to treat myself to something that I would usually avoid such as Chinese food. However, instead of eating like that for a whole day, I take one meal out of that day to eat some good eats. I still track what I have eaten and I also workout the same day. That keeps me from that dreaded guilt feeling.

JesterMFP

Whether it sabotages your weight loss or not depends on how many extra calories you consume on that day. Could you sabotage it? Definitely. Why not give it a try and see if it works for you. Cheat/treat/free days work for some people and help them stick to long term calorie restriction. Other people find them unhelpful. The only way you're going to know for sure is if you try it.

Another approach would be to fit the foods you like into your normal daily diet. I never found the need for a special day to eat chocolate, because I eat chocolate nearly every day, and did all the time I was losing. I don't restrict any particular foods or types of foods, I just keep the quantities under control. Occasionally I have days where I go over my calorie allowance, cause you know, life happens... birthdays, Christmas etc, but day to day, I just eat the foods I like, in portion sizes that fit into my goals. That way, I don't feel like I'm "on a diet", and there aren't any "dreaded guilt feelings". Not about eating anyway.

leadiax3

I prefer to treat myself moderately when i am at a special occassion like a birthday party.... Or if im having a major craving i try to satisfy it in moderation. Its really hard to pick 1 day to be "off" cuz i would end up binging until i was in pain .... As a lady recovering from ed, moderate treats r challenging for me, but the alternative is awful. Remember deprivation is mentally unhealthy and can lead to serious disorders! So, just 1 pig out day would never work for me. We have to be kind to our bodies and accept ourselves as human beings who deserve to eat normally and not be on "diets".

BrentJulius

... although I would still be in the habit of logging it anyway as it helps to educate yourself on what your diet looks like off of the plan.. I think cheat meals are better than cheat days because then you can compensate for the rest of your day teh best that you can. I try and only have a cheat meal 1 out of every 10

Jakeyyy_

The whole 'cheat day' experience never really worked for me. I decided to make healthy eating and exercise a life style change. So for example I'll come back from the gym and I'll be craving chocolate so I'll have a chocolate digestive or something and a glass of water. Usually this stops me binging or going crazy.

If I want a treat(and it's reasonable/I think I've deserved it) then I'll have it. However everyone is different!

Babygi6003

I don't have cheat DAYS, I do have one or two cheat meals/snacks a week though

Adrianachiarato

It depends on how crazy you go. If you spend 1500 cal/day, eat 1200 6 days per week in order to lose weight, your deficit in 6 days is 1800 calories. So if you eat 3300 calories on your cheat day, your effort for that week is lost.

beccadaniixox

Cheat meals!!! I love themm. Normally it just means going out for a Waffle cone though.
Dessert is my sin

Rogus1

Everyday should be a eat all you want day, because you should want to eat the right amount to accomplish whatever you want to accomplish...lose fat, get in better shape, be fitter, maintain.

ElsaVonMarmalade

Everyday should be a eat all you want day, because you should want to eat the right amount to accomplish whatever you want to accomplish...lose fat, get in better shape, be fitter, maintain.

"I want you to WANT to do the dishes."

sbrownallison

I think this is dependent on personality type. I'm in the camp that says No, because my cravings can be triggered fairly easily; I do better without certain foods in my life. For the most part, I restrict complex carbs (no breads or sugary desserts), but manage to fit chocolate in every day, i.e., unsweetened cocoa powder added to sugar-free non-fat yogurt. In the past, when I've allowed "cheat" days, pretty soon I'm cutting more corners in my plan and sabotaging all my hard-won good habits. To each his own, right?

_EndGame_

I don't believe in "cheat days"

I might eat above my allowance occasionally, but that is only when I hit a plateau, and I need to kick start my metabolism.

As for eating foods you would contribute towards your "cheat day" you can fit them into your daily allowance. That way you get to eat the foods you want, without going over your calorie allowance.

KaceeGetsFit

Same here! I will squeeze stuff into my daily calorie intake but if I have a free day, I feel like I undo everything.

parallax1978

1 day a week is too much IMO. Especially if it is a true day off and you eat the standard American diet. Think about it, one order from Zaxby's (or whatever) and a big desert can be around 3k calories all by itself... which undoes a sensible diet the rest of the week. I do once a month, gives you something to look forward to and can easily be overcome in the following days/weeks.

TitaniaEcks

OP, I highly recommend a cheat day. Don't think of it as a "cheat day", just an "eat day". People who don't incorporate one are much less likely to stick to a diet - fantasizing about all the food you can't have only makes you obsess more about food and grow frustrated and give up. It's happened to me every time. Also, a regular-calorie day tricks your metabolism into staying high instead of adjusting to your lower-calorie diet.

As long as you eat right around your daily calorie expenditure on Eat Day and don't totally binge, it'll work wonders.

BaconSlanger

HAVE A CHEAT DAY! I actually use the whole weekend to sorta eat some favs of mine. I don't over do it of course, but it'll help you from just having a crazy bad binge day then hating yourself and making yourself starve after. Trust me, cheat days are good. Can't just deprive your body from what you love.

TitaniaEcks

This is an example of what (ch)Eat Day should NOT look like, lmao:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/TitaniaEcks?date=2013-08-24

Apicius

One aspect of not eating junk food/sugar etc for some time is that you lose the taste for it. This then helps long term for cravings etc. So a cheat day then readjusts your tastes to the junk, and you never quite lose the cravings.

So going cold turkey on unhealthy foods is easier in the long run, or at least in my experience.

loneaffliction

I think cheat meals/days are fine once in a while. Most importantly when you've earned it with exercise to help offset the extra calories. If I've pushed myself especially hard, I'm a little more lenient about allowing myself a small treat from it. There are nights that I cook for my family or for my kids at work when they are having something fairly unhealthy (i.e. pizza, burgers) with a lot of calories and fat or when I might be going out to eat somewhere, and I have to make that decision - eat something different myself or indulge. I usually cut the portion down, and as long as I don't go more than 200-300 calories over what I expected for that meal, I don't sweat it. It also helps to compensate on those days during your other meals. Eat a healthier breakfast and lunch to scale back your calories so that you don't go over your goal for the day. Yes, some people are committed to a complete diet and lifestyle change, but especially if you are just starting to adjust your habits, you're more willing to stick with it if you don't sacrifice everything. Then, too, you won't binge and cheat just to satisfy a craving. I usually reserve my "cheats" for when I've burned a LOT of calories for the day. Push an extra hour or an extra mile and don't be afraid to reward yourself. That being said, I think it's best to stay away from the big no-nos - fast food, processed food, heavy sweets. Keep your portions small, and if there is a substitute option that may be healthier, go for it (i.e. grilled vs. fried). I think it's okay to allow yourself those favorite foods as long as you don't overindulge. Like eating a correct serving of potato chips or a few blocks of chocolate versus the whole bag/bar, a scoop of ice cream instead of a pint. Allowing yourself those small indulgences keeps you motivated, I think, as long as you fit it into your diet. Remember, too, that there are always substitutions. Look for a different brand of your favorite snack that might be healthier. Something sugar free, for instance. And if it's something like pizza or fried foods that you favor, think of ways that you can recreate the same in a much healthier recipe and cook at home. Then, you're not sacrificing a meal you love, just adjusting it to meet your new diet. I can give some tips in that area, if you need. Just about everything you may enjoy can be recreated in a healthier option with fewer calories. Then, you don't feel like you need to cheat at all.

Dechant63

You really should do a cheat MEAL not a chest DAY! I usually still fit my cheat mean in my macros and calories.

WestCoastMom

Wow! This is a good topic! Thanks for all your input.....I can see that moderation is the key

JesterMFP

You really should do a cheat MEAL not a chest DAY! I usually still fit my cheat mean in my macros and calories.

And yet you still call it "cheating"? Sounds like a very healthy attitude you have there. :huh:

heis4u2004

I have a free day every Sunday since sometimes church people get together and eat and you never can tell how many calories are in homemade foods.
So allowing myself to enjoy one day without logging calories, I have successfully lost weight almost every week. It seems surprising to me because I think I blew it, but when I get on the scale sometime the next week, I find I am down another pound.

I believe depriving yourself completely sets you up for failure. Anyway it seems most days I am way under my calorie limit and have to search for things to eat to get 1200 calories in.

PS- I believe I heard Dr Oz mention something about having the doughnut once in a while can actually boost your metabolism.

amandarawr06

Twice a month I allow myself a free for all day. But I still to keep it within my maintenance level (sooo I aim not to go over 2300-2500). The odd time I will, but despite what I eat I log it all. It keeps me accountable. And I only do it when I have something planned the next day to keep me busy. If I don't have something big the next day, I will fall into a bad cycle.

For example, I had a cheat day Friday. I ate 2400 calories. But I worked a 9 hour shift the next day. So I was busy all day and ate within my calories.

prettylittleliarxx

I have 2 cheat days a week. One were I have one unhealthy snack (it doesn't make any difference whatsoever). And then days when I fast, when the fast is finished I eat some unhealthy stuff. But I try to eat clean monday-friday. And when I eat unhealthy after I fast I try to keep the calories under 1200. And my random cheat day, just my normal calorie goal and exercise.