Free day????

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Replies

  • sillybeachgirl
    sillybeachgirl Posts: 15
    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
    blakejohn Posts: 1,129 Member
    you must pay for everyday

    there is no free lunch
  • junipearl
    junipearl Posts: 326 Member
    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
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
    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
    junipearl Posts: 326 Member
    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
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    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.

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