"Free" day - what your thoughts on one?

irishgal44

I started 3 weeks ago...wondering what your thoughts are on one "free" day a week? I've heard people talk about how they do this on here and wondering who has success with that. I stick to my 1200 a day and sometimes exercise (3-4 times a week) burning an average of 300 calories those days. I usually eat at least 1/2 of my excersie calories. I have heard a few times that giving yourself a "free" day (within reasonable limits) can boost your metabolism and actually help with the weight loss process. For those who do it, have you noticed results? How many calories extra do you eat for those days? :flowerforyou:

Celo24

I don't have a free day but my wife and I have our "cheat meal" every Friday night. That is the one meal of the week that I don't pay attention to calories and eat whatever the heck I want. I normally don't go TOO far overboard, but a nice juicy burger and beer or wings or something like that is a great treat after a week of work and workouts. I think you HAVE to let yourself splurge from time to time or you'll go nuts. It's not realistic to say you will NEVER eat something bad. Just limit yourself. Remember, everything in moderation.

As for how it affects weight loss, well, I do my weigh-ins every Friday morning so that I have all week to work the cheat meal off. To this point, I have lost weight every week. I only lose a pound or a pound and a half at a time but that's the healthiest way to do it anyway and I'm fortunate enough that I don't have a whole lot to lose right now.

Hope this helps!! Good luck!

TaneeisFitforLife

I'm not a big supporter for "free" days. There are so many other things you can do to keep losing weight

BlueEyedMomma88

My "free" day is on Sunday and Ive been fine on my weight loss..

jmncolts

Good question!! I would like to know too!!

Schuky01

I usually don't count my calories on the weekend. I still try to eat smart and really think about my portion size, but I do allow myself more flexability those days and then hit it hard again during the week. I need to have those "off days", otherwise I would go crazy. I have managed to loose 25lbs doing it this way. But again, I don't go and binge eat at an all you can eat buffet, or go crazy with food, I still think about what I am eating, I just don't log it.

catherine1979

I know a lot of people have free days but for me personally I can't do it. It leads me back to overeating, splurging, and gaining the weight back... I guess it just depends on what works for you!

Crystel22

have not had any free days so far, but I am craving something sweet all of the time. I feel like if I try to have a free day I will gain anything I have lost and then lose my motivation. I have thought that maybe when I get in my routine a little more than maybe I can have my sweet treat and it won't effect anything. What do you all think??

bbb84

I personally am not planning a "free" day. I think it is equivalent to planning to fail. However I also refuse to deprive myself of something I really want. If I want something bad enough I will figure out its calories and do the math as to how much extra work I will need to put in to work it off. If I still want to eat it after knowing all this I will but I'm going to do the work that is necessary.

kerriBB37

I don't have a free day but my wife and I have our "cheat meal" every Friday night. That is the one meal of the week that I don't pay attention to calories and eat whatever the heck I want. I normally don't go TOO far overboard, but a nice juicy burger and beer or wings or something like that is a great treat after a week of work and workouts. I think you HAVE to let yourself splurge from time to time or you'll go nuts. It's not realistic to say you will NEVER eat something bad. Just limit yourself. Remember, everything in moderation.

As for how it affects weight loss, well, I do my weigh-ins every Friday morning so that I have all week to work the cheat meal off. To this point, I have lost weight every week. I only lose a pound or a pound and a half at a time but that's the healthiest way to do it anyway and I'm fortunate enough that I don't have a whole lot to lose right now.

Hope this helps!! Good luck!

I do the same thing! Since I weigh in on Friday mornings (for myself and our challenge) I use Friday night as a "cheat" meal. Usually my beau and I will go out to eat. I also try and not go overboard. Last Friday we went out to Max and Ermas and I got a smaller burger (my FAVE) and fruit salad instead of fries. I had some beer and that was it! I went to the gym over the weekend because I felt kind of guilty but I'm going to try to not feel that way. I feel I deserved that! and compared to how I've eaten in the past (which was anything I wanted, ever, at any time) I'd say it's a big improvement!

onvacation

I think a lot of people can blow a great week with a free day on the weekend which usually means free DAYS!

I do think a cheat meal every now and then helps keep you on track!

Guess you just have to figure out what works for you!

FearAnLoathing

I use a free dayI dont think I could do it without it.It gives me something to look forward to and helps me not fall of track the rest of the week.I just started on this site but befor I started here I had lost 40 pounds and that was with cheat days.

irishgal44

have not had any free days so far, but I am craving something sweet all of the time. I feel like if I try to have a free day I will gain anything I have lost and then lose my motivation. I have thought that maybe when I get in my routine a little more than maybe I can have my sweet treat and it won't effect anything. What do you all think??

I think it's ok to work in something sweet into your daily goal...maybe exercise and earn some extra daily calories and then treat yourself so you're not dealing with a sweet craving every day. Maybe your body is trying to tell you that you need some extra sugar now and then. Good luck!

JaneZv

I need these to stay motivated, something to look forward to. I also don't exercise on cheat days. Well, it's a cheat day, i'm gonna enjoy it! :bigsmile: Yup, I still manage to lose weight.

helenamonks

I wouldn't go with a whole free day, more like one reasonable free meal, like every other week, but if I'm having a craving for something I don't deprive myself, for example, if you want a hershey bar for a 100 cal snack, only eat 1/3 of a try size bar.

alliecore

My first introduction to dieting and exercise was through the "Body for Life" program several years ago. A huge drawing factor for many people is that the program advocates being rigid about diet and exercise 6 days a week, then giving yourself a "free day". I had tremendous results on the program.

I know a lot more about fitness than I did at that point, and today I don't 100% advocate the BFL program; but honestly it's going to boil down to your personal preference. There is just too much proof out there that a "free day" once in awhile will not negatively affect your overall weight loss. I think the bigger question is how it affects overall health when we eat junk/ less healthy foods. Remember that it is entirely possible to be slim but not healthy.

sdsmart

For me a free day doesn't work cos it brings back all my cravings for sweet, salty, greasy etc. instead of satisfying it and I feel like it all week

MyaPapaya75

I started 3 weeks ago...wondering what your thoughts are on one "free" day a week? I've heard people talk about how they do this on here and wondering who has success with that. I stick to my 1200 a day and sometimes exercise (3-4 times a week) burning an average of 300 calories those days. I usually eat at least 1/2 of my excersie calories. I have heard a few times that giving yourself a "free" day (within reasonable limits) can boost your metabolism and actually help with the weight loss process. For those who do it, have you noticed results? How many calories extra do you eat for those days? :flowerforyou:

I dont agree with a "free" food day or cheat meal..but I do agree with a day off for rest in regards to exercise..I think accountability plays a key role in success and when we stop being accountable thats when we encounter setbacks..If your living by a set caloric intake then I think you definately need to include even the bad choices and be accountable. Not logging them doesnt take away from the fact that you consumed them.

ajwall3

My husband is attempting to lose weight also and he has a 'free' meal on Friday nights where he eats pizza/wings and soda. Me personally I can't do that. If I let myself eat unhealthy, I spiral downward and that makes eating unhealthy for the next meal all the more of a danger. I am an 'all or nothing' person. Either I'm 100% eating healthy and exercising - or I'm not. It really is whatever works for you. Some people say that moderation is the only way to go to keep from binging... but I don't binge... but one meal makes the next one difficult to get back on track. Also, if I eat unhealthy, I will not want to run or work out and then when I don't, I don't have anything to hold me accountable to eating well and then I'm all off track. My husband's system works well for him and mine works well for me. Depends on if you think you can handle it without going overboard. Good luck though!!

rvice2

I couldn't live without my free day!!!!! However, you have to make sure that a free day doesn't mean eating 3 fast food super sized meals and a box of twinkies!!!! My free day is always on Sunday and I go to my aunts house for dinner of which is nearly impossible to count the calories. Then I treat myself to one normal size candy bar or a single serve brownie. It has worked for me!

jessieinblue

I don't diet on Fridays. I have adhered to this since beginning my weight loss "journey" in February 2009.

However, there are two conditions to my "cheat" days:

1. I practice self-discipline. If this is an area in which you know you need work, "cheat" days might not be a good idea for you. My mom, for example, tends to go back to overeating if she lets herself relax for a day. You can't allow that to happen.

2. I don't go crazy. If I go out to eat on Friday night, I order what I want and enjoy it -- but I still remain aware of my portions and the messages my body sends me, and I stop when I'm full and box up the rest.

HawkeyeGuy

I've gone from about 34% bodyfat to a maintained 12.5% bodyfat over the past 2 years. During my transition to a healthful life, I rarely took any "days off", because I didn't deserve them yet. They interfered with my goal. Now that I'm where I want to be, I eat very cleanly throughout the week (mostly because my body now demands it). But, from Friday evening, through Sunday morning, I am free to eat whatever I like. I do this because knowing I could never have a slice of pizza, or a martini again would kill me. But, I find that during that 48 hours, I only eat one or two meals that aren't my 'usual'...again it's because my body now craves my steel cut oatmeal and eggbeaters for breakfast. I probably ingest an extra 2000 calories over normal during those 48 hours, but I know that I must maintain a 400 calorie deficit during the week to stay in my maintenance mode.

So, they may be free days, but I still stay in control, and know what my body needs. It's amazing how bloated and nasty I feel now if I do over do it on any of those meals...I rarely do. That's my two cents. Now go work out.

jennifer3998

Someone said a free day is "planning to fail". I think that is harsh. I love having a free day on the weekends. I have lost more weight since instituting that. I used to always weigh more on Monday mornings than I did on Friday mornings. When I let myself have flexibility one day (usually Saturday) I've been losing more weight on weekends. Maybe it's the change in calories, I don't know. But whatever works for you.

And by free day I don't mean eating an entire pizza. Nothing like that. For example, I had some drinks and I ate a bowl of mac and cheese.

Best of luck!

jennifer3998

Someone said a free day is "planning to fail". I think that is harsh. I love having a free day on the weekends. I have lost more weight since instituting that. I used to always weigh more on Monday mornings than I did on Friday mornings. When I let myself have flexibility one day (usually Saturday) I've been losing more weight on weekends. Maybe it's the change in calories, I don't know. But whatever works for you.

And by free day I don't mean eating an entire pizza. Nothing like that. For example, I had some drinks and I ate a bowl of mac and cheese.

Best of luck!

noltes2

There is not one perfect formula that works for everyone... but I CAN tell you my expereinces thus far. I definitely have one cheat meal every week single week, usually on Sunday. Three weeks ago I had lasagne at Olive Garden, two weeks ago I went to Red Robin and ate a burger (didn't finish it), last week I had steak tacos from Ixtapa...... I look forward to the treat all week and it always makes me kick into a higher gear the next day. I can't help but feel that, "Oh no, I just ate way over my caloric needs, I'm not gonna need to work twice as hard to lose weight now." It always motivates me to work even harder for the whole week so the scale will reflect that. The bonus is a day of eating high calories followed by a day of eating low calories like clock work I always break a plateau.

Here is what DIDN'T work. I thought I'd try giving myself a cheat DAY and I consumed 2500 calories through the whole day, which is more than double what I really need (1200). I could start feeling old habits returning and did not like that feeling. I was stuffed the whole day, and told myself "it's my cheat day, it's okay." But the only one I'm cheating is myself. I would experiment with what works for you and like many of us have said, different things work for different people!

pyro13g

The easiest is to allow 10% cheat calories per week. You don't want to gorge it down in one sitting or even a day. Our "free, cheat, treat" days are often loaded with high glycemic loads and those loads get converted directly to fat to drop blood sugar levels.

jessieinblue

After reading some of the other responses, I feel like I should clarify some things.

My diet on Fridays is not completely unlike my diet the rest of the week. I never go above my maintenance calories (for my age, height and activity level, about 2100 calories). And I don't eat unhealthy things I wouldn't usually eat just because, hey, it's my cheat day.

Instead, I just relax. I have a little extra breakfast. I have pasta for dinner, and it's always darn good. I have a small bowl of ice cream. I still get in plenty of fruit and veggies. I still watch what I eat. Otherwise, I would be going against all I've come to believe about a healthy relationship with food.

Redkoala

I wouldnt be able to cheat, might sound silly but why have that piece of candy or something when you know you dont wanna eat it. Guess the 'cheat' thing with me is the odd round of beer a saturday night once in a while :P

TrainerRobin

Oh boy. I am not a big believer in "free days" because when it's truly free (all day, every meal, every snack, anything in any quantity) it can undo so much work that it usually leads clients (in my experience) to get discouraged.

Think about it. You work hard to eat right at a 500 calorie deficit all week, which earns you one pound (3500 calories). You also pushed to exercise, say five times a week @ 300 calories each time, which worked off 1500 calories. So you have an exceptional week and net a deficit of 5000 calories. That's 1.4 pounds (note that every pound lost is usually not 100% fat so 3500 calories doesn't always net one pound ... see this for more info: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TrainerRobin/view/myth-or-fact-calories-in-versus-calories-out-3500-calories-one-pound-and-should-i-eat-my-exercise-calories-62012).

Depending upon how bad your "free day" is, it's easy for you to completely erase the entire week ... if you eat out, you'll likely not only undo your hard work for the week, but dip into previous week's hard work. And to boot, it's rarely healthy clean food that people splurge on when they take a "free day.

That said, for folks who are at their weight goal, and are working to maintain (and are typically pretty good with their diet and their activity levels), a splurge meal or two won't throw them off too bad because they are working those meals off during the rest of the week.

I get it. Lots of fit people do it and it leads a lot of folks who are working hard to get fit to do it, too. But ... in my experience, it hasn't been a positive thing for most folks who are still striving to achieve a healthy weight.

Just my two bits ...

reander

I don't have a planned free/cheat day, but if I have a day where i'm really craving something i'll eat it and not worry too much about it. I think it stops me from going crazy knowing that I can have it if I want to. If I do have a free day now I don't go all out eating whatever I want, i still show some restraint.

neebelung

I'm all for indulding yourself once in a while, but I don't necessarily schedule it, or make it a full day. If I can make it through a weekend and stay on track, all the better. But if I want to go out for beer and wings with friends one night, or have a little dessert once in a while, I try not to beat myself up over it either. (I do, however, make a point to throw in some extra cardio to try to counteract it... lol).

I was on another weightloss support site a while back, and this concept of cheat day was SO polarizing, it was unreal. People who DON'T 'cheat' tended to get all high and mighty (and I have NOT read all the replies in this thread, so please don't anyone thing I'm talking about you, if indeed you got high and mighty in this thread ). Typically the line of thinking that 'non-cheat day' people seemed to have is that we need to learn to indulge ourselves with things other than food. And that's all well and good - FOR THEM. But we all have to realize we all have DIFFERENT lessons to learn here, and what works for one person may cause another person to fall off the wagon and binge.

So for ME, hey, I'm a foodie, I love good food and drink. For ME, the lesson to learn is moderation - enjoying a dinner out with friends and my husband once a week (as opposed to every other night). So in that respect, a little "cheat" is a good thing for me.