How often do you indulge? And how often do you exercise?

rybo

I don't like setting restrictions on myself. While technically I dont deny myself foods, there are ones I choose to no longer eat. I don't have cheat meals, I just eat what I want. The overwhelming bulk of my food consumption is "healthy" for lack of a better term so when I choose to eat something "bad", I feel no guilt or make no concessions for doing so.
My weekly exercise is set based on fitness goals and is pretty much irrelevant to weight goals since I am at maintenance. I don't log, I don't obsess over anything.

paigebeverly

So far I am 16 pounds down since Jan.7th. I tend to work out 4 to 5 times a week really depending if I have the time. But two meals out of the week I eat whatever I want. I don't go overboard but I am not going to deny myself of the foods I love.

ChrisS30V

I run 4 days a week, do some form of resistance training 3 days a week and am generally active on most days. I've maintained my weight loss +/- 2 or 3 lbs for the past 9 months by eating pretty much whatever I want, within reason of course. Granted, the majority of what I eat are whole, nutrient-dense foods (fruits and veggies, etc.), but there's not a week that goes by where I won't help myself to lasagna or pizza or cookies. No need to demonize any particular foods, just fit it into your meal plan and you'll be fine.

UnicornAmanda

The word indulge is no longer in my vocabulary and has been replaced by moderation.

missomgitsica

I eat whatever I want, just within my calorie goal . . . so really, I "indulge" every day.

I try to work out at least 4 times a week.

Monty_P

I work out 5-6 days a week and eat whatever I want. I try to stick to my daily allowance but I'm not concerned if I go over - and the only thing I seem to be avoiding at the moment is alcohol, because I'd rather eat my calories!

cwolfman13

I just live my life. That life includes eating a lot of nutrient dense foods and rocking my nutrition...it also includes pizza and ice cream and beer, etc.

Fitness is also a huge part of my life...currently I weight train 2X weekly full body and heavy and I cycle 4x weekly as I'm training for a 1/2 century and a metric century right now...hoping that in the future, these distances will just be, "meh...it's a Saturday" kind of stuff...but for now I have to train.

Once I do those couple of events I will take the summer to just work on general fitness and go back to a 3x weekly heavy routine and incorporate some hiking, swimming, etc. In the fall I race cyclocross and in the dead of winter I pretty much lift.

I don't look at it as indulging and OMG I had a cupcake so I better go jump on the elliptical...I just live my life and enjoy myself to the fullest extent possible. None of this should be torture or painful.

bcattoes

I am pretty strict with my eating during the week when I'm working (desk job). Lower calories, no junk, etc. On the weekends, I'm much more lax. I don't go hog wild, but I drink more wine and eat more in general, and it's more likely to include foods that wouldn't generally be considered "healthy" (wings, chips, sweets, etc.)

I try to get some exercise every day, but the intensity and length varies. I usually enjoy it, but sometimes it's a chore. I try to choose activities that I enjoy, but time and weather doesn't always permit that.

dopeysmelly

I don't bother tracking so carefully one day a week. It's usually Friday when my husband wants to order in (hey! I have a life and I don't want to become obsessive, which my personality might make me want to be). I try and write down what I eat then, but don't get worked up if I don't. I just don't eat as much of the ordered-in food as I used to. I just don't eat as much of anything as I did when I started, so it's not as difficult as I expected.

I do usually have a small (4oz - yes, I measured it out first time, and do every now and then to remind myself of portion control) glass of fizz most days in the evening. It's my one real indulgence, and is wonderfully decadent, and I enjoy it just as much as I would an enormous glass. Rest of the time I'm quite disciplined, although I don't deny myself anything I want, I just eat less and do question whether I really want something (I decided Girl Scout cookies weren't really my thing, so didn't have one). I've found that planning my meals in advance is very helpful, and I treated myself to a couple of new cookbooks so I could try some new, healthy but scrummy foods to cook, so I would enjoy the whole process of cooking and eating, not just scarfing it down. It prolongs the pleasure in the same way that a big meal used to.

I hate exercise classes, and I hate the idea of someone else shouting at me to "do more!" or whatever, so I walk. I also shovel snow (oh yeah! we've got tons of that!), do yard work etc. I might reward myself by joining the gym at my Y so I can work out while my daughter does swim practice, but only when I've lost the weight and need to work on maintenance.

mschicagocubs

This was the perfect topic for me to read! Thanks everyone!

Today is my birthday and my boyfriend and I are going to go out. There is a good chance I will drink along with it. I get so upset when I go over my calorie limit more than 100.

To whoever said .. as long as I stay below my TDEE max ... thank you! That is good to keep in mind....if I do go over once and a while for special occasions I will just try to stay below my maintain amount of calories!

Duh! )

NiqueKristan

Happy Birthday have fun (:

NiqueKristan

Thanks everyone
I think I will try IIFYM
Because I see a lot of people who have successfully lost a lot of weight recommending it.
Is it ok to go under my TDEE? I've been going by mfp 'macros'... TDEE says 1700 at most but Im doing 1200... Is that ok?

XXXforeverXXXyoung

Hi! I hope you get back on track girl. For me, I don't plan cheat meals I just eat when I think something is yummy. However I eat it in moderation for example no more than one cookie or no more than a slice of pizza. I tend to indulge 3-4 times each week and work out for four hours for fives days a week but it's all worth it since I multitask while working out. That way I don't get bored for example I use the stationary bike while I watch tv or browse the web and have lost 5 pounds with my indulgences. Yum to those Popeyes and Ice cream cones. Good luck xx

beautifulwarrior18

I indulge pretty much every day hahahaha. As long as it fits in my macro (or calorie) goal I make it work. I workout quite a bit. Strength training 3-4x a week, cardio at least 3x per week and yoga pretty much every day.