"Free day"

hotasfire36

I am thinking about having a free day once a week where I am able to eat what I would like without counting each calorie. I would like to know if you have a free day or meal and if it affect your weight loss. Thanks for responses.

Mr_Knight

Nope. I count everything. There are days when I indulge but everything, always gets counted.

Stage14

Nope. A "free day" could easily undo my caloric deficit for the entire week. I choose to eat a smaller deficit all the time and eat what I want in moderation, no need for a cheat day.

cafeaulait7

I had one when I did so well a few years ago. But it was more like a treat day. I could have that cheesy pasta dish I'd been wanting or a chocolate croissant at Panera's, for example. Or I'd use it for going out to eat at a nice place with good food, instead of getting a salad when enjoying a dinner with friends. I'm not a binger, so that probably makes an enormous difference. I really enjoyed having a big pastry once a week! It tasted better than usual, too, lol.

Many weeks I didn't even use it and I'd go almost 2 because I didn't feel like eating the treat yet.

I don't even know how long it took me to lose my weight then, though. I wasn't concerned about the time, just doing a 'lifestyle change'. It worked great! I just let discipline go to the dogs since, and apparently I can't do that.

Cattfish42

I had a "cheat" day today but I walked almost 8 miles to burn it off. So excessive exercise helping excessive eating maybe?

hotasfire36

Thanks for all your comments. I think i won't have a whole cheat day. Only maybe a cheat meal or snack once a week

stickytapir

I thought I would've needed a cheat day so I can get in a bowl of pasta. Turns out I don't really need to it. Granted, this is the end of the first week of calorie counting. Not once during the last 7 days have I felt deprived or wanting.
Currently I'm on a 1430 calorie plan, and I typically eat (and always have been) 2 main meals a day, with snacks thrown in. I usually end up with around 700 calories after lunch and snacks before it's dinner time, so I'm able to not have any issues with that. The other day, I found myself actually able to have a serious treat, 50g potato chips because I had some calories left. I didn't even think that was going to be possible on my plan. If you can plan your meals ahead of time, you can fit in any special treat around them. Just don't make your plan about having luxury treats everyday though :P

yoovie

My free day is sundays. I dont workout and dont walk more than 10 miles. I eat and drink anything I want because Mon - Saturday Im neck deep in training mode.

SLLRunner

I am thinking about having a free day once a week where I am able to eat what I would like without counting each calorie. I would like to know if you have a free day or meal and if it affect your weight loss. Thanks for responses.

Nope. I'm not on a diet therefore there is no reason for a free day. I log in everything I eat and all my exercise each day.

Spiderkeys

Depends how much you cheat on a free day, eating junk food all day is not ok, but eating a few extra calories is ok, I tend to use Saturdays as my "free day", but I still count everything that goes in my mouth.

SLLRunner

Thanks for all your comments. I think i won't have a whole cheat day. Only maybe a cheat meal or snack once a week

I would suggest changing your mindset. Even a cheat meal indicates you are on a diet.

Are you on a diet or are you working to change your life?

You can have anything to eat anytime you want and still lose your weight as long as you plan your favorite meal or snack into your calorie allowance.

The only thing required to lose weight is a calorie deficit.

chelsea123453342

I can't do free days, I tried them once and it turned into a binge...

Lavinia2You

I love Extreme Makeover (weightloss edition). I was reading trainer, Chris Powell's blog the other day. Those who are on his program are allowed a cheat day. For them, it's on Sundays. BUT...and this is a big one...there are two rules. 1) You are allowed only an extra 1,000 calories - no more. 2) The extra calories have to be eaten outside of your home. His theory is that your home should only be associated with healthy eating, because that's where you spend all of your time. So, when you have the extra calories, you have to eat out or at a friends house or something. To me, that's a great way to feel like you're having a cheat-day (don't really like that term), without completely derailing your weight loss efforts.

deadwax

We do days we call "Kaboom" days where we eat whatever we want. Birthdays, day trips traveling and shopping, holidays, just because we want to days, etc. We still log all the calories. Most of the time with exercise we can still get our week neutral even when we have a day or two where we eat an extra 1000cal or even double our normal intake.

Bottom line we always count everything we eat, we just don't beat ourselves up for taking Kabooms.

jadedhippo

I still count calories even if I decide to have a few treats. I still do my darndest to stay within my calorie goal, but if I go 100 above then I dont care.

shadus

I am thinking about having a free day once a week where I am able to eat what I would like without counting each calorie. I would like to know if you have a free day or meal and if it affect your weight loss. Thanks for responses.

Free day in the sense of "eat what you want" is good. Free day in the sense "don't log it" is bad.

Here's the reasoning, if for some reason your free day calorie intake could get high enough to derail your weight loss for the week do you want to know exactly why you didn't lose or do you want to be wondering? Right. So... log it. If you like a free day, take one, but seriously, log everything. Check out my diary for 09-21-- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/shadus?date=2013-09-21 that was my monthly free day. I still logged everything.

gigglesinthesun

the thing is you do this for long enough and you know roughly what it is that you are eating. I can't really cheat myself looking at a pizza and knowing it'll be around 2000 calories. My favourites at Burger King also amount to about 2000 (if not more) and I can pack away my weight in Sushi :-)

Does that mean I don't eat any of these foods? Of course not, when I feel like having one I do and then I log it. I wouldn't call it cheating though, I call it living :-)

shadus

I would suggest changing your mindset. Even a cheat meal indicates you are on a diet.

Are you on a diet or are you working to change your life?

You can have anything to eat anytime you want and still lose your weight as long as you plan your favorite meal or snack into your calorie allowance.

The only thing required to lose weight is a calorie deficit.

There isn't a single mindset and function that works for everyone.

Do you really think there will never be a day in your life where you eat far more than your planned calories for the rest of your life?

Hildy_J

Yes, have free days & go substantially over calorie goal. Still log everything though. What you can measure, you can manage.

spookiefox

Four years ago I lost 100 pounds doing exactly that. On Sundays I ate absolutely whatever I wanted and simply did not count the calories. worked for me. Obviously YMMV.

ses0786

I have a cheat day where I don't log and eat whatever I like. "One healthy meal won't make you skinny, the same as one unhealthy meal won't make you fat" enjoy