Free day????

aphid

i have a free meal every now and then, or a night out where i let myself drink alcohol. one or the other once a week. but not a whole day.

Mummyadams

I usually do a 'free' meal per week - keeps me happy - I 'usually' stick to this rule

babickler

I don't look at it as a cheat day.I just take a break from being so rigid. I do on occasion have a day or usually just one meal where I eat some of the things I have been craving.I don't do it every week though. I don't plan it in advance. Usually it is when we are going to be eating out and there is something I haven't had in a long time. I still try to use portion control (mainly so I can figure the caloris later) and I always always log everything. Even though I go over my calories for that day I find it is still much less that I would have eaten before starting MFP. I also try to eat something healthy along with the other stuff. Last time we ate out it was a brunch buffet. I ate a salad and a small cup of healthy soup before having some of the higher fat and calorie food.

edennew

Yes, that was my point but you put it better

edennew

Yes, Angiechimpanz, that was my point but you put it better

edennew

Yes, that was my point but you put it better

oops, i did that wrong, sorry

ChelseaJewell

I usually cheat on the weekends but I still keep track of what I'm doing and don't go too far over. Like yesterday my husband and I woke up a little late and wanted lunch and since it was about 11 by the time we got out that's what we did. I had a philly and some chili cheese fries and a pulled pork potato for dinner and I was full all day and still under my calorie limit. It may not have been the best for fat content and stuff but I could have done a lot worse. My big problem is alcohol and with parties this past weekend and the one coming up jello shots are the enemy this week. Alcohol is just empy calories but I enjoy having a few drinks when I'm in the mood, especially on the weekends.

esl269

This doesn't seem like a good idea to me, for the reasons other people already mentioned: It can be a slippery slope, eating like that.once a week, and it encourages the idea that the other days of the week are some extra special diet, whose rules you get to ignore occasionally, instead of just being your new lifestyle.

If you want to live and eat healthy, it generally doesn't include a day set aside every week to binge on pie.

pixiestick

Thanks for the posts; I dug this thread out on a search and it's been really helpful.

I weigh myself every two weeks and like to take that day off as a reward for the hard work. However, I challenged myself to still track the cals that I consumed.

Today I nearly doubled my allotted calorie intake because it was "free" and I felt desperate to find some better suggestions (because the binge is a bit embarrassing). I'll give the "add 500 cals" for a nice little reward once every two weeks, but not treat it like a free ticket to binge.

sillybeachgirl

I agree! A whole day will ruin my entire week. I pick either one meal or one snack, and I still track and I try not to go over the calorie goal to "maintain"

sillybeachgirl

also, you should not reward your self with food. reward your self with something else, like a new shirt or a makeup something like that...t

blakejohn

you must pay for everyday

there is no free lunch

junipearl

My cheat days consist of some less healthy choices (like pizza or sugar)
but I still count my calories and make sure I stay within them on those days.

vtmoon

As long as you still log all you eat I don't see why not. A free day is just a way to delay you from your end goal. Some people sprint some people talk a slow walk with many stops to the end, whatever helps you reach the end goal.

junipearl

i do agree with what someone else said about using food as a reward though.
if you are looking at food in such a way, you are not making the appropriate lifestyle changes necessary to maintain your healthy choices life long

TR0berts

SideSteel -

I take cheat days but I don't go on reckless binges. Might be 500 over TDEE or on rare occasion 1k, but usually they're just days where I don't feel like keeping track.

As for whether or not you should, I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer.

The bottom line is that over large periods of time, you need to create an energy deficit. Cheat days will counteract that in the short-term, but if this means greater long-term compliance then they can be very useful. But that's an individual thing that will vary from person to person. Some people might use a cheat day just as an excuse to pig out.

I've seen some good responses so far, but this is the best.

It all depends on where your mindset is. For many people, the idea of strict no-cheating makes it so that they crave the "taboo" foods even more - to the point where they break down and binge on cr@p and "can't" get back on track. Others find that if they cheat once a week, they cheat more often and get off the rails that way. But, many people use cheat days/meals - or some form of eating much less of the "taboo" foods - as a way to make the lifestyle change sustainable.

I'd suggest setting a day aside - NOT TODAY - as a cheat day. Let's make it Saturday, just for an example. If, on Wednesday, you're in the mood for ice cream? Shrug it off and say you can have a dish Saturday. As someone else mentioned, by Saturday, you may not be in the mood for ice cream. So you don't have any. But you could, if you wanted too. Just be sure to keep track of it and try to at least be mindful of the choices you make. And I wouldn't let the *entire* day be nothing but cr@p - but treat yourself. If, however, you don't think you'll be able to maintain healthy eating patterns/choices - then maybe you'll have be strict. Again - it's whatever works for you.